“And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 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.’ ” (Luke 1:18-19)
Zacharias, a priest, was married to Elisabeth, a woman faithful to him and to God. They had no children. When Zacharias stepped inside the Holy of Holies to perform his priestly duties, an angel appeared before him and told him he would have a son, whose name would be John. This was the John who was to become known as the Baptist. The son was to be a special man with the task of making the final preparations for the Messiah.
Gabriel was that angel. He is not an archangel like Michael. His name Gabriel means “God’s hero” or “God is great,” and as God’s special messenger, he lived up to his name. He always delivered powerful news from God. In the Old Testament, he appeared to Daniel and explained about the end times. In the New Testament, not long after he appeared to Zacharias, he appeared to Mary.
If he appeared other times, he did not identify himself. Like Michael, Gabriel is in a category all by himself. We do not know that he plays the trumpet. Scripture does not substantiate the stories about Gabriel and his trumpet. As much as I would love to say that Gabriel is a trumpet player, I cannot find any evidence to support the idea. Neither can the theologians whose works I have read. All we know is that Gabriel is a unique angel with his own unique missions.
You are also unique! You are significant in God’s plan. Seek His guidance to know what it is He has designed you to do better than anyone else can do it. God loves you that much!The thought is a sweet nectar to the soul. The process of God’s creation and the way it continues to play out through the ages leads us to contemplate His glory. In His majesty,He has made us.
"Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture." (Psalm 100:3)
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