The Altar of Longing...

Luke 1:8 Unannounced, an angel of God appeared just to the right of the altar of incense.
Zachariah was paralyzed in fear.

To the right of the altar of incense where day and night the Priests made sure an aroma was set before God...the prayers of his people.


“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (Psalm 141:2)

“Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” (Revelations 8:3-4)

If we can think that nothing is by accident in this story of Jesus...there is something significant about that angel, maybe the same angel in the book of Revelation standing right next to the altar of prayers in the temple that morning. I read somewhere else that this work of the priest was the most beloved of all the tasks to do...to keep the incense of prayer burning. That pleasing aroma before the throne...the prayers of the saints.
I can picture bowls of our prayers scattered in the throne room of the Almighty. As we pray we add together an accumilation of sweeter and stronger aroma. Can you imagine the bowl with the prayers of the saints that had been praying for the Messiah? How large that bowl, how sweet that smell before the throne? And Today....Gabriel came to stand beside the very representative on earth...that bowl of longing prayer...Today he was bringing the Greatest answer to prayer EVER!
I can imagine Gabriel...bouncing with anticipation....cannot wait to tell...smiling and grinning...maybe a bit like how we feel when the gift we wrapped, that one gift we know is going to make our kid beam and bounce and burst with excitement. The anticiaption we feel knowing how much joy this one gift will bring...

"IT is STARTING...Zachariah...The MESSIAH IS COMING... Your son ,John, will be the VOICE....it starts TODAY...Yes, you will have a son in your old age...you and your wife Elizabeth...your miracle starts it all....YAHOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"