Zacharias served as a Spirit-filled priest whose prophecy identified Jesus' mission as the promised salvation of Israel through the house of David.
Les Feldick teaches that Zacharias, being filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke the mind of God and not his own patriotic or religious thoughts. His words revealed that Jesus' mission was rooted in God's covenant with Abraham and included Israel's deliverance from her enemies.
Luke 1:67-73 — This passage records Zacharias' Spirit-filled prophecy about the horn of salvation in David's house and the covenant to Abraham.
In Luke 1:67-79, Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied. He blessed the Lord God of Israel, saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people." He declared that God "hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David," as spoken by the holy prophets since the world began. The purpose was "that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us." Zacharias also linked this to the covenant, saying it was "to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham." He further prophesied that his son would go before the Lord to give knowledge of salvation to God's people.
Les Feldick emphasizes that Zacharias' prophecy was not the wishful thinking of a devout, patriotic Jew. Because Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, his words were the very expressions of God concerning Israel. Les points out that Zacharias called God "the Lord God of Israel"—not the God of the world—and that the "horn of salvation in the house of his servant David" is uniquely Jewish ground. The salvation in view was for Israel alone, and it was connected to the Abrahamic covenant. Zacharias understood the prophetic plan: his son John would announce the coming King, Israel would have her kingdom, and the salvation promised included deliverance from Israel's enemies. According to Les, this shows that Jesus' mission was first to Israel, offering the promised kingdom rooted in God's covenant promises.
Les Feldick emphasizes that whenever the Bible says someone was filled with the Holy Spirit, everything they speak is God-directed. Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, so his prophecy was not just the wishful thinking of a good patriotic or religious Jew; it was prompted by the Spirit. Les says these are "the very expressions of God Himself concerning the nation."
Les points out that Zacharias did not bless the Lord God of the world; he said, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel." This confines the prophecy to Jew only. Les sees this not as God being picky or unfair, but as the result of God dealing with the whole human race from Adam to Abraham and then turning to the Jew. The prophecy is therefore about Israel's redemption and salvation.
Zacharias said the purpose of this salvation was "that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us." Les Feldick notes that this is not "saved from our sins"; it is deliverance from enemies. At the time of Luke, Israel's enemies were the same physical enemies they still have today. This was part of the prophetic plan: when John announced the King, Israel would have her kingdom.
Les Feldick explains that Zacharias was speaking in fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. Israel is a nation in the land, and what Israel still needs is the promised government and king. The "horn of salvation" in the house of David is uniquely Jewish ground, and the prophecy tells Israel that the promised deliverance is about to happen. This is why Zacharias' prophecy is addressed only to God's people Israel.
Why Repentance Was Offered to Israel — Acts 5 Explained
We want people to understand these are not a book that I have sat down and authored. Maybe that'll come someday in the future. But these are just transcriptions, and each one is equal to, then, a six-hour tape. All right, now then, let's just go right back to where we left off again two weeks ago. We got sidetracked in last week's program.
Spirit-Filled Speech
Because Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, everything he spoke was God-directed and not his own wishful thinking.
Deliverance from Enemies
Zacharias understood the prophetic plan: his son would announce the coming King, Israel would have her kingdom, and salvation meant deliverance from her physical enemies.
Horn of Salvation in David's House
The raised-up horn of salvation in the house of David is uniquely Jewish ground and connects the prophecy to the Abrahamic covenant and Israel's promised King.
Knowledge of Salvation for His People
The knowledge of salvation was for "his people"—still Jew only—and Zacharias had it right because he was Spirit-filled.
No Wishful Thinking
What Zacharias uttered was prompted by the Holy Spirit, not a nationalistic, patriotic, religious Jew's personal hopes.
The Mind of God Spoken
Zacharias' words are the mind of God spoken through him, beginning with "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel," confining everything to Israel.
Inspired Prophecy Before the Jews
All of Zacharias' intervening words were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and they were spoken as the Jews watched in amazement.
Luke 1:67: And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
Establishes that the prophecy is Spirit-inspired.
Luke 1:68: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
Zacharias identifies the Lord as the God of Israel who has visited and redeemed His people.
Luke 1:69: And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
The horn of salvation is raised up in the house of David, limiting it to Israel.
Luke 1:71: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
The salvation described is deliverance from Israel's enemies.
Luke 1:72: To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
The promise is tied to the covenant God made with the fathers.
Luke 1:73: The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
The covenant is specifically the oath sworn to Abraham.
Les Feldick says Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, so everything he spoke was God-directed and not his own wishful thinking. His prophecy is treated as the very expressions of God concerning Israel.
No. Les shows that Zacharias addressed the Lord God of Israel and spoke of a horn of salvation in the house of David, which is uniquely Jewish ground. The prophecy concerned Israel only.
Zacharias said God had visited and redeemed His people, raising up a horn of salvation in the house of David. This connected Jesus to the Davidic line and to the promised deliverance of Israel from her enemies.
Watch the Teaching: Why Repentance Was Offered to Israel — Acts 5 Explained