Subsequent events served but to augment their fears and their hatred. The power with which the apostles still proclaimed the gospel, the wonders wrought by them in the name of Jesus, the converts daily added to the church, the union and harmony that pervaded the body of believers, the swift and terrible manifestation of divine judgment in the case of Ananias and Sapphira,—all were marked by the Jewish leaders, and urged them on to still more determined efforts to crush the powerful heresy. Again the apostles were arrested and imprisoned, and the Sanhedrim was called to try their case. A large number of learned men in addition to the council was summoned, and they conferred together as to what should be done with these disturbers of the peace. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought forth his servants, bidding them again proclaim in the temple the words of life. Great was the amazement of priests and rulers when, being assembled at dawn to pass sentence upon the prisoners, they received the report that the prison doors were securely bolted and the guard stationed before them, but that the apostles themselves had been mysteriously delivered, and were already preaching in the temple. {LP 12.1}

De efterfølgende begivenheder tjente kun til at forøge deres frygt og had. Den kraft som apostlene stadig proklamerer evangeliet, de under der blev udført Jesu navn, der blev dagligt føjet til menigheden, den enighed og harmoni der prægede de troende, de hurtige og forfærdelige manifestationer af guddommelig kraft i Annanias og Safiras tilfælde, - lagde alle de jødiske ledere mærke til, og tilskyndede dem til at mere beslutsom at knuse det kraftfulde oprør. Apostlene blev igen arresteret og fængslet, og Sanhedrim blev kaldet sammen for at prøve deres sag. Et stort antal lærte mænd udover rådet blev kaldt sammen, og de rådførte sig med hinanden om hvad der skulle gøres med disse fredsforstyrrere. Men Herrens engel åbnede den nat fængselsdørene, og bragte sine tjenere frem, påbød dem at igen proklamere livets ord i templet. Stor var præsterne og herskernes forbavselse, da de var samlet for at afsige dom over fangerne, de fik rapport om at fængselsdørene var sikret bolderet fast, og at vagten var placeret ude for dem, men apostlene selv var udfriet på mystisk vis, og forkyndte allerede ved templet.