Luke 1 Gabriel The Angel, Birth of John and Jesus

Luke 1:1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

• Luke means Light Giver
• Luke was an medical doctor
• Believed = which have been fully accomplished, in fulfillment of prophetic announcement

2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

• I want to get this right, from the beginning, from the birth or ministry of the Lord

3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

• Theophilus means Beloved of God
• From the very first = from above
• Having had perfect understanding = having followed up accurately
• Moreover, having understood them "from above", he necessarily understood them from the very beginning, as well as perfectly, or accurately.

4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

• Mightest know = get to have full knowledge

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

• Zacharias = Zachariah = means Remember of God
• Courses of Abia = 24 courses of the priests, 6 months aparts, Abia means eights
• 1 Chronicles 24:10 The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,
• Our calendar = June 15 to June 19
• Eight meaning new beginning
• Elisabeth was an Levi a daughter of Aaron.
• The female descendants of Aaron always married priests.
• Elisabeth was Mary first Cousin

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

 

7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

• Elisabeth birth John, the promise seemed to come too late
• Mary birth Jesus,  the promise seemed to come too early

8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

• This time = June 13-19 = is the course of Abia
• Burn incense, smoke going up, everyone wanted to be there, because it was the time their prays would go up to God.

10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

• Verse 19, This angel was Gabriel
• Gabriel means man of God

12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

• Hebrew origin = OT:2148 =  Zacharias = Zechariah

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

• Zacharias = Zachariah
• Gabriel told Zachariah his wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
• John means God gift or God sheweth Favour

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15 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 Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

• Strong drink, any intoxicating drink not from grapes.
• Holy Spirit or power from on high
• Jeremiah 1:1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
  2 To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
  3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
  4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
  5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
  6 Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.

16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

• With His teaching, there will be many to know the truth
• He came in the spirit of Elijah

17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

• Elias = Elijah
• The spirit, the powerful spirit
• Disobedient = unbelieving
• Did it said, John was Elijah?
• No, he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
• Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
  6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
• John came in the spirit of Elijah
• Matthew 11 if the people would of receive Jesus, he would of been Elijah

18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

• Zachariah was question Gabriel, he didn't believe
• Zachariah was a Levite priest, he has been praying for this
• Once Gabriel told him, he didn't believe
• For I am an old man, To Zechariah the promise seemed to come too late
• For Mary too early, for she was not married.

19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

• Gabriel = The mighty man of God
• Gabriel the mighty man of God, The messenger of the Restoration, as Michael is the messenger of Israel's deliverance from judgment. (Revelation 12:7) (Daniel 10:13-31)
• Am = was
• Shew = announce.

20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

• Thou shalt be dumb - Continuous silence
• To performed = come to pass
• Believest not = didst not believe
• Gabriel speaks to Daniel 9 = This would be about 400 years before Gabriel speaks to Zachariah
• Daniel 9:21 Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
• 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
• 23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
• 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
• 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

• Because he didn't believe, he could not speak
• Zachariah was Levite priest, he has been praying for this
• Beckoned = kept making signs

23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

• About 40 miles away, it took him about two days to get home, June 20
• He didn't get home until June 22

24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

• Elisabeth means The oath of God
• Elisabeth conceived, hid herself 5 months.
• Elisabeth time would be around November 24
• The conception of John

25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

• Sixth months, After the vision of Zechariah, this is the passage which gives John's age six months older than the Lord's.
• App 179, the birth of Jesus
• John was born March = 6 months older
• The fact of the Birth of our Lord having been revealed to the shepherds by the Archangel Michael on the 15th of Tisri (or Ethanim), corresponding to September 29, 4 B.C. - the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles - must have been known to believers in the Apostolic Age.
• But "the mystery of iniquity" which was "already working" in Paul's day quickly enshrouded this and the other great fact of the day of the Lord's "begetting" on the first day of the Jewish month Tebeth (corresponding to December 25, 5 B.C.) - as well as other events connected with His sojourn on earth,  - in a rising mist of obscurity in which they have ever since been lost.
• 2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
  9 Even him (Christ), whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
  10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

• Mary means = a tear = she was a virgin
• Mary's mother was of the tribe of Levi, was of the priest line and and Mary father was of the tribe of Judah
• Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barrel.
• Espoused = betrothed
• A year before marriage, Matthew 1:18
• Luke 3: Mary father was of the house of David, The tribe of Judah
• Joseph was of the house of David, The tribe of Judah
• Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
• Jesus being King of Kings and Lord of Lords
• Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
  12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
  13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
  14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
  15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
  16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
  17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

• Highly favoured = Thou having been graced by God = endued with grace
• Mary believed Gabriel

29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

• Mary believed Gabriel, but she didn't understand how this was going to happen
• Mary was of the tribe of Judah and Levites priest
• Can you see the different, She asking, how can this be, she believed but didn't know how it was going to happen.

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

• Isaiah 7:13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
  14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
• Immanuel means God (El) with Us
• God with us, Saviour
• Note the four statements of the angel, combining the four key-texts of the four Gospels.
• Bring forth a Son, His name Jesus, The Son of the Highest and He shall reign.
• Thou shalt conceive = forthwith conceive. The Tense marks a future action, the beginning of which in relation to future time is past, but the consequences of which still continue. 
• Luke 31:32, emphasizing each detail. Note the four statements of the angel, combining the four key = texts of the four Gospels.
• Thou shalt . . . bring forth a Son: "Behold the Man".
• Thou shalt call His name Jesus: " Behold My Servant".
• He shall be great . . . the Son of the Highest (v. 32) " Behold your God".
• He shall reign, etc. (v. 33)  " Behold thy King".
• Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
• Hosea 14:8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
  9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein

32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

• He shall be great, Marks the break in the Dispensations, being yet future.
• Jesus will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 11, 7th trump)
• The key of David, he was of the tribe of Judah and Levi of the priest line = King of Kings and Lord of Lords
• Elisabeth and  Mary cousin, Mary cousin Elisabeth, was of the daughter of Aaron
• Elisabeth mother and Mary mother were sisters of  the tribe of the Levi of the priest line
• Luke 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
• Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

• Forever, Jacob: Put for all the natural seed of all the tribes of Israel.

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

• She asking, how can this be, she believed, but didn't know how it was going to happen.
• Mary's answer shows how she understood the angel's promise.
• She does not question the fact, as Zechariah did verse 18, but only inquires as to how.
• To Mary the promise seems too early, as to Zacharias too late.
• Seeing = since
• Know = come to know

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

• By the Holy Spirit, shall come upon thee her, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
• Isaiah 7:13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?
  14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
• Immanuel means God (El) with Us

36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

• Elisabeth Conception of John = June 23-24 - Birth of John = March 28-29
• 6 months beginning, the conception of Jesus began on December 25, birth date  of Jesus = September 29
• Mary conception date - June 24, There's nothing wrong with celebrating Jesus birth on December 25, because Christ our Lord was with us.
• Who said this?
• The angel Gabriel
• Mary father was of the tribe of Judah, Luke 3,  goes back to Adam, which Christ would come.
• Luke 3:31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,
• Christ came through Nathan, son of David
• Nathan, In Matthew 1:6, the regal line is shown through Solomon.
• Thus both lines became united in Joseph: and thus the Lord being raised from the dead is the one and only heir to the throne of David.
• Mary genealogy goes back, all the way to the beginning "Adam son Seth
• Mary mother of the tribe of  Levi, the priests
• Elizabeth, who was of the tribe of Levi and of the lineage of Aaron.
• Elisabeth and  Mary cousin, Mary cousin Elisabeth, was of the daughter of Aaron
• Elisabeth mother and Mary mother was sisters of  the tribe of the Levi of the priest line
• Mary of the tribe of Judah, Mary father was of the tribe of Judah and Mary mother of  the tribe of the Levi of the priest line.
• Jesus would be King of Kings and Lord of Lords
• Luke 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
  24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph.
• She had a sister, named, like herself, and she was connected by marriage, with Elizabeth, who was of the tribe of Levi and of the lineage of Aaron.
• The Festival of "Michael and All Angels" is held on September 29 abundantly clear.
• Our Lord was born on that day, the first day of the "Feast of Tabernacles"
• Leviticus 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the Lord seven days: on the first day shall be a Sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a Sabbath.
  40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.
  41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
• This was on the fifteenth day of the seventh Jewish month called Tisri, or Ethanim corresponding to our September 29 (of the year 4 B.C.)
• The "Begetting" (genesis) Day of the Lord was announced by the Angel Gabriel.
• The "Birth" Day, by "(the) Angel of the Lord", unnamed in either Matthew and Luke.

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

• Entered, A detail, to emphasize the fact, by which she recognized the truth of the sign of verse 36.
• Zachariah

41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit:

• The babe leaped in her womb;
• Because the Holy Spirit was of God
• When does life begin?
• Elisabeth 6 months

42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

• Spake out = cried out

43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

 

44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

• The babe leaped in my womb for joy
• Ask yourself, When does the baby become alive?

45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

• 280 days = 40 weeks - forty sevens, the perfect
• Period of human gestation = 7x5x8=280
• The Component Numbers of 280 are highly
• Significant in this connection.
• 7 denotes Spiritual Perfection.
• 5 denotes Divine Grace.
• 8 denotes Resurrection, Regeneration, etc.
• (Appendix 10).
• 1st TEBETH = 25th December (5 B.C.)
• 15th ETHANIM = 29th September (4 B.C.).
• From 1st TEBETH to 15th ETHANIM (inclusive) = 280 days.
• From 25th DECEMBER (5 B.C .) to 29th = SEPTEMBER (4 B.C.) = 280 days.

58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

• Ezekiel 29:21 In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
• Psalms 132:12 If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

 

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

 

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

• Exactly 2520 years from the exile of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.

 

•  The first tribe to be conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.

 

• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant, (A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt - page 25