How should Revelation 11:2 influence our understanding of God's sovereignty in trials? Revelation 11:2 – The Verse “But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.” What the Measuring Rod Tells Us about God • Measurement marks ownership; God claims the inner sanctuary as His. • What He refuses to measure He still rules—yet He allows it to be tested. • The precise “forty-two months” shows a set, literal timetable under His control. Four Truths for Facing Trials 1. God sets the boundaries – Job 1:12: “Everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” – Your hardship can go only as far as the Lord permits. 2. God limits the duration – Daniel 7:25; 12:7 point to the same 3½-year span. – Affliction has an expiration date fixed by heaven. 3. God remains present in the protected place – Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” – Even when the outer courts are trampled, the inner altar stands secure. 4. God uses suffering to fulfill His larger purposes – Luke 21:24: “Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” – Trials fit into a redemptive storyline far bigger than our momentary pain. Connecting Dots Across Scripture • Satan sifted Peter, but only with Christ’s permission (Luke 22:31-32). • Paul’s “light and momentary affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17) produces “an eternal weight of glory.” • Psalm 2:1-4 shows nations raging while God sits enthroned, unshaken. Living This Out Today – Accept that every trial comes with a divine tape measure around it. – Rest in the fact that God has already set the calendar for its end. – Seek the “inner court” of communion with Him; protect worship even when circumstances feel trampled. – Look for how your hardship might advance His larger plan—someone else’s salvation, your own refinement, or the display of His glory. |
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