Zacharias, father of John the Baptist

On the 9th of Av, 6 B.C.

Scripture
In the days of Herod, the king of Judea, there was a certain priest -- by name,
Zacharias -- of the daily (Temple) service: Abijah.

His wife was of the daughters of Aaron -- her name, Elizabeth. In the sight of GOD, they were both righteous,
walking in all the commandments and ordinances of YHVeH, blameless(ly).

No child was theirs, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were well advanced in their days. (Luke 1:5-7)


Observation on Luke 1:5-7

In the Gospel of Luke, the history starts out with a parallel between Zacharias and Elizabeth with that of Abraham and Sarah. The Greek word for well advanced is probebaikotes (προβεβηκοτες).

In the Septuagint, or Greek manuscripts of the Old Testament, the low end use of this word probebaikotes appears to apply to a 70 year old King David in I Kings 1:1. The age continues upward to the more ancient, such as the 110 year old Joshua (Joshua 23:1,2; cf. 24:29).

Therefore, in spite of the priestly limits of age 60 for Temple Service, Zacharias served beyond the age a priest was supposed to serve in the Temple. In 6 B.C., the Temple had only been in "serviceable" use for about 6 years on a regular basis. The outer courts and colonnades were still under-going additions and changes. It is possible, that the Levites who were doing the work were being tapped out with priests who were of age in each of the courses or patristic house / lineages. If that is so, Zacharias, like Abram, may well have been about 84 at this time, and his wife perhaps about 10 years younger; neither being less than 70 years old.


Scripture
It came to pass, namely in his serving as priest, in the order of his daily course (at the Temple) before G-D.

According to the custom of the priests, (his) lot
was to burn incense -- entering into the Temple House of YHVeH.

It was the hour of incense, and all the multitude were outside, praying. But to him, the Angel of HASHEM appeared standing out, on the right, from the altar of incense.

Seeing (this), Zacharias was stirred up emotionally with great alarm and dread, and quaking fear fell upon him.
(Luke 1:8-12)


Observation on Luke 1:8-12

The course of Abijah in the summer months would have fallen for service on Tisha B’Av: the commemoration of the destruction of the Jewish Temple by Nebuchadnezzar. The custom of the priests was to draw lots for who was to serve in what capacity.

For example, when Simon the Cyrenian came in from the wilds of Judea (Mark 15:21) through the dung gate of the Hinom Valley, he had drawn the Levitical lot that told him he was to be a disposer of blood. The very word disposers, was also the translation of "gods" or "theoi" among the Greeks (Herodotus, 2.52). Simon the Cyrenian's participation with the Cross appears implied in Psalm 82, but that is another topic.

It was the duty of Zacharias to enter the Holy Place, and to offer prayer, and to purify the area with the smoke of incense prior to the offering of the Daily Sacrifice. He was chosen by lot, and his skin was required to be blemish free; allowing him to pass behind the outside Altar of 3 Fires.

Again, because of a shortage of those of the course of Abijah, the age factor of service ending at age 60 was waved. Zacharias was to enter alone, make his rounds, and exit alone. The ritual should have perhaps taken him a total of 7 -10 minutes max inside the Holy Place.

When Zacharias entered, he immediately experienced the same inward feeling of great fear, dread, and inward corruption as did Daniel in the presence of Michael in Daniel 10:7ff. The Greek word that Luke uses here with Zacharias is etarachthe (εταραχθη).

The Septuagint uses it in place of the Hebraic Mehuma (מהומה) some 6 times. Its usage suggest that the body undergoes uncontrollable tremors, like an earthquake that won’t stop. The flesh will roll back and forth, and boils will formate and disappear, formate and disappear.


Scripture
The Angel said to him, Do not tremble with fear, Zacharias, your request and petition has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son.

You shall call his name Yochanan. [John]. He shall be your joy and exultation, and many will rejoice over the birth of him. He will grow greater and greater in the sight of HASHEM. Wine and intoxicants he may not at all drink.

The Holy Spirit will fill him while he is yet in the womb of his mother. He will turn many of the Sons of Israel on towards HASHEM their GOD. He will go ahead before Him in the spiritual power of Elijah: to turn the hearts of the fathers upon (their) children, the disobedient to just wisdom, making HASHEM prepared for a people already having been made ready. (Luke 1:13-17)


Zacharias said to the Angel, By what shall I know this? I am quite old, and my wife is well-advanced in her days.

Answering, the Angel said to him, I am Gabriel -- the one standing before GOD. I was sent to speak up alongside with you, to give good news to you of these things. Look and see! You will be silent, not able to speak, until the day these things begin to come into existence,
because you believed not my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.(Luke 1:18-20)

[Note Gabriel’s words in the first person -- my words, which will be fulfilled in their time. Not G-D’s words to you, but my words to you.]


The multitude(s) were expecting Zacharias, and they marveled in his delay of coming out of the Temple. He was not able to speak to them, but they knew that he had seen a vision in the Temple: he was signaling (this) to them, but remained a mute.

And it came to pass, when the days of his service were fulfilled, he went away to his house. After these days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, but she hid for 5 months, saying, Thus has HASHEM done to me in the time which He saw (fit) to remove the reproach of me (from) among men.
(Luke 1:21-25)

So often, the Church misses the miracle of Yochanan / John, for his birth was miraculous like Isaac born of Abraham and Sarah. It is also reminiscent of King David.

Every generation from Abraham to Jesse, that within the Messianic line, had those sons who would carry the messianic lineage when the parent was an average of 84 years old at the time of the child's birth. But now, with John, not only was the father likely in his 80s, but the mother also. With this news, people KNEW Messhiach was about to come! Simeon and Anna regularly began to seek the newborn Messiah at the temple...both being of an age in the neighborhood of 100 to 116 years old or thereabout each. And in December of 5 B.C., having lived through all that they had lived through and seen in their lifetimes: they were NOT disappointed.

Luke 16:16 and the easier entering into G-D's Kingdom through Faith into Jesus

“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” Luke 16:16 (King James version)

By a closer analysis of the manuscripts that once ran every letter against every letter in Uncials, we see that Luke 16:16 should have included a word which (I believe) was (mis)sub-divisioned into the next verse.

Starting from ho nomos (should the greek text not appear below...), Luke 16:16 should end with eukopoteron, which I believe is errantly placed in the next verse, whereas it is easily read as the same verse by a reader in the oldest manuscripts. This word is a direct translation of an teaching as found in Matthew 11:28-30 -

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

eu - meaning good
but when used with "burden" (kopos), it means to:
make light, easy; even a state of being restful from burdens.

When we preach the Gospel of the Cross, it should be a "learning" experience where also the weight of sin (as a burden) drops off the shoulders, and the Good News of deliverance and Propitiation is indeed, good news...bringing about a state of rest from anxiety and burdens.


Luke 16:16
ο νομος και οι προφηται μεχρι ιωαννου απο τοτε η βασιλεια του θεου ευαγγελιζεται και πας εις αυτην βιαζεται *ευκοπωτερον* [* - placement, mine…was v. 17]

The Law and the prophets until–and-as–long-as John: from then, the Kingdom of G-D is being preached, and everyone into it is pressing easier.
17 δε εστιν τον ουρανον και την γην παρελθειν η του νομου μιαν κεραιαν πεσειν

Then/And it is the Heaven and the Earth to pass away, than of the Law one tittle to fall.

Does the Law pass away? No. For Jesus has said that it is easier for G-D to recreate the Heavens and the Earth, than to do away with the Instruction.

Something has happened with the coming of Christ. There is a state of (the Hebraic) "selah" or "suspension" of the Instruction / the Law, as it were. A state of Grace has occurred.

John is the last prophet to close out the old Covenant era, in which the way of hope was through the hardness of Mosaic Law. John would point the way to the EASIER PRESSING into the Kingdom of G-D, the Way of Grace in and through Messiah: Christ Jesus. The way of grace went from harshness with scatterings of comfort, to the more easily digestible preaching of abundant grace in Christ, and only scatterings of judgment or wrath for disobedience. With the passing of John, and the coming of Christ the Redeemer, there is no more being saved by the Law without Christ...no more imperfections and short-comings (though allowed during the duration from Moses to John) are to be allowed anymore, because that era has closed out.

The Law is NEVER annulled...Moses is never annulled...a greater than Moses has come. Who is greater than Moses who gave the Law? Answer: The One who gave it to Moses. HASHEM alone is the fulfillment of the Law, and HASHEM -- who took on a clothing of flesh as Christ Jesus -- had arrived! Those who reject Christ are left only an alternative to live by the Law of Moses, the which, without the Temple on the Mount, cannot be lived (absent 202 laws of Mosaic Law Observation).

Abraham had his Covenant of Faith, and "faith" reigned until Sinai. At Sinai, the Law came, and the Law of Sinai ruled until John.


Law of Moses for a limited time:
A Hebrew word of importance, as to why the Law of Moses was added, is Hebraic "Qashah": spelled as Qoph - Shin - He. This word is of importance in knowing why the Law of Moses was only for a duration, as why it was not, and could not be enough.

In Deuteronomy 9:27, Moses himself prayed:
"Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the hard*cruel*stubbornness* of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin."

In Jeremiah 7:26, the severity of QaSHaH has increased 7 fold more -- to a point of unbearableness, far worse than that of the hard-hearted rebellion of Israel in the wilderness under Moses.

The word picture of QaSHaH here, is likened to a harshly cruel, stubborn (perhaps viciously goring) ox; that, though yoked: is stiff-necked, adamantly refusing to go where it is assigned to go, purposely veering as if oblivious to the severest pull of the yoke and to all reins or beatings, driving one's plow intentionally off course to the apparently intentional destruction of yourself, your family's needs, your hope, and not just your physical property. As if to single handedly ruin your field, your crops, and take your life.

Because of QaSHaH: it was therefore necessary that a "new law" (Jeremiah 31:31-33) and a "new hope" (Jeremiah 29:10-11) needed to be the easier fulfillment and attainable goal of the Law of Moses, because the Mosaic law was already something old...and to be hated and ignored (as far as the GREAT majority of Jews were concerned in Jeremiah's day).

The law of G-D passes not away...but what is that Law?

The rabbis say it was "Moses law". G-D gave man two commands in Eden...two laws: Be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth...and don't eat of that one tree over there. Whatever happened to those two laws? Did they pass away? No. And how is that second law of Adam (or the Adamic law not to eat of the Tree of good and evil in the midst of the garden) fulfilled unto this day? To this, we read the Hebrew of Jeremiah 31 and then read Paul in Romans chapters 1-3 (preferably from the Greek).

We then pay attention to diatheke in Romans, and then look at the LXX passage in Jeremiah. The Nomos of Moshe is called a diatheke, an institution or certain order. Once a new will or covenant is drafted among men, the old is discarded.

But if G-D drafts a new diatheke against a palaia diatheke, the old is to be FULFILLED by the New, while carrying through to deliverance.

Therefore, any Law(s) of G-D, finds fulfillment only when it is perfectly kept...because its goal is the attainment of deliverance from sin. It does not pass away, it does not fail ... only those like every one of us (Eccl. 7:20) fail. But Messiah -- in our behalf -- fulfills and brings to completion the fulfillment of the Law (Daniel 9:24) according to the timeline given us by the prophets...and this Messiah is Yeshua / Jesus.

Of the 613 laws of Moses, 202 must have a standing Temple to allow someone the attempt to justify by fulfilling the whole Law of Moses. Now that Christ has come -- we cannot, in no way, nor by any means keep the whole Torah perfectly.

But praise G-D, now that Christ has come, a more perfect and easier way has been set before us...and that easier way, the same way as experienced by Abraham, but BETTER, is now laid before us bloodlessly now, but by the spilling of the blood of G-D in Christ Jesus at the Cross at 3pm Jerusalem time, on Passover afternoon in 30 A.D.

And that one and single blood-spilling and atonement of G-D in Christ Jesus, is eternal, once and for all, and washes away ALL sins...to whosoever will believe.

The Cross makes the pressing into the Kingdom of G-D easier and joyful...as is our learning of Jesus.