And the angel answered him “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God , and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” -Luke 1:19-20
Zechariah was married to his wife Elizabeth they were both righteous before God but there was a issue that Elizabeth was barren. She could not conceive any children for Zechariah, They were both well advanced in years. Zechariah was serving as a priest before God and he was chosen to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. Now an angel appeared to Zechariah in the temple at the altar of incense, Zechariah was troubled and fear came upon him. The angel assured him not to be afraid, and that his prayer has been heard and that his wife will conceive a child. Obviously Zechariah prayed for his wife to be able to bare a child and that the barrenness would cease. The presence of the angel Gabriel was to let him know that his prayer had been heard and that it was going to come to pass also to announce the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Something occurred though that was very peculiar due to Zechariah’s unbelief and doubt. The angel Gabriel told him that he will be silent, mute and unable to speak until the day that these things took place.
See now, the angel even spoke to Zechariah concerning his to come son which he was ordered to name John, That he will be great and he will be born filled with the Holy Spirit and that he will do great exploits. Zechariah had unbelief and doubted, why? due to the age of him and his wife Elizabeth. He did not see how this would be possible or even come to pass. He had enough Faith to pray the prayer which was answered by God as God sent an angel to confirm Zechariah but he did not have the Faith to believe that it was able or possible to come to pass. Could it be that Zechariah’s mouth was now mute after the decree of the angel Gabriel because he would’ve began to speak negatively and even speak words of death and unbelief concerning the prophecy of his son to come?. Could it be that this had to be done so that he would not tell those who were waiting for him to come out of the temple who possibly had familiar spirits, monitoring spirits and would speak even more doubt into him and mock him. There are several reason why he came out of the temple silent and mute. Gods promise had to be fulfilled and whatever God has to do to keep his promise to come to pass he will do by all means necessary.
The Bible lets us know that in Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.“. Zechariah had the Faith to pray such an audacious prayer but lack the Faith to believe that it will come to pass. So he had to become silent and mute so that he would not voice his doubt and even so that he would not tell those who should not have known about such prophecy. After the time of his service in the temple came to a end he went home and surely he and his wife spent time together and Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months she kept herself hidden. Her words in Luke 1:25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach.“. She gave praise, worship and honor to the Lord God Almighty for the great work he has done. Not even knowing that her husband petitioned God about this and had an encounter receiving divine confirmation of his wife’s conception. Fast forward in the text to Luke 1:57-66 we see that when it came for Elizabeth to give birth then it came time for them to circumcise the child on the 8th day. They wanted to name in Zechariah after the father but Elizabeth said no, he shall be called John. They went back and forth with Elizabeth saying no one in the family is named John. Zechariahs Obeyed the prophecy that was spoken to him before his son was conceived and also agreed with his wife and wrote on a writing tablet “his name is John”.
As Zechariahs obeyed the prophecy immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed and he spoke, Blessing and praising God. Everyone around them were shocked and amazed and Blessed God saying “What then will this child be?, For the hand of the Lord was with him.”. As God was with Zechariahs and Elizabeth and visited Zechariahs as he served the Lord sending his angel Gabriel to bring the message to his petition. God can do the same with you the thing is that you must believe in God with the same Faith you have to pray audacious prayers is the same Faith you must have about receiving the answer to your prayers. Your circumstances may not match what you are enquiring for and in your carnal mind you may unintentionally be like how?. I want to let you know to cast down the imaginations of doubt and unbelief that the enemy will try to convey to your mind. That is an temptation to get you to doubt and shake your faith to make you not believe the promise of God concerning your life. We see in the word of God in Luke 1 that the angel decreed that Zechariahs will be silent and mute. The prophecy hanging over your life God is going to remind you of it as it is coming to pass in Jesus name. You think you forgot about it or gave up on it ETC but that’s not the case just as the angel Gabriel decreed by divine orders from God that Zacharias would become silent and mute. God supernaturally removed it out of your recollection though he revealed what he revealed to you he removed it from your recollection for a season.
The Lord has purposefully done this through his Holy Spirit so that you will not doubt, speak death to it, see your current situation and not believe, and begin to tell the wrong people. I want to tell you that thus says the Lord the manifestation of what the Lord has revealed to you a while ago is coming back to you. The seasons you have been through have been seasons of preparation and many battles, attacks and circumstances you had to go through to grow, become stronger, and have more patience for your faith to grow, your trust to grow in the Lord. Even to draw closer unto Jesus Christ and cleave unto him so that you will never forget him or where you came from when the Blessing manifest’s in your life when the prophecy comes to pass. God is going to begin to bring back what he has once spoken to you and allowed you to see before but covered it. So that you will not doubt, speak death to it or share it to the wrong people, as you obey the Lord as Zechariahs did you will walk in the fulfillment of the promise. If we go further in the text when Zechariahs began to prophecy it says that then he was filled with the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.“.
Brethren be encouraged because our Heavenly Father knows exactly what he is doing in and through us and exactly precisely what he wants to do with us. The thing is that we have to line up and not be in a race or so quick to get ahead of God. Trust the process and continue following Jesus Christ, don’t become like the children of Israel who began to murmur and complain delaying themselves. Endure in the process and be willing and obedient, where you are most likely is where God wants you to be and while you are there he wants you to continue pursuing him. In prayer, fasting, devotion (reading your Bible), praising and worshipping him as you live life trusting that what he has revealed will come to pass in the appointed time. Doubt and unbelief hinders you and it can cause things not to come to pass as we see in Matthew 14:31 when they were in the ship and peter went to walk in water but doubted and became fearful Jesus said “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?“.
God Bless you in Jesus name pray through the process stay in the presence of God there is nothing outside of his presence for you just failure, defeat and the devil awaiting you to devour. All Glory praise and honor belong unto the Lord God Almighty. Thank you Jesus. Shalom
Sister Guari | Jesus is Lord |Grace Through Faith 