Thematic Bible: Zacharias, officiating priest in, has a vision of an angel; receives promise of a son

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest, by name Zacharias, of the course of Abijah, and his wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elisabeth; and they were both righteous before God, going on in all the commands and righteousnesses of the Lord blameless, and they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and both were advanced in their days. read more.
And it came to pass, in his acting as priest, in the order of his course before God, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot was to make perfume, having gone into the sanctuary of the Lord, and all the multitude of the people were praying without, at the hour of the perfume. And there appeared to him a messenger of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of the perfume, and Zacharias, having seen, was troubled, and fear fell on him; and the messenger said unto him, 'Fear not, Zacharias, for thy supplication was heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son to thee, and thou shalt call his name John, and there shall be joy to thee, and gladness, and many at his birth shall joy, for he shall be great before the Lord, and wine and strong drink he may not drink, and of the Holy Spirit he shall be full, even from his mother's womb; and many of the sons of Israel he shall turn to the Lord their God, and he shall go before Him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn hearts of fathers unto children, and disobedient ones to the wisdom of righteous ones, to make ready for the Lord, a people prepared.' And Zacharias said unto the messenger, 'Whereby shall I know this? for I am aged, and my wife is advanced in her days?' And the messenger answering said to him, 'I am Gabriel, who have been standing near before God, and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to proclaim these good news to thee, and lo, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, till the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou didst not believe my words, that shall be fulfilled in their season.' And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and wondering at his tarrying in the sanctuary, and having come out, he was not able to speak to them, and they perceived that a vision he had seen in the sanctuary, and he was beckoning to them, and did remain dumb. And it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went away to his house,

And to Elisabeth was the time fulfilled for her bringing forth, and she bare a son, and the neighbours and her kindred heard that the Lord was making His kindness great with her, and they were rejoicing with her. And it came to pass, on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they were calling him by the name of his father, Zacharias, read more.
and his mother answering said, 'No, but he shall be called John.' And they said unto her -- 'There is none among thy kindred who is called by this name,' and they were making signs to his father, what he would wish him to be called, and having asked for a tablet, he wrote, saying, 'John is his name;' and they did all wonder; and his mouth was opened presently, and his tongue, and he was speaking, praising God.