"As Peter knocked at the door of the gate," a young girl named Rhoda came, and asked who was there. When she heard Peter's voice, she was so glad that she didn't stop to open the gate, but ran immediately into the room saying:
"Peter is here—standing outside the door."
Friends Astonished.
So suddenly interrupted in their prayer, the people would not believe her, but said she was beside herself. But Rhoda insisted that she was right. She knew Peter's voice, and she knew he was at the door. They finally concluded that "it was his angel."
In the meantime, Peter kept knocking until he was finally admitted. It seems that the little group hardly expected their prayers to be answered in just that literal way; so "when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished."
Peter, holding up his hand, and beckoning them to be quiet, told them how the Lord had delivered him from prison. Then he added: "Go explain all these things to James, and to the brethren." This James was probably the brother of Jesus, who seems to have been appointed to take charge of the Church at Jerusalem.[[2]]
Peter Gets Away.
Knowing that as soon as he would be missed in prison the soldiers of old Herod would be searching for him, Peter went unto another place.
When morning came, there was a great stir among the soldiers because of Peter's having escaped. Herod ordered a thorough search in vain.
Then, thinking the keepers of the prison had been careless and negligent, this wicked ruler ordered them put to death.