Privileged seniors
Christmas angels
The last recorded appearance of an angel in the Old Testament was in the time of the prophet Zechariah (520-475 BC). With the birth of Christ, angels were suddenly all over the place. They also appeared at other great events in Christ’s ministry: after defeating Satan, in Gethsemane before his crucifixion, with his resurrection, and after his ascension.
In this series, we study the role of angels before and with the birth of Christ.
The angel Gabriel appeared to the priest Zacharias while he was burning incense in the holy part of the temple. The angel stood on the right side of the altar of incense, before the veil that hid the Most Holy from view. He identified himself as Gabriel “who stands in the presence of God.” God spoke to Moses from the ark of the covenant behind the veil (Ex. 25:22).
The last time we read about the ark was in 2 Chron. 35:3 in the time of King Josiah (640-609 BC; compare Jer. 3:16). Apparently, the ark was hidden by the priests somewhere before the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. It has not been recovered yet. However, the ark in the temple was a copy of the original one in heaven (Ex. 25:40, Heb. 8:5, 9:24, Rev. 11:19).
Where Holy and Most Holy met, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of Christ’s herald, who would prepare people for the arrival of the Messiah.
Gabriel started his message by announcing that Zachariah’s prayer for a child has been answered. All those years, this servant of the Lord had persevered in prayer. As that will come true now, there will be joy and celebration in the family.
The messenger of God proceeded with the lifestyle of the maturing child. He would be a Nazarite, abstaining from wine and other fermented drinks. He would be filled by the Holy Spirit even before his birth. He jumped with joy in his mother’s womb when he heard the voice of Jesus’ mother.
The angel told Zacharias to name his son John (Yohannan, “God is merciful”). John would be great in God’s eyes, heralding the coming of God’s Son in human form. Gabriel’s quote from the prophet Malachi stressed that John will be like Elijah, reconciling people with God and one another. The Sun of Righteousness was about to rise with healing in his wings.
At this great moment in history and in his own life, Zacharias’ faith wavered. It was too good to be true! Gabriel disciplined him right away, muting him until the child’s birth and circumcision.
In those silent nine months, Zacharias would rethink what the angel had said, identify with it and prepare a song of praise. God is merciful indeed.
Jacob Van Zyl of Lethbridge is a retired counsellor and the author of several faith-based books.