Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple — the congregation's waiting and wondering creates the narrative tension of the delayed return. Priests did not normally linger at the incense altar; an extended absence signaled something unusual had occurred. The waiting outside communicates the public dimension of the private encounter: what happened inside the Holy Place will immediately be visible in Zechariah's appearance.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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