Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

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Acts 26

• King Agrippa II and his sister Queen Bernice came to pay the new governor, Festus, a visit in Caesarea.

Below: The Herodian Dynasty: beginning with Herod the Great who had all the boys 2 and under massacred at Jesus’ birth, and ending with King Agrippa II. See Inset below.

Below: Right lower corner inset from The Herodian Dynasty Above:

Paul’s Early Life

Acts 26:¹ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.”

• Herod Agrippa II, son of Herod Agrippa I of Acts 12:1-23.
• I believe Paul was acting as his own attorney.

So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself:

Acts 26:² “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews,

Acts 26:³ especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

Acts 26:⁴ “My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know.

Acts 26:⁵ They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

Acts 26:⁶ And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers.

Acts 26:⁷ To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

Acts 26:⁸ Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?

• As “firstfruits” of God’s harvest.

Acts 26:⁹ “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things (against) contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Acts 26:¹⁰ This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

Acts 26:¹¹ And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

Paul Recounts His Conversion

Acts 26:¹² “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

Acts 26:¹³ at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.

Acts 26:¹⁴ And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

• Since they had all fallen to the ground, they were in the position of worship.

Acts 26:¹⁵ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

• We have all had our own experience of meeting God in a way that afterwards we are never the same. I had my own experience in a slum apartment, part of a large warehouse which housed a shoe shop and a carpenter’s shop on main street in Washougal, Washington; part of the beautiful Columbia River gorge. The name means “Rushing/Laughing Waters” named by Indians who long ago lived along the river. I never met an Indian but the town had remnants of the old West with posts on which to tie your horse, board sidewalks in places (in front of the barber shop) and false fronts to make buildings look a little taller than they actually were. These western remnants were mixed with the culture of post WWII; a soda shoppe, brick bank, and a pharmacy selling nylons and lipstick with medicines and beauty products on the shelf and a picture of Elvis on the wall. Several bars dotted various areas in the small town; the most significant was the Evergreen Tavern catercorner from our warehouse. The new school was built in a cow pasture in which the teacher had to pull the blinds down when the bulls were in heat, and a church across the tracks by a road leading the way out of the town (to places that was as far away as the edge of the world since we had no car). The most important building in my high school years was the church with Pastor Collins, the most sincere preacher and family man. I was invited to go on a Sunday with kids I hardly knew and my mother encouraged me to join them. It was in that church that I was to hear the word of God and my life changed. I only wished as my life continued that I would have been as faithful to God as He was to me. But I digress. I began a ritual of doing my homework and getting high grades, I prayed faithfully on my knees, and at 15 years of age as I was praying in my bedroom by the bed (remember I was a brand new Christian who hardly knew scripture) the heavens opened overhead and I heard the loudest, most powerful voice talking to me. The power was so intense I couldn’t move, I felt I could hardly hold my being together because it felt so frail. The voice was cavernous like a lion and as it spoke I could not move. You see, I had been praying that I would not be ashamed at His coming. The voice told me not only would I not be ashamed at His coming, I would be strong. Then the voice seemed to fade away and left me paralyzed on my knees until finally I was able to crawl under the bed covers from the floor to ponder what had just happened.
  Now here I am in my old age (not elderly, just old) when suddenly, I felt as though someone had poured gasoline into me and lit a match. I became obsessed with studying the word of God. I studied and studied day and night for ~20 years. During that time, God has revealed so many things I felt I had to document them and share them so that others could see what I have been shown. Like Paul, I work to support the sharing of His word, like a tent maker, so to speak. I know not everyone will understand what has been documented but I know the Spirit reveals those things of God to whom He will. It is my prayer that everyone who even stumbles upon this website will take hold of the wonderful mysteries of these end time days and that we live to experience Jesus returning to earth with the saints and the angels to set up His kingdom on earth. While I am not without extensive education, holding enviable positions in international companies as well as being an author, these count for nothing compared to one’s relationship with the Creator of the Universe. I have not always been so vocal about this experience, as Paul was, but I do believe time is running out. If you have the opportunity see Topic: Do You See What I See?

Acts 26:¹⁶ But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.

• Revelation 1:19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
  Both John the beloved and Paul received the same message with different revelations.

Acts 26:¹⁷ I will deliver (rescue) you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,

Acts 26:¹⁸ to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins (healing) and an inheritance among those who are sanctified (set apart) by faith in Me.’

• Healing begins when the power of Satan is broken.
• Genesis chapter 3 Jesus will crush (bruise) Satan’s head (Satan’s source of power).
• Job 41:Jesus “draws” Satan out of the sea of people as the Leviathan/Serpent of old.
• You can’t kill your demons and continue to enjoy their company.

Paul’s Post-Conversion Life

Acts 26:¹⁹ “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

Acts 26:²⁰ but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

Acts 26:²¹ For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

Acts 26:²² Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—

Acts 26:²³ that the Christ (the Messiah) would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

• The Christ would suffer
  • Psalm 22
• The first to rise from the dead
  • Jeremiah 2:3, Exodus 23, Exodus 34
• Proclaim Light to the Jews and Gentiles
  • Psalm 22

Agrippa Parries Paul’s Challenge

Acts 26:²⁴ Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”

Acts 26:²⁵ But he said, “I am not mad (out of my mind), most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.

Acts 26:²⁶ For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.

• The news and uproar was not hidden but known throughout the region.

Acts 26:²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.”

Acts 26:²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.”

Acts 26:²⁹ And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”

Acts 26:³⁰ When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor (Festus) and Bernice and those who sat with them;

• Bernice was the sister of King Agrippa II.

Acts 26:³¹ and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”

Acts 26:³² Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”