STUDY IN REVELATION 18
The Announcement of The Final Triumph Over Evil [part I] The Little Book
Revelation 10: 1-11
[Part II] The Great Destruction of Israel & Jerusalem
Revelation 11: 1-2
Up to now we have witnessed the horror of the first six “trumpet judgments”
1. The fierce storm that destroyed 1/3 of the vegetation.
2. The “great mountain burning with fire” that destroyed 1/3 of the oceans of the world and 1/3 of the ships.
3. The “great star” that fell from heaven and contaminated 1/3 of the fresh water supply.
4. The eclipse that wiped out 1/3 of the daylight.
5. “The pit” was opened and demonic locust were set loose to torture the ungodly of the earth.
6. The 200 million demonic horse soldier that killed 1/3 of the ungodly and evil of the earth.
Now is the time for the seventh and final trumpet to sound. God does not go directly to the trumpet blast, He takes His time to lead up to the final trumpet judgment. We have all of chapter 10 and most of chapter 11 before the final trumpet, and even then the details aren’t given until chapter 12.
Chapter 10 begins the announcement of the final triumph over evil, so let’s get started.
1. vs. 1-4The Messenger: Who is He?
a. The messenger came from heaven. The announcement is too great to allow just anyone to make. This messenger came directly from the throne of God.
b. The messenger is clothed with a cloud. This symbolizes his majestic appearance.
c. The messenger has a rainbow on his head. This speaks of the glory as well as the mercy of God.
d. The messenger has a face that shines like the sun. This symbolizes light and the brilliance of the messenger.
e. The messenger has feet like pillars of fire. This symbolizes the purity and strength of the messenger.
f. The messenger is holding a little book open. What could this “little book” be? The Word of God. The love and the judgment of God. According to verse 11 John was to proclaim what was in the book, which we will discuss further in verses 8-11.
g. The messenger has one foot on the sea and the other on the land. This symbolizes the awesome size and power of the messenger. He is claiming the whole world for God.
h. The messengers’ voice sounded like the roar of a lion. This symbolizes the voice of God. The Lion of Judah is speaking to the entire universe. A lion’s roar can be heard for miles and when he roars, every creature within the sound of his voice pays attention.
i. The messenger called forth seven thundering voices. Do we remember what the number seven symbolizes? Seven is the number of completeness or fulfillment.
Thunder symbolizes the strength and power of Gods’ voice.
The announcement is a message of completeness, it is the final message and the thundering voice of God has the power to finalize things.
*Notice that the voice from heaven stops John from revealing the message of the seven thunders. He is told to seal up what the seven thunders have said.
Now, just who is this mighty messenger? Some say he is one of God’s most powerful angels. Others say He is Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah Himself. The description can fit either one and still work but look ahead to 11:3 “And I will give power unto my two witnesses…” This leads me to believe that the messenger here is the Lord Jesus Christ.
vs. 5-7 The Messenger Makes an Oath.
The messengers swears an oath by God Himself. How do we know this?
1. “By Him who lives forever and ever.”
2. “Who created heaven and the things therein.”
3. “who created the earth and the things therein.”
4. “Who created the sea and the things therein.”
As soon as the oath is taken the announcement is made. What is the announcement? Time will be no more.
Things are very quickly coming to an end. When all the things that we have covered in Revelation up to now have taken place the angel will sound the final trumpet and the last events of human history will take place.
The message is simply this: At the sound of the seventh and final trumpet, everything has been said and done; there is no more to say or do. IT IS FINISHED!!
The antichrist, that great world leader who brought peace to a suffering world, is going to turn on those he claims to love.
God is going to launch His final judgment on the earth and destroy both the antichrist and his followers.
The lord will establish His kingdom and reign for 1,000 years.
God will create a new heavens and a new earth that will remain forever and ever.
Scripture: Heb. 11: 13-16 * 2Pet. 3: 10-13 * Rev. 21: 1-5 * Is. 65: 17
vs. 8-11 The Little Book. Notice three things in these verses.
1. John is told to go and take the book from the mighty angel.
Two lessons here we need to understand.
a. The word of God is never simply handed to a person. God never forces His word or Himself on anyone. If I want the Word of God I must go over to the book shelf, table or wherever and pick it up for myself.
b. God commands that we take His word and study it
Scripture: Acts 17: 11 * Acts 20: 32 * 2Tim. 2: 15 * 2Tim. 3: 16
2. John is commanded to take the “Little Book” and Burn it Eat it Put it in the yard sale
When John eats the book he finds the book is both bitter and sweet. This tells us that the Word of God is bittersweet and that it contains both:
Sin and forgiveness
Death and life
Bondage and freedom
Hell and heaven
Corruption and perfection
Destruction and a new world
3. John commissioned to proclaim the truth of the Word of God to the entire world.
He is to proclaim both the bitter and the sweet, the judgments that are coming as well as the salvation that is coming.
The final days are on the way and with them they bring judgments beyond our imagination BUT along with these comes the promise of a new world for those who receive Jesus Christ. A world that will never end, a world where peace abounds. No more war, no more tears, no more pain and no more death.
WE MUST PROCLAIM THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD. NOT SOME WATERED DOWN VERSION!!!!
PART II
The Destruction of Israel & Jerusalem
Rev. 11: 1-2
According to verse one, John was given a rod and told to get up and measure the temple, it’s altar and the people who worship there.
The words rod and measure are used a couple of ways in scripture.
1. The rod is used for measuring a building for construction or for restoration. It is also used to measure a people for protection and preservation.
*If this is how it is used here, God would be saying that He wants those who truly worship Him, in Israel, to be protected while the antichrist and the Gentiles destroy the temple and Jerusalem. He could be saying that a remnant of Jews will be kept safe, during the tribulation.
2. A rod can also be used to measure a place for destruction, for punishment and for correction.
Scripture: 2Sam. 8:2 * 2Kings 21:13 * Ps. 2:9
God could also be saying that He wants the people to be measured for judgment and correction. He could be saying that He will judge His people, Israel, in these last days for rejecting Him and for their blasphemy against His Son.
So which one is right? Before we answer that let’s look at a few facts.
a. According to scripture, the antichrist will walk into the temple and demand the entire world pledge their allegiance to him and the state.
Israel is probably the top religious center of the world. What better place than the Jewish temple, in the holy city, to make such a demand.
Jesus says this will happen in Mt. 24: 15
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation [the antichrist], spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, standing in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand)”
2Thess. 2: 3-4 tells us that the antichrist will sit in the temple, saying that he is accepting Christ he is god
These scriptures are clear in what they say about the antichrist actually being in the temple of God.
Remember that the temple was destroyed in 70A.D. so the nation of Israel will need to rebuild the temple in order for this to happen.
b. Scripture mentions five temples.
1. Solomon’s temple. [1Ki. 7] Destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C.
2. Zerrubbabel’s temple [Ezra 3: 12] he rebuilt the temple after the Babylonian captivity. The temple was then dedicated to the god of Jupiter by Antiochus Epiphanes in 168-170 B.C.
3. Herod’s temple [John 2: 20] this was the temple that existed during the time of Christ and was destroyed
by Titus in 70A.D.
There are two more temples mentioned in scripture that are future.
4. The tribulation temple, which will be rebuilt during the first 3 ½ years of the antichrist [2Th. 2: 4 * Rev 11: 2]
5. The temple of the millennium [Acts 15: 16* Ezk. chapters 40-43]
c. Look closely at what John is told to do. He is told to measure the temple the altar and the worshippers. If we are saying that God is telling John to mark the Jews for preservation, then one of two things must be.
1. The temple and its worshippers will be saved and not destroyed by the antichrist. When we look at the scripture we have just seen, it is hard to hold this true.
2. This passage is simply symbolic. There will not actually be a rebuilt temple and God is simply going to mark the true Jewish worshippers for preservation.
For this to be true, you would have to say that the temple, the altar and the people are not real but symbols that represent something else. For me, that becomes very difficult, especially when scripture points to a real place and real people.
At this point I would say that in light of the evidence we can safely say that God is telling John to measure the temple, the altar and the people for judgment and correction.
According to verse 2, the destruction of Jerusalem will last for 42 months. How long is 42 months? 3 ½ years
There are several important points to make here.
1. The court of the Gentiles nor the city of Jerusalem are measured. The court of Gentiles is the outer court yard of the temple.
The temple was divided into four courts that surrounded the center building, called “The Holy of Holies”
Insert illustration of “Herod’s temple” here
1. The Court of the Priests
The innermost court was the Court of the Priests, which excluded all laymen. In the eastern part of this court, opposite the main gates leading from the other courts and the eastern entrance into the Temple area, so that it could be seen from a distance, stood the great altar of burnt offering.
In this latter court stood the altar of burnt offering, made of unwrought stone, 30 cubits (45 feet) in length and breadth, and 15 cubits (22 feet) high. West of this was the Temple, and between the Holy Place and the altar stood the laver of cleansing.
2. The Court of Israel
Heading east from the Women’s Court was the Court of Israel, which was open to Jewish laymen.
There were 3 gates on both the south and north sides, making seven entrances in all. 11 cubits of the eastern end were partitioned off by a stone balustrade 1 cubit high, for the men (the court of the Israelites), separating it from the rest of the space that went to form the court of the priests.
3. The Court of the Women
Heading east through the Inner Courts one would come to the Court of the Women. Its name is derived from the fact that Jewish women were admitted thus far (but no farther). In this court, at the west end, was the ’treasury’, the section where there stood thirteen trumpet-shaped containers for voluntary offerings of money. Jesus was sitting ‘opposite the treasury’ when he saw the widow put into one of the containers the two copper coins which were all that she had (Mark 12:41-44).
Mark 12:41-44 "Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."
4. The Court of the Gentiles
The entire Temple compound was considered holy, but it became increasingly more holy as one entered farther in, from east to west. King Herod had enclosed the outer court with colonnades and it was referred to as the Court of the Gentiles because the "gentiles" (non-Jews) were permitted to enter the Temple area. They could walk within in it but they were forbidden to go any further than the outer court. They were excluded from entering into any of the inner courts, and warning signs in Greek and Latin were placed there, warning that the penalty for such trespass was death. The Romans permitted the Jewish authorities to carry out the death penalty for this offence, even if the offender were a Roman citizen. It was for this alleged crime that Paul was attacked and nearly beaten to death by an angry crowd during his last visit to Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-32).
Acts 21:27-32 "Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place." (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul."
It was into these outer courts that Jesus came and drove out the money-changers who had been accumulating wealth by using the Temple as a place of merchandise.
2. Forty two months [3 ½years] is a set time for the antichrist to unleash his terrible persecution upon the world.
a. During this time we see the holy city will be oppressed 42 months [Rev. 11: 2]
b. We see the 2 witnesses bearing testimony to Israel and the world for 1260 days [Rev. 11: 3]
c. This will also be the time when the woman in the wilderness will be preserved. 1260 days [Rev. 12: 6, 14]
d. The beast will be allowed 42 months to blaspheme God. [Rev. 13: 5]
3. Both Daniel and Christ tell us that the antichrist will rule for a total of 7 years.
a. Christ says that the abomination of desolation [the antichrist] will set in motion, the worst tribulation the world has ever seen. [Mt. 24: 15, 21]
b. The signs that will occur just ahead of the abomination of desolation are called
“the beginning of sorrows [Mt 24: 8]
c. The trials after the abomination of desolation are called “the great tribulation.” This is a time so horrible that nothing in history can be compared to this time. [Mt. 24: 21]
Compare Daniel’s prophecy with the above.
Dan. 9: 27 “And he [the prince] shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation (offering of sacrifice) to cease, and for the overspreading of the abominations he shall make it desolate, even unto the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
In the middle of the week, or [Daniel’s seventieth week], points to a definite period of time. In this verse the week is divided into two parts. At this point we need to understand some facts.
a. Daniel was dealing with the end of his seventy week prophecy and two facts tells us that Daniel and Christ were dealing with the same point in time, which is the end time. 1. Christ was dealing with the end of Jerusalem and the world. 2. Christ said that He was elaborating on Daniel’s prophecy. [Mt. 24: 15]
b. Christ explained in more detail the prophecy of Daniel. The first half of Daniel’s week would be the sign of what is to come. This is called “the beginning of sorrows.” The last half of Daniel’s week would be filled with “great tribulation”
The last half would set in motion by “the abomination of desolation” literally standing in the “holy place.”
[Mt. 24: 15, 21]
At this point we should look at the time frame of “the end time” or the “seventieth week” predicted by Christ and Daniel.
Scripture refers to this time as follows
“Time times and half a time” [Dan. 7: 25 * 12: 6]
“1260 days” [Rev. 12: 6]
“42 months” [Rev. 11: 2 * 13: 5-6]
If we use the Book of Revelation as our base and Daniel’s time equals one year, then his
“time”=1 year * “times”=2 years * “a half a time”= ½ of a year, which adds up to 3 ½ years.
If Daniels prophecy starts “in the middle of the week” And Jesus’ “the beginning of sorrows is the first half of the week, we can understand this to be a total of a seven year period. 3 ½ + 3 ½ = 7
STUDY IN REVELATION 18
The Announcement of the Final Triumph Over Evil [part I] The Little Book
Revelation 10: 1-11
[Part II] The Great Destruction of Israel & Jerusalem
Revelation 11: 1-2
Up to now we have witnessed the horror of the first six “trumpet judgments”
1. The fierce storm that destroyed 1/3 of the .
2. The “great mountain burning with fire” that destroyed 1/3 of the of the world and 1/3 of the .
3. The “great star” that fell from heaven and contaminated 1/3 of the supply.
4. The eclipse that wiped out 1/3 of the .
5. “The pit” was opened and locust were set loose to the ungodly of the earth.
6. The million demonic horse soldier that killed 1/3 of the ungodly and of the earth.
Chapter 10 begins the announcement of the final triumph over evil, so let’s get started.
1. vs. 1-4The Messenger: Who is He?
a. The messenger came from . The announcement is too great to allow just anyone to make. This messenger came directly from the of God.
b. The messenger is clothed with a . This symbolizes his majestic appearance.
c. The messenger has a on his head. This speaks of the glory as well as the mercy of .
d. The messenger has a face that shined like the . This symbolizes and the brilliance of the messenger.
e. The messenger has feet like of . This symbolizes the and of the messenger.
f. The messenger is holding a open. What could this “little book” be? The Word of God. The love and the judgment of God. According to verse 11 John was to proclaim what was in the book, which we will discuss further in verses 8-11.
g. The messenger has one foot on the and the other on the . This symbolizes the awesome size and power of the messenger. He is claiming the whole for God.
h. The messenger’s voice sounded like the of a . This symbolizes the voice of . The Lion of Judah is speaking to the entire universe. A lion’s roar can be heard for miles and when he roars, every creature within the sound of his voice pays attention.
i. The messenger called forth thundering voices. Do we remember what the number seven symbolizes? Seven is the number of or fulfillment.
Thunder symbolizes the and of voice.
The announcement is a message of completeness, it is the final message and the thundering voice of God has the power to finalize things.
*Notice that the voice from heaven stops John from revealing the message of the seven thunders. He is told to seal up what the seven thunders have said.
Now, just who is this mighty messenger? Some say he is one of God’s most powerful angels. Others say He is Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah Himself. The description can fit either one and still work but look ahead to 11:3 “And I will give power unto two witnesses…”
This leads me to believe that the messenger here is the Lord Jesus Christ.
vs. 5-7 The Messenger Makes an Oath.
The messengers swears an oath by Himself. How do we know this?
1. “By Him who lives and .”
2. “Who created and the things therein.”
3. “who created the and the things therein.”
4. “Who created the and the things therein.”
As soon as the oath is taken the announcement is made. What is the announcement? will be no more.
Things are very quickly coming to an end. When all the things that we have covered in Revelation up to now have taken place the angel will sound the final trumpet and the last events of human history will take place.
The message is simply this: At the sound of the seventh and final trumpet, everything has been said and done; there is no more to say or do. IT IS FINISHED!!
The , that great world leader who brought peace to a suffering world, is going to turn on those he claims to love.
God is going to launch His judgment on the earth and destroy both the antichrist and his followers.
The lord will establish His kingdom and reign for years.
God will create a heavens and a earth that will remain forever and ever.
Scripture: Heb. 11: 13-16 * 2Pet. 3: 10-13 * Rev. 21: 1-5 * Is. 65: 17
vs. 8-11 The Book. Notice three things in these verses.
1. John is told to go and the book from the mighty angel.
Two lessons here we need to understand.
a. The word of God is simply handed to a person. God never forces His word or Himself on any one. If I want the Word of God I must go over to the book shelf, table or wherever and pick it up for myself.
b. God commands that we take His word and it
Scripture: Acts 17: 11 * Acts 20: 32 * 2Tim. 2: 15 * 2Tim. 3: 16
2. John is commanded to take the “Little Book” and Burn it Eat it Put it in the yard sale
When John eats the book he finds the book is both and . This tells us that the Word of God is bittersweet and that it contains both:
Sin and ________________
and life
Bondage and ________________
and heaven
Corruption and ____________________
Destruction and a world
3. John commissioned to proclaim the truth of the Word of God to the entire world.
He is to proclaim both the and the , the judgments that are coming as well as the that is coming.
The final days are on the way and with them they bring judgments beyond our imagination BUT along with these come the promise of a new world for those who receive Jesus Christ. A world that will never end, a world where peace abounds. No more war, no more tears, no more pain and no more death.
WE MUST PROCLAIM THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD. NOT SOME WATERED DOWN VERSION!!!!
PART II
The Destruction of Israel & Jerusalem
Rev. 11: 1-2
According to verse one, John was given a and told to get up and measure the , its and the who worship there.
The words rod and measure are used a couple of ways in scripture.
1. The rod is used for measuring a for construction or for restoration. It is also used to measure a for protection and preservation.
*If this is how it is used here, God would be saying that He want those who truly worship Him, in Israel, to be protected while the antichrist and the Gentiles destroy the temple and Jerusalem. He could be saying that a remnant of Jews will be kept safe, during the tribulation.
2. A rod can also be used to measure a place for , for and for .
Scripture: 2Sam. 8:2 * 2Kings 21:13 * Ps. 2:9
God could also be saying that He wants the people to be measured for and . He could be saying that He will judge His people, Israel, in these last days for rejecting Him and for their blasphemy against His Son.
So which one is right? Before we answer that let’s look at a few facts.
a. According to scripture, the will walk into the temple and demand the entire world pledge their allegiance to him and the state.
Israel is probably the top religious center of the world. What better place than the Jewish temple, in the holy city, to make such a demand.
Jesus says this will happen in Mt. 24: 15
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation [the antichrist], spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, in the (whoso readeth, let him understand)”
2Thess. 2: 3-4 tells us that the antichrist will sit in the temple, saying that he is accepting Christ he is god
These scriptures are clear in what they say about the antichrist actually being in the temple of God.
Remember that the temple was destroyed in 70A.D. so the nation of Israel will need to rebuild the temple in order for this to happen.
b. Scripture mentions five temples.
1. temple. [1Ki. 7] Destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in B.C.
2. temple [Ezra 3: 12] he rebuilt the temple after the Babylonian captivity. The temple was then dedicated to the god of Jupiter by Antiochus Epiphanes in - B.C.
3. Herod’s temple [John 2: 20] this was the temple that existed during the time of Christ and was destroyed
by in 70A.D.
There are two more temples mentioned in scripture that are future.
4. The temple, which will be rebuilt during the first 3 ½ years of the antichrist
[2Th. 2: 4 * Rev 11: 2]
5. The temple of the [Acts 15: 16* Ezk. chapters 40-43]
c. Look closely at what John is told to do. He is told to measure the the and the . If we are saying that God is telling John to mark the Jews for preservation, then one of two things must be.
1. The temple and its worshippers will be saved and not destroyed by the antichrist. When we look at the scripture we have just seen, it is hard to hold this true.
2. This passage is simply symbolic. There will not actually be a rebuilt temple and God is simply going to mark
the true Jewish worshippers for preservation.
For this to be true, you would have to say that the temple, the altar and the people are not real but symbols that represent something else. For me, that becomes very difficult, especially when scripture points to a real place and real people.
At this point I would say that in light of the evidence we can safely say that God is telling John to measure the temple, the altar and the people for judgment and correction.
According to verse 2, the destruction of Jerusalem will last for months. How long is 42 months? ________.
There are several important points to make here.
1. The court of the Gentiles nor the city of Jerusalem are measured. The court of Gentiles is the outer court yard of the temple.
The temple was divided into four courts that surrounded the center building, called “The Holy of Holies”
1. The Court of the Priests
The innermost court was the Court of the Priests, which excluded all laymen. In the eastern part of this court, opposite the main gates leading from the other courts and the eastern entrance into the Temple area, so that it could be seen from a distance, stood the great altar of burnt offering.
In this latter court stood the altar of burnt offering, made of unwrought stone, 30 cubits (45 feet) in length and breadth, and 15 cubits (22 feet) high. West of this was the Temple, and between the Holy Place and the altar stood the laver of cleansing.
2. The Court of Israel
Heading east from the Women’s Court was the Court of Israel, which was open to Jewish laymen.
There were 3 gates on both the south and north sides, making seven entrances in all. 11 cubits of the eastern end were partitioned off by a stone balustrade 1 cubit high, for the men (the court of the Israelites), separating it from the rest of the space that went to form the court of the priests.
3. The Court of the Women
Heading east through the Inner Courts one would come to the Court of the Women. Its name is derived from the fact that Jewish women were admitted thus far (but no farther). In this court, at the west end, was the ’treasury’, the section where there stood thirteen trumpet-shaped containers for voluntary offerings of money. Jesus was sitting ‘opposite the treasury’ when he saw the widow put into one of the containers the two copper coins which were all that she had (Mark 12:41-44).
Mark 12:41-44 "Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."
4. The Court of the Gentiles
The entire Temple compound was considered holy, but it became increasingly more holy as one entered farther in, from east to west. King Herod had enclosed the outer court with colonnades and it was referred to as the Court of the Gentiles because the "gentiles" (non-Jews) were permitted to enter the Temple area. They could walk within in it but they were forbidden to go any further than the outer court. They were excluded from entering into any of the inner courts, and warning signs in Greek and Latin were placed there, warning that the penalty for such trespass was death. The Romans permitted the Jewish authorities to carry out the death penalty for this offence, even if the offender were a Roman citizen. It was for this alleged crime that Paul was attacked and nearly beaten to death by an angry crowd during his last visit to Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-32).
Acts 21:27-32 "Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place." (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul."
It was into these outer courts that Jesus came and drove out the money-changers who had been accumulating wealth by using the Temple as a place of merchandise.
2. Forty two months [3 ½years] is a set time for the to unleash his terrible persecution upon the world.
a. During this time we see the holy city will be oppressed months [Rev. 11: 2]
b. We see the 2 witnesses bearing testimony to Israel and the world for days [Rev. 11: 3]
c. This will also be the time when the in the wilderness will be preserved. 1260 days [Rev. 12: 6, 14]
d. The will be allowed 42 months to blaspheme God. [Rev. 13: 5]
3. Both Daniel and Christ tell us that the antichrist will rule for a total of 7 years.
a. Christ says that the of [the antichrist] will set in motion, the worst tribulation the world has ever seen. [Mt. 24: 15, 21]
b. The signs that will occur just ahead of the abomination of desolation are called
“ of [Mt 24: 8]
c. The trials after the abomination of desolation are called “the tribulation.” This is a time so horrible that nothing in history can be compared to this time. [Mt. 24: 21]
Compare Daniel’s prophecy with the above.
Dan. 9: 27 “And he [the prince] shall confirm the covenant with many for : and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation (offering of sacrifice) to cease, and for the overspreading of the abominations he shall make it desolate, even unto the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
In the middle of the week, or [Daniel’s seventieth week], points to a definite period of time. In this verse the week is divided into two parts. At this point we need to understand some facts.
a. Daniel was dealing with the end of his seventy week prophecy and two facts tells us that Daniel and Christ were dealing with the same point in time, which is the end time. 1. Christ was dealing with the end of Jerusalem and the world. 2. Christ said that He was elaborating on Daniel’s prophecy. [Mt. 24: 15]
b. Christ explained in more detail the prophecy of Daniel. The first half of Daniel’s week would be the sign of what is to come. This is called “the beginning of sorrows.” The last half of Daniel’s week would be filled with “great tribulation”
The last half would set in motion by “the abomination of desolation” literally standing in the “holy place.”
[Mt. 24: 15, 21]
At this point we should look at the time frame of “the end time” or the “seventieth week” predicted by Christ and Daniel.
Scripture refers to this time as follows
“Time times and half a time” [Dan. 7: 25 * 12: 6]
“1260 days” [Rev. 12: 6]
“42 months” [Rev. 11: 2 * 13: 5-6]
If we use the Book of Revelation as our base and Daniel’s time equals one year, then his
“time”=1 year * “times”=2 years * “a half a time”= ½ of a year, which adds up to 3 ½ years.
If Daniels prophecy starts “in the middle of the week” And Jesus’ “the beginning of sorrows is the first half of the week, we can understand this to be a total of a seven year period. 3 ½ + 3 ½ = 7
