The Angel Prophet
‘E NOW approach an era wondrous for the phenomena, natural and supernatural, which distinguished it. The culmination of Herod’s reign in a cloud of terror was not the most remarkable feature attendant upon the induction of the Christian age, for there were portents of a surprising nature to emphasize the expectation of the Eord’s speedy coming. The hosts of heaven were singing hallelujahs while burnishing their corselets, and fiends of darkness were marshaling their forces for a combat with the celestial army; a great battle was to be fought, with the earth this time as a battle-ground, and each side had out recruiting officers to bring into the ranks every soul that could lift an arm or raise a voice. Devils were unloosed and went rioting up and down every highway, seizing the unwary, overturning hallowed institutions, exciting the desperate, adding frenzy to diabolism, and sowing broadcast the tares of anarchy in susceptible minds. But there was equal activity among the sunbrowed, the solar-crowned, the light-raimented hosts of the kingdom of perpetual day. Angel bands were resting behind breastworks of opalescent cloud, with their swords gleaming like rays flashed up from the sea when the flood of a morning sun first strikes it. Divine dragoons picketed the Holy ready of foot or swift-moving wings to lend instant aid, while celestial messengers brought every part of Judah into communication, every soul of holiness into rapport, every angel band into action against the powers of Satan.
The contest was to be between the fiends of death and the radiant hosts of eternal life, where the victory should bring a shroud or a crown, a tear or a laugh, a lost world or a glorified kingdom, a hell of anguish or a heaven of perennial joy; and the angels sang, and the light of dawn uprose over the sacred mountains of Palestine, trembling like a million lances in the rush of a charge, and there was a great voice as of the sea and the hills rolled together,” Prepare ye the way for Him who cometh to give you victory over the grave.” This voice of promise still rings down the centuries, from out the wilderness, from over the embrasures of Zion, from hill-top of universe to valley of planet, across the bridge that spans the holy age and the present civilization, from hut to cathedral, from the Plutonian shore to the great heart of rejuvenated humanity; and the devils are in banishment, fiends of darkness are back in their deepest caverns, death itself retired before that cry; we feel the thrill of its echoes transmitted through the chain that binds the
(138) world together, and through the ties that connect generation with generation, and through the bond that unites us with God.
The first heavenly manifestation made to the people of Jerusalem, and which gave bold announcement of the speedy coming of the Messiah — the first wonderful revelation which was the beginning of a series of miracles that brought the world into the Divine presence — occurred in the Holy Temple under circumstances which singularly impress us with the favor in which God still held that ancient shrine, profaned as it had been by a thousand excesses, a thousand crimes, and the sacrilege of its priestly votaries, and the kingly voluptuaries who enriched themselves by the spoliation of its treasures. But sacrilege of hypocrites and plunder of kings had not wholly destroyed the germ of righteousness, which was still nourished by a few devout priests who kept fresh the zeal of the old prophets, and were still longing, ever hopeful, firm-believing in an early fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies. The Temple had been recently enlarged and finished in a stj-le of grandeur surpassing even Solomonic magnificence, by the munificent expenditures of Herod, who sought by this exhibition of favor to the Jewish religion to free himself from the hatred and loathing of his subjects. But though gilded by impious hands the Temple was dedicated to God, and the service therein was performed by a holy order of the priesthood; hence in this sanctuary, which held the fading glory of Judah, was lkvite or jewish priivST.
given a manifestation of the Divine presence and a prophecy which in its fulfillment would bring the world to repentance.
The Angel’s Annunciation.
The Jewish religion was always distinguished for impressive ceremonial, and the services performed in the Temple were a very elaboration of formulary blended with the spectacular. Sacrifices constituted a prime essential of Hebraic worship, and on such occasions as the celebration of the Passover and Day of Atonement, in addition to other ceremonials, sacrifices were offered at both the morning and evening services. So numerous and exacting were the duties of the Temple priests that a great number were employed who, however, served in turn, coming from all parts of Judah and being housed in the Temple during the short periods of their respective ministrations.
Among the lower class of priests was one Zacharias, whose home was near Hebron, an aged man with a wife named Elizabeth, who had never borne any children. As barrenness was a reproach among the Jews, as already explained, Zacharias and Elizabeth, like others of their people who felt the humiliation of childlessness, bewailed their misfortune, and though both were now grown old they had not yet passed that age when expectation and prayers for fruitfulness were abandoned. Zacharias was called to perform a priestly office in the Temple and at a casting of lots, as was customary, the duty fell to him of placing incense on the coals of the altar of sacrifice and then returning from the sanctuary to the awaiting worshipers outside, whom he was to lead in prayer, or dismiss with benediction.
This duty was considered so sacred and the honor of its execution so great that no priest might perform it more than once, hence he to whom the office chanced by lot to fall was esteemed most highly blessed. In the ministrations which Zacharias was thus called to perform, he had an assistant who heaped up the coals on the altar while incense was being sprinkled on the flames, which sent up a cloud of fragrance typical of the prayers that were now to be offered up to Jehovah by all devout Jews wherever they might be gathered. This being done, the assistant retired, leaving the priest before the veil of the Holy of Holies in prayer for the restoration of Israel through the power of the promised Messiah.
As Zacharias stood praying before the altar, sending up a soulful invocation for the redemption of his people from their sins, as well as from the oppression of their Roman masters, and adding a supplication that God might be pleased to take away the reproach of his childlessness, in the midst of his fervid petitioning he was arrested by the sight of a wondrous vision! Was it a vision or creation? Was it the materialization of pious ambition, or a fantasy of the mind weakened by religious asceticism? Was it the bloom of unwearying prayer and hope, or the blasted bud of crushed aspiration? Perhaps Zacharias himself doubted the reality of his angelic visitor, but from out a dreamy comprehension the holy priest awakened to a true perception of his celestial visitor. There, on the right side of the altar, at the place of- honor, stood the radiant form of the great archangel Gabriel, who, to give substance to the day-dream of Zacharias, and to declare his divine mission, thus spoke:
“Fear not, Zacharias; for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
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INCENSE BURNER, USED IN THE TEMPLE.
“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 parents to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
What impression these words made upon Zacharias is indicated by his reply. Evidently still doubting the substantiality of the vision, but catching a glimpse, through his excited mentality, of the celestial personality, he ventured to inquire: “Whereby shall I know this?” Now was Gabriel’s opportunity to prove to the
half-dreaming priest the verity of the sacred presence, which he embraced by saying:” Thou shalt be dumb and not be able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words.” The evidences of the senses now came full upon Zacharias, for on the instant his tongue lost its cunning, and when the angel disappeared and Zacharias came out of the Temple to the long-waiting people, who lingered to receive his blessing, he was voiceless and trembling with excitement of exultation. By signs only was he able to make known to the worshipers what had befallen him, and after dismissing them, his two weeks of ministration being ended, he left Jerusalem and hastened back to GOLDEN LAMP, USED IN THE TEMPLE. his home, in the region of Hebron, to iU2
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acquaint Elizabeth with the annouiicenieut of the divine herald. In the quiet retreat of that liapp)’ mountain home the aged prie.st and his wife dwelt in pious connnunion until the appointed time, when Elizabeth was delivered of a son whom she called John, but her relatives remonstrated against this departure from the almost invariable custom of naming the first-born male child after the father, and hence they insisted that the babe should be called Zacharias. The matter was at length referred to Zacharias, who being yet speechless a.sked for writing material, which being given him he signified his preference by writing the name John, and so the babe was christened. Immediately the tongue of Zacharias was loosed and he fell to uttering praises to God and to prophesying the speedy coming of the Messiah, and that John should be a forerunner of the Christ calling the world to repentance, saying:
“And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt o before the face of the Eord to prepare his ways. To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God.”
No further mention is made of John, beyond the announcement that he waxed strong and retired into the wilderness to prepare himself for the ministry-, until the day of his issuing forth in the full strength of manhood and spiritual outpouring as a mighty evangelist preparing the way for Jesus, whom he came to <ieclare..