Agabus
“Possibly 'locust' or from a root meaning 'to love'”
Summary
A Christian prophet who predicted a severe famine during the reign of Claudius and later foretold Paul's arrest in Jerusalem.
☩The Famine Prophecy
Agabus was a prophet from Jerusalem who came to Antioch around AD 44 while Paul and Barnabas were teaching there. He 'signified by the Spirit' that there would be a great famine 'over all the world,' which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. This prophecy prompted the believers in Antioch to send relief to the brethren in Judea by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. Roman historians record widespread and repeated famines during Claudius's reign, and Josephus testifies to the severity of the famine in Palestine, noting that Queen Helena of Adiabene imported provisions from Egypt and Cyprus to relieve the suffering.
☩Warning to Paul
Years later, when Paul was journeying to Jerusalem, Agabus came down from Judea to Caesarea and prophesied concerning Paul's fate. Taking Paul's belt, he bound his own hands and feet and declared, 'Thus says the Holy Spirit: So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.' This dramatic prophetic action recalls the symbolic acts of Old Testament prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel. Despite this warning and the pleas of his companions, Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem, ready not only to be bound but to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Agabus," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Agabus," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Agabus," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).