The Participants… Zacharia
We are continuing our series on the folk that God
personally selected to participate in His Glorious
entrance into the world to be fully God and fully man.
The stiff necked stuck in the mud old dude featured here is a type of person that lives even today. The rock hard pew dweller who is incapable of learning new things about Jesus.
They are so attached to their religious paradigms, most of which are not in the Bible that they are incapable of learning the truth. Their fate is sad. They will never enter the Kingdom of God during their brief stay on earth.
It is impossible for the light to penetrate the armor of self righteousness.
The event that we celebrate each year at this time
began the earthly part of it, with an encounter between a man who believed what he saw and knew, more than what he could not see. That description fits most of us to one degree or another.
Jesus talked about this often. The Holy Spirit taught Paul about carnality (Placing the seen above the unseen) in this way and with these words:
“So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.
(2Corinthians4:18)
The carnal/flesh mind is juxtaposed against the things of God. The flesh mind is not subject to the things of God, neither can it be.
Here is a gem from Paul that astonishes me each time I read his words. How could a man who nothing of atoms and molecules make this pronouncement?
“By faith [that is, living in this present moment with celebration of the things that Jesus promised, regardless of
what we see.] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made of things which are visible.
We receive Jesus’ faith when we accept Him and make Him our King. Old Zach and all of those who lived before Jesus bequeathed us His faith, had to rely on their faith. Of course, human faith is not very strong. Therefore; the use of faith at that time required a determination to believe regardless of what was in their sight. You will learn more
about that in the next teaching on Elizabeth and Mary.
Check this out:
Now it happened while Zacharia was serving as priest before God in the appointed order of his priestly division, as was the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter [the sanctuary of] the temple of the Lord and [f]burn incense [on the altar of incense].
And all the congregation was praying outside [in the court of the temple] at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
The angel was Gabriel the Arc Angel of God. This is
how the prophet Daniel described Gabriel’s appearance:
” At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips, and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.”
“On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.
His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms, and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.”
(Daniel 10:4-8)
Imagine this Angel appearing to you from nowhere. He was just there. Suddenly, he stood before Zacharia. Consider Gabriel’s appearance. Can you see yourself choosing not to believe a being as described above who somehow knew your prayers? Though he had never seen you nor spoken to you.
How could you doubt a being as described as above? Especially when he told you what your dream was!!!
When Zacharia saw the angel, he was troubled and overcome with fear. (Ya Think?) But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharia because your petition [in prayer] has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.
You will have great joy and delight, and many will rejoice over his birth, for he will be great and distinguished in the sight of the Lord; and will never drink wine or liquor, and he will be filled with and empowered to act by the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.
He will turn many of the sons of Israel back [from sin] to [love and serve] the Lord their God.
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 [which is to seek and submit to the will of God]—in order to make ready a people [perfectly] prepared [spiritually and morally] for the Lord.”
And Zacharia said to the angel, “How will I be certain of this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in age.”
Not only is that the stupidest question ever asked, but it was also hazardous.
The angel replied and said to him, “I am Gabriel; I stand, and minister in the [very] presence of God, and I have been sent [by Him] to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
Listen carefully; you will be continually silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place because you did not believe what I told you, but my words will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
(Luke 1:4-13)
Jesus explained the power of the tongue in Mark 11:22-24
Truly I tell you, that “WHOSOEVER” shall speak to this mountain and command it to jump into the sea and does not doubt in his heart that what he says shall come to pass; He will have WHATSOEVER he says.
Gabriel and God both knew that Zachariah had the power in his faithless heart and tongue to terminate Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Zachariahs’ unbelieving rant could have stopped John the Baptist from being born and would have caused unlimited disasters.
The people [outside in the court] were waiting for Zacharias and were wondering about his long delay in the temple. But when he did come out, he was unable to speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he kept making signs to them and remained mute. When his time of priestly service was complete, he returned to his home.
Did you get that picture? The congregation was waiting outside because only High Priests could enter the Holy of Holies. If any unrepented sin was upon them, and they entered, they were dead on arrival.
The priests did their business. While in the Holy of Holies
The Lord would speak a prophecy to them and they would
go outside when they finished and report the prophecy.
The Word from God was highly anticipated and was always
Good News. Old Zach walked out and started waving his hands and making gestures to the people. They thought that God had punished him by making him stupid and mute.
The Holy Spirit dictated this message to James:
The tongue is a [in a sense] a fire, the very world of injustice and unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our members as that which contaminates the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life [the cycle of man’s existence], and is itself set on fire by [a]hell.
(James 3:6)
The point of this teaching is the contrast between the way Mary and Zachariah responded to a direct personal message to them.
Mary believed and the Holy Spirit spoke these Words about her through Elizabeth who also experienced a miraculous pregnancy:
“And blessed [spiritually fortunate and favored by God] is she who believed and confidently trusted that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her [by the angel sent] from the Lord.”
This is a huge message from God Himself to us. In the words
of Bible teacher Loyd Skidmore: “Believe and Recieve, Doubt and do Without!”
Zachariah had the audacity to question the angel of the Lord.
You just read his punishment. Mary believed, and you just read her reward.
Please Visit our website:
KNOWJESUSKNOWGRACE.COM
Then follow the prompts to order this personal love letter from Jesus
in the person of the Holy Spirit, to you. You personally. Seriously, this
book was dictated by the Holy Spirit and created to be placed in your
hands. Because Jesus wants you to know every one of the great and
precious promises that He made to (fill in your name) and guaranteed
with His Blood.
It is also available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, YouTube and ITunes in traditional and digital formats through kindle.
When you read it, please give us a positive review on Amazon. Also,
please consider purchasing copies for family and friends as Christmas gifts. They have never read a book like this and it will bless them beyond measure.
Throne of Grace Ministries/ KnowJesusKnowGrace.Com is an independent organization. The generosity of our Donor Partners solely funds us.
We minister to more than 35,000 people in 104 countries each year. We are a 501c3 tax exempt Ministry. All offerings no matter how small or large are Needed and appreciated especially in December when we help others the most.
Won’t you join us in our vital mission of taking the unabridged Gospel of Jesus to folk who would otherwise never see or hear it?
If so, you may send your offering to the address below, or make a secure online offering at our website: KNOWJESUSKNOWGRACE.COM
Where you will find hundreds of Video, Written and Audio teachings; about the truth of what our KING taught.
Thank you,
Pastor Allen Fleming
KNOWJESUSKNOWGRACE.COM
Throne of Grace
P.O.BOX669153
Marietta, Georgia, 30066
