Christmas Players – King Herod: A Pawn in the Kingdom of Darkness

I was supposed to do this yesterday, and I moved right into Shepherds & Angels instead! That was probably good timing in hindsight, though. I thought I might skip over it, but, NO! - I absolutely do have to come back to this, because what King Herod represents is vitally important when it comes to understanding God and what we are celebrating as believers - not only at Christmas - but every day.

So, today’s Dig centers on Herod the Great, but not merely as a villain in the familiar Christmas story. Rather, we examine Herod as a symbol—a visible instrument in an age-old invisible war. Scripture makes no attempt to soften this reality: there is, and always has been, a literal conflict between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. And until Satan is finally cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10), that conflict continues.

The birth of Jesus Christ did not occur in a neutral world. It happened on a battlefield!

The Magi and the News That Shook a Throne

Matthew records:

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea

in the days of Herod the king,

behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?

For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’

When Herod the king heard this,

he was troubled,

and all Jerusalem with him.”

— Matthew 2:1–3

The Magi arrive not in Bethlehem, but in Jerusalem—the seat of political power. Their question is simple, reverent, and devastating:

"Where is the King?"

When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem seeking the newborn King, their inquiry quickly reached the ears of Herod the Great. Summoning them privately, Herod questioned the Magi carefully about the timing and appearance of the star, already calculating his next move. He then directed them to Bethlehem, cloaking his true intentions beneath a veneer of piety: “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him” (Matthew 2:8).

But Scripture leaves no doubt—this was deception, not devotion. Herod’s words masked a heart consumed by fear and jealousy, for he had no intention of worshiping a rival king, only of eliminating Him

After the Magi had found the Child and worshiped Him, presenting their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, they prepared to return to Herod the Great, as he had requested. But God intervened. Warned in a dream not to return to Herod, the Magi obeyed immediately and departed for their own country by another route (Matthew 2:12). Their quiet obedience thwarted Herod’s scheme and marked the first clear fracture in his plan. Heaven had already begun to outmaneuver earthly power, and Jesus - the King whom Herod feared - was protected.

King Herod Duped, Now Crazed

When Herod realized he had been outwitted by the Magi, his pretense of piety collapsed into raw fury. Determined to eliminate any rival to his throne, Herod issued a brutal decree: all male children in Bethlehem and its surrounding region two years old and under were to be put to death, the age range calculated from the time the star had first appeared (Matthew 2:16).

Joseph Warned & Given Instructions

Even as Herod’s soldiers moved in violence, however, God had already acted.  Warned in a yet another dream, Joseph arose in the night and fled with Mary and the Child to Egypt, safely beyond Herod’s reach (Matthew 2:13–15).

Thus, while Satan stirred murderous rage through an earthly king, God quietly preserved His Son, fulfilling the word spoken long before:

“Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 

(Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15)

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Who Was This Herod the Great, Anyway—and Why Was He King?

Herod was not Jewish by birth. He was an Idumean (Edomite), descended from Esau, and his kingship was not granted by God but by Rome. Appointed “King of the Jews” by the Roman Senate in 40 BC, Herod ruled as a client king—a political buffer to keep the region stable under Roman authority.

Rome prized loyalty above morality, and Herod delivered loyalty—through fear, brutality, and ruthless efficiency.

Historically, Herod was known for:

• Massive architectural achievements (including the renovation of the Second Temple)

• Political cunning

• Extreme paranoia

He murdered his wife Mariamne, her brother, her grandfather, and at least two of his own sons—because he feared rivals. Augustus Caesar famously remarked it was safer to be Herod’s pig than his son.

So when the Magi speak of a newborn King, Herod’s response is entirely in character.

Herod’s opposition to God’s purposes did not end with the slaughter in Bethlehem. Years later, John the Baptist boldly confronted Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, for his unlawful marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife. Though Herod feared John and recognized him as a righteous and holy man, his pride and desire to save face before his guests proved stronger than his conscience. After Herodias’s daughter pleased him with her dance, Herod rashly swore an oath, and at Herodias’s prompting, John’s head was demanded on a platter. Trapped by his own pride and public vow, Herod ordered John’s execution (Matthew 14:3–11; Mark 6:17–28). In this grim scene, we again see the familiar pattern: truth silenced, righteousness persecuted, and earthly power yielding to the pressure of sin—yet even here, God’s purposes marched on, for John had fulfilled his role as the forerunner who prepared the way for the Lord.

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A War Older Than Bethlehem

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

To understand Herod’s role, we must step back—far back—to the beginning.

In the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted Eve, and through Adam’s disobedience, sin entered the world:

“Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men…”

— Romans 5:12

This was no allegory someone made up along the way to explain human frailty.

Scripture clearly presents it as a real moment in real time—the instant immortality became mortality, and fellowship with God was shattered.

Without this event,

there is no reason for Jesus Christ

to come in the flesh,

live a sinless human life,

and die for the sins of mankind. None!

Yet immediately, God responded—not with abandonment, but with redemption.

“The LORD God made garments of skin

for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”

— Genesis 3:21

Blood was shed.

Shame was covered.

Redemption was foreshadowed.

From that moment on, the plan of salvation moved forward—and Satan moved to oppose it.

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Satan’s Strategy: Destroy the Seed

At that fateful moment in the Garden of Eden, God promised:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your seed and her seed;

He shall bruise you on the head,

and you shall bruise Him on the heel.”— Genesis 3:15

This is why the Messianic line has always been under attack. A few examples are Pharaoh’s slaughter of Hebrew infants (Exodus 1:15–22), Haman’s genocidal decree as recorded in the book of Esther (Esther 3:8–15), and Athaliah’s attempt to wipe out David’s royal descendants (2 Kings 11:1–3).

And now—Herod - Satan uses King Herod in yet another attempt to keep Jesus Christ from the cross.

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From Then Until Now: The War Continues

Satan failed to prevent Christ’s birth.

He failed to prevent the cross.

He failed to keep Jesus in the grave.

Now Scripture tells us he works toward delaying Christ’s return, deceiving nations, and destroying lives:

“Be on the alert, because your adversary, the devil,

prowls around like a roaring lion,

seeking someone to devour.”

— 1 Peter 5:8

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Examples of Attacks Against the Jewish People / Israel Since the Time of Christ

1. Destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple (AD 70)

• Roman legions under Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple

• Massive loss of life; survivors scattered

• Marked the beginning of large-scale Jewish diaspora

  (Josephus documents this extensively)

2. The Siege and Fall of Masada (AD 73–74)

• Jewish rebels held out against Roman forces

• Ended with mass suicide rather than capture

• Became a lasting symbol of Jewish resistance and desperation

3. Medieval Persecutions (Middle Ages)

• Jews blamed for plagues (e.g., Black Death accusations)

• Expulsions from England (1290), France (1306), Spain (1492)

• Forced conversions, ghettos, and confiscation of property

4. Russian Pogroms (19th–Early 20th Century)

• Organized mob violence against Jewish communities

• Often tacitly approved or ignored by authorities

• Mass murders, rapes, destruction of homes and businesses

• Drove waves of Jewish emigration

5. The Holocaust (1933–1945)

• Systematic genocide under Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany

• Six million Jews murdered

• Industrialized extermination unparalleled in history

6. Post-WWII & Soviet-Era Antisemitism

• Jews persecuted in the Soviet Union

• Religious expression restricted

• Accusations of disloyalty and conspiracies

• Jewish identity treated as suspect or subversive

7. Attacks on the Modern State of Israel (1948–Present)

• Immediate invasion after Israel’s declaration of statehood (1948)

• Repeated wars: 1956, 1967, 1973

• Constant terrorism: bombings, stabbings, rocket attacks

• Ongoing attempts by surrounding groups and nations to eliminate Israel

8. Contemporary Antisemitism (21st Century – Now)

This is where history becomes uncomfortably current.

• Violent attacks on synagogues and Jewish communities worldwide

• Open calls for the destruction of Israel

• Antisemitism reframed as “social justice” or “moral resistance”

• Jewish identity increasingly portrayed as inherently suspect

• Public celebration or excusing of violence against Jewish civilians

• Widespread silence—or approval—from institutions that condemn other forms of hatred

What is especially chilling is not merely the presence of antisemitism—but its acceptability. Hatred of Jews is once again being dressed in moral language, just as it has been throughout history.

The Pattern Cannot Be Ignored

From Rome to medieval Europe, from Russia to Nazi Germany, from the Soviet Union to the present moment, the Jewish people have been uniquely targeted—persistently, disproportionately, and relentlessly.

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But, WHY? If Christ has already come...?

The obvious question, then, is this:

If Christ has already come, if Satan failed to prevent His birth, His atoning death, and His resurrection—why does this relentless hostility toward the Jewish people continue? 

Scripture strongly suggests the answer lies not in the past, but in the future. The people of Israel factor prominently into the events preceding the second coming of Christ, including their eventual recognition of Jesus as their promised Messiah (Romans 11:25–27; Zechariah 12:10).

Knowing this, Satan—though already a defeated foe—continues his futile resistance, clinging to the hope that he might yet disrupt God’s redemptive timetable by destroying the people through whom those final promises unfold.

It is a tragically persistent pattern: a liar believing his own lies, raging against a plan he cannot undo. While the precise workings of God’s sovereign purposes remain beyond our full understanding, Scripture leaves no doubt of the outcome. God keeps His covenants. His purposes stand. And Satan’s efforts, however destructive, will ultimately prove both futile and self-defeating.

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Warnings for Us! One of Satan's Strongest Weapons - My Pride

“For all that is in the world,

the lust of the flesh,

the lust of the eyes,

and the pride of life

is not of the Father but is of the world.”

— 1 John 2:16

Herod’s throne mattered more to him than truth. And many still make the same exchange.

And... our own pride is often very easily exploited by the enemy of our souls.

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The Call to the Children of God/What to Do!

Scripture is clear about our response:

• “Put on the full armor of God…” (Ephesians 6:11)

• “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

• “Abide in Me…” (John 15:4)

This is not a call to fear—but to vigilance, humility, and faithfulness.

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The Final Word: God Wins! "Hallelujah!"

Herod’s throne crumbled.

Rome fell.

Every earthly kingdom passes.

And Scripture assures us of the end:

“The kingdom of this world

has become the kingdom of our Lord

and of His Christ;

and He will reign forever and ever.”

— Revelation 11:15

• King Herod - A Pawn in the Kingdom of Darkness

• Christ is the King of Kings

• And the victory of God—quietly advancing even through the darkest chapters of history was - and never will be - in doubt.

"Even so, Come, Lord Jesus!"

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“The kingdom of this world has become

the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ;

and He will reign forever and ever.”

— Revelation 11:15

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Interested in knowing how to enter into a personal relationship with God through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Say a Salvation Prayer and Receive Jesus Christ Today.

Of course, the saying of a prayer is the reflection of a monumental and life-changing heart decision, but this is a good guide.