“And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.”
And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside — the congregation praying outside while the priest offers incense inside is the liturgical structure of the daily offering. The prayers of the congregation and the incense rising together communicate the intercessory character of the temple worship. The outside/inside distinction sets up the private nature of Zechariah's encounter: the congregation prays; the priest enters; the angel appears where only the priest can see.
Church Fathers on Luke 1:10
The Lord appointed by the hand of Moses one High Priest, at whose death another was to succeed in due order. This was observed until the time of David, who by the command of the Lord increased the number of the Priests; and so at this time Zacharias is said to have been performing his Priest’s office in the order of his course, as it follows: But it came to pass, when Zacharias was performing the Priest’s office in the order of his course before God, according to the custom…
Zacharias seems here to be designated High Priest, because into the second tabernacle went the High Priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and the sins of the people.
Read all 4 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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