The Two Witnesses (And Why We Should Be Like Them) Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

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Part 1: https://mycrossway.churchcenter.com/episodes/131733

Part 2: https://mycrossway.churchcenter.com/episodes/133598

I. The Tribulation Temple

Revelation 11:1–2 ESV

1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.

The first thing John is told to do is take a measuring rod. The word for this rod is “kalamos” and it refers to a reed that grew in the Jordan Valley. They were like bamboo stalks and were used as a yardstick. So here John is told to take this stick and “measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.” (MacArthur)

Now the question is, “Why is he doing this?” There are two things that occur in the Bible with regard to God and measuring: one is to execute judgment, and the other is to establish ownership. In 2 Samuel 24, David angers God for taking a census because it was a way of David establishing ownership as king. It appears that God has John measure these things as being His own. He says, “Measure the temple and the altar, and those who worship in it.” (Rev 11:1)

First I want you to draw a vital truth that will occur during the end times. The Temple of God was rebuilt on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem. There are some who look at this from a dispensational view. That John is referring to the second temple and there are others who look at this in an allegorical view. I hold a futurist and more literal view.

The first temple was built by Solomon and destroyed in 587 BC by the Babylonians.

The second temple was built after Israel’s return from their Babylonian captivity. It was completed by Herod. This was the temple that was there at the time of Jesus. It was destroyed in 70 AD by Rome. The temple was literally leveled to the ground. That was twenty-five years before John writes the book of Revelation.

The word for Temple used here is naos and it refers specifically to the holy of holies. In 1 Cor 6:19-20, Paul refers to our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit and Paul also uses the naos.

So when John is told to go and measure the temple of God, it must have struck him that at this particular time in prophetic history there would be a temple again.

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills, and peoples shall flow to it, (Micah 4:1)

The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’ ” (Haggai 2:9)

“In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, (Amos 9:11)

During the tribulation, The Antichrist will give the Jews the freedom to worship in the temple. Halfway into the 7 years, he breaks his agreement of worship, and he will do what is called the abomination of desolations; and he will move into the temple, desecrate it, throw the Jews out; and he will slaughter unclean animals declaring himself to be god.

And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week, he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.” (Daniel 9:27)

And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. (Daniel 12:11)

Jesus himself refers to this event. Now, this is important to understand because there are false teachers who try to put Revelation as a book of things that have already happened. One of their justifications is that during the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, Titus went into the temple and sacrificed a pig on the altar. However, they haven’t considered the entire prophetic substance presented and certainly not in the context of Revelation as a whole.

“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), (Matthew 24:15)