Measuring The Temple

            Many of the passages in the Book of Revelation seem to be obscure and difficult to understand.  I believe this fact to be one of design initiated by the Holy Spirit in revealing the content of the Book to the apostle John. There are the necessary elements of truth seeking requiring a measure of diligence as well as sincerity and humility in the desire of one to discover the hidden mysteries of the Revelation. Such is the case with each segment within the context of the Book as a whole. Recently I posted a blog on the “man child” 0f Revelation 12:5.  In direct conjunction with it is this treatment of “measuring the temple”.  You would find that posting to be helpful in beginning to put things together that must go together and coming to an overall understanding happens incrementally, not all at once. Also, “The Rapture Question”? explains more important concepts.   Also recommended reading is the title: These Prophets and the Revelation available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.

                The subject matter in view here is found at Revelation 11:1-2.  As a prerequisite to making any sense of this treatment as well as the “man child” you will have necessarily needed to have escaped the erroneous teaching of evangelical fundamentalism as concerns the pretribulational “rapture” of the entire church. So with that being said let us go forward with this text in Revelation, chapter 11. John is experiencing a progressive revelation here from the Angel revealed in the early verses of chapter ten. That Angel (messenger) in my view is Jesus Christ as can be shown by the description given there and other Scriptures in Revelation (chapter 1) as well as the O.T. Book of Daniel.  (chapter 10)  In view in the passage is the issue of measuring the temple of God. We must   understand that the temple of God under the New Covenant is his people. “What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which dells in you? (I Cor.6:19)  We are held to account by that Spirit which dwells in us and “all things are naked and exposed unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.”(Hebrews 4:13) John is given a measuring instrument and told to measure the temple, i. e. the people of God.  The criteria of measurement is whether or not they are e worshipping “in the temple of God, and the alter, and them that worship therein.” “(vs.1) “But the court which is without the temple leave out, for it is given to the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.”(vs. 2) What does this mean?  Extrapolating from the “man child” being caught to the throne immediately before the beginning of the great tribulation; we find this measuring as the prerequisite to that end time event. All who are in reality in a right relationship of worship and humility before the Lord will be counted (measured) with the “man child”.  The tribulation period is three and on-half years in duration, and not seven as taught by the majority of evangelicals. Those in the “outer court “are believers.  However they, at that point in time, are falling short in their measure of commitment and devotion to Christ. The consequence is that they will be trodden under foot by the Gentile world system under the direction of the Antichrist suffering persecution and martyrdom for the forty and two month duration of the tribulation. But at the same time, in their awakened and repentant state “clothed in sackcloth” (vs.3) they will carry the gospel of the kingdom in power to the whole world. Jesus declared it to be so at Matthew 24:14. Yes, the larger body of Christ will endure the tribulation contrary to the popular teaching of today’s apostate church. Those who have been deeply exercised by the Holy Spirt will engage the enemy in the heavenly realm resulting tin Satan being cast out of heaven to the earth, which precipitates the tribulation period.(See Revelation 12:7-11)

            The people of the Lord need to be wholeheartedly focused on the high calling in Christ  Jesus to fulfill His purpose which is seen at Ephesians 4:13-15: “Till we all came in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried abut with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.”(emphasis added)

David Lance Dean

Blogspot: theseprohets.blogspot.com

Published books: These Prophets and the Revelation, and The Israel Deception