The Holy Place

     The Holy Place is close to God. It is a room within the early Tabernacle of Moses and was enlarged when Solomon built the Temple. The room is situated to the east of the Holy of Holies, separated only by the veil. This space was designed for personal time with God as evidenced by the fact that when priests entered to do their service they came one at a time and departed before the next person entered.
     The Holy Place of the Temple contained three (or as enlarged by Solomon three types of) items: the seven branched menorah, the table of shewbread and the altar of incense. These three items speak of God’s personal care for His people and the desire for relationship. The room is designed to convey God’s desire care and desire for fellowship with every individual, whether in the actual Temple or elsewhere.

The Menorah from the cover of a prayer book

     The menorah casts light within what would otherwise be a dark room. The seven candles help people recall God’s establishment of light on the first day of creation. The first chapter of the Bible contains the words, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good.” The seven lamps recall the seven days of creation, and of each week. We are to allow God to shine into our lives seven days a week.
     King David said, “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” (Psalm 18:28) Isaiah wrote, “the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” (60:19) God desires that we allow Him to shine through us, and for the Priest to be guided by God’s light.

Unleavened bread - 12 loaves were on the table

      The Table of the Shewbread is a reminder of God’s fellowship with us. People who eat together have stronger ties because of the conversation that goes on around the table. God desires to be at our table and in our lives. We must allow God to dwell with us and abide in us. “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Dt 8:3; Mt 4:4)

A prayer book and praying hands

     The altar of incense represents prayers that rise up to God. The fuel for the altar comes from figwood that burns on the brazen altar each day. This absorbs the sacrifices made during the day, and intermingles them with the incense that rises through the veil to the Holy of Holies. God loves it when we pray, and speak to Him. As Zechariah tended the Altar of Incense, he sensed God’s presence, and was in prayer. It was at this place that the Angel Gabriel entered the room and told John that Elizabeth would have a son.
      The Holy Place is where the priest could meet with God as he served in the Temple. A meeting with God depends on open hearts and the personal desire to be in fellowship with God.

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     You can read more about the meeting between Zechariah and Gabriel in the book Advent Journeys, available as a book, as a Kindle e-book, and readable through Amazon Prime)

Priestly Duties

     Today is the second day of Advent, a season of the year when Christians prepare their hearts by focusing on the wonder of God’s gift, Jesus, that was given to mankind on Christmas morning. It is all too easy to get caught up in the things of the world, such as commercialism, and totally miss the real meaning of Christmas. For that reason, I am encouraging people to spend at least five minutes a day to focus on the real reason for the season.
     I have provided two or three resources to help people accomplish this task. First, I have developed an calendar of Bible readings (one prophetic Old Testament reading, and also a New Testament reading) that I have placed on a calendar to be found under the Advent tab on my website, www.KosherCopy.com

Advent Calendar from www.KosherCopy.com

     The second resource is a devotion book entitled Advent Journeys, into which the bible readings are incorporated. My writings on this blog will come from the readings in Advent Journeys each day this season.
     The third resource is a guide to help children understand and enjoy the Christmas season. When my children were young we planned at least one Advent related activity every day in order to counteract the commercialization seen everywhere in society. It is not that I am against gifts, it is just that I desire the real Christmas to overpower the world’s Christmas. If you have children, try some of the activities, you will see how this works!

Advent Devotion book

     Some might wonder about the detailed Temple ceremonies I described on the second day of Advent in my book. The fact is that Jesus was born at a unique time in history, and we actually know what priests like Zechariah did during their daily activities in the Temple in Jerusalem. The historian Flavius Josephus wrote several books that detail historic events which took place during the life of Jesus. The Rabbis of the Sanhedrin collected sayings, laws and procedures of Temple worship into a collection of books known as the Mishnah. The Mishnah was put together after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, so the priests would not forget what to do after (or when) the Temple and its worship were restored.

Model of the Temple at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem

     The Mishnah contains six sections: 1) Tithes, 2) Feasts and holy days, 3) Women, marriage and divorce, 4) punishments for wrongdoing, lawsuits, punishments, 5) holy things of the Temple, and 6) cleanness (kosher) laws, which include prevention of illness, how to take a bath, and more. Within each of the six volumes of the Mishnah there are innumerable details that tell us about life in the first century. The details of the morning routines that I share in Advent Journeys are contained in a section of the Mishnah called Tamid or The Daily Offering.

Moses ben Maimon "Maimonides" was a Torah Scholar

     I share these things, not because we will repeat these ceremonies, but because I think it is important to get a behind the scenes view of real life in the first century. I want my readers to understand the Bible is a book about real people. The events we read about really happened. Zechariah the priest participated in the daily activities of the Temple. Although we can not know exactly what duties Zechariah performed each day, the stories I present gives a sense of what life must have been like for the father of John the Baptist.

Worshipers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

     I am sure there were priests serving in Jerusalem that came just because of family expectations or because they were legally bound to serve in the Temple. One of the things I worked hard to place in the story I tell during week one of Advent is that Zechariah the Priest loved God. The type of love God desires can be seen in Deuteronomy 6:5, Psalm 19 and 119. God desires pure love from believers today. As you read the words of in Advent Journeys, I pray that your love for God grows day by day.

Zechariah the Priest

A song of ascents. - Psalm 121
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” …

     Tonight begins a season called Advent, “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.”
     In Christian terms, this means we are awaiting the arrival of Christmas, or more importantly, the coming of the Messiah into the world to bring Salvation for those who will accept and believe, and peace on earth.

Advent Journeys - a great book to read during December

     The season did not begin with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. It did not begin in the New Testament, the story of Christmas can be seen throughout the entire Bible. Many verses in what is known as the Old Testament set the foundation and predict the arrival of the Messiah. The idea for Christmas began in the heart of God before the foundation of the world.

Floor of Beit Alpha Synagogue

     In the Christmas season this year, I want to focus on things of God that will prepare our hearts for the traditional Advent of Christ on December 25. The blogs this month will go along with the book Advent Journeys, which I would encourage everyone to read. [This can be done by purchasing a book, a Kindle e-book, or by reading the devotions on Amazon Prime].

Ein-Kerem, where Zechariah the Priest lived

     The first Journey of Christmas begins with a Priest named Zechariah. This man is often unfamiliar to readers of the New Testament, but his story occupies a large part of Luke 1. In this chapter, God connects us to the Hebrew Bible, called the Tanakh or Old Testament, to the words of the prophets, and to the world of Judaism in the days of Jesus.

Approaching Jerusalem from Mt. Scopus

     Zechariah is a Priest, a descendant of Levi, who serves in the Temple on rotation about five weeks each year. This system was set up by King David and instituted by King Solomon in order to create efficiency in Temple operations. Through the use of what the Jewish people call mishmarot or ma’amadot, every Levite between 30 and 50 years of age was able to serve in the Temple. (See 1 Chronicles 24-26) Zechariah the Priest is of the mishmarot of Abijah.

Temple model from Israel Museum, Jerusalem

     The story of Zechariah in my book Advent Journeys will take many Christian readers into unfamiliar territory. Worship today, whether in the Jewish Synagogue or the Christian Church has changed since the first century. The building called the Temple along with its traditions and practices was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. However, the things of the Temple were very familiar in the days of Jesus, and to his Disciples.

The Temple from model at the Israel Museum

     The Gospel of Luke originates in the Holy Place o f the Temple. It shares some similarity to Isaiah 6, where God breaks into history with a message for His people. Through the acts of God, the Priest Zechariah is able to carry the message of Christmas to his family and friends so that they and others might understand the coming of the Messiah.

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     Please take time this week to read Advent Journeys and this year’s embellishments that are contained in this blog.