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WHO WAS "HIM"?

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 28, 1892

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 4.

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WHO WAS "HIM"?

By Elder S. N. Haskell

BY ELDER S. N. HASKELL.
ZACHARIAS and Elizabeth "were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren; and they both were now well stricken in years." Luke 1:6, 7. From the time that God said, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel," to be childless was looked upon as a judgment of God; because God had said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." And the promise that the great Deliverer, the Messiah, the Son of God, would be born of humanity, sanctified and protected the marriage relation; and by it God designed to make the marriage relation more sacred in the sight of men.
This principle was often lost sight of, as mankind only saw the bearing of children a duty, without discerning the sacredness and object of the marriage institution. To correct this, it was not infrequent for women to be childless, which they might be, and at the same time be "righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." This also revealed the fact that there was a higher object in the family relation than simply the bearing of children. The glory of God should be considered, and individuals were to look forward to the time when Christ would come. The prophets had described the manner of the birth of Christ, and the time of that event, so minutely that there could be no mistake by the close observer of the fulfillment of prophecy.
While Zacharias, according to the custom of the priest's office, was burning incense in the temple of the Lord,—
There appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias; for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:11-17.
The expression "he shall go before him" reveals to us distinctly the burden of Zacharias' prayer. The expression "the Lord their God," in verse 16, might or might not be taken as the antecedent of the word "him" in verse 17; but in either case it is evident that the burden of Zacharias' prayer was concerning the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. He saw the promise that had been made by God four thousand years before. This promise had ever been kept before the minds of the devoted, consecrated, God-fearing people. They saw beyond and through the forms of the ritual the great center from which all light and glory came.
Zacharias and Elizabeth believed that the time had come when Christ should be born; but the priest had not the most distant idea that his wife should be the honored mother of the forerunner of Christ. But the time had arrived when Christ should appear, and he, like Anna, "who departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayer night and day," and others "that looked for redemption in Jerusalem," was looking for a sign when a virgin would conceive and bear a child that would be none other than the long-looked-for Messiah. When, therefore, the angel spoke of John as the forerunner of Christ, and the one who should go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, Zacharias at once understood this expression "him" to refer to none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, which would not have been the case if the coming of the long-looked-for promised Seed had not been the burden of his heart.
The lesson which we draw from this is, first, that God reveals himself to those who are meditating upon and praying for the fulfillment of those prophecies and promises which pertain to the time in which they live. Second, he honors those who are thus interested in his word and work by having them act a part in the fulfillment of those promises. Third, by thus taking an interest in the divine teachings, the judgment is so sanctified that the individual can understand the voice of God without entering into all details. Fourth, it also reveals the fact that angels coöperate with the people of God, and are watching their interest in the fulfillment of his word, and are weighing moral worth. Had not Zacharias' mind been intently fixed upon this particular thought, and had it not been the burden of his prayer, he could not have understood the angel in the expression, "he," his son, shall go before "him," Christ.
The same principle is illustrated in the case of Joseph in the circumstances recorded in Matt. 1:18-25. While Joseph was considering the propriety of taking Mary his wife, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and stated that she should bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Joseph must have been familiar with this prophecy; otherwise he would not have understood the angel's words; for the angel did not mention it to him; it was the writer that referred to the prophecy. Joseph must have been praying and looking for the fulfillment of this very prophecy; and he could thus comprehend the words of the angel, and God could trust him to become the husband of the mother of the Lord. But had his mind been absorbed in other matters, God would have passed him by, and selected someone who was spiritually minded and could appreciate the fulfillment of this wonderful prophecy.
The same might be said of Mary, when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Hail, thou that art highly favored; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women." At first she was "troubled at his saying, and cast it in her mind what manner of salutation this should be;" but after the explanation which followed, the only reply made by Mary was, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." This reveals the fact that she readily comprehended the words of the angel. She too must have been familiar with the prophecies, must have been expecting that Christ would be born, although surprised that she should be the honored instrument in the hands of the Lord for the fulfillment of the prophecy.
The same might be said of the shepherds to whom the angel of the Lord appeared and said: "Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
Why did not God reveal himself in like manner to the scribes and Pharisees, and thousands of others in Israel? Why were they left not to understand who "Him" was?—Simply from the fact that they did not believe that the time had come; or, if they did believe that the time had come, they were not expecting the Saviour in the manner foretold by the prophets, and consequently they were finally destroyed, because they "knew not the time of their visitation."
Who, then, will be the recipients of the spiritual blessings promised to God's people, and who from this generation among the professed people of God will share in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is to fit them for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ?—Simply those whose attention is turned in this direction, and who are expecting the fulfillment of the promised blessings, and are waiting and praying for them. They are those who are daily studying and meditating upon those prophecies and promises which pertain to this time.