rites of heathen idolatry. Paganism was a religion of form and ceremony, based on polytheism--a belief in the existence of a multitude of gods, which deities were subject to all the vices and passions of humanity, while distinguished by immunity from death. Morality and virtue were unknown as elements of heathen service; and the dominant idea in pagan worship was that of propitiating the gods, in the hope of averting their anger and purchasing their favor.--See the author's The Great Apostasy, 1:2-4, and notes following the chapter cited.[Pg 75] FOOTNOTES: [144] Exo. 33:11; see also Numb. 12:8; Deut. 34:10; compare P. of G.P., Moses 1:2, 11, 31. [145] P. of G.P., Moses 5:57; for later mention of the "meridian of time," see 6:56-62; and 7:46; and compare Doc. and Cov. 20:26; 39:3. [146] "Meridian: ... figuratively, the highest point or culminating-point of anything; the zenith; as the meridian of life."--"New Stand. Dict." 38 [147] B. of M., 3 Nephi 2:8; compare 4 Nephi 1:1, 21; Mormon 8:6; Moroni 10:1. [148] Gen. 32:28; 35:10. [149] Exo. 1:1, 7; 9:6, 7; 12:3,
etc. [150] Exo. 12:35, 40; 13:19; 15:1; Numb. 20:1, 19, 24,
etc. [151] See mention throughout the books of Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and references therein. [152] Isa. 11:13; 17:3; Ezek, 37:16-22; Hos. 4:17. [153] Jer. 25:11, 12; see also 29:10. [154] Ezra 1:1-4; the author, "House of the Lord," pp. 47-53; also "Articles of Faith" xvii:1-22. [155] Ezra 2:64-67. [156] "House of the Lord," pp. 51-53. [157] Josephus, Ant. xii:6 and 7; 2 Maccabees 2:19; 10:1-8; also John 10:22. [158] Luke 2:1. [159] Matt. 2:1. Page 106. [160] Note 1, end of chapter. [161] Deut. 7:6; see also 10:15; Exo. 19:5, 6; Psa. 135:4; Isa. 41:8; 45:4; compare 1 Peter 2:9. [162] Note 6, end of chapter. [163] 2 Kings 17:24. [164] John 4:9; Luke 9:51-53. Pages 172, 183 herein. [165] Note 2, end of chapter. [166] Bab. Talmud, Sanhedrin, 90. [167] Josephus, Ant. xx, 11:2. [168] Note the emphasis given to this distinction in John 7:45-49; see also 9:34. [169] Note 3, end of chapter. [170] Ezra 7:11; see also verses 6, 10, 12. [171] Matt. 23:8-10; see also John 1:38; 3:2. [172] Matt. 23:13, 14, 15, 23. etc., read the entire chapter; compare Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:46; see also as instances of special denun- ciation of the Pharisees Luke 11:37-44. Note also that the lawyers, who were professionally associated with the scribes, are included in the sweeping criticism: verses 45-54. See pages 552-560 herein. [173] 1 Maccabees 2:42; 7:13-17; 2 Maccabees 14:6. [174] Josephus, Antiquities, xvii, 2:4. 39 [175] Acts 26:5; see also 23:6; Philip. 3:5. [176] Exo. 21:23-35; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21; contrast Matt 5:38-44. [177] Note 4, end of chapter. [178] Josephus, Antiquities xviii, 1:4. [179] "New Stand. Dict.," under "Sadducees." [180] Josephus, Antiquities xviii, 1:5. [181] Numb. 6:2-21; Judges 13:5, 7; 16:17; Amos. 2:11, 12. Page 87. [182] Matt. 22:15, 16; Mark 12:13. [183] Luke 13:1, 2; see also John 4:45; Mark 14:70; Acts 2:7. [184] 1 Chron. 24:1-18. [185] Note 5, end of chapter. CHAPTER 7. GABRIEL'S ANNUNCIATION OF JOHN AND OF JESUS. JOHN THE FORERUNNER. Associated with the prophecies of the birth of Christ are predictions concerning one who should precede Him, going before to prepare the way. It is not surprizing that the annunciation of the immediate advent of the forerunner was speedily followed by that of the Messiah; nor that the proclamations were made by the same heavenly embassador--Gabriel, sent from the presence of God. [186] About fifteen months prior to the Savior's birth, Zacharias, a priest of the Aaronic order, was officiating in the functions of his of-fice in the temple at Jerusalem. His wife, Elisabeth, was also of a priestly family, being numbered among the descendants of Aaron. The couple had never been blessed with children; and at the time of which we speak they were both well stricken in years and had sorrowfully given up hope of posterity. Zacharias belonged to the course of priests named after Abijah, and known in later time as the course of Abia. This was the eighth in the order of the twenty-four courses established by David the king, each course being appointed to serve in turn a week at the sanctuary.[187] It will be remembered that on the return of the people from Babylon only four of the courses were represented; but of these four each averaged over fourteen hundred men.[188] During his week of service each priest was required to maintain scrupulously a state of ceremonial cleanliness of[Pg 76] person; he had to abstain from wine, and from food except that specifically prescribed; he had to bathe frequently; he lived within the temple precincts and thus was cut off from family association; he was not allowed to come near the dead, nor to mourn in the formal man-ner if death should rob him of even his nearest and dearest of kin. We learn that the daily selection of the priest who should enter the Holy Place, and there burn incense on the golden altar, was determined by lot;[189] and furthermore we gather, from non-scrip- tural history, that because of the great number of priests the honor of so officiating seldom fell twice to the same person. On this day the lot had fallen to Zacharias. It was a very solemn occasion in the life of the humble Judean priest--this one day in his life on which the special and particularly sacred service was required of him. Within the Holy Place he was separated by the veil of the temple only from the Oracle or Holy of Holies--the inner sanctuary into which none but the high priest might enter, and he only on the Day of Atonement, after long ceremonial preparation.[190] The place and the time were conducive to the highest and most reverential feelings. As Zacharias ministered within the Holy Place, the people without bowed themselves in prayer, watching for the clouds of incense smoke to appear above the great partition which formed the barrier between the place of general assembly and the Holy Place, and awaiting the reappearance of the priest and his pronouncement of the benediction. Before the astonished gaze of Zacharias, at this supreme moment of his priestly service, there appeared, standing on the right of 40 the golden altar of incense, an angel of the Lord. Many generations had passed in Jewry since any visible presence other than mortal had been manifest within the[Pg 77] temple, either in the Holy Place or the Holy of Holies; the people regarded personal visita- tions of heavenly beings as occurrences of the past; they had come almost to believe that there were no longer prophets in Israel. Nevertheless, there was always a feeling of anxiety, akin to that of troubled expectancy, whenever a priest approached the inner sanctuary, which was regarded as the particular abode of Jehovah should He ever again condescend to visit His people. In view of these conditions we read without surprize that this angelic presence troubled Zacharias and caused fear to fall upon him. The words of the heavenly visitant, however, were comforting though of startling import, embodying as they did the unqualified assurance that the man's prayers had been heard, and that his wife should bear him a son, who must be named John.[191] The promise went even further, specifying that the child to be born of Elisabeth would be a blessing to the people; many would rejoice at his birth; he would be great in the sight of the Lord, and must be guarded against wine and strong drink;[192] he would be filled with the Holy Ghost, would be the means of turning many souls to God, and would go before to make ready a people prepared to receive the Messiah. Doubtless Zacharias recognised in the predicted future of the yet unborn child the great forerunner, of whom the prophets had told and the psalmist had sung; but that such a one should be offspring of himself and his aged wife seemed impossible despite the angel's promise. The man doubted, and asked whereby he should know that what his visitant had spoken was true: "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 show thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able[Pg 78] to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season."[193] When the highly blessed though sorely smitten priest at length came from within and appeared before the expectant congregation, already made anxious by his delayed return, he could but mutely dismiss the assembly and by signs indicate that he had seen a vision. The penalty for doubt was already operative; Zacharias was dumb. In due time the child was born, there in the hill country of Judea[194] where Zacharias and Elisabeth had their home; and, on the eighth day following the birth the family assembled in accordance with custom and Mosaic requirement, to name the babe in connection with the rite of circumcision.[195] All suggestions that he be called after his father were overruled by Zacharias, who wrote with decisive finality: "His name is John." Thereupon the dumb[196] priest's tongue was loosed, and being filled with the Holy Ghost he burst forth in prophecy, praise and song; his inspired utterances have been set to music and are sung in worship by many Christian congregations as the Benedictus: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies
