Per the Ministry School schedule, the bible reading continues in the book of Acts. In chapter 12 King Herod arrests Peter and throws him in prison, meaning to "produce him" for the Jews after the passover (evidently to be executed). An angel appears to Peter in prison, releases his bonds and walks him out of the gate of the jail. Peter hotfoots it over to John Mark's mom's house, where there is a gathering of the Jerusalem congregation. Peter knocks on the door, a young girl answers and is so astonished at seeing Peter that she leaves him at the door and runs into the crowd to report what she's seen. The congregation first says she's mad, then they say, and this is according to the NWT: "It is his angel."
How do you take that? That the congregation was afraid that Peter had already been executed, and was appearing to them as Jesus did after his so-called resurrection? If that's so, wouldn't that indicate that at least some Christians of the time believed in an instant resurrection? Not according to the answer spin given in the Questions from Readers in the 6/1/05 Watchtower:
Upon hearing that the imprisoned Peter was at the door, why did the disciples say: "It is his angel"?-Acts 12:15.
The disciples may erroneously have assumed that an angelic messenger representing Peter stood at the gate. Consider the context of this passage.
Peter had been arrested by Herod, who had put James to death. So the disciples had good reason to believe that Peter would meet a similar end. Bound by chains, the imprisoned Peter was guarded by four shifts of four soldiers each. Then, one night he was miraculously freed and led out of the prison by an angel. When Peter finally realized what was happening, he said: "Now I actually know that Jehovah sent his angel forth and delivered me out of Herod's hand."-Acts 12:1-11.
Peter immediately went to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark, where a number of the disciples were gathered. When he knocked on the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda went to answer. Upon recognizing Peter's voice, she ran to tell the others without even letting him in! At first, the disciples could not believe that Peter was at the gate. Instead, they erroneously assumed: "It is his angel."-Acts 12:12-15.
Did the disciples believe that Peter had already been put to death and that his disembodied spirit was at the gate? This could hardly be the case, for Jesus' followers knew the Scriptural truth about the dead-that they are "conscious of nothing at all." (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10) What, then, could the disciples have meant when they said: "It is his angel"?
Jesus' disciples knew that throughout history, angels rendered personal assistance to God's people. For example, Jacob spoke of "the angel who has been recovering me from all calamity." (Genesis 48:16) And regarding a young child in their midst, Jesus told his followers: "See to it that you men do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that their angels in heaven always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven."-Matthew 18:10.
Interestingly, Young's Literal Translation of the Holy Bible renders the word ag′ge·los ("angel") as "messenger." It appears that there was a belief among some Jews that each servant of God had his own angel-in effect, a "guardian angel." Of course, this view is not directly taught in God's Word. Still, it is possible that when the disciples said, "It is his angel," they were assuming that an angelic messenger representing Peter stood at the gate.
Am I the only one who thinks this makes absolutely no sense at all and is total spin???