An angel told Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth would bear a son, John.

Luke 1:5-25

5 When King Herod the Great ruled Judea district, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He belonged to the group of priests called the Abijah group. He and his wife Elizabeth were both descended from the first priest of Israel, Aaron. 6 God considered that both of them were righteous, because they constantly completely obeyed everything that God had commanded. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth had been unable to bear children. Furthermore, she and her husband were very old.

8 One day Zechariah’s group was doing their work in the Temple in Jerusalem, and he was serving as a priest in God’s presence. 9 Following their custom, the other priests chose him by lot to enter the Lord’s temple and burn incense. 10 While he was burning the incense, many people were outside in the courtyard, praying. 11 Then an angel whom God had sent appeared to him. The angel was standing at the right side of the place where the priests burned incense. 12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and became very afraid. 13 But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, do not be afraid! When you (sg) prayed asking God for a son (OR, that God would send the Messiah), God heard what you prayed. So your wife Elizabeth shall bear a son. You must name him John. 14 He will cause you to be very happy, and many other people will also be happy because he is born. 15 God will consider him to be very important. He must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, in order that he will be completely dedicated to God. He will be controlled by the Holy Spirit {The Holy Spirit will control him} from before he is born. 16 He will persuade many people in Israel to turn away from their sins and please the Lord their God. 17 As God’s Spirit enables him to preach powerfully as the prophet Elijah did, he will precede the Messiah. He will cause parents [SYN] to act peacefully toward their children again. He will cause many people who do not obey God to hear and obey the wise things that righteous people tell them. He will do this in order to help many people to be ready when the Lord comes.”

18 Then Zechariah said to the angel, “I am very old, and my wife is also so old that she cannot bear a child. So ◄I cannot believe that what you (sg) said will happen!/how can I believe that what you (sg) said will happen?► [RHQ]”

19 Then the angel said to him, “I am God’s chief angel, Gabriel! I do what God tells me, because I constantly am in God’s presence! I was sent {He sent me} to tell you (sg) something good that is going to happen to you. 20 What I have told you will certainly happen at the time God decides, but you did not believe what I told you. So now God will make you will be unable to talk until the day your son is born”!

21 While Zechariah and the angel were talking, the people in the courtyard were waiting for Zechariah to come out. They wondered, “Why is he staying in the Temple for such a long time?” 22 When Zechariah came out, he was not able to speak to the people. Because he could not talk, he made motions with his hands to try to convey what had happened. Then they realized that he had seen ◄a vision from God/something that God showed him► while he was in the Temple.

23 When Zechariah’s time to work as a priest in the Temple was finished, he left Jerusalem and returned to his home.

24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant [EUP]. She did not leave their house for five months, because she knew that people would laugh at her if she told them that she was pregnant. 25 But she thought, “God has enabled me to become pregnant. He has pitied me and I will no longer be ashamed because I have no children!”