Visits of the Angel Gabriel

CHAPTER 4

The priest and prophet, Zekaryah, is visited by the angel Gabriel and told that his wife who is barren and advanced in years shall bear a son and his name shall be Yochanan. Because of his disbelief, Zekaryah is struck mute. The angel Gabriel then appears to Miryam, a virgin engaged to Yosef, in a dream and tells her that she will conceive a son and he shall be named Yeshua. The angel Gabriel appears then to Yosef in a dream telling him the true circumstances of Miryam’s pregnancy, and he quickly marries Miryam.

 1 There was a man sent again from God, a faithful stalwart whose name was Yochanan, who came to bear testimony and to bear witness to the Celestine Light of Elohim that all who would hear his words would be prepared to receive the brightness of the light to come.

 2 He was not the light, but came to bear witness of the light, for the pure Celestine Light of Elohim, given to enlighten the children of men, and was about to be known unto the world.

 3 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest and a prophet named Zekaryah, a Levite of the division of Abi’jah, and he had a wife, also of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabet.

 4 And they were both righteous before God, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances lived by the Children of Israel to obey God.

 5 But they had no children because Elizabet was barren, and both were advanced in years.

 6 Now while he was serving as priest before God, when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.

 7 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.

 8 Then the angel Gabriel appeared to Zekaryah, in a vision, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

 9 And Zekaryah was troubled when he saw her, and fear fell upon him.

 10 But Gabriel said unto him, “Do not be afraid, Zekaryah, for your prayer is heard and your wife Elizabet will bear a son, and you shall call his name Yochanan.

 11 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before God.

 12 He shall drink no fermented wine or strong drink, nor eat the meat of animals or birds or anything that defiles the body, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit of the Celestine Light, even from his mother’s womb.

 13 His words will have the power to grab hold of the hearts of men, and with the spirit of Eli’jah, he will turn many of the Children of Israel to the Lord their God and the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; that he may make ready for the Lord to come, a people prepared.”

 14 Then was Zekaryah troubled, and he said to the angel, “How shall this be? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years, therefore, how can it be that we would have a child?”

 15 With firmness, the angel rebuked him, saying, “I am Gabriel, who comes from the presence of the Elohim, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

 16 Behold, because you doubted my words, you shall now be struck mute and be unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, which will be fulfilled in their time as Elohim desires, and in this, you will learn that nothing is impossible to God.”

 17 And the people were waiting for Zekaryah, and they wondered at his delay in the temple.

 18 And it came to pass that when he came out, he could not speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he made signs to them and remained mute to all.

 19 Then when his time of service was ended, he went to his home, and his wife was amazed at his silence and understood that great things of God were transpiring.

 20 Shortly thereafter, his wife Elizabet conceived, and for five months, she hid herself, but each day gave prayers of thanksgiving with abiding joy, saying, “Thus, the Lord has blessed me in these days when he has looked on me, for he has taken away my shameful reproach among men, that now I am no more barren, but carry a wonder of God within me.”

 21 In Elizabet’s sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from the presence of the Elohim to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Yosef, a fine worker of woods and of the lineage of the house of King David. The young woman’s name was Miryam, and she was a tender and loving soul.

 22 Gabriel appeared to her vividly in a dream while she slept at night and said, “Hail, O favored one, God is with you!”

 23 But she was greatly troubled at the angelic woman’s salutation and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.

 24 Seeing her hesitancy, Gabriel said unto her, “Do not be afraid, Miryam, for you have found favor with God, and behold, you will this night conceive in your womb and nine months hence bear the only begotten Son of God in the flesh, and you shall call his name Yeshua.

 25 He shall be the light of the world, the Son of the most high Father and Mother. He will show the path in life that leads to eternal redemption and exaltation and open the door to let man on the path. He will bring the laws of love that the world may have peace when it follows him, and the laws of Celestine Light that man may be more than he is.”

 26 And Miryam said to the angel, “I know all things are possible with God, but how shall this be since I am a virgin and have not yet a husband?”

 27 And the angel said unto her, “The Holy Spirit of Elohim will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you, and the seed of your Father and Mother in Heaven shall be planted within your womb to grow and be nurtured; therefore the child to be born will be holy, the very Son of God.

 28 Therefore, from this day henceforth, because you will be the vessel for the divine, eat not the flesh of any creature of warm blood or any that nurtures its young.

 29 Eat only fruits and vegetables that still retain the essence of vitality and grains that have been soaked in water so that new life springs forth from their seeds before they are made into bread.

 30 Nor shall you take strong drink or drink wine except unfermented of the pure grape or take anything that is harmful unto your body, for the holy child you carry has been consecrated unto God from before the days that the world was created, and his body must not be defiled.

 31 Behold, your kinswoman Elizabet in her old age has also conceived a son by her husband Zekaryah and she who had been called barren is now in the sixth month, and the son she carries is one of the greatest lights of God, even as yours shall be the very Celestine Light of Elohim made manifest among men.”

 32 Then Miryam bowed her head in humility and said, “Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

 33 And by the power of the Father and Mother in Heaven, so it was, and the angel departed from her.

 34 For three days after the appearance of the angel, Miryam was overwhelmed in her spirit and said nothing to Yosef of the miraculous message from God.

 35 On the evening of the third day after the angel Gabriel had visited her, Miryam revealed unto Yosef all that had transpired and he was disbelieving that it could be true, for he esteemed Miryam to be a virtuous woman and in sadness, he imagined that she was with child because of sin and had created the story to hide her transgression.

 36 Therefore, he thought to break their engagement, but feared for shame or harm to come upon Miryam, whom he still loved, and decided to ponder the matter until the morrow.

 37 As he considered this, behold, the angel Gabriel appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Yosef, son of David, do not fear to take Miryam for your wife, for she has known no man and that which she nurtures in her womb is the seed of God.

 38 By her purity and faithfulness, she has been chosen to carry the holy child of the Father and Mother of Heaven, and her name shall be blessed for all the generations to come.

 39 Miryam will bear a son, and you shall call his name Yeshua, for he is the Messiah, the Celestine Light who is salvation, and will save his people from their sins.”

 40 When Yosef awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and straightway married Miryam, but knew her not in the way of the flesh until she had borne the son of God, as foretold by the angel Gabriel.

 41 Shortly after her conception and marriage, with the blessing of Yosef, Miryam arose and went with haste into the hill country of Judah, and she entered the house of Zekaryah and greeted Elizabet.

 42 And when Elizabet heard the greeting of Miryam, the babe she carried leaped in her womb, and Elizabet was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with delight, “It is my fortune that the most favored daughter of God should come to me this day; blessed are you among women, Miryam, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, and when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy!”

 43 And Miryam said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, for without regard for the low estate of his handmaiden, he has bestowed blessings beyond measure upon me. He who is mighty has done great things, and holy is his name.

 44 He has turned away from the proud and the imagination of their hearts; he has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent away empty.

 45 He has blessed Israel with remembrance in his mercy and kept a covenant with our fathers, even Abraham and his posterity forever.”

 46 And Miryam remained with Elizabet and cared for her during the remainder of her term and the labor of birth and then returned unto her home in Nazareth.