Angel Speak

But the angel said to him,

"Do not be afraid, Zacharias,

for your prayer is heard,

and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,

and you shall call his name John.

And you will have joy and gladness,

and many will rejoice at his birth."

Luke 1:13-14

I didn't do an exhaustive study on angelic appearances, but it seems to me that every angelic appearance I can recall in the Word starts with the exhortation: "Fear not!" Here's this old priest burning incense before the veil that supposedly hides the presence of God from natural eyes. Outside, the people are praying and the priests are worshiping. Inside, Zacharias is offering the ritualistic prayers to God...and "By the way, God, the old lady and I would like to have a son." How many times in his many years of marriage do you think he asked that? And it might seem a little inappropriate for a priest performing prayers for the sake of an entire nation to insert such a personal request, but remember...this was his once-in-a-lifetime chance to do this job. Why not take advantage of it?

And apparently, it paid off!

How many times are we surprised when God, in one way or another, shows up in response to our prayers? Some people talk about angelic appearances like they happen every day, like it is so commonplace that we just expect it to happen. Me, on the other hand, I've walked with the Lord going on thirty-one years (yeah, I was six years old when I gave my life to Christ) and I've never seen an angel.

I saw a demon once, but that's a whole 'nother thing. I heard the audible voice of God once. Both of those incidents were pretty startling; they weren't common place. But I've never seen an angel. I've known lots of people who've seen angels. I've known lots of people who claimed they saw angels walking or standing with me. I've wondered about some of those sightings, but I do believe people can encounter angels. I'm not stupid enough to doubt the angelic presence; I've had too many close calls. I believe the Word teaches that we have angelic guardians stationed in our lives by God to assist and protect us, to watch over and defend us. I do believe that. I've felt the glorious presence of Heaven in my life, be it God or the Holy Ghost or the Hosts of Heaven; I don't really know how to define it.

What I do know is this. In the Bible, when an angel shows up, people pay attention. I did do enough research to find out that this is the only recorded instance in which an angel actually appeared to a priest in the Temple of God. The one time it happens, and it's on Zacharias' watch, and it has a message for him personally, a message which will affect the entire nation of Israel.

"Fear not!" Great advice, I think. People who aren't shaken up by supernatural manifestations of the visible kind have more fortitude than I do. I think I'd be shaking in my shorts.

"Your prayers are answered!" I love it when that happens, and it happens a few times in the Scripture. Someone is asking God for something, and God's messenger shows up to tell you God hears you, and that His answer is thus-and-so. That's when you know your prayers have not been in vain!

"Joy and gladness are coming to you, and everyone will rejoice!" Hurray! That's a whole lot better than other kinds of messages you could receive--like, nothing awaits you but tears, suffering, sorrow and chains, which is what the Spirit kept telling the Apostle Paul those last few free months he had in the Book of Acts. I'd opt for joy and gladness over suffering and sorrow any day.

My advice to you, based on the Bible and not my personal experience, is this: When an angel shows up, pay attention and be ready for anything. Because when God sends a personal messenger, it's serious business.