The Messiah Author:Unknown Author Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: who had been appointed king of the Jews by the Roman emperor, there was a devout priest of the Temple, named Zacharias, of the course or company of Abia, and des... more »cended from Aaron, the high-priest. His wife Elizabeth was also of the race of Aaron. " And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years." This had been a cause of grief to them ; and perhaps Zacharias had offered up many prayers to God, that He would take away Elizabeth's reproach, as it was considered among Jewish women.1 At length they were blessed beyond their utmost hopes. For the fulness of time was come, when, according to the prophecies, the Messiah should appear on earth ; and the Lord graciously intended to give them a son, who should be His herald or messenger, such as ancient kings were wont to send before them, to prepare the way, and announce their approach. And it came to pass, when it was the lot of Zacharias to burn incense in the Temple, according to the custom of the priest's office, and whilst the people were without, waiting for his blessing, " there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense." The aged priest " was troubled, and fear fell upon him." To be in the presence of an angel from Heaven was awful even to patriarchs and prophets.2 When Jacob awoke from his dream of angels, " he was afraid, and said, ' How dreadful is thisplace.'"x Gideon, when he beheld the angel under the oak which was in Ophrah, said, " Alas, O Lord God, for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face." e So also David by the threshing-floor of Araunah;3 and Daniel at the river Hiddekel. But the angel, ...« less