(v. 8-10) We just learned the other day in our Freshman practicum class what the significance of being the priest chosen to go before the Lord in the temple and burn incense. This was something only one person could do only once a year. So this would have been a huge privilege for Zechariah. I heard once that they used to tie a rope and bells around the ankle of the priest so if the Lord had killed the priest the others would be able to pull him out without entering the holy place them self.

I was actually thinking about encountering the presence of God the other day when I was reading through the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4 and thinking about the types of conversations Jesus and the Father must have had. I thought about maybe they did some experimenting with how much glory the Father could reveal to a perfect, righteous person without it killing them. Of course both of them knew the exact mathematical equations for how much the Father could reveal. But I was thinking maybe they tested out spiritual gifts and revelations of God's glory just for fun. Maybe Jesus died and rose from the dead a few times from over manifestation of the Holy Spirit.