In this week’s study, I start in Chapter 11 verses 1-2. Keep in mind that at this point in time we are in the 6th trumpet, 5th seal, as we have learned in a prior study that the 6th seal, 7th trumpet and 7th vial all show the same events, Earthquakes, sun black, moon blood, stars fall, mountains islands move, Yahweh Wrath, great voices, lightings voices thunders and great hail.
John starts out with given a rod and told to measure the Temple of Yahweh and the altar and those that worship therein. However John was instructed not to measure the court outside the Temple.
1. And there was given to me = by whom, it is not said. If Chapter 11 is a continuation of Chapter 10, then can we assume that it was the angel of 10:5, who was standing on the earth and sea?
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod = A measuring reed, which with the Jews was six cubits long, Ezekiel 40:5; with the Greeks and Romans, ten feet long; the Ethiopic version here calls it a "golden reed", as in Rev. 21:15.
Rise, and measure the Temple of God = Observe the word Temple it is (...) (naos), the holy place; not (...) (hieron), the temple-building as a whole.
and the altar = In the Jewish temple the altar was the place where the worship centered. Without the altar worship was impossible, and the altar is taken as a symbol of the worship.
And them what worship therein = Therefore there will be worshippers: and among the worshippers the 144,000 sealed for Divine protection; beside those who suffer martyrdom at the hands of the Beast, and those with whom he makes war.
2. But the court which is without the temple = Which is outside of the temple, and, therefore, which does not strictly pertain to it.
Leave out = ‘cast out’ The meaning is, that he was not to regard it as pertaining to the true temple of worshippers.
given = by Yahweh’s appointment.
unto the Gentiles = In the wider sense, there are meant here “the times of the Gentiles,” wherein Jerusalem is “trodden down of the Gentiles,” as the parallel, Luke 21:24
Forty two months = some may say 3 ½ years, which may be true. But we must take note that whenever we see months, we must consider the fact of lunar. I believe that Yahweh uses months to signify the fact that we should look at the lunar calendar. In a lunar month we have app. 29.503589 days, therefore in a calender years we have app. 354.37 days. Whereas the solar calendar is based on app. 30 days and 365 days in a year. Whenever you see lunar, this is always of darkness, which is Satan. Therefore these 42 months is of Satan. Now if we take the 42 months and multiply it by 29.503589 we have a total of app. 1239.150738 days. When we get to the 2 witnesses we shall read that their prophecies are in days.
The reason so many people think Bible prophecy is incomprehensible is because they have made it so. Rather than recognizing the fact that Yahweh is as clear about the future as he is about the past and the present, many go to enormous lengths to avoid the normal meaning of Scripture, to look into the Old Testament and other passages to help explain the present passage and, in so doing, they impose upon the prophetic literature all manner of ridiculous and fanciful meanings that do make it incomprehensible.
But, be like those in 2Timothy 2:15 ‘Study to shew thyself approved unto God (Yahweh), a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’
Join me as we go Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse, Unraveling the Words of Yahweh!
Have any questions? Feel free to email me at keitner@netzero.net
