The days of Herod, king of Judea (v. 5) were not the best of days for the Jews, but Zechariah and his wife faithfully served God in spite of the discouragements. God has His faithful remnant even in the darkest days. In His plan of love to prepare people’s hearts for the Messiah, and in fulfilment of prophecy, God would birth the greatest of all prophets through the unlikeliest of sources: two aging people.