Temples and Timelines

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Good morning family!

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Now please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart for worship.

Call to Worship (Psalm 48:9-11)

Prayer of Praise (Daphne Brewton)

Now Why This Fear

The Church's One Foundation

Prayer of Confession (Wyatt Puryear), Sinful fear

Assurance of Pardon (Romans 8:14-15)

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Christ Our Hope in Life and Death

Scripture Reading (Revelation 11:1-2)—page 1225 in the black Bibles

Pastoral Prayer (Hopson)

Prayer for PBC—Help us to understand Your Word

Prayer for kingdom partner—Knapp, Jeff & April (Cru)

Prayer for US—For Teachers and School Staff (Back-to-School Season)

Prayer for the world—Myanmar (Burma)

Leader—_________

Social issue(s)—_________

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Pray for the sermon

SERMON

In 1967, a seventeen-year-old girl named Joni Eareckson dove into the Chesapeake Bay with some friends. She misjudged the depth of the water, struck her head on the bottom, and instantly became a quadriplegic. In a single moment, everything changed.

She would never walk again. She would never use her hands again. The dreams she had for her life seemed to disappear beneath the water that day.

But as difficult as the physical suffering was, an even greater battle soon followed.

She had to interpret what happened to her.

Was this simply a meaningless accident?

Was God punishing her?

Had Satan somehow slipped outside of God's control?

Was this evidence that God didn’t exist? Or, if He did, that He wasn’t really in control?

Or was this, somehow, part of God's sovereign and loving plan for her life?

The answer to those questions would eventually shape the rest of her life. [1]

Because how we interpret something always shapes how we respond to it.

The same is true when we read the Bible.

How we interpret a passage shapes how we respond to it.

So while we can and must be charitable to faithful Christians who disagree on difficult passages in the Bible, we should never conclude that interpretation doesn’t matter.

It matters because application flows from interpretation.

And that is especially true of our text this morning in Revelation 11:1-2.

This is the shortest passage we'll study in the entire series, yet we're devoting an entire sermon to it because these two verses shape how we understand much of the rest of the book.

They function like a fork in the road.

The conclusions we reach here will influence how we read much of the rest of Revelation.

It’s no surprise, then that one Bible teacher calls these verses an “interpretive key” to the entire book. [2]

But this isn't merely an academic discussion about prophecy. The way we interpret these verses will shape the way we interpret our own lives.

Especially when suffering comes.

The Big idea I want to show you this morning is that In this life, God’s people are both secure and suffering.

In verse 1 we’ll see that God’s people are secure in this life because we belong to God and nothing can separate us from Him.

And yet, verse 2 reminds us that God’s people will suffer in this life because the nations continue to rage against Christ and His people.

Those two truths aren't contradictory. They are the normal Christian life. And both are found in these two short verses.

My prayer is that by rightly understanding the meaning of these two verses, we will rightly respond to the message of Revelation.

This book was not given to satisfy our curiosities about the end of the world.

It was given to help Christians in every age be faithful.

And in order to be faithful, we must understand that…

1) God’s people are secure in this life.

Revelation 11:1—Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there…”

Now at first glance, this verse doesn’t seem to say anything about God’s people or our security, or even this life.

So in order to understand what the Holy Spirit is trying to communicate, we need to ask a few questions.

A) What is the temple of God?

The Apostle John is told to “measure the temple of God.”

But what does that mean? What is this temple?

There are three main interpretations.

The most popular view among evangelicals today is called dispensationalism.

WHAT IS THE TEMPLE CHART 1

Out of a noble desire to always take the Bible literally, dispensationalists insist this must be a literal temple in Jerusalem.

And since the temple hasn’t been rebuilt since it’s destruction in A.D. 70, dispensationalists believe this is a prophecy about a future temple.

Now, there are many faithful brothers and sisters who hold this view. We should not mock them or make them feel like outsiders. This is one of those issues about which we can agree to disagree. And yet, I think it would be a mistake to say that this is an unimportant issue.

It seems unlikely to me that the Holy Spirit would inspire John to call a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem “the temple of God.”

Do we really think God would be happy with Jews rebuilding a temple and sacrificing animals there again?

The animal sacrifices in the Old Testament were intended to point to Jesus, the true and final sacrifice.

There’s a reason the veil in the temple was torn after Jesus died in our place.

There’s a reason Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.

There’s a reason Jesus called the suffering in those days worse than anything the world had ever seen [3], since the glorious temple was destroyed and two thousand years later it has never been rebuilt.

I agree with Joel Beeke who says: “The dispensational idea of God restoring Israel to the very temple that He destroyed is simply unbiblical. If such a temple were built by the Jews, it would stand as a monument to their rejection of the cross of Jesus Christ. The idea of rebuilding the temple and reinstituting its sacrifices denies the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning death.” [4]

Another view held by some evangelicals is called preterism.

WHAT IS THE TEMPLE CHART 2

That word preterism comes from the Latin word for past, so in some ways this is the mirror opposite of dispensationalism.

Dispensationalism teaches this is about a future rebuilt temple. Preterism teaches this is about the past temple, before it was destroyed in A.D. 70.

But here’s a major problem with this view: Most scholars date Revelation around A.D. 95 during Domitian's reign.

It’s hard to believe these are instructions for a temple that had already been destroyed for roughly twenty-five years.

A third view—sometimes called idealism—teaches that the temple of God is another reference to the people of God, the church.

WHAT IS THE TEMPLE CHART 3

Rather than looking to a literal temple in either the past or the future, this view calls us to look in the mirror and see the temple as a symbolic reference to the people of God in every age.

Now, if that seems strange to you, consider a few references...

1 Corinthians 3:16—Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

By the way, that word “you” is plural in the original language.

Paul is not telling you—individual Christian—to take care of your body because it’s a temple.

Paul is saying “y’all—the people of God, the church!—are God’s temple.”

This is even more clear in…

Ephesians 2:19–22—So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

I could show you several more, but nearly every reference to the temple after the book of Acts is an undeniable reference to God’s people.

It seems likely that the Apostle John means the same thing here.

But how does this point to God’s people being secure in this life?

In order to understand that, we need to answer a second question…

B) What does it mean to measure the temple?

An architect measures before he makes his designs. A builder measures before he begins construction. An assessor measures to make sure you’re paying just a little bit more taxes.

But none of those images really fit the measuring that’s going on here.

Look with me again at the text…

Revelation 11:1—Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there”

That last phrase is crucial here. God isn’t interested in square footage. He’s identifying people.

This command to measure the temple is almost certainly an allusion to another measurement in the Old Testament.

In Zechariah 2, the prophet is told to measure the city of Jerusalem. But notice the purpose of that measurement…

Zechariah 2:1–2, 5—And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length. . . . And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.”

Notice that God doesn't measure Jerusalem because He needs its dimensions. He measures it because it belongs to Him.

The measuring is followed by the promise, "I will be a wall of fire around her."

The measurement of God’s people symbolizes the covenant protection of God’s people.

Remember, where we are in the book of Revelation.

This is an intermission in between the 6th and the 7th trumpets.

Over a month ago, we studied chapter 7, which was an intermission between the 6th and 7th seals.

There we saw another symbol of this same reality when God sealed the 144,000.

Yes, the people of God will face hardships in this life. But they will not be defeated. They are sealed. They are measured. They are secure.

Here’s the bottom line: verse 1 is using symbolic language to describe the truth that God’s people are secure in this life.

If that’s true, we can finally move to application.

Let’s answer a third question…

C) Why does this matter?

When we began we said interpretation determines application. How we understand the temple of God in this text will affect how we apply it.

If the preterists are right and the temple refers to Jerusalem before A.D. 70, there is little practical relevance here unless you lived in Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago.

If the dispensationalists are right and the temple refers to a future rebuilt temple, there is little practical relevance here unless you happen to live near the end of the world.

But if the temple represents the church, these verses speak directly to believers in every generation.

They have something to say to John’s original audience, to the persecuted believers in the 3rd century, to the Reformers, to the pilgrims, and to you and me today.

Believers in every age need to be reminded that God’s people are secure in this life.

Because this is true, you can rejoice in the gospel.

The gospel is the good news that Jesus lived a sinless life and died a sinner’s death on the cross.

It’s the good news that He did that to take the punishment you deserve.

It’s the good news that He didn’t stay dead, but rose from death on the third day.

Do you believe that, friend? If you’d like to learn more, please talk to me or another one of our pastors after the service.

If you’ve already turned from your sins and trusted in Jesus, you can rejoice no matter what’s going on in your life!

The world measures people by their wealth, influence, appearance, popularity, or accomplishments. The world says the most important thing about you is what you do.

But God measures us based on what we worship. The most important thing about you isn’t anything you can do, it’s the fact that you belong to Him.

And if you belong to Him, no diagnosis, no election, no recession, no persecution, not even death itself can change that reality.

Because you are secure in this life, you can rest when you’re anxious.

Maybe you're worried about your job. Your health. Your children. The direction of our country.

Revelation isn't telling us those things don’t matter.

It's reminding us that before any of those things touch our lives, they first pass through the hands of a God who has already measured His people.

Your circumstances are uncertain, but your standing before God is not.

And since your standing with God is secure, you can risk for the sake of the gospel.

Christians throughout history have crossed oceans, entered hostile nations, planted churches, adopted and fostered children, fought injustice, spoken unpopular truths, and even faced martyrdom because they believed they were secure in Christ.

What risks is the Lord calling you to take, Christian?

Maybe you need to talk to a friend or family member about the gospel.

Maybe you need to give more sacrificially.

Maybe you need to surrender your life to the ministry.

If you really believe you are secure in Christ, you can take risks for the sake of the gospel.

What do you have to lose? Nothing that ultimately matters. Your future is secure in Christ!

In this life, God’s people are secure.

But as glorious as that truth is, it’s not the end of the story.

Scripture also tells us that…

2) God’s people will suffer in this life.

Before we look at the text, think about what John has just seen.

Before God tells His church about suffering, He first tells them, "You belong to Me."

This is not an accident.

God regularly reminds us of His grace before He calls us to endure hardship.

We don’t get grace because we persevere. We are able to persevere because we have already received grace.

Now let’s look at what John is told next…

Revelation 11:2—“…but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.”

To understand how this verse describes our suffering in this life, we need to answer a few more questions.

A) What is the outer court?

Before it was destroyed, the temple had an inner court and an outer court.

The inner court was only open to the Jewish people and the outer court was open to everybody.

SHOW TEMPLE COURTS IMAGE

We’ve already established that the temple of God is a reference to the people of God.

But what then is the outer court?

It’s a bit more clear if you look at the reason the court isn’t measured.

Look at the text again...

Revelation 11:2—“…do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.”

The outer court is unmeasured because it’s going to be given over to the nations to be trampled alongside the holy city.

Or to put it another way, if the temple represents God’s people than we are fully secure, but not fully shielded from earthly suffering. Security doesn’t mean the absence of suffering.

In his commentary on Revelation, Dennis Johnson puts it like this: “The unmeasured courtyard, given to the Gentiles, and the holy city, trampled by the Gentiles, balance the portrait of the church as the measured sanctuary: though protected from apostasy and God’s wrath, the church is exposed to physical coercion, social contempt, and violence.” [5]

We are protected from apostasy, meaning we won’t turn our backs on God. We’ll remain faithful until the end.

We are protected from God’s wrath because Jesus has already borne it in our place.

But we won’t necessarily be protected from the attacks of the world.

In this life, God’s people are both secure and suffering.

But notice our suffering has an expiration date.

Consider with me a second question…

B) What are the forty-two months?

The Apostle John is told that the suffering of God’s people will last for “forty-two months.”

Now before we talk about what this period of time means, you need to understand this idea is going to be repeated many times in the remaining chapters of Revelation.

Sometimes it’s called 1260 days.

Sometimes it’s called a time, times, and half a time, which is a poetic way of saying 3 1/2 years.

Even though interpreters disagree about what this period of time means, nearly everyone agrees that whether the text says 42 months, 1260 days, or 3 1/2 years it’s all referring to the same thing.

But what does it mean?

Once again, there are three main interpretations.

SHOW FORTY-TWO MONTHS CHART

Preterism teaches that the 42 months represent the Roman war against Israel, culminating in the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.

Because very few people in our circles hold this view, I’m not going to spend a lot of time refuting it.

I’ll just say that if preterism is true, Revelation becomes a historical book that has little direct relevance for modern Christians.

It might have helped John’s original audience to persevere, but it offers little to help you and I to persevere.

Dispensationalism teaches this is a future period of suffering, sometimes called the Great Tribulation.

Once again, there are many faithful Christians who hold this view, and we should treat them with charity and respect. But I don't think this interpretation best fits the flow of Revelation.

The most popular versions of this view teach that the Great Tribulation will follow a rebuilt temple, a seven-year peace treaty with Israel, and the secret rapture of the church.

But if the forty-two months describe a future three-and-a-half-year period, then for almost two thousand years Christians have had to read Revelation 11 saying, "This isn't really describing our suffering."

But Revelation was written to strengthen suffering churches, not merely to satisfy the curiosity of a future generation.

Far more convincing to me is Idealism, which teaches the 42 months symbolize the entire age of the church.

Why forty-two months? Why not forty? Or fifty?

Forty-two months isn't a random number. Three-and-a-half years is half of seven—the biblical number of completeness. It reminds us that evil has real power, but never ultimate power. Its time is always limited by God.

And every Jewish reader knew what three-and-a-half years represented.

It was the length of Elijah's drought. [6]

It was the length of time prophesied by Daniel the prophet when a wicked ruler named Antiochus Epiphanes would persecute God's people and desecrate the temple before the birth of Christ.

In both cases, God’s people suffered immensely. And in both cases God’s people were not destroyed finally. They were preserved.

I agree with Joel Beeke who writes: “The symbolic approach sees the numbers as expressing not so much a quantity of time as a quality of time. Forty-two months represent an intense period of persecution for a designated period that is limited by God’s will.” [7]

In a book where numbers are almost always intended to be understood symbolically, why should we expect anything different here?

Some Christians wonder, "If these forty-two months represent the entire church age, why doesn't life always feel like tribulation?"

Remember, Revelation was not written merely for comfortable American Christians. It was written for the global church. Even today, millions of believers worship under the threat of imprisonment, violence, or death.

And perhaps you and I would feel a bit more of that sort of persecution if we were a bit more passionate about speaking the truth to a world that loves darkness more than light.

Also, the idealist view doesn’t deny a final intensification of persecution before Christ returns. I believe Scripture points to a climactic rebellion led by the Antichrist. But I don't believe the church's tribulation begins only then. Revelation portrays suffering as the normal experience of God's people throughout this age.

Here’s the bottom line: verse 2 is using symbolic language to describe the truth that God’s people will suffer in this life.

If that’s true, we can finally move to application.

Let’s answer a third question…

C) Why does this matter?

Once again, interpretation determines application. How we understand the forty-two months in this text will affect our application.

If the preterists are right, you apply this text by remembering God’s faithfulness to preserve His people almost 2000 years ago.

If the dispensationalists are right, you apply this text by watching current events and prepping for the tribulation.

But if the forty-two months represent the entire church age, these verses speak directly to believers in every generation.

This passage reminds us that suffering is expected.

A few months ago I told you that the book of Revelation is kind of like that moment when the pilot gets on the intercom and tells you to expect turbulence.

Jesus is our Pilot, and He graciously warns us in His Word to expect tribulation.

John 16:33—“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Walking away from Jesus because Christianity is hard is like jumping out of an airplane because there’s turbulence.

So don’t give up when life hurts, Christian. Jesus has graciously warned you to expect turbulence. Just buckle up and stay faithful!

This passage also assures us that suffering will be limited.

No, this does not mean your suffering will automatically end after forty-two months. For some of you it might be much shorter. But for others, your suffering might last a lifetime.

And yet, if you belong to Christ, one day your suffering will end.

Christian, your suffering will not last forever. It may be intense. It may feel unbearable. But the day is coming when the final tear will be wiped away and your suffering will be gone forever.

Finally, this passages reminds us that our suffering will be redeemed.

The Christian message is not merely that our suffering will eventually end.

We also believe God uses our suffering both for our good and His glory.

We see a glimpse of that in the next verse in Revelation…

Revelation 11:3—And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.

We’ll talk a lot more about this next week, but for now I want you to notice this.

1260 days and 42 months are the same period of time.

So the timeline of our greatest suffering is ALSO the timeline of our greatest opportunity to witness to the power of the gospel.

Could it be, Christian, that God intends your suffering right now…

… whether you’re battling a stubborn sin, or a terminal diagnosis, or unrelenting grief, or unreconcilable relationships...

… could it be that God intends to use your faithfulness amidst that suffering to be your most powerful opportunity to testify to the truthfulness of Christ and the gospel?

You can be faithful to do this is you truly believe that..

In this life, God’s people are both secure and suffering.

When life hurts, Christian, one of the most important questions you can ask is: "How will I interpret my suffering?"

Will you conclude that God has abandoned you?

Will you assume He has forgotten you?

Will you turn your back on Him entirely, concluding He must not exist if life hurts this much?

Or will you believe what Revelation 11 teaches—that you are both secure and suffering?

That nothing can separate you from Christ, even though many things may wound you in this life?

Years after her accident, Joni Eareckson Tada finally came to understand that God was doing something deeper than she had ever imagined.

After praying countless times for God to work a miracle in her life, Joni finally realized that God chose a different kind of miracle.

Instead of healing her from her suffering, He was healing her through her suffering.

Looking back on decades in that wheelchair, she wrote these remarkable words:

“My affliction has stretched my hope, made me know Christ better, helped me long for truth, led me to repentance of sin, goaded me to give thanks in times of sorrow, increased my faith, and strengthened my character. Being in this wheelchair has meant knowing Him better, feeling His pleasure every day. If that doesn’t qualify as a miracle in your book, then—may I say it in all kindness?—I prefer my book to yours.” [8]

—Joni Eareckson Tada

Christian, Revelation 11 doesn't promise that life will be easy. It promises something even better.

Before your suffering began, you had already been measured.

Before the nations ever trampled the church, Christ had already claimed you as His own.

So when suffering comes—and it will—don't interpret it as God's absence.

Interpret it through the cross.

You are secure because Christ suffered in your place.

Your suffering has an expiration date. But your salvation does not.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

It Is Well

Benediction (Romans 8:37-39)