Temple Days of Service

Zechariah the Priest looked forward to serving the Lord at the Temple each time the opportunity afforded itself, which was about five weeks per year. The journals in the book Advent Journeys attempts to share Zechariah’s passion and dedication for the Lord’s work.

Scrolls inscribed by a Sofer

The scripture relates to us as background the manner in which Israel’s priesthood is organized. At first, in the days of Moses, there were four divisions created in order to setup, tear down and carry the Tabernacle as it traveled across the wilderness. Once the Tabernacle became a permanent fixture in Shiloh, the priests were not needed for transportation. We can almost sense in 1 Samuel that common priests ceased to serve in the Tabernacle under Eli and his sons.

Temple Mount with Mount of Olives behind

In the establishment of the Temple in Jerusalem by King David, the orders of Priesthood were reestablished, and increased to twenty-four orders. The names of each of these orders can be seen in 1 Chronicles 24-26.

Home of one of the High Priests

King David assigned some priests as gate-keepers: some to give the offering, some to cook meals and some for administration. David also organized Temple musicians, who shared their gift of music for generations.

Home of one of the High Priests

As the population of Israel grew, so did the priesthood. With the establishment of a permanent structure, all priests were not needed every week, so a system of rotation called Mishmarot and Ma’amadot was set up. All priests would serve during the three harvest festivals, and then in rotation once every twenty-four weeks. The scripture tells us Zechariah was a Priest of the order of Abijah.