Meanwhile the work of Gabriel was not finished. After telling Zechariah of his good news about a son named John, to which all the angels naturally marveled and desired to know more deeply, six months went by and Gabriel was sent again. There was a joyous stirring in the host of angels. Would this […]
Finally, Zechariah gathered his composure. His knees which failed him…his strength which was rendered weak and useless–those in time were restored. His voice, however, was not. Luke 1:21 “Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to […]
Zechariah remained frozen in stunned silence, trying to blink away the brilliant glow’s memory still in his eyes. Must have been real. His mind did not imagine it. His eyes did not manufacture it. Were those tears forming and streaming down his cheeks? Yes. Why? Fear? Joy? Shock? Ashamed of his doubts being known? He […]
Zechariah was stunned into silence by the angel’s appearance and proclamation about his prayer being heard. His mind whirred into action. Prayer? Prayer? Which prayer? No one had ever told him that this is what happens when you’re ministering before the altar of incense. He hadn’t a clue what prayer and when he’d prayed the […]
It was a career highlight to be sure, thought Zechariah, but moreover, it was the closest he would ever get to a burning bush moment. How enthralling! How amazing! How monumental as a career milestone! He was getting carried away in a flurry of excitement, but then suddenly, a cold feeling of total unworthiness […]
People were praying outside as Zechariah entered the vestibule to perform the same rites handed down through generations of priests since Aaron in the Tabernacle days. The legacy and traditions had been faithfully passed through the years: the burning of incense, twice daily, maintaining the lamps so incense would be a perpetual offering. A holy […]
Zechariah’s heart was pounding, and he caught his breath. He had been chosen by lot to offer incense in the Temple itself! This was a once-in-a-lifetime event and indeed a high honor to be selected for this exceptional duty. Previously he had known only how it felt not-to-be chosen. What had he known? An inevitable […]
The quarters where the priests would stay were up the stairs at the Court of the Priests. Before reaching that, however, there was a band of space, the Court of the Israelites, where ritually pure Jewish men were allowed to worship separately from women and with a view of the slaughter tables, the square altar […]
Zechariah was a full-blooded Jew. That sign prohibiting Gentiles didn’t apply to him, so he arrived at last to the Court of Women, that location where Jewish men and women could gather and place their offerings in the trumpet-shaped offering boxes. He quickly glanced around to see if anyone was putting money in there and […]
Now Zechariah acknowledged (with a sense of satisfaction) the sign on the stone wall proclaiming disaster to any Gentile who tried to go past this point in their worship. They had to stay in the outer court where goods for worship were bought and sold, where money was changed for the currency needed inside. He […]
