Dear Reader, please join me as we use mock interviews to take closer look sat some of God’s chosen heralds of the good news of His Son’s birth.
Gabriel, it is indeed a pleasure to chat with one of God's angels, especially one of such high rank. Our readers would love for you to connect the dots between heavenly places and our world.
As an angel, I’m considered one of the Lord God Most High’s messengers. Sometimes the Lord chooses to show how He is the God of Amazement by sending His angels with incredible messages to His children.
Some call me the “guardian angel of Israel.” That title comes with tremendous responsibility. What takes the edge off is that I’m awesomely blessed to be allowed to hang out in God’s throne room.
The angel replied and said to him, “I am Gabriel; I stand and minister in the [very] presence of God, and I have been sent [by Him] to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
Luke 1: 19 AMP
Wow, Gabriel, I had not idea! Most of us probably can't imagine working that closely with Jehovah. Please tell us a little more about what that's like.
My name means “God is my strength,”; I take that very seriously. I believe the Lord God Almighty is very serious about the choices and challenges He has taken on when giving us our assignments. (We won’t go into what happened when one angel thought he could do and be as he pleased. See Ezekial 28:12-17 ICB)
With all His choices, God still chose me to be in His presence and deliver His Word to folks like, Daniel, to help them out. I love serving the God of Amazement!
Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, flew swiftly to me at the time of the evening sacrifice and said to me, “Daniel, I am here to help you understand God’s plans. The moment you began praying a command was given. I am here to tell you what it was, for God loves you very much. Listen and try to understand the meaning of the vision that you saw!
Daniel 9: 21-23 TLB
It's easy to see why you feel privileged, Gabriel. Have you had any challenges in your work that you can share with our readers?
Funny you should ask. Not everyone is as receptive as Daniel, like Zechariah. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had prayed for a child for a super long time. Kinda that Abraham and Sarah thing.
And like those two, it wasn’t that the Lord didn’t hear their prayers. Jehovah just had a much bigger plan in mind than they did. Anyway, I guess Zechariah had enough faith to pray, but not enough to believe.
11 Then, on the right side of the incense table, an angel of the Lord came and stood before Zechariah. 12 When he saw the angel, Zechariah was upset and very afraid. 13 But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, don’t be afraid. Your prayer has been heard by God. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a baby boy, and you will name him John. 14 You will be very happy, and many others will share your joy over his birth. 15 He will be a great man for the Lord. He will never drink wine or beer. Even before he is born, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that what you say is true? I am an old man, and my wife is also old.”
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, the one who always stands ready before God. He sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news. 20 Now, listen! You will not be able to talk until the day when these things happen. You will lose your speech because you did not believe what I told you. But everything I said will really happen.”
Luke 1: 11-15, 18-20 MSG
Before we run out of time, Gabriel, is there anything else you could enlighten our readers with?
I haven’t stepped down from heaven often, but there was one visit that definitely tops all others, and for good reason. There was a sweet, extraordinarily humble young girl, that the Lord of All Creation chose to carry and deliver His Son. How amazing is that! Mary was overwhelmed for a minute, but she got over it. And then Mary said the words God longs to hear from each of His children.
26 The following month God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin, Mary, engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Congratulations, favored lady! The Lord is with you!”
29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.
30 “Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, “for God has decided to wonderfully bless you! 31 Very soon now, you will become pregnant and have a baby boy, and you are to name him ‘Jesus.’ 32 He shall be very great and shall be called the Son of God. And the Lord God shall give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he shall reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom shall never end!”
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of God shall overshadow you; so the baby born to you will be utterly holy—the Son of God…37 For every promise from God shall surely come true.”
38 Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared.
Luke 1: 26-35, 37-38 TLB
