What is the meaning of Revelation 11:2? But exclude the courtyard outside the temple John is told to take his reed-like measuring rod (Revelation 11:1), yet leave the outer court alone. Measuring in Scripture often signals ownership, protection, or blessing (Ezekiel 40:3-4; Zechariah 2:1-5). By contrast, what is left unmeasured lies outside the special shelter of God’s covenant favor. The temple proper—symbolizing genuine worship and the people truly belonging to the Lord—is distinguished from an area that will experience different treatment. Do not measure it The explicit command not to measure underlines the Lord’s intentional separation. Zechariah’s vision promised a “wall of fire” around Jerusalem, but here the outer court is denied that security. It echoes the moment in Numbers 1:50 where only certain parts of the camp came under priestly guardianship. God’s withholding of measurement signals forthcoming turmoil rather than preservation. Because it has been given over to the nations The outer court’s fate is not random; God “has been given” it over. He remains sovereign even when allowing Gentile powers to advance (Daniel 4:17). Jesus forecast this dynamic: “Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). The phrase confirms a divinely set period in which non-Jewish dominion is permitted, reminding us of Romans 11:25, where God’s plan includes a season of Gentile fullness before Israel’s restoration. And they will trample the holy city The nations will treat Jerusalem—the geographic and prophetic center of God’s program—as though it were common ground. Isaiah 63:18 laments when enemies “trampled your sanctuary”; Psalm 79:1 records a similar heartache. Revelation 11 echoes those laments, portraying literal hostility toward the earthly city during the end-time conflict (cf. Zechariah 14:2). Yet trampling never erases God’s claim; it only fulfills His purposes and sets the stage for Christ’s return (Revelation 19:11-16). For 42 months The duration is precise: forty-two literal months, equating to 1,260 days or “time, times, and half a time” (Daniel 12:7). Revelation repeats this span regarding the woman in the wilderness (12:6) and the beast’s authority (13:5). Three and a half years marks the second half of Daniel’s seventieth week (Daniel 9:27), the climactic period just before Messiah’s kingdom dawns. God fixes the limit, guaranteeing that evil’s reign is temporary and measured. summary Revelation 11:2 draws a stark line: the innermost sphere of worship is measured and protected, while the outer court, Jerusalem, and its people suffer Gentile trampling for a set 42-month span. The passage assures us that God orchestrates every detail—granting limited authority to the nations, preserving a faithful remnant, and moving history toward Christ’s visible reign. |
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