(1) Rumors from Jerusalem.
This Advent, as we prepare to once again welcome the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas, perhaps we might consider God’s immediate preparation for His Messiah and how it may have been understood by an ordinary person at the time. Imagine ....
I am a faithful believer in God. My home is in Judea, in Hebron. Seems it’s about 6 BC, and that rotten imposter of a Jewish King, Herod, is on the throne. Ah! He’s just a puppet of Rome!
Oh, where is the Messiah to set things right? When will the Kingdom be restored to Israel? (Cf., Ac 1:6.)
It has been 600 or 700 years since Isaiah had prophesied. He said that a Voice would cry out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Is 40:3). Where’s that Voice? I’ve visited with the Essenes, with their group that left Jerusalem decades ago, no maybe a couple hundred years ago. They are faithful believers, even if they have some strict rules. They went “out in the wilderness” of Judea near the Dead Sea to await the Coming One, the Messiah. Isaiah said it would all start in the wilderness, so there they are. Still waiting. We all wait.
The last prophet God sent us was about 450 years. Malachi was his name. He, too, spoke of a Voice, a Messenger coming. “Behold I send my messenger to prepare the way before me.” He even said, “The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple” (Mal 3:1; cf., Mt 11:10; Lk 7:27). In fact, Malachi implied that the Messenger was Elijah – Elijah, the prophet of old – about 400 years before Malachi! (Mal 4:5-6.) Even Sirach, writing a couple hundred years ago, said the same thing about Elijah, turning the hearts of fathers to sons (Sir 48:10).
But it’s confusing to me. I’m a simple person. A Messenger is coming to prepare the way, and the Messenger is somehow Elijah. But then Malachi also said the Lord Himself is coming – and coming to His Temple! If the Messenger prepares for the Messiah, is the Lord God Himself the Messiah? It’s confusing. But I believe in God. God keeps His promises. They’re coming.
We know it must be close. I love the story of the Angel Gabriel appearing to the prophet Daniel in Babylon. When was that? Oh, some decades before Malachi spoke last. Daniel said that Gabriel said it would be 70 weeks or weeks of years (Dan 9:20-27). Oh, the scholars and scribes have had fun with that one! What counts, what doesn’t. They’ve even came to blows over it all! Well, most of us think it could be anytime now. We’re getting close.
Some of the gossips think he must have been quite a sinner to get this punishment. He never could father children, couldn’t obey God’s command to be fruitful and multiply. (Gen 1:28.) But I don’t know. I live in Hebron where the priest lives. I’ve never found anything blameworthy in him – or his wife. They seem good people to me. (Lk 1:6.)
Someone else pointed out that it was at the time of the evening incense offering that the Angel Gabriel had come to the prophet Daniel (Dan 9:21) – maybe it was the same with this priest? Did he see an angel? The Sadducees just laughed at that suggestion. They don’t believe in angels. But I don’t laugh. It could be true. If it was the angel Gabriel, what would he have said?
Another gossip has noticed that the priest’s wife hasn’t been seen at the market or the well for about five months now. (Lk 1:24.) So she started the rumor that the wife might be pregnant. Considering how old the wife is, that’s quite a stretch. More like impossible. (Lk 1:7, 20.)
I just wonder what all this means.
Dibby Allan Green