The Angel who freed Peter

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: Not named; “angel” (Greek angelos) means “messenger,” marking a heavenly agent who carries out God’s will.
• Period/Era: Early Church; Roman Imperial Context (Jerusalem under Herod Agrippa I).
• Main References: Acts 12:1–19.
• Key Connections: Peter; the Jerusalem church gathered in prayer (Acts 12:5, 12).

Who was The Angel who freed Peter?

This angel appears in Acts as an unnamed messenger sent by the Lord to Peter in prison.
He acts with authority over physical restraints, guards, and the prison’s security.
The narrative presents him as a divine agent whose intervention supports apostolic witness.

Key Events & Achievements

• Event 1: Appears in Peter’s cell at night, bringing light and waking him (Acts 12:7).
• Event 2: Causes Peter’s chains to fall and leads him past the guards and through an iron gate that opens by itself (Acts 12:7–10).
• Event 3: Departs once Peter is safely outside and Peter recognizes the rescue as the Lord’s deliverance (Acts 12:10–11).

Life Lesson & Legacy

God can preserve and advance apostolic mission through means beyond human control, including angelic assistance.

Key Verse

“And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his hands.” — Acts 12:7, ESV