Did the prophecy about a "great famine" (Acts 11:27)
come true?
Even secular sources mention this multi-year famine which affected the
entire Roman world and lasted from 44 AD to 48 AD during Claudius' reign of
41 AD to 54 AD. The Roman historian Suetonius wrote that the famine was so
great even in Rome that mobs abused Claudius Caesar -
"When there was a scarcity of grain because of
long-continued droughts, he was once stopped in the middle of the Forum by a
mob and so pelted with abuse and at the same time with pieces of bread, that
he was barely able to make his escape to the Palace by a back door; and
after this experience he resorted to every possible means to bring grain to
Rome, even in the winter season." (The Life of
Claudius, Chapter 18)
Why would the "brethren dwelling in Judea" (Acts 11:29)
need more help during this famine than the brethren in Antioch?
At this time, the
persecution of
Christians was primarily by the Jewish
authorities against those within their reach in Judea, who most likely lost
their fields, property and homes before being imprisoned. The Roman persecution of Christians
didn't start until 66 AD, so the church in Antioch at this time had more resources
to share with their suffering Christian brothers and sisters in Judea.
Where are the churches of 'Judea' and 'Antioch' today?
Eighty percent of the world's Protestant wealth is in North America and most of it is
spent on church buildings and social activities in the "Antioch"
of North America instead of flowing to the starving, homeless and intensely
persecuted Christians in the "Judea" of Middle East, Africa, South
America and Asia. The right hand of
the body of Christ continues to apply pedicure to the right foot while the
left hand and foot remain bludgeoned and bleeding.
What will the Lord say to the right hand and foot?
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the
holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the
nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from
another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will put
the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will
say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you who are
blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry
and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger
and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you
visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will
answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or
thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in,
or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come
to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you,
inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it
to Me.’ “Then He will also say, to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me,
you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and
his angels:
for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no
drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not
clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also
will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then
He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did
not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these
will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting
life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)