Anna the Prophetess

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was of a great age and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity.  And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years , which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.  And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Luke 2 verses 36 to 38

The following extract is taken from The Lifestyle of a Watchman

by James W Goll  

We do not know very much about the widow Anna.  She is mentioned only once in the bible, in the story about Mary and Joseph bringing their newborn son, Jesus into the temple to perform the post-childbirth purification offering required by Jewish law.  She and a man named Simeon crossed paths with this family in important ways that day.

Anna had waited decades for that day, and because she never gave up, she was ready when it came.  She does not seem to have had any assurance as Simeon did, that she might actually see the Saviour with her own eyes.  However she maintained her watch, day after day, month after month, year after year, praying fervently that the Messiah would come to rescue the Jewish people.

The name "Anna" is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Hannah, and it means "grace".  This woman was dedicated.  Anna may have been elderly but she was active, worshipping and praying in the temple around the clock and also fasting from food on a regular basis.  Apparently she had no family who could look after her; even after she became an octogenarian, she saw no reason to retire from what she had started to do decades earlier.

How could Anna have lived right within the temple?

Even the priests were restricted from setting up permanent housekeeping there and Anna was a widowed woman.  Probably she had a chamber in some of the living quarters that existed around the temple precincts, although nobody knows for sure.  

Luke's reference to "night and day" must mean she was inside the temple whenever the doors opened.  Every single day.  No holidays.  The temple was God's house and Anna wanted to live with him.

Remember Samuel in the Old Testament - it was probably his job to open those temple doors every day and Anna probably arrived each day as they were opened.

Anna had a burning passion; waiting for and interceding for the coming of the Messiah.  Her passion was both inspired and sustained by the Holy Spirit; otherwise she would never have continued faithfully for so long.

She had been living this life upward of 60 years - assuming she had married in her early teens as it was the custom in those days.  She had no children - she would never have been able to live like this if she had.

Anna's was not a meaningless existence.  In the temple surrounded by God's presence, her quiet demeanor was devoid of self-interest, her mind and heart filled with divinely inspired insights and vitality.  She was waiting for her long-expected Messiah.

Luke does not record what Anna said when she saw Jesus but he does say that she talked about this baby to everyone - why - because she was overjoyed.

Imagine that day starting out like any other.  Then she overheard something - just a few words but momentous ones.  There was a stirring in the temple on that bright sunshiny day.  Imagine Anna's heart racing as she recognised the manifest presence of God.

A man named Simeon, had taken a woman's 8 day old baby boy in his arms.  His aging voice thick with emotion, he uttered God-inspired words.  Could it be true?  The hope of Israel had arrived at last.

Simeon's prophecy came from one whose faith had matured through faithful waiting and watching.  He, like many good Jews, was longing for the deliverance of the nation of Israel.  Evidently God had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had laid his own eyes on this Messiah.

When Simeon saw that infant bundled in his mother's arms, his heart must have leaped.  His joyful prophetic proclamation contained a statement - "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation."

This baby - Simeon did not even know his name and he did not need to, he had seen the child with spiritual eyes for many long years and now he beheld the Promised One with natural eyes as well - God's gift of salvation.  The word had become flesh!

In other words to see this baby was to see God's salvation.

Simeon added that this salvation would bring pain.  Not everyone would welcome him with open arms - many would reject him and kill him.  To put your hope in Jesus, to identify fully with him, is an invitation to die to yourself - but out of the pain comes an unexpected gift of joy.

Everyone in that cluster of people - Simeon, Anna, Joseph and Mary - was acquainted with a lifestyle of sacrifice.  They were committed to waiting for the fulfilment of God's promises.  They were used to accepting the cost of sacrifice and faithfulness.  They were ready for the next level.  And they beheld his glory.

As they left each other, Simeon and Anna had completed their lifelong assignments.  They both showed prophetic intercession.

Anna had been praying for more than 60 years straight.  Imagine doing that!  We may grasp a general vision for being a watchman and we may shoulder a few prayer burdens when urgent needs flare up but we falter easily.  Only the rare prayer ministry has staying power.

Anna's focus was not on "doing ministry" or on God's promises as much as it was on the Lord himself.  Everything else was stripped away - husband, family, home.  She had discovered her watchman calling as she turned her heart, day and night, to the Author and Sustainer of life.  He was her goal, the prize she was reaching out to touch.

Anna spoke of her hope to those who would listen, but hers was not a public ministry.  She was a woman of the secret place, interceding in accord with God's purposes.

Anna's worshipful intercession was fueled by her prophetic senses.  When she turned her heart to God, she saw ...

A Deliverer, the Messiah, the hope of Israel.  She was one of a special task force of prophetic intercessors whom God had ordained for that generation.  They were the ones who were listening and watching for the Lord's appearing.  Anna was doubtless praying through those beloved prophetic promises of a coming Messiah.

The kind of praying Anna did was not without significant effort - even sacrifice - on her part.  

The life of God's watchmen can include sacrifice and times of solitude.  I am sure Anna felt alone and even in the dark at times.  Are we prepared to be like Anna and enter in to this kind of intercessory prayer?