Zacharias Greets Pregnant Elizabeth With Joyby JMT
1:23Luke 1:23
And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
Zacharias lived in the hill country of Judea and had come to Jerusalem for a week of priestly ministry, a service required twice a year from the priests of each course. During that ministration he stood before the golden altar in the holy place burning incense while the cloud of incense ascended with the prayers of Israel before God. His office in that service included praying for the forgiveness of the people and for the promised Saviour.
During those days an angel stood on the right side of the altar as a sign of divine favor to announce that his many years of prayer for the coming Redeemer were about to be answered, a mercy so great he could not believe it, and he was filled with fear and self-condemnation. After the angel's message he came out of the holy place unable to speak because he had disbelieved it. Yet even without speech he communicated what he had seen and heard, and the people recognized that he had seen a vision in the temple.
As soon as the appointed week of priestly service was completed, he left and returned to his own house, departing only after the days were finished. The work of praying for forgiveness and a Saviour and of receiving the vision in the temple stands as the substance of the ministration apart from that return home.
Zacharias lived in the hill country of Judea and had come to Jerusalem for a week of priestly ministry, a service required twice a year from the priests of each course. During that ministration he stood before the golden altar in the holy place burning incense while the cloud of incense ascended with the prayers of Israel before God. His office in that service included praying for the forgiveness of the people and for the promised Saviour.
During those days an angel stood on the right side of the altar as a sign of divine favor to announce that his many years of prayer for the coming Redeemer were about to be answered, a mercy so great he could not believe it, and he was filled with fear and self-condemnation. After the angel's message he came out of the holy place unable to speak because he had disbelieved it. Yet even without speech he communicated what he had seen and heard, and the people recognized that he had seen a vision in the temple.
As soon as the appointed week of priestly service was completed, he left and returned to his own house, departing only after the days were finished. The work of praying for forgiveness and a Saviour and of receiving the vision in the temple stands as the substance of the ministration apart from that return home.