Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Religious Music & Entertainment
Watch: An angel breaks the apostles out of prison in a new clip from next week’s episode of A.D. The Bible Continues

Watch: An angel breaks the apostles out of prison in a new clip from next week’s episode of A.D. The Bible Continues

Last updated on: April 28, 2015 at 11:47 pm by Peter T. Chattaway

Watch: An angel breaks the apostles out of prison in a new clip from next week’s episode of A.D. The Bible Continues 2015-04-28T23:47:21-07:00 Peter T. Chattaway

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

One of several things that sets A.D. The Bible Continues apart from previous adaptations of the book of Acts is its depiction of the angels. While some films and TV shows have shied away from any sort of straightforward portrayal of the angels, A.D. puts them front and centre — and next week’s episode will be no different.

Mark Burnett (who has finally shaved his beard!) and Roma Downey released a new clip today that shows an angel setting the apostles free from prison. Here it is:

A few comments about this clip, and its place in cinematic adaptations of Acts:

First, there are two angel-driven jailbreaks in the book of Acts. In Acts 5, an angel sets “the apostles” free — the exact number, and who they were, isn’t specified beyond the fact that Peter was one of them — and in Acts 12, an angel sets Peter free.

The only film I can think of that has depicted both of these supernatural jailbreaks is the Visual Bible’s word-for-word adaptation of Acts, released in 1994.

Most films have tended to skip the escape from Acts 5 and include the escape from Acts 12, possibly because the latter escape has more built-in drama (James is executed, Herod Agrippa plans to execute Peter right after Passover, etc.), whereas the former escape kind of interrupts the drama without really affecting it (the apostles were arrested beforehand, and they are arrested again afterwards, so it may be more expedient, dramatically, to have them arrested just once before their trial).

A.D. — which will only get as far as Acts 10 this season — could be unique in depicting the escape from Acts 5 but, for now at least, not the escape from Acts 12.

A.D. is also that rare film that gives us a good look at the angel himself. Most films don’t — most films replace the angels with silent beams of light — possibly to retain an air of mystique, and possibly because the filmmakers can’t think of how to show an angel without the results looking kind of cheesy. A.D. is one of the bolder adaptations in this regard, though even its portrayal of the angel is restrained in some ways.

Here is how previous films have depicted these jailbreaks.

In its depiction of the Acts 5 escape, the Visual Bible shows an angel with blonde hair standing outside the door as it swings open by itself:

The angel stands in the doorway as the apostles leave…

…and then vanishes with help from the special-effects department:

In its depiction of the Acts 12 escape, the Visual Bible has a dark-haired angel appear in the prison cell via the same special effect we saw earlier:

Peter looks to the side as he gets dressed…

…and sees that the soldiers are sleeping:

The prison door opens by itself…

…and as Peter follows the angel outside, he looks at the sentries, who are standing but seem to be asleep (eyes closed, heads tilted down):

Once they’re out in the street, the angel vanishes the same way he arrived:

The 1981 miniseries Peter and Paul depicts the Acts 12 escape only, and in this version, Peter is chained to the wall, not sleeping between two soldiers:

The guards are asleep:

Instead of an angel, Peter sees a bright light:

The chains break, and Peter’s arms are free — though he is still wearing the manacles that the soldiers put on him:

Peter walks past another sleeping guard on his way out of the prison:

The 1985 miniseries A.D. Anno Domini also depicts the Acts 12 scene only, and in this version, too, we don’t really see the angel — though we do hear him! Peter is sleeping alone in his cell when a light fills it, and a voice says, “Wake, Peter. Rise!”:

(If you look very closely while watching this scene, you can make out a person walking up to the prison bars in the background just before the light floods the room, but the person in question isn’t easy to see when you capture individual frames.)

Peter wakes up, the light fades, and Peter looks to the side…

…where he sees that the door to his cell is open:

Peter steps outside and sees a sleeping guard…

…and he exits in the direction of another bright light:

The 2005 miniseries Saint Peter rearranges the chronology somewhat.

In this version, Peter escapes from prison not after he is arrested by the Sanhedrin in Acts 5 or by Herod Agrippa in Acts 12; instead, he is arrested by Saul (aka Paul) after the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7, and he escapes from prison immediately after Saul has his road-to-Damascus experience in Acts 9. His escape is depicted in a single wordless shot, which begins with a bright light flooding Peter’s cell…

…and ends with Peter stepping through the open door:

A.D. The Bible Continues, for its part, mixes the approaches of the previous films.

On the one hand, it actually shows the angel, just like the Visual Bible did, but instead of some guy in a cheap white robe, he’s a figure who radiates supernatural energy. (Incidentally, he’s the same angel who rolled the stone away from the tomb in the first episode and was waiting for Jesus on the mountain peak in the second episode.)

On the other hand, this angel doesn’t speak, even though the angel in the Bible does. And once again, the guards seem to be asleep — though they are also standing, which suggests that they are experiencing some sort of supernaturally induced sleep.

And that’s about it. Roberto Rossellini’s 1969 miniseries Atti degli apostoli (aka Acts of the Apostles) skips past the Acts 5 jailbreak and relegates the Acts 12 jailbreak to an anecdote told by Peter after it happens. And as far as I can recall, none of the films that focus on Paul specifically have depicted this incident from the life of Peter.

If I’m forgetting anything, though, let me know in the comments!

By the way: Apart from A.D. The Bible Continues’ Adam Levy, the actors playing Peter in these scenes are James Brolin, Robert Foxworth, Denis Quilley and Omar Sharif.

acts of the apostles 1969

ad anno domini 1985

ad the bible continues

Previous Post

April 27, 2015

Watch: A Zealot meets his fate in a sneak peek from next week's episode of A.D. The Bible Continues

Next Post

April 29, 2015 Watch: The first trailer for Risen, formerly known as Clavius

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Anglican Planet Articles BC Christian News BC Report Bible Movies Bible Review Blog Books & Culture Campus Times CBC Radio Christianity Today ChristianWeek Essays Faith Today Festival Cinemas Guide Film Journals Georgia Straight Interviews MB Herald National Catholic Register Salvationist Today's Christian Two Chairs Ubyssey Uncategorized Vancouver Courier Vancouver Sun

Select a Month August 2025 April 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 May 2024 February 2024 December 2023 May 2023 March 2023 November 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 July 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 April 2012 January 2012 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 November 2003 October 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 March 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 August 2000 July 2000 June 2000 May 2000 April 2000 March 2000 January 2000 October 1999 August 1999 May 1999 April 1999 February 1999 January 1999 December 1998 November 1998 October 1998 August 1998 July 1998 June 1998 April 1998 March 1998 January 1998 November 1997 September 1997 July 1997 June 1997 April 1997 March 1997 February 1997 January 1997 December 1996 October 1996 September 1996 June 1996 March 1996 February 1996 January 1996 April 1995 November 1994 September 1994 September 1991

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which couple taught Apollos more accurately about Jesus in Ephesus?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Mary and Joseph Priscilla and Aquila Ananias and Sapphira Lydia and Titus