Charles Ellicott Commentary Luke 1:12

"And Zacharias was troubled when he saw [him], and fear fell upon him." — Luke 1:12 (ASV)

He was troubled.—It is understandable that during all the long years of Zachariah’s ministry, he had seen no such manifestation.

As far as we can reason from the analogy of other angelic appearances, the outward form was that of a “young man clothed in white linen,” or in “bright apparel” (Matthew 28:3; Mark 16:5)—a kind of transfigured Levite, just as One greater than the angels, when he manifested himself among the imagery of the Temple, appeared in the garments of a glorified priesthood (Revelation 1:13).