NATIVITY By Mike Herron

‘privileged to see with clear eyes the dawn of the NT revelation.’ 3 Their childless marriage, a source of shame in ancient cultures, reflected the lives of Abraham and Sarah, whose barrenness was broken by the miraculous intervention of God. ‘The narration of barrenness itself becomes grounds for anticipating the gift of a child.’ 4 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10 While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. There were 24 courses of priests. Each order would serve two different eight- day periods every year from Sabbath to Sabbath. ‘The fortunate lot gave Zechariah the highest honor of ‘the offering of incense, bringing him as close to the presence of God as any person other than the high priest might ever come. Many priest might never experience this honor…’ 5 Prayer is a pre-requisite to God’s intervention and the act of burning incense is symbolic of its sweetness and importance to Him. In the heavenly sanctuary the four living creatures and 24 elders fulfill this important responsibility: ‘Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.’ (Rev 5:8) God reveals His purpose in the incense of prayer. 11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. The unseen angel suddenly appears to Zechariah. As a priest at the golden altar of incense in the Jerusalem Temple, Zechariah was the earthly representation of the angel’s role in the heavenly sanctuary. ‘Then another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne.’ (Rev 8:3,4) Zechariah was to 8