The prophecy of Agabus

“As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.” Here, the prophet Agabus appears. Paul and Agabus were old acquaintances dating back to when Paul served in the church at Antioch. Agabus was the prophet who, through the Spirit, foretold a great famine that would occur throughout the world, which came to pass during the reign of Claudius (Acts 11:27-28). In this instance, Agabus likely came down to Caesarea to deliver a prophecy to Paul. “And he came to us and took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, ‘This is what the Holy Spirit says: “In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.”’” (1) Agabus stood in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets, delivering his prophecy through specific gestures (ref. 1 Kings 11:29-31, Isa. 20:2-4, Jer. 13:1-7, Ezek. 4, etc.). (2) The phrase “This is what the Holy Spirit says” is equivalent to “Thus says the Lord” in the Old Testament. Agabus declared that the source of his prophecy was the Holy Spirit. (3) Agabus delivered a prophecy concerning Paul: (a) He took Paul’s belt and used it to bind his own hands and feet. (b) He declared that the owner of the belt would be arrested by the Jews in Jerusalem and handed over to the Gentiles. (4) However, Paul was already aware of this from the Lord and remained undisturbed. He was confident that his arrest in Jerusalem was part of the Lord’s plan. (5) Paul’s companions, as well as the believers in Caesarea, were deeply concerned for him. They pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem, and Luke was among them. While this advice was rooted in love, advice based on human love can sometimes be dangerous. “Then Paul replied, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ …we became quiet, remarking, ‘The will of the Lord be done!’” (1) Their pleas brought Paul even greater pain and sorrow. Paul prioritized obedience to the Lord Jesus’ command over his own life. (2) Eventually, they said, “The will of the Lord be done,” and fell silent. Likewise, let us not prioritize our own judgment but end our prayers with the words, “The will of the Lord be done.”