1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:06,000 Thank you priest team. Can we come together now to the 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,360 Book of Revelation Chapter 11? Meet me there in your own copy 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,480 of God's Word, Revelation Chapter 11. 4 00:00:21,790 --> 00:00:26,030 As useful as chapter breaks and verse numbers are in our Bibles, 5 00:00:26,030 --> 00:00:31,390 they occasionally can be unhelpful to the untrained eye. 6 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:37,560 And Revelation 11 exemplifies this because the chapter heading 7 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:43,240 may give the impression that the vision John described in chapter 8 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,320 10 has come to a close and we are now being introduced to an 9 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,720 entirely new scene. But that is not the case. 10 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:58,440 Revelation 11 is a continuation of the vivid experience that we 11 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,600 explored together last week in chapter 10. 12 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,080 Now keep in mind that in Revelation 10, the vision there, 13 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:13,640 it served as a pause between the 6th and the 7th trumpet blasts, 14 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,440 and that pause is extended. That vision goes on. 15 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:26,160 The interlude remains in effect. Evidently the Lord wants to say 16 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,920 more to us before we advance in the unfolding of His final 17 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,560 judgments on the earth. And we are today going to look 18 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:39,560 at the 1st 2 verses of this new chapter to see exactly what this 19 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,840 extended break entails. So if you're there with me, 20 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,000 let's read Revelation 11 verse one down to verse 2. 21 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:54,920 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and I was told rise 22 00:01:54,920 --> 00:02:00,080 and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who 23 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,320 worship there but do not measure the court outside the temple. 24 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:09,120 Leave that out for it is given over to the nations and they 25 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,360 will trample the holy city for 42 months. 26 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,960 This read verse 3. And I will grant authority to my 27 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:23,480 2 witnesses and they will prophecy for 1260 days clothed 28 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:29,960 in sackcloth. Let's pray together, Lord, only 29 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:31,960 You can make these verses come alive. 30 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:37,080 And we pray that you would captivate us with every single 31 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,440 observation, every cross reference, every application. 32 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,560 Move us deeply. We pray for something greater 33 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,880 than just the satisfaction of our curiosity or intellect. 34 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,040 We pray that You would satisfy our souls, that we would leave 35 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,920 here more content in Christ, that we would leave here longing 36 00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:58,960 to worship You as we are beholding Your brilliance and 37 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:00,640 Your beauty in this very passage. 38 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,800 So, Lord, assist the delivery of this message and assist our 39 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,440 hearts in receiving it with humility and with anticipation. 40 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:13,000 We ask these things in Jesus name, Amen and Amen. 41 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,480 Hopefully you remember how Revelation 10 ended. 42 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,840 John was explained to us something incredible, but at the 43 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,440 end of that chapter he was handed something. 44 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,680 He was handed a little scroll and he was told to take it and 45 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,400 to eat it. And this as it were, served as a 46 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,720 symbolic recommissioning for John because immediately after 47 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,960 he digested the written word of God, he was told that he must 48 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,160 still prophesied to many peoples and nations and kingdoms. 49 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:48,240 But that little scroll is not the only thing that John 50 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,880 received. We just read that he also was 51 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:56,520 handed a measuring rod. Now pause for a moment. 52 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:03,520 Hopefully you remember also that John eating the scroll strongly 53 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:08,280 alludes to Ezekiel's experience when he was called into the 54 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,800 ministry early in his book. He too was given a scroll of a 55 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,880 book written on it with lamentations and woes and and 56 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,680 really prophecies of judgement. But it was sweet to his mouth. 57 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:22,920 And so there's a resemblance there. 58 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:28,080 But it doesn't end there. It actually continues because 59 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,040 Ezekiel, when you Fast forward in his book, beginning in 60 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:35,120 chapter 40, he also is taken up in a vision. 61 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:41,000 He's placed on a very high mountain and he sees a man with 62 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:45,400 a measuring Reed. And this heavenly messenger 63 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,920 will, from that chapter on to the end of the book of Ezekiel, 64 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:54,960 measure the temple complex, and he will explain how this temple 65 00:04:55,200 --> 00:05:00,040 will at one point host again the glory of the Lord. 66 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:05,440 Do you see the parallel? John eats a scroll. 67 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:09,280 Well, Ezekiel ate a scroll. John now has a vision with a 68 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:11,280 measuring rod. Well, Ezekiel had the same 69 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:13,320 thing, though he didn't measure it. 70 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,520 It was there. And they're measuring a very 71 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:19,520 similar object. There are many things that we 72 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,760 can say about this connection, but I want to simply leave you 73 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,760 with this. It's clear that John here is 74 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,920 following the steps of the role of a traditional prophet. 75 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,680 And understanding that is going to help us interpret the verses 76 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,040 that we read, specifically the 1st 2 verses. 77 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,840 And the way we are going to approach this is by answering 2 78 00:05:40,840 --> 00:05:45,720 simple questions. What is John supposed to 79 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:51,040 measure, number one? Number two, why is he measuring 80 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:55,680 it? If anyone were to ask you those 81 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:58,400 questions, leaving this place, my goal, my prayer. 82 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,120 Yes, we want our hearts moved. Yes, we want to worship. 83 00:06:01,280 --> 00:06:04,520 Yes, we must be sanctified. But I also want all of us to be 84 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,080 able to answer with biblical confidence. 85 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:12,760 Now I'll tell you from now these answers will be lengthy, but we 86 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:17,720 have to do the work because we want to confirm our conclusions 87 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,520 are grounded here in Scripture. And so hold tightly to your 88 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:23,520 Bibles because we will be looking at different passages. 89 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,840 But let's now seek by the grace of God to answer question number 90 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:30,520 one. What is John supposed to 91 00:06:30,520 --> 00:06:32,760 measure? Look back again at verse one. 92 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:36,400 There are actually three things he's told rise and measure #1 93 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:43,120 the temple of God #2 the altar and #3 those who worship there. 94 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,600 This is what you're supposed to measure and count John. 95 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,080 And though there are three distinct things, it seems like 96 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,120 the temple as a whole is what is in view. 97 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,560 Now this seems seems pretty straightforward, does it not? 98 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,880 Well, like many parts of Revelation, there are debates 99 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:05,200 around what exactly this temple refers to, and I think it's 100 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,040 helpful for us to consider alternative views and 101 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,760 understandings of this temple in order for us again, to be able 102 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:14,880 to understand why we espouse a particular interpretation. 103 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,280 So be aware that what I'm about to explain are just the general 104 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:25,240 points of different explanations for what this temple is. 105 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,600 If we look at every single idea and point under every category, 106 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:31,360 we'll be here for a very long time. 107 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,800 So this is just really an overview, an overview that we 108 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,720 have seen before with the the four main ways people frame the 109 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:41,680 Book of Revelation. So this will be this will just 110 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,080 compound what we've been hearing throughout the weeks. 111 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,720 Well, number one, you have those again who view the Book of 112 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:52,160 Revelation as what a chronology of history at large. 113 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:56,080 And it's filled with symbols about the different empires and 114 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:00,320 leaders and movements and features of history spelled out 115 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,840 here for us ahead of time. And these individuals who 116 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,560 interpret the book in such a way are known as historicist. 117 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:09,720 This is history told to us in advance. 118 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,120 And this is how they would teach this part of revelation. 119 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,880 They would say the temple here is a symbol. 120 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:21,400 It is a symbol of the people of God, not just the people of God, 121 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,280 the people of God preserved and protected. 122 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:27,480 But we also saw that there there was a part of the temple, the 123 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:29,520 outside court, that was not measured. 124 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:32,960 And these individuals will say, well, those speak about not the 125 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,720 people of God, but those who think they're the people of God, 126 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:42,240 the apostate Christians, those who are empty professors in 127 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:45,840 Christ. And what they would also say is, 128 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:50,680 this is richly symbolic, sure, but it points to a particular 129 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:52,920 moment in history. And some, not all, would say 130 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:56,680 this actually would speak to the Reformations, purification of 131 00:08:56,680 --> 00:09:01,760 the Church, the spiritual revolution led by Martin Luther 132 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:05,320 in the early 1500s. And they would go on to explain 133 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:07,680 that the measuring rod is actually a symbol of the 134 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:13,440 rediscovery of true doctrine. And the trampling that we saw 135 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:17,600 here explained in the first verses actually speaks about the 136 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,920 persecution of the people of God by the papal powers, the 137 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,880 Catholic Church. Interesting. 138 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,920 But this is not the only group that views this snapshot of 139 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:33,280 prophecy allegorically. You have the idealist. 140 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:38,640 The idealists also look at the Book of Revelation as hyper 141 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:40,800 spiritualized. But here's the difference 142 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,000 between them and the historicist. 143 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:47,760 They don't pin any description, any prophecy, any picture to any 144 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,120 moment in history. None. 145 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,880 What they would say is this is just a creative and poetic and 146 00:09:55,880 --> 00:10:00,920 apocalyptic way of kind of explaining the recurring pattern 147 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,760 of the struggle between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom 148 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:08,360 of darkness, good and evil. And so it's very simple for them 149 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:10,400 how they would look at the temple of God here in Revelation 150 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:11,680 11. This is a picture again of the 151 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:13,680 people of God. The the part that's measured, at 152 00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:16,640 least the part that's unmeasured, like the historicist 153 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,480 would say these are the fake Christians. 154 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:22,640 And we read there the end of verse 2 how they would be 155 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:25,240 trampled the holy city for 42 months. 156 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:28,400 Well, the 42 months isn't a literal time period. 157 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:33,520 It just speaks about an unspecific, though limited time 158 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:37,880 of persecution. Now I say, I said I wouldn't go 159 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,280 too deep into this, but you may encounter some who see the Book 160 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,920 of Revelation as spiritual, purely spiritual. 161 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:49,080 That would say, no, it's not really about the people of God 162 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:52,000 and those who are not really the people of God. 163 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,440 They would say that the part that's measured, the temple 164 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:59,000 complex that actually speaks about the believers in heaven. 165 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,720 Why? Because you see this consistency 166 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:05,760 in the Book of Revelation that wherever the temple is 167 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:08,280 described, it's it's mainly found in heaven. 168 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:13,280 So these are the protected people of God in heaven, and the 169 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:16,640 ones that are being trampled on are actually those who remain on 170 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:18,200 earth and are still being persecuted. 171 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:22,240 So let me just say this immediately. 172 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:27,800 There are clear issues with looking at this temple as a 173 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:33,120 symbol for one simple reason. John very clearly distinguishes 174 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,240 between the temple and the people. 175 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:39,040 Did you see that? Look again, Rise and measure the 176 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,800 temple of God and the altar and those who worship there. 177 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:45,120 So here's my response, at least right away. 178 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:50,040 If the temple speaks about the people of God, then what about 179 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,360 the worshippers in the temple? Who do they symbolize? 180 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:56,760 Who do they speak about? Are they one and the same? 181 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,960 Are they different? And this is just one of many 182 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:04,480 interpretive obstacles for viewing the temple of God here 183 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,880 as just symbolism. But then we see something else 184 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,360 because there are those who actually see this as literal. 185 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,920 And the first group are the preterist, those who view the 186 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:19,880 Book of Revelation not, not as something to come, but something 187 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:23,880 that's already been at least most of it, especially the 1st 188 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,000 century, especially events surrounding the fall of 189 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,640 Jerusalem, 70 AD. So actually for the preterist, 190 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:35,440 this is a rich proof text. They would argue, you see, this 191 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,560 is dealing with exactly what the main theme that we've been 192 00:12:38,560 --> 00:12:43,160 proposing, the temple falling, that era coming to an end, 193 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,400 Christ's prophecy of this judgment is here. 194 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:48,920 And they would say this is a text that shows it, that this 195 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,760 temple is being measured for judgment. 196 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:56,280 But there is a part of it that's preserved because there was a 197 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:59,440 faithful in Jerusalem at the time of 70 AD. 198 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:03,560 And the part that's not measured speaks about the Roman Empire 199 00:13:03,560 --> 00:13:07,560 trampling upon the Jews for their denial of the Messiah. 200 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,960 And this is quite interesting, as you can imagine, because they 201 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,000 from their perspective, don't see this as a spiritual symbol, 202 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:19,280 especially the outside court, but as the historical Herodian 203 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:24,000 temple that existed but was later destroyed by the Romans. 204 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:30,080 Finally, you have the Futurist. And as the name suggests, the 205 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,240 Book of Revelation is primarily about the days to come, 206 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:37,200 especially after chapter 4. And for those who hold to this 207 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:42,360 frame of interpretation, the futurist make the case that when 208 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:45,480 you consider the dating of the Book of Revelation when John 209 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:49,240 compiled it, the majority view is that it was put together in 210 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,720 9596 AD. Is that before or after the 211 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,960 temple fell? After it was composed in the 212 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:58,800 90s? When you when you keep that in 213 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:03,720 mind and consider the wider biblical data of the events of 214 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:09,000 the last days, this temple speaks about a literal structure 215 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,840 found in a literal city called Jerusalem. 216 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,800 And this is what I believe to be the clearest and the most 217 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:22,480 consistent understanding of this passage. 218 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:27,640 Allow me to explain further. Let's begin by examining the 219 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:32,240 term Temple of God or temple of the living God, or temple of the 220 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,960 Holy Spirit or God's temple in the New Testament. 221 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,960 Apart from Jesus claiming that his own body was a temple in 222 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:44,880 John 23 main places, notable occasions where it is speaking 223 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,800 spoken about figuratively are in the books of Corinthians. 224 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:51,720 The first two books, the only two books that we have, at least 225 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:57,040 you have First Corinthians 619 where Paul says your body 226 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,120 individually is a temple of the Holy Spirit. 227 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,840 But then he goes on to say in First Corinthians 316 and 2nd 228 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:08,080 Corinthians 616 that the temple of God is the corporate body of 229 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,200 Christ. But when you look at those 230 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:14,960 contexts, what do you discover? That the plain reading is 231 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,720 obvious. Paul is speaking about spiritual 232 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:19,800 realities. There's nothing of an actual 233 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:22,280 building in view and his teaching. 234 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:27,240 So the context supports the idea that yes, we are indeed indwelt 235 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,280 by the Holy Spirit. We are to see this as a an 236 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:34,000 awesome privilege and it should spur us on to greater holiness. 237 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,280 But the temple of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit, God's 238 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:41,360 temple. That kind of terminology is not 239 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:48,240 strictly for the believers sanctified relationship with 240 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:52,280 God. You actually find the Lord Jesus 241 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:59,120 Christ and the apostle Paul teaching about a temple related 242 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:03,560 to a key event in the last days. They don't just bring it up, 243 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:09,160 they teach how it's an integral part of the final experiences 244 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:11,800 and episodes leading to the culmination of the age. 245 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,120 You know these passages well, but let's remind ourselves and 246 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,960 the Olivet Discourse. What did Jesus say in Matthew 24 247 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:20,480 when he described the events of the last days? 248 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:22,560 He presents a turning point in verse 15. 249 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:25,280 He says. So when you see the abomination 250 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:29,680 of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the 251 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:34,640 holy place, underline that standing in the holy place. 252 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:38,320 Let the reader understand. Then let those who are in Judea 253 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,720 flee to the mountains. Let the one who was on the 254 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,200 housetop not go down and take what is in his house, and let 255 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,160 the one who was in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 256 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:51,200 And alas, for women who are pregnant and for those who are 257 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,480 nursing infants in those days, pray that your flight may not be 258 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:58,880 in winter on on a Sabbath, for then there will be great 259 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:01,520 tribulation, such as not been from the beginning of the world 260 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,280 until now. No, and never will be. 261 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,359 If you read Jesus teaching on the Olivet Discourse very 262 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:11,720 carefully before this, He speaks about worldwide events and then 263 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:15,640 he zooms into a specific geography, a specific area. 264 00:17:16,319 --> 00:17:20,119 He's talking about the Jews here, and he highlights the holy 265 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:22,560 place. He highlights somebody standing 266 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,440 in there. And Paul builds on this teaching 267 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:29,360 when he reminds the Thessalonians about the last 268 00:17:29,360 --> 00:17:31,240 days. Here's another important 269 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:33,960 reference. In Second Thessalonians 2-3 and 270 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:38,960 four, Paul says, let no one deceive you in any way, for that 271 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:42,720 day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the 272 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:46,480 man of lawlessness is revealed. The son of destruction, who 273 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,960 opposes and exalts himself against every so-called God or 274 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:55,120 object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of 275 00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:59,160 God, proclaiming himself to be God. 276 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:04,760 So in contrast to the symbolic use of imagery regarding the 277 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:08,240 temple in 1st and 2nd Corinthians, the surrounding 278 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,360 passages clearly indicates and what we just read, that the 279 00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:15,120 temple or the holy place is an actual structure. 280 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,680 It's an actual edifice. It's spoken about in literal 281 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:22,520 terms with physical activity. Did you pick up on how Jesus 282 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,600 taught about this holy place? He mentioned homes. 283 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,680 He mentioned housetops, He mentioned fields. 284 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,720 He mentioned pregnant woman, nursing infants, winter and the 285 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:35,640 Sabbath. And when Paul speaks about the 286 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:39,280 man of lawlessness who's an actual human being, he says that 287 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:45,240 he will take his seat in the temple of God. 288 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:51,200 It's very difficult to try to spiritualize these verses when 289 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,680 you just read it plainly. It's so crystal clear, is it 290 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:56,920 not? And once we are willing to 291 00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:59,760 acknowledge that, then we can move on and say, well, it seems 292 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:03,440 as though the Temple in Jerusalem and the events that 293 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,120 will occur within it at some point play a very important role 294 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:12,680 in the drama of the last days. Now, I'm aware that there might 295 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:18,840 be hesitation by some to accept that what we read in Revelation 296 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:22,920 11 is a tangible thing. So I want us to return to the 297 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:24,840 immediate context of Revelation 11. 298 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,880 We just read the first 3 verses. We're focusing on the 1st 2:00, 299 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,000 but this whole thing about the temple is just setting the stage 300 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:36,640 for the main point of this passage. 301 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,520 We're going to read about in the coming weeks the two witnesses, 302 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:45,080 these mysterious figures who will play an awesome role in 303 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:49,120 preaching to the generation before the return of Christ. 304 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:52,520 And when you read, though we're not going to get into a detail 305 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:56,520 now, when you read about the destiny of their ministry, it 306 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:59,160 only confirms that what we're dealing with here is that with 307 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,200 the temple is literal. OK? 308 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,960 Are you there in Revelation 11? Look at verse 7. 309 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,880 And when they had finished their testimony, that is the 2 310 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:12,120 witnesses, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will 311 00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:15,640 make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their 312 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,560 dead bodies will lie in the street. 313 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:23,120 Of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom in 314 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:27,000 Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 315 00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:30,760 Where was the Lord crucified? Jerusalem. 316 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:35,320 Here we have this mention of the great city and more than that, 317 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:39,280 these bodies lying down on a street in the great city. 318 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:41,800 This is the same context as the Temple early on. 319 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:45,560 It only confirms more in the following verse. 320 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:47,320 Look at verse 13 of Revelation 11. 321 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:52,720 In that hour there was a great earthquake and a tenth of the 322 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:57,640 city fell. 7000 people were killed in the earthquake and the 323 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:02,040 rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 324 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:10,040 So this is even more hopefully persuasive to the one that is 325 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:14,000 reluctant to accept this interpretation surrounding this. 326 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,560 Just like Jesus's teaching and Paul's teaching surrounding this 327 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:21,040 mention of a temple. We have a real city, real 328 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:27,880 people, a real earthquake. To say otherwise can leave an 329 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:32,560 endless list of opportunities and interpretation of what this 330 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:37,280 could mean. Now one of the main objections 331 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:41,880 you'll encounter if you hold to the literal view is that there 332 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:47,400 is no way that God would acknowledge or accept a revival 333 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,360 of this temple and the sacrificial system. 334 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:55,520 How can you even entertain the thought that after the temple 335 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,960 was destroyed in 70 AD that there's a future time? 336 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:02,160 Well, it will resurrect in some way and that God somehow is 337 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:04,760 approving of this. Have you not read the book of 338 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,040 Hebrews? And passages in Hebrews will 339 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,960 often be quoted to to defend this objection. 340 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:16,600 Here's how I respond and what I just explained. 341 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:19,880 Did you hear anything of God approving of the temple? 342 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,880 The honest answer is no. In fact, look back again at 343 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:30,520 verse 7 and verse eight. Look at verse 8 specifically. 344 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,000 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city 345 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,520 that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt. 346 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:40,680 Does that sound like approval to you for this great city, this 347 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:45,280 holy city, to be called symbolically Sodom and Egypt? 348 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:52,040 So here's what we're trying to establish that the Bible teaches 349 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:54,760 about a literal temple that will exist during the Tribulation 350 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:58,920 period and will serve as the setting for major events 351 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:05,040 signaling the return of Christ. And the temple here clearly 352 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:09,520 doesn't exist. There hasn't been one for a very 353 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:14,480 long time, but apparently it's going to reappear. 354 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:19,000 Somehow, some way, it's actually going to reappear. 355 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,000 And this now leads us to our second question. 356 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:28,360 Why is John measuring it? Why is John measuring it? 357 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,320 So we've established that this temple is literal. 358 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:33,960 And though there's so much more we can say, we have to move on. 359 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:39,320 This act of measuring it is highly symbolic. 360 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:45,640 It has many implications that if you remember that John is 361 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:50,000 imitating a traditional prophet, makes more sense. 362 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,280 So let me give you at least two reasons why we can say that when 363 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,680 John is told to measure the Temple, it carries more 364 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:02,000 symbolism that him actually determining the dimensions and 365 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,320 the heights of the different elements of the temple. 366 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,000 This is not the only thing that is measured in the Book of 367 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,680 Revelation. In fact, when the New Jerusalem 368 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:16,200 will come down from heaven, after John is told that there's 369 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:19,360 going to be a new heaven and a new earth, it's going to be 370 00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:21,760 measured. But notice the difference. 371 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:25,560 Now, are you in Revelation? Fast forward to chapter 21 and 372 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:34,060 look at verse 16, Revelation 21, verse 16. 373 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:42,560 This city lies Foursquare, its length the same as its width, 374 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,920 and he measured the city with his rod, tough thousand stadia. 375 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:49,960 Its length and width and height are equal. 376 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:54,600 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, 377 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:56,720 which is also an angel's measurement. 378 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:58,960 What's the main difference between the city of Jerusalem 379 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:00,840 being measured here in the new heaven and earth and what we 380 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:04,560 find in Revelation 11? Revelation 11 omits actual 381 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,600 measurements. We don't have any numbers here. 382 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:15,560 We don't have specifics. Those specifics are preserved 383 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:19,440 for this new city. Which leads us to our second 384 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:21,600 reason why there aren't any measurements. 385 00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:26,800 Because we find here that John is actually doing something that 386 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:28,200 is frequent in the Old Testament. 387 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:36,240 John is imitating the actions of some prophets who also explained 388 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:40,280 certain prophecies with this act of measuring. 389 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:45,680 And this, remember, confirms how we opened the very beginning of 390 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,200 our study in Revelation, that this book is absolutely 391 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:54,080 saturated with Old Testament themes, and measuring is one of 392 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:55,640 them. See, if you just read Revelation 393 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:59,240 on your own or you just stuck with the New Testament, you 394 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:03,680 might be led to different ideas. But if you have the the backing 395 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:05,800 of the Old Testament, then you go, I've seen this more than 396 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:06,840 once. I've seen this many times 397 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:08,520 actually. Let me give you a couple of 398 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:13,000 examples. So Amos, Amos was given a 399 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:17,520 prophetic word for his people and in Amos 7 verse 7, listen to 400 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,520 what it said. This is what he showed me. 401 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:25,640 Behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a Plumb 402 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:26,680 line. Do you know what a Plumb line 403 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:27,840 is? It's a chord. 404 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:30,560 I don't have one to show you, so just use your imagination. 405 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:32,800 It's a chord with a weight on it. 406 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:38,160 And it was used in construction or an evaluation to determine if 407 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:40,480 a wall or a structure was was straight. 408 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:47,120 So Amos sees a Plumb line and then in verse 8 it says, and the 409 00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:49,040 Lord said to me, Amos, what do you see? 410 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:52,240 And I said a Plumb line. And the Lord said, Behold, I am 411 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,080 setting a Plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. 412 00:26:56,280 --> 00:27:00,440 I will never again pass by them. The high places of Isaac shall 413 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:03,560 be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be 414 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:07,160 laid waste, and I will rise against the House of Jeroboam 415 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:11,400 with the sword. So a plum line, an actual 416 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:17,560 instrument used in construction and measuring, is now symbolized 417 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:23,040 as God looking at His people and seeing if they line up with His 418 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,640 righteousness, if He is with His Holiness, with his commands. 419 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:30,640 And the conclusion they're crooked, they're not in 420 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,000 alignment with me, my will, my mind, my desires. 421 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:38,520 And so a sword is coming to my people. 422 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,920 A sword is coming to Israel because the Plumb line shows 423 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:45,440 I've measured. They are not where I want them 424 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,440 to be. You see this again in another 425 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:52,760 part of the Bible that's rarely visited in Lamentations. 426 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:57,640 Just listen to these references. Lamentations 2, verse 8, 427 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:01,520 Jeremiah's reflecting on the judgement that eventually came 428 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:03,320 to Judah. And here's one of the things 429 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:07,360 that he says. The Lord determined to lay in 430 00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:09,760 ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion. 431 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,880 He stretched out the measuring line. 432 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:16,360 He did not restrain his hand from destroying. 433 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:19,880 He caused rampant and wall to lament. 434 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,280 They languished together. So another tool is brought up. 435 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:29,320 God has a big tool belt, by the way, and now a measuring line is 436 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:31,360 described. Why? 437 00:28:31,880 --> 00:28:35,360 Because Jeremiah in his book wants to tell the people that 438 00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:38,440 the judgement that came at the hands of Babylon was not 439 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,680 accidental. It was not coincidental. 440 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,680 It was not random. It was measured by God. 441 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:51,720 And not only was it decreed by God, it was calculated. 442 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:58,960 It was just, it was fair. I looked at your sins and I met 443 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:00,920 it with its appropriate response. 444 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:05,320 Here is the verdict. My measuring line shows that you 445 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:08,400 are found wanting and This is why you were judged. 446 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:12,400 So we see it right? And we can, we can go on and on 447 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:14,560 with examples, but here's the final one. 448 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:18,120 Because this concept of measuring is not limited to 449 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:20,920 judgement. It's not limited just to 450 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:24,960 evaluating where one stands with God, though that is a prominent 451 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:27,600 idea. There's actually positive side 452 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:29,920 to this. And you're only going to see it 453 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:32,560 with the prophets. So now listen to this. 454 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:34,920 I know it's a lot of scripture. I know it's a lot of scripture. 455 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:39,080 But listen, we got to know why we believe what we believe, and 456 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:42,000 we have to base it on the Bible. And so This is why we're doing 457 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:43,160 this. It's heavy lifting, but it's 458 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,280 important. So you must write down these 459 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:47,920 references and you must be a good brain and examine the 460 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:53,440 Scriptures for yourself. Zechariah was given a vision and 461 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:56,520 in chapter 2 he sees this amazing thing. 462 00:29:57,160 --> 00:29:59,080 Listen to this in verse one of Zechariah. 463 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:04,960 And I lifted my eyes and saw and behold a man with a measuring 464 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:07,640 line in his hand. God loves to measure things. 465 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:12,880 Verse 2 Then I said, where are you going? 466 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:17,520 And he said to me to measure Jerusalem, to see what its width 467 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:20,680 and what its length. And behold, the Angel who talked 468 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,920 with me came forward, and another Angel came forward to 469 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:28,600 meet him and said to him, run, say to that young man, Jerusalem 470 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:31,920 shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because the 471 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,520 because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 472 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,840 And I will be to her a wall of fire all around the clears of 473 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,520 Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst. 474 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:45,200 That's good news. So Zechariah sees this man and 475 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:46,920 he goes, What are you doing with the measuring rod? 476 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:50,160 He says, well, I'm actually going to measure the parameters 477 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:51,120 here. Why? 478 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:55,120 To show you that there's going to be so many of the Jews coming 479 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:56,760 back. They're going to have so many 480 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,480 possessions that there won't be room for walls. 481 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:03,560 So God's going to determine to actually be their wall, and he's 482 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:05,480 going to be a wall of fire around them. 483 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,840 This is very similar to Revelation 11 in what sense? 484 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:14,640 You have this actual city, Jerusalem, but a symbolic act of 485 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:19,080 measuring it, right? The temple, Literal rod. 486 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:20,120 Yeah. It's in the vision. 487 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:21,760 Measuring it. Why? 488 00:31:21,760 --> 00:31:23,000 This is what we're trying to answer. 489 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:29,680 And for God to measure the city and Zechariah in this way says 490 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:32,880 something about his relationship with the city. 491 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:36,840 I own it. This is mine. 492 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:42,800 I determine its boundaries. I determine. 493 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:47,200 Its renovations, I determine it's adjustments. 494 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:52,320 This belongs to me and Zechariah, I want to tell you 495 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:57,760 about an update that's coming. So you have this now in your 496 00:31:57,760 --> 00:31:59,760 mind. You come to the New Testament 497 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:06,000 and you see something strangely mirroring it in John's vision. 498 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:11,560 He's told to measure it, the temple, the altar, the 499 00:32:11,560 --> 00:32:14,680 worshippers in it. And it's the Lord essentially 500 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:19,960 saying it's all mine. These belong to me. 501 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:23,760 And not only do they belong to me, I will preserve them. 502 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:27,800 I will protect them. Here's the answer to our 2nd and 503 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:31,200 final question. Why is John measuring the 504 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:35,600 temple? God will mark out a Jewish 505 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:40,520 remnant in the last days that he will preserve and protect. 506 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,360 That's the answer. Why will he do that? 507 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:48,400 Because God has promised over and over, and the exclamation 508 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:53,240 mark is in Revelation rather Romans 11, that this people who 509 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:57,760 have rejected the Messiah will one day be saved as a nation. 510 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:03,400 They will remember, they will reflect, they will repent, and 511 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:07,280 they will be reconciled to the truth, and they as a nation, 512 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:11,200 will declare Jesus Christ of Nazareth is our Messiah. 513 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:12,880 And here's the point of the vision. 514 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:16,360 And none of the calamities in the Tribulation period and none 515 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:20,320 of the maniacal attempts of the Antichrist will prevent it. 516 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:24,320 We'll stop it. Nothing will stop that promise 517 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:29,800 being fulfilled. This is fascinating because it 518 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,200 seems to be a very important point in the Book of Revelation. 519 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:36,360 Let me remind you something. We're looking at the pause 520 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,680 between the 6th and the 7th trumpet blast. 521 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:41,720 Do you remember that? There was a pause with the 522 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:45,040 seals, with the 6th and the 7th seal. 523 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:48,200 There was also an interlude. What was that interlude? 524 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:53,720 The 144,000 from Israel who were sealed and set apart during the 525 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:56,480 Tribulation. So what was God saying back 526 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:59,400 there with the seals? Up to this point of my program 527 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:03,080 of judgement, I'm still keeping my hand on the Jewish people. 528 00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:06,520 Now you come to the second set of judgement with the trumpets 529 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:09,000 and between the 6th and the 7th, what do you realize? 530 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:11,840 I'm still keeping my hand on the Jewish people. 531 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:13,800 Just different imagery. Do you see this? 532 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:23,239 That being said, the Jewish people will not be totally 533 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:26,520 spared from the challenges of the Tribulation period, and that 534 00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:28,600 is clearly indicated by what we read in verse 2. 535 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:30,280 Look back at Revelation 11 verse 2. 536 00:34:31,639 --> 00:34:34,199 The Lord tells John, do not measure the court outside the 537 00:34:34,199 --> 00:34:37,239 temple. Leave that out for it is given 538 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:41,719 over to the nations and they will trample the holy city for 539 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:46,639 42 months. For thousands of years the city 540 00:34:46,639 --> 00:34:49,440 of Jerusalem has been oppressed and controlled by various 541 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:53,440 Gentile nations. I mean just read the Old 542 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:54,440 Testament. What do you find? 543 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:58,320 Siege after siege after siege, until it was finally brought to 544 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:02,480 the point where Babylon ransacked Jerusalem, and after 545 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:05,720 some time Jerusalem passed to the Medo Persian Empire, then 546 00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:10,000 Greece, then Rome, and the pattern continued right up 547 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:14,120 today. When the when the Jews in the 548 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:17,720 city of Jerusalem cannot enjoy full autonomy. 549 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:21,920 Do you think a Jew can go to the Temple Mount today and worship 550 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:25,080 the way they want to worship? No, they can't. 551 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:29,440 It's occupied. There are issues even at this 552 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:31,560 very moment that although they've been restored as a 553 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:36,440 nation and they have a lot of improvement made, they do not 554 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:43,200 have full sovereignty. And whatever harassment the 555 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:47,880 Jewish people have known in the past, it will pale in comparison 556 00:35:48,240 --> 00:35:51,800 with the level of persecution they will know in the world 557 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:56,800 under the control of the Antichrist, especially for 42 558 00:35:56,800 --> 00:36:02,360 months, 42 months, that equates to 3 1/2 years. 559 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:05,240 Now there's debate. Is this speaking about the 3 1/2 560 00:36:05,240 --> 00:36:08,160 years in the beginning of the Tribulation or in the latter 561 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:12,920 portion of the Tribulation? One thing is certain, that for 3 562 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:19,960 1/2 years they will indeed know a suffering that is unthinkable. 563 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:24,440 There will be a trampling. And I find it interesting that 564 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:27,920 John is led by the Spirit to use similar language that Jesus 565 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:32,000 employed when he spoke about the future of Jerusalem. 566 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:36,320 If there's a reference that you must put in your margin if you 567 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:38,120 write in your Bibles, it's this one. 568 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:42,320 Luke 2124. Listen to what Jesus said about 569 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:46,320 Jerusalem. Luke 2124. 570 00:36:46,840 --> 00:36:50,640 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be LED captive 571 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:55,040 among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by 572 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:56,560 the Gentiles. Does that sound familiar? 573 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:03,840 For how long until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled? 574 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:09,320 That's important. So what's Christ teaching here 575 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:14,240 while he's prophesying the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD? 576 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:18,600 The verses preceding this clearly explain that it 577 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:23,840 happened. But notice that after the fall 578 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:28,320 of Jerusalem, Jerusalem would come under Gentile control for a 579 00:37:28,320 --> 00:37:32,400 long period of time. And we're seeing it even to this 580 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:36,160 day, are we not? But there's an expiration date. 581 00:37:37,240 --> 00:37:42,600 Yes, they will come under Gentile control until the times 582 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:46,520 of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Implying what? 583 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:51,360 That one day Jerusalem will shake free from Gentile control. 584 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:56,880 And it makes you wonder whether part of the times of the 585 00:37:56,880 --> 00:38:04,240 Gentiles includes the 42 months of their peak persecution 586 00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:06,480 against Jerusalem. Which, if you believe is the 587 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:11,600 latter part of the Tribulation, shows that at the end of the 3 588 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:13,760 1/2 years, Jesus Christ comes back. 589 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:16,240 And when He comes back, what does He do? 590 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:18,760 He sets up his rule and reign where? 591 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:24,960 Not New Jersey and Jerusalem. Could that be it? 592 00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:27,000 Could that be what Christ is saying here? 593 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:30,920 Gentile control over Jerusalem until the times of the Gentiles 594 00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:32,960 are fulfilled. You go to Revelation 11, you 595 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:36,480 realize that it will be trampled by the nations that word nations 596 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:38,560 in Revelation 11 to his Gentiles. 597 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:43,880 Same thing, same idea, the nations trampling under foot the 598 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:49,200 outer court of the Temple for 42 months. 599 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:52,480 This is why you have a strong case that this is speaking about 600 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,280 the last 3 1/2 years. Because at the end of the last 3 601 00:38:55,280 --> 00:39:00,960 1/2 years, Christ cracks open the skies and he descends and he 602 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,760 plants his feet on the Mount of Olives, and he claims Jerusalem 603 00:39:03,760 --> 00:39:05,080 for himself. This is mine. 604 00:39:05,880 --> 00:39:10,880 This is mine that harmonizes quite well. 605 00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:15,760 You can imagine how encouraging this must have been for John 606 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:17,600 personally when he received this vision. 607 00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:22,800 Because if he did write it in the 90s, which most scholars 608 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:26,240 believe he did, then it was only 20 something years prior where 609 00:39:26,240 --> 00:39:30,120 he heard the horrific news that Jerusalem was surrounded and 610 00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:35,280 destroyed, the Temple was laid waste, a million Jews, over a 611 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:38,120 million Jews were slaughtered, countless were exiled and 612 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:42,880 dispersed. Israel's future was utterly 613 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:47,160 bleak. And John is in this trance. 614 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:48,400 He's in the island called Patmos. 615 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:51,960 And then at this point in his vision, he sees a temple with an 616 00:39:51,960 --> 00:39:56,240 altar and people in it. And where is it? 617 00:39:56,240 --> 00:40:00,760 Well, according to the context, it's in the city, the same city 618 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:03,520 that was destroyed, which is a couple of decades ago. 619 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:07,320 And he realizes that not only does he see a vision, but he 620 00:40:07,320 --> 00:40:09,480 sees this measuring rod handed to him. 621 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:12,640 And he understands what this means because it signifies God's 622 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,600 possession and his preservation and His protection. 623 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,080 So, oh, you have a future for this people. 624 00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:24,240 And this lines up with the rest of the Scriptures if you have a 625 00:40:24,240 --> 00:40:29,840 literal understanding of it. Now, I understand some who might 626 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:34,560 be hearing this. Hopefully you're convinced, but 627 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:37,520 are trying to understand how it's even possible. 628 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:41,600 You're telling me that in this kind of climate, politically, 629 00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:45,480 and it's not projected to get any better, there's going to be 630 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:51,120 an actual temple there again? What are the answers for that 631 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:53,480 preacher? I don't have to give you 1. 632 00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:57,880 I can't figure it out. And it made me think, what if 633 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:01,160 somebody who knew these prophecies 100 years ago was 634 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:07,440 asked, Hey, I, I, I looked at these prophecies about God 635 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:09,400 bringing back the Jewish people to their land. 636 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:11,040 How, how is that going to happen? 637 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:14,720 And I'm sure he had a similar response to this dilemma. 638 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:19,080 I don't know how he's going to do it, but it wasn't too long 639 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:23,160 ago that he did. And if he brought this people 640 00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:27,200 back to their nation, how much is it going to take for him to 641 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:32,280 build a building again? It's an interesting series of 642 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:36,720 thoughts and meditations. If His word is true, and if we 643 00:41:36,720 --> 00:41:41,360 interpret it I believe the way it should be, then what is being 644 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:47,360 foretold here will come to pass. When I given the mechanics, when 645 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:50,640 I given the blueprint, all we're told is that it's going to 646 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:56,080 happen. Let me end on a different note 647 00:41:56,080 --> 00:41:58,920 here. One of the things that struck me 648 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:02,480 when I was meditating on this very thing was something that I 649 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:05,560 already said earlier. And when you look at all these 650 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:11,680 prophecies and cross references, you realize God measures things. 651 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:19,560 And you know where my mind went, how Jesus in His first coming 652 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:23,000 measured the temple. At one point in His ministry, 653 00:42:23,680 --> 00:42:26,840 actually more than once, the temple before was destroyed. 654 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:28,520 Did you know that Jesus evaluated it? 655 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:35,840 Let me remind you, He enters into Jerusalem triumphantly and 656 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:40,400 in the Gospel of Mark Chapter 11 verse 11, there's this 657 00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:43,280 interesting detail that he gives us. 658 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:46,280 Listen to what Mark says about Jesus after he comes into 659 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:51,520 Jerusalem in Mark 1111. And he being Jesus entered 660 00:42:51,520 --> 00:42:54,200 Jerusalem and went into the temple. 661 00:42:54,480 --> 00:43:01,440 And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already 662 00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:03,360 late, he went out to Bethany with the 12. 663 00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:06,560 Why are we being told that Jesus entered into the temple and 664 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:10,040 looked around at everything? Why do we even need to know 665 00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:13,640 that? Well, just a few verses later, 666 00:43:13,640 --> 00:43:16,320 what happens? Jesus comes back to the temple 667 00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:19,560 and he cleanses it. Do you know why he cleansed it? 668 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:23,280 Because Jesus here is imitating one of the laws in Leviticus 669 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:28,280 that if there was some disease in a home, a priest was supposed 670 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:31,960 to go in and evaluate the situation and he was supposed to 671 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:36,240 go through all this protocol. And if he returned to the house 672 00:43:36,240 --> 00:43:39,840 and it was still diseased and contaminated, the final solution 673 00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:42,080 was what? Destroy it. 674 00:43:44,680 --> 00:43:50,600 So Jesus, he fulfills that law. He, he imitates that practice. 675 00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:55,240 He, he comes into the temple and I, I, I love to meditate and 676 00:43:55,240 --> 00:43:56,720 actually envision what that looked like. 677 00:43:56,920 --> 00:44:01,440 Here he is the background noise of all the praises and all the 678 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:06,040 leaves being wave. All of that now quiets down and 679 00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:12,720 Jesus without saying a word walks into the temple and with 680 00:44:12,720 --> 00:44:19,960 those piercing eyes discerns and he walks away. 681 00:44:21,520 --> 00:44:23,120 And this is not the only time he evaluated. 682 00:44:23,120 --> 00:44:28,160 As I said earlier, you remember John 2 early in Jesus, Jesus's 683 00:44:28,160 --> 00:44:30,240 ministry. Let me read to you what he did 684 00:44:30,240 --> 00:44:36,200 in the beginning. John 214 in the temple, he found 685 00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:41,040 those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons and the money 686 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:43,400 changers sitting there. Do you remember what he did 687 00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:43,840 then? Right. 688 00:44:44,600 --> 00:44:46,080 Yeah. He cleansed it. 689 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:50,760 You know, the word found there in the Greek, it doesn't denote 690 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:53,080 accidental discovery. Like he came in like, oh, what 691 00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:55,160 is this? It actually speaks about 692 00:44:55,160 --> 00:45:01,200 scrutinizing. He examined intensely and so in 693 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:04,240 the beginning of his ministry, he goes, my house is 694 00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:07,520 contaminated, it's time to cleanse it. 695 00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:11,240 So he cleanses it. And in the Mark 11, by the end 696 00:45:11,240 --> 00:45:15,640 of the the story, he goes back to the temple because again, 697 00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:18,120 that's what the priest would have done to see. 698 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:22,880 Is it still clean? And it wasn't. 699 00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:27,040 What was the final solution? Leviticus, if it's still is 700 00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:30,600 unclean, if it's still polluted, bring it down. 701 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:33,880 What did Jesus say? Not one stone will remain. 702 00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:39,680 Not one stone will remain. God loves to measure things. 703 00:45:40,920 --> 00:45:42,800 And here's the here's the thing that moved my heart. 704 00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:48,680 If he was interested in measuring that temple, if he's 705 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:51,920 measuring the future temple in the tribulation period, what 706 00:45:51,920 --> 00:45:58,040 about the temple today? Where is that you and me, us. 707 00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:01,920 Do you think he has a measuring line for us? 708 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:06,600 He does and he measures a lot more than you. 709 00:46:06,600 --> 00:46:08,760 And I think let me give you one thing. 710 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:11,080 You remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7. 711 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:16,960 One and two judge not unless you 2 be judged with a judgement 712 00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:22,200 that you pronounce with that measure, it will be measured to 713 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:24,320 you. Awesome. 714 00:46:24,440 --> 00:46:31,360 So Jesus actually measures how we judge others. 715 00:46:32,800 --> 00:46:35,480 How generous are you and I with our love and forgiveness? 716 00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:40,360 How patient are we with others? And here's what he does when he, 717 00:46:40,600 --> 00:46:45,360 when he examines the measure we use, he takes it into account 718 00:46:45,920 --> 00:46:51,760 when we need something from Him. This is fascinating. 719 00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:56,520 What else does he measure? Well, look through the New 720 00:46:56,520 --> 00:47:00,000 Testament, I realized that He actually measures my motives, 721 00:47:00,720 --> 00:47:04,640 not just my actions, not just what you do, but why you do it. 722 00:47:05,440 --> 00:47:13,560 Oh Lord, He is very committed and invested in His temple 723 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:17,320 today. And here's how I found myself 724 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:21,280 praying in light of our study in Revelation, relearning that God 725 00:47:21,280 --> 00:47:24,440 loves to measure things, more spiritual realities than 726 00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:30,640 anything else. Search me, examine me and see if 727 00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:36,240 there'd be any wicked way in me. And Lord, I pray that you 728 00:47:36,240 --> 00:47:38,560 cleanse me. Cleanse me. 729 00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:44,480 I want you to find everything in me that is pleasing to you. 730 00:47:48,360 --> 00:47:53,920 And He is so gracious if we are but honest, and we invite Him to 731 00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:59,640 do that work in US. Let's end here. 2 questions were 732 00:47:59,640 --> 00:48:02,240 answered today. What is John measuring? 733 00:48:02,600 --> 00:48:06,360 A literal temple to come. Why is he measuring it? 734 00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:09,560 Because God wants to tell us in this vision that in the last 735 00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:13,200 days he is going to preserve a remnant of Jewish people. 736 00:48:13,320 --> 00:48:17,320 Because He promised the Jewish people that they would be saved. 737 00:48:17,560 --> 00:48:21,040 And with all the chaos in Revelation and all the schemes 738 00:48:21,040 --> 00:48:24,720 of the Antichrist and all the evil that will erupt, nothing 739 00:48:24,720 --> 00:48:27,640 will be able to prevent that plan. 740 00:48:27,760 --> 00:48:30,440 What does that mean for you? He's a faithful God. 741 00:48:31,280 --> 00:48:34,040 Another layer I just learned, I guess, that God likes to measure 742 00:48:34,040 --> 00:48:35,320 things. So what does He find in me? 743 00:48:36,800 --> 00:48:38,000 That's what we're leaving with today. 744 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:39,800 And this is how we're ending today. 745 00:48:40,040 --> 00:48:44,040 So let's pray and ask the Lord to measure our hearts. 746 00:48:58,440 --> 00:49:03,240 Father, we ask you with many verses that were shared and many 747 00:49:03,240 --> 00:49:05,600 thoughts and observations that were made, that You would not 748 00:49:05,600 --> 00:49:11,360 allow us to lose touch with how this speaks to us personally. 749 00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:16,280 And so we pray, Lord, that you would receive glory and honour 750 00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:19,680 for helping us understand these verses. 751 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:25,280 And Lord, thank you for leading us and guiding us to the truth 752 00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:34,280 of how you who evaluate and assess should be mindful of your 753 00:49:34,280 --> 00:49:39,160 omniscience in our own lives. So Lord, even now we pray that 754 00:49:39,160 --> 00:49:42,560 from head to toe, if there's anything that we know that we've 755 00:49:42,560 --> 00:49:46,800 been harboring, justifying, trying to hide in the walls of 756 00:49:46,800 --> 00:49:51,160 our hearts behind certain closed doors, things that nobody else 757 00:49:51,160 --> 00:49:53,040 may know about. But you see, we pray, Lord, 758 00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:58,160 today, use it, use this service, use this time to cleanse us and 759 00:49:58,160 --> 00:50:01,800 to purge us and to renew us. Lord, only you can do that. 760 00:50:01,800 --> 00:50:05,080 By the power of the Holy Spirit, man can only go so far. 761 00:50:05,240 --> 00:50:07,080 So Lord, we surrender our hearts to you. 762 00:50:07,080 --> 00:50:11,120 We pray that your power would be made known in the sanctuary. 763 00:50:12,440 --> 00:50:16,280 We give you praise and glory and honor in Jesus name, Amen. 764 00:50:16,840 --> 00:50:21,240 If you need to do business with God and you prefer sitting down 765 00:50:21,240 --> 00:50:23,920 to speak to Him, remain seated. You don't have to stand up with 766 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:25,800 everybody else. I want to give you this time to 767 00:50:25,800 --> 00:50:28,320 actually commune with the Lord. If you want to stand and you 768 00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:30,440 want to sing, you can do that as well whenever you're ready. 769 00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:33,840 But I just really want to take this time to respond to Him and 770 00:50:33,840 --> 00:50:36,160 to seek Him. And so let's just do that for 771 00:50:36,160 --> 00:50:38,960 these next few moments. We're in His house and we've 772 00:50:38,960 --> 00:50:41,440 heard from Him, so let's give the time to speak to Him now. 773 00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:43,160 Again, if you want to stand, you can do that. 774 00:50:43,160 --> 00:50:45,520 If you want to remain seated, you're free to do that as well. 775 00:50:45,520 --> 00:50:48,120 But let's just at least seek the Lord before we close this 776 00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:49,000 service officially.