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JULY 20
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down on the shore and prayed. When we had of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this
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taken our leave of one another, we boarded man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
the ship, and they returned home. 10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet
7 And when we had finished our voyage from named Agabus came down from Judea. When
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Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound
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brethren, and stayed with them one day. On his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says
the next day we who were Paul’s companions the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem
departed and came to Caesarea, and entered bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver
the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”
12 Now when we heard these things, both we
and those from that place pleaded with him
not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul
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21:9 virgin daughters. That they were virgins answered, “What do you mean by weeping
may indicate that they had been called by and breaking my heart? For I am ready not
God for special ministry (1 Cor. 7:34).The early only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem
church regarded these women as important for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
sources of information on the early years of 14 So when he would not be persuaded, we
the church. prophesied. Luke does not reveal ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”
the nature of their prophecy. They may have 15 And after those days we packed and went
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had an ongoing prophetic ministry or proph- up to Jerusalem. Also some of the disciples
esied only once. Since women are not to be from Caesarea went with us and brought with
preachers or teachers in the church (1 Cor. them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early
14:34–36; 1 Tim. 2:11,12), they probably minis- disciple, with whom we were to lodge.
tered to individuals. 17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the
brethren received us gladly.

DAY 19:Why did Paul not heed all the warnings about going to Jerusalem?
The church in Tyre had been founded by some of those who fled Jerusalem after Stephen’s
martyrdom (Acts 11:19)—a persecution Paul himself had spearheaded.When Paul arrived there,the
disciples there told Paul “to not to go up to Jerusalem” (21:4). This was not a command from the
Spirit for Paul not to go to Jerusalem.Rather,the Spirit had revealed to the believers at Tyre that Paul
would face suffering in Jerusalem. Understandably, they tried to dissuade him from going there.
Paul’s mission to Jerusalem had been given him by the Lord Jesus (20:24); the Spirit would never
command him to abandon it.
Later,a prophet named Agabus (11:28) met Paul in Caesarea.Although it was located in Judea,
the Jews considered Caesarea, seat of the Roman government, to be a foreign city. Old Testament
prophets sometimes acted out their prophecies (1 Kin. 11:29–39; Is. 20:2–6; Jer. 13:1–11; Ezek. 4; 5),
and Agabus’s action of binding his hands and feet with Paul’s belt foreshadowed Paul’s arrest and
imprisonment by the Romans (Acts 21:11).Though falsely accused by the Jews (vv.27,28),Paul was
arrested and imprisoned by the Romans (vv. 31–33).
Hearing these warnings, it is not surprising that both Paul’s friends (Luke and the others trav-
eling with him) and the Caesarean Christians pleaded with Paul to not go. Paul’s response is to say,
“I am ready not only to be bound,but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus”(v.13).
Jesus’ name represents all that He is.That said from Paul, his friends response was,“The will of the
Lord be done”(v.14)—a confident expression of trust that God’s will is best (1 Sam.3:18; Matt.6:10;
Luke 22:42; James 4:13–15).

made a proclamation throughout all his king-
July 20 dom, and also put it in writing, saying,
2 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia:
All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD
Ezra 1:1–2:70
God of heaven has given me. And He
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, has commanded me to build Him a
1 that the word of the LORD by the mouth of house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.
Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred 3 Who is among you of all His people?
up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he May his God be with him, and let him

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