After this, he "went down from Judæa to Cæsarea, and there abode."
From other writings we learn, that Herod went to Cæsarea at this time, for the purpose of celebrating a festival in honour of Claudius Cæsar, who had become Emperor of Rome a year or two before, in a.d. 41. We also learn that the people of Tyre and Sidon had in some way or other offended Herod, who was intending to make war upon them. The idea of war greatly alarmed the inhabitants of Phœnicia, because they got the chief part of their wheat and honey, and other provisions, from the land of Judæa; and of course if there were a war, such supplies would be stopped, and a famine would be the consequence. We read in the Scripture, that "Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country." Herod, at the request of Blastus, consented to receive the messengers sent from Tyre and Sidon. "And upon a set day," a day appointed for the purpose, "Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration" (or long speech) "unto them." What Herod said, we do not know; but Josephus tells us that he wore on this occasion a magnificent robe of silver tissue, and that the sun shining upon it, made it look so dazzlingly bright and beautiful, that the people cried out, Forgive us for having only paid honour to you as a mortal king: from this time we shall look upon you as being far superior to mortals! Instead of reproving them for thus setting up a mortal man as being equal to God, Herod was pleased with this speech; but he had soon cause to repent of his pride and folly: for before he left the theatre, or public building in which such assemblies took place, he was seized with most dreadful pains in his stomach, so that in his agony he exclaimed, "I whom ye have called a god am now going to die a miserable death." The king was then carried to his palace, where he died after five days of fearful suffering: a warning to all, who allow others to treat them as if they were beings superior to their fellow-men.
None of this is told us in the Bible: all that we read on this subject in the Book of Acts, is, that Herod "made an oration. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost."
Herod died about a.d. 44, lamented by the Jews, whose favour he had gained by his persecution of the Christians: the Roman soldiers, on the contrary, rejoiced at his death, and spake against him, which made the Jews very angry. This bad feeling now raised between the Roman soldiers and the Jews, was one cause of the troubles and disturbances which soon followed: for from this time until Jerusalem was destroyed, twenty-six years later, the land of Judæa never enjoyed any real rest or quiet. How could the blessing of God, which can alone give peace and happiness, rest upon a people who had so fearfully sinned against God, by their rejection of the Messiah, His Son Jesus Christ.
Herod Agrippa the Elder, of whose death we have just spoken, left three children: a son, bearing his own name of Herod Agrippa; and two daughters, Bernice and Drusilla, both mentioned in Scripture.
Herod Agrippa the Second, or Younger, was only seventeen years old when his father died; and his dominions were therefore placed under the care of a Roman governor; but afterwards he was allowed to rule over a part of them, and to take the title of king: and upon the death of his uncle, Herod king of Chalcis, the Emperor Claudius allowed this Herod Agrippa to succeed to his kingdom. Nero, who became Emperor of Rome, a.d. 54, added to the dominions already possessed by Herod Agrippa the Second, in the land of Judæa. We shall hear of him again in the Book of Acts. Both Drusilla and Bernice were bad women: Drusilla married Azizus, king of the Emesians; but Felix, a Roman, who afterwards became governor or procurator of Judæa, persuaded her to leave her husband, and become his wife. Of this Felix we shall hear more by and by, after he became the governor of Judæa.
We must now go back to the history of Saul and Barnabas, whom we left at Antioch preaching the Gospel, and bringing into the Church many converts, who were then called Christians.
Whilst Barnabas and Saul were still at Antioch, preaching the Gospel of Jesus, there "came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified (or foretold) by (the direction of) the Spirit that there should be great dearth (or famine) throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cæsar," who was at that time Emperor of Rome. The word here translated "world," sometimes means the Roman Empire, and sometimes only the land of Judæa. In this case, it appears to mean Judæa only; for the dearth seems to have been confined to that country: and Josephus, speaking of this dearth in the reign of Claudius, tells us, that large quantities of corn were sent up to Jerusalem from the neighbouring provinces, which could not have been the case if the dearth had been felt in them also. On the announcement of the distress about to come upon their brethren in Judæa, "the disciples" at Antioch, "every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judæa." By this we learn, that the custom of having all things in common had not been followed at Antioch. Most probably by this time it had been given up altogether; for now that the numbers of Christians had so largely increased on all sides, the plan of having all things in common would be no longer desirable, or even practicable. Each Christian of Antioch determined then to give what he could for the relief of their fellow Christians in Judæa; "which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul," who immediately set out from Antioch, to take the money thus collected to the elders of the Church at Jerusalem. These two Apostles stayed in Jerusalem for some months; probably about a year. We learn from another part of the Book of Acts, that during this stay at Jerusalem, Saul had a very remarkable vision. He was praying in the temple, when by the power of God he fell into a trance. Whilst he was in this state, his bodily senses suspended as it were, and his mind more alive to spiritual things, Jesus Christ appeared to him, and said, "Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me." It surprised Saul to be told that the Jews of Jerusalem would not believe him: they knew how he had formerly persecuted the Christians, and therefore his change of opinions would, he thought, have great weight in convincing them of the truth of what he now taught them: therefore he answered, and said, "Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed in thee: and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I was also standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him."
To man, these things might seem to make Saul the most fit person to convince his countrymen, but not so with God, Who had chosen Saul especially to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. In answer to his pleading, therefore, Jesus now gave this positive command, "Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles." This was enough, and from henceforth Saul became a distinguished preacher to the Gentiles. "And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry," (that is, the work which they came to do,) "and took with them John, whose surname was Mark," who had before this accompanied Peter to Rome.
Barnabas and Saul therefore went back to Antioch, but they did not long remain there.