What is the horn of salvation?

Then John is born of Elizabeth; and at his birth the tongue of his father is loosened, who pours out his soul in the worship of God. “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,” he says, “for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.” That horn of salvation was the yet unborn child of Mary, thus announced by a vessel now filled with the Holy Ghost, who occupies so large a place in all these scenes and circumstances! How distinct is the intervention of God!

“And thou, child,” referring to John, “shalt be called the prophet of the Highest … to give knowledge of salvation … to give light to guide our feet into the way of peace,” are the closing words of this aged servant of the Lord. It is interesting to notice, that of the twelve verses that engage his prophecy, eight are devoted to Him whom he calls the horn of salvation, and only four to his own child, the prophet of the Highest! But when the Holy Ghost speaks He ever glorifies the Lord Jesus as His brightest theme.

Jehovah, God of Israel had visited and redeemed His people, he declared. There is no question as to the accomplishment of this, though the people were not yet free, and the nation as such will not be redeemed until the end of the future seven-year Tribulation period. It is in Christ that God has visited His people, He who is raised up as a horn of salvation in the house of David. The horn speaks of potential power, for it was specially for power in salvation that Israel was looking, little realizing that this must involve great suffering and death for the Messiah. Zacharias gave no suggestion of this, though mentioning the remission of sins (v.77).

The horn speaks of exaltation and power. Zacharias, anticipating the birth of Christ, speaks of Him as “an horn of salvation” (Luke 1:69; see also Ps. 18:2; Ps. 75:10; Ps. 148:14). The anointed is the title of one appointed to rule. Christ, in His day, was anointed by the Holy Spirit of whom the oil is a type. In the day of His exaltation He will see the righteous judgment upon all His enemies.

Horns in Holy Scripture symbolise power. Two passages will suffice to prove this. In Revelation 17:12-13 there are ten horns which are crowned with royal diadems. They depict ten powers that give their power and authority to the beast which is the revived Roman power. Zacharias in his great prophetic utterance by the Holy Spirit blessed the Lord God of Israel for raising up a horn of deliverance or salvation in the house of David His servant. No doubt Psalm 132:17-18 was in his mind as he uttered these words. There the Psalmist said, “There (in Zion) will I cause the horn of David to bud forth … His enemies will I clothe with shame.” Zacharias was expectant that that prophecy and many more like it were about to be fulfilled in the babe that was to be born in David's house. Sadly that was not to be. Jesus in His public life of service for God manifested His power in a great variety of ways. Satan's power was broken in the lives of many. The dead were raised, demons were cast out and many forms of illness were healed. The versatility of the power of Jesus brought blessing into the lives of many. Matthew 4:23-25 presents the gospel of the King, the Son of David, and gives an epitome of the great service of Jesus. Did Israel embrace its opportunity to have deliverance through the horn that God had raised up? No. The envy of Israel's leaders, and the blindness of the unrepentant Nation refused to acknowledge the rightful claims of the Messiah and eventually crucified Him. Israel's deliverance, so vividly described in the prophetic Scriptures, was put in abeyance and awaits the great day when its omnipotent Deliverer will come from Zion. He will deal with their ungodliness and set them free from their enemies (Rom. 11:26-28. See also Zeph. 3:14-20 and Isa. 11 and 12).

They were worn in the East as a symbol of exaltation and power. Jehovah was David's horn of salvation. He exalted the horn of His people, and brake the horns of the wicked. Ps. 18:2; Ps.75:10; Ps.148:14.

Horns are spoken of frequently in Daniel and the Revelation as a symbol for kings: "the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings." Dan. 7:7-24; Dan. 8:3-21; Rev. 12:3; Rev. 13:1; Rev. 17:3-16.

The prophecy of Zacharias, filled with the Spirit, celebrates, as has been already said, Jehovah's remembrance of the covenant oath. The first part declares His faithfulness in this: He has become once more the God of Israel, as redemption witnesses. A horn of salvation; a Saviour, has been raised up in the house of David, a deliverance from all their enemies, that thus delivered they may serve Him without fear, in piety and righteousness.

Appropriately David begins his song with a number of the wonderful aspects of God's nature and character. Jehovah is his rock, the symbol of unchanging stability. 1 Corinthians 10:4 tells us "That Rock was Christ, for He is God over all, blessed forever." "My fortress" speaks of the place of impregnable defense. David, in his time of exile, learned how valuable a fortress was. Added to this is "my deliverer." When endangered on more than one occasion, when it seemed the enemy was on the verge of capturing or killing him, God intervened to deliver him from harm. He was also "the God of my strength." At times when weakness became overpowering, it was God who renewed his strength. If we are to prove this in experience we must learn to "wait upon the Lord" (Isa.40:31), and the renewal of strength will appear to be virtually miraculous. "My shield" speaks of God's protection when face to face with the enemy, while "the horn of my salvation" speaks of the power of God in saving him from enemies and from adversity.

God being his "stronghold and refuge" involves kindred thoughts, the stronghold speaking of His protecting power, the refuge emphasizing the grace of that protection. Finally David calls God "my savior," a lovely term that finds a fuller meaning in the new Testament when we consider the great work of the Lord Jesus in suffering at Calvary to provide eternal salvation for the lost. God had saved David from violence on various occasions when he was in imminent danger of death. But the Lord Jesus saves from the greater violence of eternal judgment by virtue of His sacrifice.

We do well to remember, as we meditate on the intercession of Christ, that it is founded on the fact of His having settled every question between us and God by having suffered for us on the cross. As the Holy Sufferer "who offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him that was able to save Him out of death," we have One whose heart has been the vessel of every human woe, and yet felt it all and confessed it all according to God. Hence help can flow to us in answer to the perfect expression of the desires of His heart about us, as He makes intercession for us on high. In the beautiful psalm (2 Sam. 22) which describes the Messiah entering the dark path of the sorrows of His beloved people to take them up on His own person - He who well knew their meaning - He who is able to save for evermore all that come to God by Him - calls His God "the horn of my salvation" (v. 3); that is, the power of it. Further, He says, "Thou hast given me the shield of Thy salvation." Salvation is there thrown round Him, and us in Him. (v. 36.) In verse 47 He exalts "the rock of my salvation," and in verse 51 "He is the tower of salvation for His king." T. H. Reynolds.

This first section reminds us of Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning. God." Here is the Source and the Basis of all blessing, and the dependent heart exclaims involuntarily, "I love You, O Lord, my strength" (v. 1). There is barely a mention of dependent prayer in this chapter, but rather it emphasizes the full answer of God to the prayer of Psalm 17. The Psalmist is delighting in the One who accomplishes all things for him. God is His "Rock," the solid foundation of all blessing; His fortress," His unfailing protection from every evil; His deliverer, He who saves Him from every surrounding enemy; "my strength," the Source of the power that rested upon Him continually; "my shield," His personal defense from every attack of the enemy; "the horn of my salvation," speaking Hof power in saving from harm and danger; and finally "my stronghold," another symbol of His perfect protection. Thus, all of these emphasize the greatness and power of God on behalf of the Lord Jesus. In some small measure David could speak thus as to himself, and believers may do the same.

Zacharias prophesies. He praises God for the fulfillment of His promises spoken by the mouth of His holy Prophets. The Lord of salvation is Messiah. It denotes strength and power. He brings deliverance, salvation from enemies and the promised covenant mercies. (psalm 132:17-18). He beholds the blessings of the promised Kingdom and beholds the blessed results of the visit of the day spring from on high. The Septuagint (Greek translation of the O.T.) translates the word branch in the Old Testament with "day spring." Christ, the Branch, is also the day spring from on high. The fulfillment of Zacharias' prophecy takes place with the second coming of the Lord.