Luke 1:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

NIV: Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

NASB: Now an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

CSB: An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.

NLT: While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar.

KJV: And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

NKJV: Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

In the temple, as God had instructed for the tabernacle, there were two partitioned areas covered by curtains. The innermost room was the Most Holy Place, where the ark of the covenant was kept. The area just outside this was the Holy Place, in which was an altar specifically designed for burning incense (Exodus 30:1–8; 40:26–27). Twice a day, a priest would offer incense there. In the New Testament era, it seems the honor of performing this rite was assigned by chance (Luke 1:8–9). The person chosen in this instance is Zechariah, an honorable priest who has never had children (Luke 1:5–7).

Because of the temple's layout, Zechariah would be alone between the two sets of curtains, while the other worshippers were in the courtyard. Only he would see this angelic visitor. Zechariah's experience is not a hallucination or fantasy. He is lucid enough to see the angel standing in a specific location. The conversation is clear, and the angel's instructions will be understood. The news is wonderful: after reminding the priest not to be afraid (Luke 1:12), the angel predicts that Zechariah and Elizabeth will finally have a child (Luke 1:13).

Luke 1:5–25 explains how Elizabeth, the childless wife of a priest, learns that she will give birth to a prophet. This child will eventually be known as John the Baptist. Her husband, Zechariah, learns this from an angel but doubts due to his advanced age. As a result, he is rendered temporarily mute, and likely deaf as well (Luke 1:62). As predicted, he and Elizabeth conceive and await the birth of their son. This occurs several months before Elizabeth's relative, Mary, receives even more amazing news from an angel.

The angel Gabriel predicts two miraculous births. The first is a son born to Zechariah and Elizabeth: an older, childless priest and his wife. Because Zechariah initially doubts this message, he is temporarily made unable to speak. Their child will be known as John the Baptist, a powerful herald of the Messiah. The Promised One whom John will proclaim is the second birth predicted by Gabriel. He tells an engaged virgin, Mary, that God will miraculously conceive His Son in her. The two women meet and rejoice over their blessings. John's arrival sets the stage for Luke's familiar account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke was a travelling companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10); his book of Acts is a direct "sequel" to the gospel of Luke (Acts 1:1–3). Those two books make up more than a quarter of the New Testament. Luke begins by explaining how his orderly approach is meant to inspire confidence in Christian faith. His work is based on eyewitness interviews and other evidence. The first chapter details the miraculous conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Chapter 2 continues with Jesus' birth.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.