The elderly priest Zacharias, chosen from a large group of priests for this privilege, entered the Temple to burn incense at the hour of prayer. A multitude of worshipers gathered outside, praying, as he entered the Holy Place and began the ritual of burning incense, symbolic of the prayers rising upward to God.
Suddenly, “… an angel of the Lord appeared … standing to the right of the altar of incense.” Zacharias was gripped by fear! But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John …” (Luke 1:5-15)
The voice of the angel Gabriel broke 400 years of spiritual silence! God’s messengers, the prophets, had long been silent; there is no record of God sending a message since the time of Malachi, the last of the Old Testament prophets.
Timewise, the Christmas story begins with Gabriel’s visit to Zacharias. Thus began a very specific part of God’s plan to bring eternal salvation to the world!
The last words of the last book of the OT, Malachi, are echoed in the first words of Gabriel. Gabriel said of the soon coming baby John, “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:16-17)
Notice the similarity of Malachi’s words, “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore (or turn) the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6)
God spoke another prophecy through Malachi in the previous chapter, another reference about John the Baptist as well as about Jesus! “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me, and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple …” (Malachi 3:1)
Here’s the point: God’s plan of salvation was not a spur of the moment thing! He had been planning these very events for the hundreds of years between the Old and New Testaments! In fact, God’s plan had been in the works for thousands of years!
And, by the way, He’s still not through! The last two verses of the Bible, the very end of the Book, remind us of His return! “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)
God’s plans, promises, and prophecies are absolutely trustworthy! I hope we’re ready!
Everything is About God 