The Beginning Of The End Series

Revelation 11: 1 – 2

The Beginning Of The End

1 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. 2 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.

I believe that a lot of you Prophecy buffs are probably thinking ‘now we are starting to get to the good stuff. We’re going to talk about the ‘Two Witnesses’.

Not so fast my fine friends. For we have some real meat to enjoy before getting into who the Two Witnesses are. Many teachers just breeze through verses one and two and miss out on all the gold our Precious Holy Spirit has given to us. I think after we go over this Scripture you will agree.

The first two verses talk about a Temple. Let take a look again at them.

1 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. 2 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.

I am sure that many of you have heard the various positions of bible teachers as to the description of this Temple.

Here are the most popular views.

1. The Temple listed in Revelation 11 is the Millennium Temple

2. The Temple is spiritual. It refers to those who are Christians. In the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16 we learn from the apostle Paul, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

3. .The Temple is real and has been constructed before the Second Coming of The Lord Jesus Christ.

4. The Temple is referring to a Heavenly Temple

I believe position # 3 is the right one and let me explain why.

In position #1 we read that the Temple listed in Revelation is going to be desecrated. The Millennium Temple isn’t, plain and simple

Position #2 which speaks about the Temple being spiritual becomes null and void when you seriously view what is said by our Precious Holy Spirit. Please notice again this statement, ““Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship ‘there’. If the Temple is spiritual referring to individuals who make up the body of Christ, then how can you match up the term, ‘those who worship ‘there’?

Regarding position #4 we read the statement ‘Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it’ [ or there] explains what John is to measure. John is clearly on the earth, since the strong angel of chapter 10 descended from heaven and stood on the earth. The temple of God is a clear reference to the earthly tabernacle of God. One can be sure that there is no outer court that the nations trample in heaven.

"The temple (naos) of God" is referred to in Revelation 11:19 with the designation which is in heaven. This clearly sets it apart from the temple on earth. The term temple can translate two Greek words: naos or hieron. Naos normally only refers to the building that houses the holy of holies. Hieron refers to the complete temple area including the building that houses the holy of holies as well as the courts.

From the building that houses the holy of holies (naos), John is to proceed to measure the altar. Since the altar of incense is located in the holy place, which is part of the building that houses the holy of holies, this altar is more than likely the altar of burnt offerings. It (in the Herodian temple) was located in the court of the priests, which is the next area one sees when leaving the building that houses the holy of holies.

The third and final thing to be measured by John concerns "those who worship in (near) it (the altar located in court of the priests). "Those who worship" in this particular area are the priests. Naturally, John would not measure people the same way he would measure a building. Therefore, John is to count the priests who worship in the area of the altar of burnt offerings.

‘Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it’ is the second half of John’s instructions. John is told to exclude the outer court, which was the area designated for Gentiles. It is not to be measured.