Revelation 11:1-2; The Court Without the Temple (1)

Revelation 11:1-2 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 

John was an active participant in this vision where he was asked to measure the temple of God. Does it refer to the literal temple? Yes it appears so. And the description of it tells us that it was during the time of the Great Tribulation with a reference to the last 3 ½ years (42 months). And he was asked to excluding measuring the court of the gentiles which will be given to the gentiles. We observe that the temple in Jerusalem by now destroyed since 70 A.D. So this vision speaks of a future temple that will be erected.

At first sight, this appears to be a puzzling passage, for a literal translation reveals an apparent redundancy: “And the court of the temple, the one outside, cast it outside.” But not really so. God makes a clear division between the saints who worship him in spirit and truth and those people who pay Him lip service but whose hearts are far from Him (Isa. 29:13; Matt. 15:8–9).

Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near mewith their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: 

Matthew 15:8-9 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.But in vain they do worship me, teaching fordoctrines the commandments of men.

The first group of people worships in holiness and receives His blessing; the second must be cast out because of their hypocrisy. The first group is in the presence of God and is alive; the second is outside God’s sphere and is dead. Here is the contrast between holy and profane that John describes all through the Apocalypse. The saints are those who have God’s seal on their foreheads (9:4); they are measured, that is, protected.

Revelation 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 

The profane are the people who refuse to repent of their evil deeds (9:20–21); they are not to be measured, that is, they are rejected. Jesus notes that God’s people enter the gates of the holy city (22:14), but outside are those who are unclean (22:15).

Revelation 9:20-21 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. 

Revelation 22:14-15 Blessed arethey that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without aredogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 

 Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol. 20, pp. 325–326). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.