Luke 1:8-12 8And it happened while he was serving as priest in the order of his division before God, 9according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot in order to burn incense upon entering the temple of the Lord. 10And the whole crowd of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11And an angel of the Lord appeared to him standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.
These verses describe the scene at the Jerusalem temple where the first major event of Luke’s account takes place. It had come time for Zechariah to serve in the temple. Priests would enter the temple each day to burn the incense. This was a very special occasion for Zechariah. There were so many priests at that time but a person might only get a chance to do this once in a lifetime.
His duty was before God and not people, giving a sense of awe and mystery to what was about to take place. It was a high privilege to be chosen to enter the temple, which represented the very presence of God on earth. The Jews of the first century still practiced elements of the law established by Moses for worship at the tabernacle when Israel transited from Egypt through the desert to the promised land. The mention of a great crowd of people in verse 10 adds weight to the authenticity and significance of Zechariah’s private experience. Many people could verify that something was different about him when he came out of the temple. These were sincere people seeking God’s presence. Their prayers would be answered but not in a way anyone expected.
Zechariah’s response to the angel is typical of encountering a messenger from God. Feeling troubled and full of fear is an understatement. Few people throughout history have been given direct visions and encounters of angels. This was more than a dream. The angel was visible and real, standing right before him. The position of the right of the altar may be symbolic for being in a place of high honor. This angel came with an important message. Everything about this encounter shows significance. We may not have a visible encounter with an angel like Zechariah, but we can come seeking God’s blessing and presence in other ways. This was a unique experience in all of history. It began the grand story of God’s revelation of perfect love to humanity.
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