Dr Paul Allen

  Luke 1:15-17. All that we know of Zacharias has been recorded in Luke chapter 1. This is a priestly gospel, beginning and ending in the temple, and in these early verses Zacharias, a priest, is burning incense at the golden altar. He is introducing a fragrance which will pervade all the pages that will follow. It has often been said that Zacharias was a priest both morally and officially. What he was in the temple, he was also in his home, a righteous man who walked obediently, prayed constantly, and served faithfully. Israel’s large priesthood was divided into twenty-four courses. Each course ministered twice in the year. According to the historian JOSEPHUS there were then twenty thousand officiating priests in the land and an individual priest might expect to minister at the golden altar only once in his lifetime. This then was a great occasion for Zacharias, and indeed it was to be greater still. This good man was to be privileged to hear the very voice of heaven after four hundre

The time between the last writings of the Old Testament and the appearance of Christ is known as the “intertestamental” (or “between the testaments”) period. Because there was no prophetic word from God during this period, some refer to it as the “400 silent years.” The political, religious, and social atmosphere of Palestine changed significantly during this period. Much of what happened was predicted by the prophet Daniel. (See Daniel chapters 2, 7, 8, and 11 and compare to historical events.) Israel was under the control of the Persian Empire from about 532–332 B.C. The Persians allowed the Jews to practice their religion with little interference. They were even allowed to rebuild and worship at the temple (2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4). This period included the last 100 years of the Old Testament period and about the first 100 years of the intertestamental period. This time of relative peace and contentment was just the calm before the storm. Alexander the Great defeat