Read Revelation 11 at Bible Gateway.
Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty- two months. Rev 11:1-2
Rev 11 continues the description of the second interval period, which does not conclude until the second woe is past and the seventh trumpet sounds (Rev 11:14-15). This picture of measuring the temple, the altar, and those who worship there, has traditionally been understood to be the thorough examination of the newly- available Scriptures, the little book of Rev 10, to define biblical faith. The Protestants examined (almost) every doctrine of the Roman church, holding it up to the scrutiny of the little book, in their attempt to reestablish biblical, Scriptural worship.
What does it mean that the outer court is left out and not to be measured, because the Gentiles have it? We are living in the days of the second interval period. Prophecy becomes clear with the benefit of hindsight, which we do not fully have yet. So my current opinion, subject to change, is that the dominant expression of the worship of God in the world for the past centuries (maybe as many centuries as make up 1260 years) has been Gentile Christianity. Christians who seek to worship God, but who discard Torah as passed away, which neither the Scriptures, Jesus, nor the apostles preached.
The holy city is, I believe, New Jerusalem, or Zion, not the physical city of Jerusalem, but that spiritual place where the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have their citizenship (Eph 2:19, Phi 3:20).
revelation 11, the two witnesses
revelation 11, the two witnesses, part two
revelation 11, the two witnesses, part three
revelation 11, the two witnesses, part four
revelation 11, the great earthquake
revelation 11, the seventh trumpet
Return to revelation index of studies
Christine’s book The Revelation of Jesus Christ Revealed, based on these studies but greatly expanded, is now available at Revelation Revealed Online. You may also be interested in reading the Book Extras and joining in on the Discussion.
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