How does Revelation 11:2 relate to God's judgment and protection of His people? Setting the Scene in Revelation 11:2 “ ‘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.’ ” (Revelation 11:2) The Symbolism of Measuring • In Scripture, measuring marks something off as belonging to God and under His watch (Ezekiel 40–42; Zechariah 2:1-5). • By measuring the inner sanctuary but leaving the outer court unmeasured, the Lord draws a clear line between those He protects and the realm He allows to face judgment. • It is an acted-out promise: “I know exactly who and what is Mine.” Judgment Highlighted by the Outer Court • “It has been given over to the nations” signals a deliberate handing-over—God’s judicial act. • The trampling of “the holy city” mirrors Luke 21:24: “Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled”. • God’s sovereignty is evident: even the nations can act only within limits He sets. Their trampling is real, but it is also temporary and controlled. Protection Secured within the Temple • By contrast, everything inside the measured line is preserved. This pictures the faithful remnant—spiritual Israel and, by application, all who belong to Christ. • Revelation 7:3-4 shows a similar sealing of God’s servants before judgments fall. • Revelation 12:6 echoes the theme: “the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days”. God hides His people in plain sight, sustaining them while the world rages. Forty-Two Months: The Clock of Divine Restraint • Forty-two months = 1,260 days = “a time, times, and half a time” (Daniel 7:25; 12:7). • This span forms half of the seven-year tribulation, underscoring that judgment unfolds on a precise timetable. • Revelation 13:5 uses the same period for the beast’s authority—God puts even the worst rebellion on a leash. Echoes in the Rest of Scripture • Zechariah 2:5 promises: “ ‘I will be a wall of fire around her… and I will be the glory within her.’ ” While nations surround Jerusalem, God surrounds His own. • Psalm 46:1-2: “God is our refuge and strength… therefore we will not fear.” The psalmist’s confidence rests on the same truth the measuring line illustrates. • Exodus 12’s Passover and Revelation 7’s sealing both display selective protection: judgment falls, yet God’s marked people are spared. Living under the Same Sovereign Hand Today • Revelation 11:2 reminds us that God can simultaneously allow hardship and guarantee ultimate safety for His people. • Every boundary line—whether of time (“forty-two months”) or space (inner vs. outer court)—is drawn by the Lord. • Because He owns the measuring rod, His people can rest, knowing that judgment will never trespass beyond the limits He has fixed, and protection will never fail within them. |
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