August 11: TRAMPLING THE HOLY CITY
But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city for forty-two months. Revelation 11:2
The word translated Gentiles can also be translated nations. The book of Revelation also refers to the unsaved as those who dwell on the earth. Our opening verse emphasizes that the measuring taking place between the sixth and seventh trumpet is only for professed believers—that is, those who plead innocence under the blood of Christ—the purpose of which is to distinguish the genuine Christians from those who profess Christianity but are not true to the faith.
Another clue that the nations are not subject to measuring is the mention of the court which is outside the temple. The temple in Jerusalem had an outer court where Gentiles were allowed to worship. Those who accepted the true faith were grafted into the Jews (Romans 2:29; 11:17-24) and those Jews who rejected Jesus were broken off (11:19). In traversing Daniel and Revelation, it becomes clear that, by default, those who reject the Lord join the ranks of the Gentiles or nations. And they will tread the holy city for forty-two months. There are only two camps.
The word tread is also translated trample. It expresses hostility toward the things of God. This hostility takes many forms, but is a mindset with a common denominator shared by those who dwell on the earth (Revelation 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:2). Seven again!
Although the disciples of Jesus mistakenly equated the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple with the end of the world, Jesus patiently answered their questions about the time of the end. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD70 was only a type, or foreshadowing, of what would come later. Jesus had said, “And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24b). The end of all this trampling is in sight! The Lord Himself, in mercy, will bring it to its self-imposed end (see Daniel 2:35,45).
We come to another symbol: the holy city. The name Jerusalem means city of peace. God’s people are citizens of that city (the heavenly one), according to Paul who states: our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). The heavenly city is the New Jerusalem (see Hebrews 11:16; 12:22; Revelation 21:2). The time period that the Gentiles would be permitted to trample the holy city is forty-two months. This expression is repeated in Revelation 13:5. In both of these instances, it is the persecutors of God’s people who are being emphasized. In the sense that citizens of heaven are persecuted on the earth, we understand the treading of the holy city. God limits the time this trampling is allowed.
Recall the interim between the sixth and seventh seals in 7:1-8 (vv. 9-17 is a forward glimpse into the heavenly future). The seal interim focuses on the saved, and their victorious endurance of Satan’s fury:
These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:14,16,17