Luke 1:12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell on him. Such has usually been the effect of supernatural appearances, even on good men, as is exemplified in Manoah, David, Paul, and others. 1. Man's weakness is incapable of easily bearing the glory of such appearances. 2. His sinfulness naturally makes him afraid that the heavenly messenger may be sent to him in displeasure. Hence appear the wisdom and goodness of God in employing, as the heralds of gospel salvation, not angels but human beings, whose terror does not make us afraid. If, however, we shall be so wise for ourselves as to receive the gospel, and to take the Lord of angels for our Lord, then we shall be prepared without fear to meet, not one angel, or a few angels, but the whole angelic host, with the Lord at their head — that host from which the ungodly will shrink in dismay, but which the ransomed shall gladly join round about the throne, to the number of ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. (James Foote, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.WEB: Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. |
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