Acts 8:39 (NLT)
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.
DRAWING NOTES:
TIME OF DAY:
Unspecified. I’ve made it late morning.
LIGHTING NOTES:
There is a single light source for this scene: the sun, high in the sky.
CHARACTERS PRESENT:
Philip the evangelist. Ethiopian eunuch, chariot driver.
RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
This scene is just after the eunuch’s baptism, with him & Philip having walked through the water to the further end of the pond. That’s why the chariot, horses & driver are larger in this scene than in the previous one, where they were further away. Notice also that the perspective of the background farm, sheep, walls & hills has changed, as a result of this movement.
Different Bible translations variously record that the Holy Spirit snatched, suddenly took, caught away, took off, carried away Philip.
Was Philip instantly transported by the spirit of God?
One commentator (Adam Clarke) sees no need to suggest a sudden, supernatural relocation of the apostle Philip. He suggests that Philip merely knew not to accompany the eunuch to Egypt, but rather went to his next assignment, which was in the city of Azotus (aka Ashdod). Other commentators [1] suggest a more supernatural transportation.
The language of Philip’s removal suggests sudden, supernatural movement, rather than flying. This kind of instantaneous transportation is mentioned in the Old Testament (see 1 Kings 18:12; 2 Kings 2:16; Ezekiel 3:12, 14) & New Testament (2 Corinthians 12:2).
In this scene, we see Philip having been instantly relocated, the lines representing his sudden vanishing.
In the previous one, which I drew for fun, we see Philip zooming away rather like a rocket!
[1]
the Life Application New Testament Commentary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Bible Background Commentary, Wesley – Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament, & others.