Kim Blenkhorn
There is a quiet irony in prophetic utterance.
Throughout history God speaks through men and to men to reveal his will, yet prophecy itself is not dependent on words. From the opening chapters of Genesis, God creates using speech—calling the universe, life, and order into existence through his voice and sound, choosing words as a vessel of power and truth, and through them reveals His will and the promise of the Messiah to those we call prophets, yet is silence just as powerful a tool?
Between Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, lie four hundred “silent years.” God gives no recorded messages, no prophets, no formal revelations. Heaven seems quiet.
When that silence finally breaks, it does so in an unexpected way. We meet Zechariah and Elizabeth—righteous Jews, faithful Levites, blameless priests. By all standards, they seem the perfect choice to usher in news of the coming Christ. And yet the irony deepens: the silence is broken by a man who is immediately silenced. The herald cannot speak.
Zechariah is not a foreign wise man, a lowly shepherd, a humble stable, or an insignificant town – all unexpected and strange choices for the story of the nativity. Zachariah is the expected choice—credentialed, respected, devout at least on the outside. , with all his qualifications, he does not believe the angels message enough to go and recount it to others. Though he sees the angel, hears the message, speaks of the long-awaited Messiah he himself has hoped for, he doubts—and for that disbelief he is struck mute.
In this, Zechariah reflects the story of Israel. Like the Hebrews who witnessed God’s wonders in Egypt—the plagues, the parted sea, manna from heaven, and water from the rock—yet still struggled to believe, Zechariah sees and hears, but hesitates to trust. The difference is that Zechariah is not given the chance to grumble. His voice—the voice of the witness—is taken away. He is silenced. In this way, Zechariah reflects the story of Israel itself. Like the Hebrews who witnessed God’s mighty acts—deliverance from Egypt, provision in the wilderness, and protection along the way—yet still wrestled with trust, Zechariah encounters God’s presence and power but hesitates. Unlike Israel, however, he is not given the chance to voice complaint. His silence becomes part of the story.
And yet, there is beauty in what follows. Both Israel and Zechariah are chosen despite their weakness to carry the news of the Messiah and, in God’s timing, to reveal it to the world. In fact, Zechariah’s prophecy concerning the Messiah is among the clearest and most focused in Scripture—formed during nine months of quiet reflection in a doubting heart, not unlike a seed in the soil of a hard earth.
Perhaps the same is true of Israel as God’s chosen messenger to bring light and truth to the world. And perhaps even a hardened, unbelieving heart—like unworked soil—can become the very place where a word is planted, takes root, and springs to life at the appointed time. .
God clearly knew this would happen, and yet it did not disrupt His plan. Zechariah was chosen not for his voice, but despite it. For nine months he carried the greatest news in silence, much like the four hundred years when God seemed quiet yet was still at work.
Jesus Himself later affirmed this pattern. He healed and commanded silence. He told disciples not to reveal His identity. He silenced demons who spoke the truth about Him. God works through silence as powerfully as through sound.
God revealed monumental news to Zechariah and removed his ability to share it. Perhaps the message was first meant for him alone. Or perhaps God was reminding us that the source of the message is far less important than the message itself. Zechariah was unqualified—he doubted and could not speak—yet God still chose him. Mary did not need a husband. The shepherds did not need status. The wise men did not need thrones. Jesus did not need a palace.
The things we think are necessary to carry God’s message are often the very things God sets aside.
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