Gabriel Appears to Zechariah at the Incense AltarBible World
1:14Luke 1:14
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
The angel's promise meant that the son to be born to Zacharias and Elizabeth would bring joy and gladness to them as his parents, and many others would rejoice when he was born. Gabriel gave that promise to Zacharias in the holy place of the sanctuary while he was burning incense before the golden altar, standing on the right side of the altar as a sign of favor, answering his long-offered prayer for a son and for the coming of the Redeemer. The rejoicing was for the work the child was appointed to do, to turn many in Israel to God and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord as the forerunner and herald who would announce Christ and prepare the way for His first coming. He was set apart for that work before birth, to be great in the Lord's sight, to be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb, and to be raised with temperate habits apart from wine and strong drink. That promised joy laid upon his parents the duty to cooperate with God in forming his character for that work, by keeping his mission before him from childhood until he accepted it as a holy trust, and by guarding him from temptation so he could give light to those in darkness and guide feet into the way of peace.
Announcement in the Temple
The mighty angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias in the holy place of the sanctuary while he was ministering in his priestly course. He was burning incense before the golden altar as the prayers of Israel ascended, with the cloud of incense rising before God. Gabriel stood on the right side of the altar, between the altar and the table of shewbread, a position indicating favor, though Zacharias took no note of it. He had concealed his glory when he appeared.
Zacharias was troubled at the sight and fear fell upon him. The angel told him not to fear, for his long-offered prayer was heard. He had been praying for a son, and through many years for the coming of the Redeemer, and in that setting also for pardon for the people's sins and for the promised Saviour. His wife Elizabeth would bear him a son, and he was to call him John.
The birth of that promised son would give joy and gladness to Zacharias and Elizabeth as his parents. Many people would rejoice at his birth and because of his birth. That rejoicing to many was joined to the work he was appointed to do for the Lord.
Zacharias met that mercy with fear and self-condemnation, feeling it too great to credit. Because he did not believe the angel's words he met it with unbelief and lost his speech. His speech was restored when John was born. The angel's appearance to Zacharias in the temple and the restoration of his speech were among the circumstances of John's birth.
Mission Bringing Joy
The joy promised at his birth belonged to a child of miracle, given in old age to a poor priest and his wife and born in a little village among the hills of Judea, who would live a singular life in the wilderness. The gladness reached beyond the parents to many others because of the work he was appointed to do for the Lord. That work was to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, prepared to receive and believe in Christ as the Son of God at His coming. He was assigned as messenger and herald to announce the coming of Christ, to prepare the way for His first coming as His forerunner, and to turn many in Israel to God. His greatness in God's sight lay in that mission, so the rejoicing over his birth was tied to the significance of what he would do.
His life was set apart for God before birth, to be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. He was to touch no wine or strong drink and to be raised with temperate habits, and he would be great in the sight of the Lord. That consecration fitted his reforming work of turning many back to God and preparing a people for the Lord, by which he would prepare the way for Christ. News of his birth and of the importance of his God-appointed mission as Christ's forerunner spread abroad even before Jesus was born.
Parents' Work and Remembrance
Heaven gave instruction about John before his birth to his parents, and the promise that his birth would bring joy to his father and rejoicing to many belonged to that instruction. His God-fearing parents often repeated the angel's words to him, so that from childhood his mission was kept before him. From childhood he knew that mission and accepted it as a holy trust and calling.
The promised joy and gladness to Zacharias and Elizabeth, with rejoicing to many at his birth, came because he was a child of miracle born to them in old age with a special work assigned by God as a messenger to announce the coming of Christ and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. That joy is joined to the duty of parents to cooperate faithfully with God in forming in the child a character fit for that work. They are to do this by counsel and instruction, by moving to a retired place in the country where he would not be exposed to the temptations of city life or be drawn away from parental teaching, and by allowing no careless neglect. In this way he would become good and wise to give light to those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide feet into the way of peace.
The circumstances of his birth, including the angel's appearance to Zacharias and the restoration of Zacharias's speech, were remembered at first when John later appeared as a prophet. Yet the revelation made in the temple and the prophecy pointing to his child as the Messiah's herald had in great measure been lost sight of after thirty years of tumult and change, though some recalled it. The excitement concerning John's ministry as a prophet called it to mind. Mary also remembered this prophecy that John's birth would bring joy and gladness to his parents and many others, so that news of John's connection with Jesus renewed her hopes in Jesus' mission.
The angel's promise meant that the son to be born to Zacharias and Elizabeth would bring joy and gladness to them as his parents, and many others would rejoice when he was born.
Gabriel gave that promise to Zacharias in the holy place of the sanctuary while he was burning incense before the golden altar, standing on the right side of the altar as a sign of favor, answering his long-offered prayer for a son and for the coming of the Redeemer.
The rejoicing was for the work the child was appointed to do, to turn many in Israel to God and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord as the forerunner and herald who would announce Christ and prepare the way for His first coming.
He was set apart for that work before birth, to be great in the Lord's sight, to be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb, and to be raised with temperate habits apart from wine and strong drink.
That promised joy laid upon his parents the duty to cooperate with God in forming his character for that work, by keeping his mission before him from childhood until he accepted it as a holy trust, and by guarding him from temptation so he could give light to those in darkness and guide feet into the way of peace.
Announcement in the Temple
The mighty angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias in the holy place of the sanctuary while he was ministering in his priestly course. He was burning incense before the golden altar as the prayers of Israel ascended, with the cloud of incense rising before God. Gabriel stood on the right side of the altar, between the altar and the table of shewbread, a position indicating favor, though Zacharias took no note of it. He had concealed his glory when he appeared.
Zacharias was troubled at the sight and fear fell upon him. The angel told him not to fear, for his long-offered prayer was heard. He had been praying for a son, and through many years for the coming of the Redeemer, and in that setting also for pardon for the people's sins and for the promised Saviour. His wife Elizabeth would bear him a son, and he was to call him John.
The birth of that promised son would give joy and gladness to Zacharias and Elizabeth as his parents. Many people would rejoice at his birth and because of his birth. That rejoicing to many was joined to the work he was appointed to do for the Lord.
Zacharias met that mercy with fear and self-condemnation, feeling it too great to credit. Because he did not believe the angel's words he met it with unbelief and lost his speech. His speech was restored when John was born. The angel's appearance to Zacharias in the temple and the restoration of his speech were among the circumstances of John's birth.
Mission Bringing Joy
The joy promised at his birth belonged to a child of miracle, given in old age to a poor priest and his wife and born in a little village among the hills of Judea, who would live a singular life in the wilderness. The gladness reached beyond the parents to many others because of the work he was appointed to do for the Lord. That work was to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, prepared to receive and believe in Christ as the Son of God at His coming. He was assigned as messenger and herald to announce the coming of Christ, to prepare the way for His first coming as His forerunner, and to turn many in Israel to God. His greatness in God's sight lay in that mission, so the rejoicing over his birth was tied to the significance of what he would do.
His life was set apart for God before birth, to be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. He was to touch no wine or strong drink and to be raised with temperate habits, and he would be great in the sight of the Lord. That consecration fitted his reforming work of turning many back to God and preparing a people for the Lord, by which he would prepare the way for Christ. News of his birth and of the importance of his God-appointed mission as Christ's forerunner spread abroad even before Jesus was born.
Parents' Work and Remembrance
Heaven gave instruction about John before his birth to his parents, and the promise that his birth would bring joy to his father and rejoicing to many belonged to that instruction. His God-fearing parents often repeated the angel's words to him, so that from childhood his mission was kept before him. From childhood he knew that mission and accepted it as a holy trust and calling.
The promised joy and gladness to Zacharias and Elizabeth, with rejoicing to many at his birth, came because he was a child of miracle born to them in old age with a special work assigned by God as a messenger to announce the coming of Christ and to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. That joy is joined to the duty of parents to cooperate faithfully with God in forming in the child a character fit for that work. They are to do this by counsel and instruction, by moving to a retired place in the country where he would not be exposed to the temptations of city life or be drawn away from parental teaching, and by allowing no careless neglect. In this way he would become good and wise to give light to those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide feet into the way of peace.
The circumstances of his birth, including the angel's appearance to Zacharias and the restoration of Zacharias's speech, were remembered at first when John later appeared as a prophet. Yet the revelation made in the temple and the prophecy pointing to his child as the Messiah's herald had in great measure been lost sight of after thirty years of tumult and change, though some recalled it. The excitement concerning John's ministry as a prophet called it to mind. Mary also remembered this prophecy that John's birth would bring joy and gladness to his parents and many others, so that news of John's connection with Jesus renewed her hopes in Jesus' mission.