Section 4
John's birth foretold to Zechariah
Jerusalem, in the temple
Luke 1:5-25
5In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in their days. 8While Zechariah was serving as a priest before God when his division was on duty, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10At the hour of incense the whole multitude of the people was praying outside. 11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled, and fear fell upon him. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. 14You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink any wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. 17And he will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know this for certain? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her days.” 19The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and was sent to speak to you and bring you this good news. 20But behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their appointed time.” 21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering about his delay in the temple. 22When he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, because he kept making signs to them and remained unable to speak. 23When the days of his service had come to an end, he returned to his home. 24After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25“The Lord has done this for me. In these days he has looked upon me with favor and taken away my reproach among the people.”
Notes
Temple Mount
For many people, their first view of the Temple Mount is from the Mount of Olives to the east. The most easily recognized area of Jerusalem; the Temple Mount is located within the walls on the eastern side of the Old City. The site of the Temple of Solomon, and of the later Temple built by Herod the Great (which is the temple Jesus visited), is now an enormous stone platform upon which stands the golden covered Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque.
Here Jews come to pray at the Western Wall; here Muslims come to pray at the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aksa Mosque. Here Israeli soldiers and the Arab Temple Mount Police protect what may rightly be called the most revered spot on the face of the earth.
Solomon built the First Temple on the threshing floor that his father David had purchased from Arunah the Jebusite (2 Samuel 24:18 25). The site was hallowed as the place where God stayed the hand of Abraham as he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 3:1), and where God stopped the plague against the Israelites (2 Samuel 24:15 18). In addition to the Temple and its associated buildings, Solomon built other magnificent structures between the City of David and the Temple Mount.
Southern Steps of the Temple
The main public access to the Temple was from the southern steps. People entered and exited through a double and triple gate, together called the Huldah Gate. These gates had to handle enormous crowds during feast days; estimates as high as 500,000 people at a time. The triple arched gate was the entrance and the double arched gate served as the exit. Although the double and triple gates have been filled in, you can still see their outlines in the walls near the well-preserved steps of the monumental staircase.
The triple gate to the east led to a tunnel that brought worshippers up to the Temple and the columned porches. To leave the Temple they would exit the double gate on the west and go down a staircase 4 times larger than the entry staircase, since everyone was leaving at the same time. The steps below the wider staircase are well preserved and are one of the few places you can walk where you are sure Jesus walked. An interesting exception to the rule about entry and exit gates regarded mourners. According to the Talmud, they were to go in and out against the traffic in order that people would know of their loss. People would then extend their condolences by saying, “May He who dwells in this House give you comfort.”
In this area we will also see ritual baths from the time of Christ, important inscriptions from the Temple, the street that runs inside the Western Wall tunnels, and the ruins from the Roman destruction of Jerusalem.
Photos
Videos
Video 15: John the Baptist (Kingdom Agenda)
Jerusalem, in the temple
Footnotes
Luke 1,17
Malachi 4:6