The Herod the Great Factor:

It is impossible to consider the Christmas Story without involving the “Child” and the “children.”

Joseph’s destiny, his calling, his parallel prophetic likeness and his job description was to protect that Child and His mother at all costs. Joseph did what he was made to do. But, his protection anointing had and anti-anointing who was named Herod the Great.

Matthew 2:2 (ESV Archaeology Study Bible Notes) Herod’s massacre of the babies/children/inheritance of Bethlehem (Matt. 2:16–18) was wholly within his character. When he died in 4 BC, his kingdom was divided among three of his surviving sons: Archelaus became ethnarch of Judea, Idumea, and Samaria; Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee and Perea; and Philip became tetrarch of Gaulanitis.

1. Herod the Great {father} ordered the children to be killed in Bethlehem

2. Herod Antipas {son} ordered the beheading of John the Baptist

3. Herod Agrippa I {grandson} Executed the apostle James, imprisoned Peter and later was struck by an Angel and eaten by worms

“Immediately an angel of YeHoVaH struck him because he did not give God/Elohim the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.”

Acts 12:23