Anna, 12...-The First Prophetess of The New Testament [Lk 2:36] / Paul's Bible Characters

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Anna, 12...

-The First Prophetess

of The New Testament 

[Lk 2:36]

 

/ Paul's Bible Characters 

 

/ By Paul

 

1. Personal information

 

 

Anna is a Greek name that

corresponds to the Hebrew word

  'Hannah,' which means 'grace',

and also Anna means

'the face of God'.

 

 

She is the daughter of

Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

 

 

The name 'Phanuel' comes

from the place name 'Peniel'

(Gen. 32:30) that Jacob gave

to the place after he wrestled

 

 

with the angel of God by the river

Jabbok and obtained the name 'Israel'.

 

 

Since ancient times,

the tribe of Asher had been a tribe

that produced wives of queens

and high priests,

 

 

and Anna is also considered

a woman with both faith and beauty.

 

 

At that time, Jewish virgins

got married around the age of 14,

so Anna's age would have been

about 105 years old.

 

 

(14+7+84=105)

 

 

God gave her the gift of prophecy,

who worshiped night and day,

fasting and praying.

 

 

She was recognized as a

prophetess in Jerusalem.

(Lk 2:36)

 

 

During the 84 years,

she was a widow and

never left the temple.

 

 

Whenever something happened

to the temple, she must have

been a worker who always

took the lead in the work.

 

 

Although the spirit of prophecy

was cut off for more than 300 years

after Malachi in the Old Testament,

 

 

by the Spirit of God, she became

the first prophetess to testify

of the first coming of Jesus

 

 

to all those who were waiting for

the redemption of Jerusalem.

 

 

2. Historical Background

 

 

Around B.C.100, Judea

escaped from the colonial

rule of Greece and spent an

era of independence,

 

 

then came under the colonial

rule of Rome again and faced

an era of confusion,

 

 

and the Israelites were

divided into three types

and led a religious life.

 

 

(1) The Pharisees

 

 

In anticipation of a political

Messiah, they were looking forward

to a Messiah as an excellent leader

who would free them from

Roman oppression

 

 

and make them a nation that

would rule over all nations

in the future.

 

 

(2) The Sadducees

 

 

The Sadducees were the

ruling class who did not expect

anything and tried to live only

with the benefits and profits

they faced in reality.

 

 

(3) Devout people

 

 

A small number of Devout

people like Anna were expecting

a Messiah who would save

his people from their sins

 

 

and lead them to eternal life,

as prophesied in the Old Testament.

 

 

In a political and religious

and gloomy situation,

 

 

Jews naturally developed

an eschatological messianic

expectation

 

 

and an atmosphere of eagerly

waiting for the fulfillment of the

 prophecy of the Old Testament.

 

 

At such a time,

the Holy Spirit came upon

two godly people, Simeon

and Anna, and revealed that

Jesus was the Messiah.

 

 

When Simeon saw baby Jesus,

he praised and prophesied,

and Anna spoke Jesus

was the Messiah.

 

 

3. Characteristics of

Prophetess Anna's life of faith

 

 

1) She was a woman who

lived a godly life of faith. 

(Lk 2:37)

 

 

She became a widow after

7 years of marriage and lived

a temple-centered life

for 84 years.

 

 

She had a fasting and prayer life,

which was the characteristics

of her life.

 

 

Most devout people who

practiced their faith with special faith

fasted twice every Monday

and Thursday.

 

 

Prayers were offered regularly

three times a day.

 

 

The first was offered at 9:00 a.m,

the second at 12:00, the third

at 3:00 p.m.

 

 

According to Josephus,

this was the official prayer time,

but there was another prayer

time at dusk.

 

 

Like this, she fasted twice a week

and prayed four times a day,

 

 

which was a special act of faith

that ordinary believers could not do.

 

 

This same thing can be seen

continuing in the way Daniel

served God wholeheartedly

 

 

and prayed three times a day,

even during his difficult captivity.

 

 

However, the reason she was

able to lead a regular life of faith

every day for such a long time

was because she longed

for the Messiah.

 

 

When people

have a special motive,

they earnestly seek God.

 

 

Or, when you encounter

a special grace, you constantly

give thanks to God.

 

 

The former is the case

of Prophetess Anna,  and

the latter is the case of Daniel,

 

 

who became the prime

minister of Babylon.

 

 

For us believers today,

it is a devout attitude of faith

that is difficult to practice.

 

 

Prophetess Anna was

a woman who prayed for her

whole life to send the promised

Messiah for her people

 

 

and country as a

 warrior of intercession.

 

 

2) She became the first prophet

who testified of Jesus as the Messiah. 

(Lk 2:38)

 

 

At that time, a small group

of devout people were praying

together in Jerusalem,

waiting for the Messiah.

 

 

But among them,

the Holy Spirit descended

on Prophetess Anna

 

 

and revealed that the baby

Jesus was the Messiah.

 

 

Why did the Holy

Spirit tell only her? 

 

 

It was because of her

earnest hope for the Messiah.

 

 

Anyone can have faith,

and anyone can have hope. 

 

 

But God always has someone

to choose from them.

 

 

The motive for that choice

is faithfulness based upon faith.

Trust is revealed through faithfulness.

 

 

So, the scripture  says:

 

 

"My eyes will be on the

faithful in the land, that they

may dwell with me;

 

 

he whose

walk is blameless will

minister to me."

(Psa 101:6)

 

 

As can be seen from the

scripture above, a life of faith

requires both faith and faithfulness.

 

 

Prophetess Anna waited her

whole life for the first coming

of Jesus and was finally

able to meet him.

 

 

Today, the Holy Spirit tells us

to live a faithful life of faith

while waiting for the Second

Coming of Jesus for the

rest of our lives.

 

 

Just as Prophetess Anna

was very excited when she saw

Jesus and testified to her

fellow believers

 

 

that the Messiah had come,

we must live our lives of faith,

 

 

waiting for the opportunity

to testify of Jesus' second

 coming with overflowing joy.

 

 

3) Prophetess Anna is a woman

of faith who experienced

the God of preparation,

The LORD Will Provide.

 

 

In the old days when

there was no social security

like today,

 

 

orphans and widows

were the most pitiful class

of people in society.

 

 

Moreover, since there were

almost no means for a single

woman to live, the way to live

must have been really difficult

for Prophetess Anna.

 

 

However, she did not go out

into the world to provide food,

clothing,

 

 

and shelter, nor

did she live by relying on

her beauty or youth.

 

 

She only went to God

and relied on Him to continue

her religious life centered

on the temple.

 

 

At this time, God

comforted her aching heart

and loneliness, and gave

her the gift of prophecy

 

 

so that she could be

admired as a prophetess.

 

 

In the course of life,

we usually have to pass through

the dividing trails of wealth

and poverty, faith and

the world,

 

 

and holiness

and desire three times.

 

 

Many people choose to

rely on the world and

themselves.

 

 

However, Prophetess Anna

did not choose the world. 

 

 

She lived for 84 years,

experiencing the God

of preparation.

 

 

Anna was able to see

what others could not see

and was given the power

from God to proclaim it

to the world.

 

 

This was the

supply of all her life.

 

 

We can realize through

Prophet Anna that spirituality

 

 

and power are given to

those who seek the bread

that leads to eternal life,

 

 

and that their daily bread

is supplied from those who

seek the bread of the flesh.

 

 

Through Prophet Anna,

God let us know that he would

never turn away from those

who were willing to seek Him.

 

 

"And without faith it is

impossible to please God,

 

 

because anyone who comes

to him must believe that

he exists

 

 

and that he rewards those

who earnestly seek him."

(Heb 11:6)

 

 

We can see that she lived a life

that proved the scripture above.

 

 

The fact that the widow lived

a temple-centered life of faith

for 84 years tells us what

faith really is.

 

 

It shows that faith is not

just for the blessings, health,

or success, but more than that,

it is a life that fears God.

 

 

Through Anna the prophetess,

God makes us realize that

when our hearts reach God,

 

 

the problems in our lives can

be solved of themselves.

 

 

In addition,

God's gifts and abilities

that we do not even know

are given to us, making us

 

 

people with spiritual authority

who can testify to the truth.

 

 

 

- To Be Continue - 

 

 

2023/07/30

 

 

/ By Paul