Final Confrontation (4 page)

The guards closed in tightly around Herod as they hastily made their way back to Herod’s fortress palace in Jerusalem. He had decided to visit the Temple construction site another day.

As the band moved through the street on its way back to the Antonia, a messenger approached the party. Herod’s personal aide waved him through. The courier bowed low and handed the note to the aide, who in turn handed it to Herod. Herod took the dispatch and read it.

“Well, now, this is interesting,” he said, handing the message back to his aide. “It seems we have visitors in Jerusalem—three of them to be exact.”

“Tell us about the birth,” someone spoke from the back.

Others began to chime in immediately.

Gabriel smiled and looked at Crispin, who nodded his assent.

“Go ahead,” Crispin said. “They all know the story, but it will be refreshing for them to hear it directly from the angel who actually experienced the glorious event!”

“Thank you Crispin,” Gabriel began. “The event was indeed glorious. But to be sure, the glory is the Lord’s. Remember this—the Most High shares His glory with neither men nor angels. It is not for angels to glory in what they do.”

The angels listening, nodded in agreement.

“As to the events surrounding the birth of the Christ, it is true this was a marvelous spectacle. To be witness to, and take a small part in, the greatest prophecy given by our Lord was quite humbling.”

“Was Mary truly unafraid when you appeared to her?” asked an angel seated in the front of the room.

“Not quite,” answered Gabriel. “She was in fact quite frightened, as most humans are when first we appear to them. Of course we
never
appear to a human unless the events are extraordinary and warrant such an appearance, and usually only as commanded by the Lord Himself.”

Gabriel stepped into the center and stood directly in front of the assembly, near enough to touch them if he had extended his hand.

“Of course, the story didn’t begin with Mary,” he continued. “It began after the final prophecy was recorded by the prophet Malachi—some hundreds of human years earlier. During that time the words of the Lord were precious and few and only held in esteem by a remnant of Israel. The people of God had lost their way and their nation. But there was a man named Zacharias, of the house of Levi, who loved the Lord. He and his wife Elizabeth greatly desired children, but were unable to conceive. And now they were old in years.

“His name meant ‘the Lord remembers,’ for it was to him the Lord remembered His promise of the Seed after hundreds of years of silence; it was to him the first whisper of the Christ Child was to be told while serving at the Temple—a whisper that included a son of his own, a boy to be named John…”.

“Such a day, such a day!” exclaimed Zacharias.

He hurried about the little house he had shared with his wife Elizabeth for many, many years. Elizabeth smiled at her husband, a man in his seventies, who today was acting like a young man. Zacharias was distinguished in his community, known for his faith and reverence for the Most High. His reputation for piety and devotion carried great weight in a time when such devotion was uncommon.

Elizabeth was likewise held in great esteem. She, too, was of the house of Aaron, and was a righteous daughter of Israel. They were indeed a couple who honored the Lord with their lives. It was therefore a mystery as to why Elizabeth had remained barren all these years.

“Zacharias!”

The old man looked up and cocked his head. He waited a moment and then realized he must have heard the priests outside. He went back to his prayers.

“Zacharias!”

He looked up again. In the eerie glow of the room he could not make out anything. He was about to leave when he saw an angel standing to the right of the altar of incense. He was terrified and fell down before the magnificent being that was in white robes and girded about with a golden belt. Terrified he had committed some offense against the Lord, Zacharias prepared to die.

Gabriel looked down upon the old priest. He didn’t intend to frighten the man but he knew that humans generally were affected this way when a spirit appeared to them. His mission was of supreme importance and he began to speak to the priest in reassuring terms.

“Hear me, Zacharias,” said Gabriel. “The Lord has heard your prayers!”

Zacharias looked up once more, now realizing he was in the presence of one of God’s holy angels.

“Your prayer has been heard. Just as this incense is lifted to the Lord, so the prayers you have prayed have been received by the Most High God. Hear me! Your wife Elizabeth shall have a son! And you shall call him John.”

“A son?” Zacharias managed.

“He will be the cause of great joy in Israel,” Gabriel continued. “He shall be great in the sight of the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit even in his mother’s womb!”

“A son,” repeated Zacharias.

“And he shall be the cause of many in Israel turning back to the Lord. He will go about in the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children, and the disobedient back to those who are filled with wisdom.”

Gabriel paused for a moment to allow Zacharias to drink all of this in. The old man by now had managed to stand, albeit in a humble posture.

“And he shall make ready a people who are prepared for the Lord!”

Upon this pronouncement, Gabriel could feel a rumbling in Heaven. This was the beginning of the greatest prophecy ever given—it was the opening of a new phase of this long and bloody war with darkness. Gabriel awaited Zacharias’ reply.

By now Zacharias had collected himself. Was this a dream? They had prayed all their lives for a son. Was his wife to give birth now, in her old age? Perhaps this was a deceiving spirit or the excitement of serving in the Temple on this special day. Doubt began to creep in.

“Forgive me,” said Zacharias meekly. “But how shall I know what you have said is true? We have wanted a son for many years. But we are both old now and my wife remains barren. Elizabeth is…”

“I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of the Most High God!”

Gabriel was a bit annoyed at Zacharias’ doubt. Why can’t humans simply realize God can do anything He desires?

“Gabriel?” Zacharias repeated.

“And I have been sent by the Lord to tell you these marvelous things that must surely be.” As Gabriel spoke he clearly heard the Spirit of God speak into his mind the next pronouncement: “And hear me! Because you did not believe these words I have spoken, you shall not be able to speak until these things take place—for surely they will happen at the appointed time!”

Suddenly, Gabriel was gone.

Zacharias took a minute to recover from the vision, then hurried out of the Temple to join the other priests waiting for him in the Court of Israel. It was the custom that whoever ministered the incense would also pray a benediction when he emerged from the sanctuary. The priests wondered what had taken him so long in the burning of the incense. Zacharias fell at the feet of the first priest he saw and started to tell him of the wonderful thing that had just happened. But instead of sound there was only a silence.

The priest looked at Zacharias strangely. This frustrated Zacharias, who began making all sorts of wild motions, pulling on his robe and pointing back at the Holy Place. His face was pale. The man thought Zacharias had indeed lost his mind.

The poor man looked to some of the others for help. The priest, still in the grip of Zacharias, pulled away from him in horror. Would no one come to his aid? Zacharias remained on the ground, surrounded by the curious priests who stared and muttered among themselves while he continued to gesture wildly. He sank to his knees in despair. Finally, one of the priests, named Eli, approached him soothingly.

“What is it Zacharias?” he asked. “What has happened? What did you see?” Then Eli looked at the old man’s face and asked, “Did the Lord speak to you?”

Others crowded around the old man who by now was on his feet gesturing toward the Temple but unable to speak the words. The men concluded he had indeed had a vision of some sort. After a few moments he gave up, frustrated. He decided to quietly complete the remaining week of his duties in silence; then he would take the news to the one person who was sure to understand—Elizabeth.