Zechariah is on duty in the temple when Gabriel appears to him.
He is initially startled and eventually silenced when Gabriel
says:
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife
Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name
John.”...
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this?”...
The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God,
and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this
happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true
at their proper time” (vv. 13, 18–20).A few things stand out: Gabriel is a very important angel
who speaks to men and women on behalf of God at incredibly
significant moments in the history of the world. He
acknowledges that He is privileged to stand in the presence of
God. He also expects to be taken seriously or there will be
consequences—as Zechariah found out.
It is very interesting to me that not long after Gabriel
appeared to Zechariah, he visited Mary, a young Jewish
woman from the town of Nazareth (Luke 1:26–38), who was
much more gracious in accepting that his words were from God.
Gabriel greeted her by saying,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will
be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the
name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most
High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will
never end.”