The biblical authors identify the angel Gabriel by name in only two books: the book of Daniel and the Gospel of Luke. Let’s consider these appearances and whether they have any relation to each other.
The Appearances
Gabriel is mentioned twice in Daniel and twice in Luke. Here are the spots:
And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision” (Dan. 8:16)
While I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice (Dan. 9:21).
And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news” (Luke 1:19).
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, to the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary (Luke 1:26–27).
When you look at these four places where Gabriel’s name appears, the two places in Daniel are back to back, and the two places in Luke are back to back as well. Daniel 8 and Daniel 9 are vision scenes where the future is made known to the prophet. The occurrences of Gabriel’s name in Luke are in 1:5–25 and 1:26–38, passages where the future is made known to a man named Zechariah and to a virgin named Mary.
To recap so far what we’ve noticed, Gabriel’s name appears in only two biblical books: Daniel and Luke. And in these two books, his name appears twice in them (Dan. 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26). Furthermore, these two occurrences in each book occur in back-to-back passages (Dan. 8 and 9; Luke 1:5–25 and 1:26–38).
What Gabriel Makes Known
When Gabriel appears, he makes known the future. In the book of Daniel, Gabriel’s words are about far-future events. Daniel 8 was about how Persia would fall to Greece and how an evil king from the Greek empire would arise to persecute the people of God. Daniel 9 was about the “seventy weeks” that are associated with atonement and the cutting off of an anointed one.
Gabriel’s words in Luke 1:5–25 and 1:26–38 are about near-future events. In 1:5–25, Zechariah learns that he is going to have a son named John. And in 1:26–38, Mary learns that she is going to have a son named Jesus.
If we take Gabriel’s appearances as two groups of two encounters (Daniel 8 and 9; Luke 1:5–25 and 1:26–38), let’s compare the content of the first encounters in each group and then the content of the second encounters in each group.
Daniel 8 and Luke 1:5–25
The prophet Daniel learned about something that would happen in the future to the Jerusalem temple (Dan. 8:11–14). Zechariah’s encounter with Gabriel took place at the Jerusalem temple (Luke 1:8–9).
When Daniel saw Gabriel, the prophet was frightened and fell on his face (Dan. 8:17). When Zechariah saw Gabriel, the priest was troubled and filled with fear (Luke 1:12).
Daniel learned about a future figure who would bring destruction and division to many (Dan. 8:24–25). This figure would be arrogant and would seem unstoppable (Dan. 8:23–24). Zechariah learned about a future figure who would bring joy and gladness to many (Luke 1:14). This figure would bring restoration (Luke 1:16–17).
After Gabriel had finished speaking, the men—Daniel and Zechariah—experienced bodily effects. Daniel was “overcome and lay sick for some days” (Dan. 8:27). Zechariah was unable to speak to the people when he emerged from the temple (Luke 1:22).
Daniel 9 and Luke 1:26–38
In Daniel 9 and Luke 1:26–38, the angel Gabriel speaks about the Lord’s regard for Daniel and for Mary. Gabriel told Daniel, “At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved” (Dan. 9:23). He told Mary, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28), and also, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30).
Gabriel’s words in Daniel 9 and Luke 1:26–38 were about a future king, the Anointed One. He told Daniel about “an anointed one” (Dan. 9:25 and 9:26), and he told Mary that her son would receive “the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32–33).
The most significant appearance of Gabriel in the book of Daniel was in Daniel 9, and his most significant appearance in Luke 1 was to Mary in Luke 1:26–38. In the former passage he promised that the Anointed One would come, and in the latter passage he announced that the time of fulfillment had arrived. In the former passage Gabriel prophesied the Messiah, and in the latter passage he said the Messiah’s name was Jesus.