GABRIEL
Edited by Erwin Bourne

Let's meet some particular angels one by one. "One by
one" is actually as far as we can go right now,
because only two angels in Scripture are individually
named. Both are justifiably famous.

Gabriel's name means "Mighty One of God."
Gabriel would most probably win easily the award for
"Most Admired Angel." He always seems to be bringing
important news, and usually quite good news. Gabriel
is perfect at the job of being God's messenger. He
knows how to be positive and encouraging.

Gabriel met Zechariah inside the Holy of Holies to
tell him that his prayers had been answered (that's
always good news!) and that he would have a son, not
just any son, bit the forerunner of Christ (Luke
1:11:17).

Shortly afterward Gabriel went to a girl named Mary to
tell her the best news the world has ever heard: God
was sending his Son to earth in the flesh to establish
a kingdom that would never end (Luke. 1:26-37).

Five hundred years earlier, the news Gabriel brought
to Daniel was more complicated with its visions of
future world-shaking events. But his welcome word to
Daniel in 9:23 reminds us of the news Zechariah heard
and that we all long to hear-"As soon as you began to
pray, an answer was given.."

Gabriel has good news to give because he stays in the
right place to learn it. As he told Zechariah, "I am
Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God." If you
want good news to give to the people you love, stay
long in the presence of God.

No doubt Gabriel will be an awesome sight for us to
behold in heaven, but when he came to Daniel he seems
to have taken on a more normal human aspect. Daniel
says he "looked like a man (Daniel 8:15), and later
calls him "the man I had seen in the earlier vision"
(9:21). Gabriel is perfect at the job of being God's
messenger.

Edited by Erwin Bourne
From What the Bible says about angels, by Dr. David
Jeremiah