And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. Acts 21:27-30

As was prophesied earlier in the book of Acts by the Holy Spirit, Paul was going to be persecuted when he came to Jerusalem. Now as we see , over and over again, the Jews are persecuting Paul and rejecting Christ, because they don’t understand the gospel. They keep accusing Paul of blaspheming The Torah, but they don’t understand it was Moses himself who prophesied about Jesus coming

The orthodox Jews clearly didn’t understand the prophecies of the New Covenant foretold by Moses, Jeremiah, and Isaiah. So because of their lack of understanding , they rejected Christ and tried to kill off the Christians including Paul. If only they allowed the Holy Spirit to reveal who Jesus truly is, but they hardened their hearts!

And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. Acts 21:31-33

Jerusalem was in total chaos because of the gospel of Christ, this is the reaction you will get when the light is shed into the darkness. The Jews were about to kill Paul, but once Rome heard of the chaos, they came to restore order. Paul was now bound in chains, just as prophesied by the Holy Spirit in the earlier chapter

And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him. Acts 21:34-36

This scene reminds you of when Jesus was on trial, the Jews were crying out to have Paul killed off, because they rejected the gospel. But Paul knew this going to Jerusalem , he was prepared to lay down his life for Christ, in fact he considered a great honor to die for The Lord

It’s interesting to think about , the Orthodox Jews were zealous for God, yet their actions were in opposition to God. Are you like Paul, ready to be in Chains for The Lord? Are you ready to lay down your life for Christ, if its your time? Press on to our higher calling Amen!