“Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, ‘Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.’” (Revelation 11:1-2 NASB1995)

Time and Place

To correctly understand what this is teaching us here, we need to consider the time period in which these events are taking place. For this is in the Messianic age after Jesus Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension back to heaven to be with God the Father. This is the church age. And so the church, the body of believers in Jesus Christ, are now the temple of God. And God’s Spirit dwells in us. And we are the holy city of God, not physical Jerusalem.

See: [Galatians 4:22-31; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 2:8-22; Colossians 3:12-15; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 8:8-10; Hebrews 10:30; Hebrews 11:25; Hebrews 12:22-24; 1 Peter 2:9-10]

And who are the nations who will tread underfoot the holy city for forty-two months? They are all who are not followers of Jesus Christ. They are all who are antichrist. And this includes the physical and political nation called “Israel,” which, as a nation, does not believe in Jesus Christ to be their Lord and Messiah, the Christ. And the holy city is no longer a physical place in the physical nation called “Israel,” but we who believe in Jesus are that city.

Persecution of Christians

So, this is not about physical nations foreign to the physical and political nation called “Israel” attacking that nation in the physical city of Jerusalem in another building which is a replica of the Old Covenant temple of God. This is about all who are antichrist coming against us who are true followers of Jesus Christ to persecute, destroy, put to death, and silence us and our voices. This is about the persecution of Christians, not of the Jews.

For, all Jews and Gentiles who do not believe in Jesus Christ are antichrist (1 John 2:22). And all who believe in Jesus Christ, in truth, are for Christ. And all Jews who rejected Jesus as their Lord and Messiah were cut out of biblical Israel, and all Gentiles who believed in Jesus were grafted into Israel, the Israel of God. And Jesus Christ and his followers are that Israel of God. And all who yet believe in Jesus Christ will also be included in biblical Israel.

But even some other professers of Christ will abandon, persecute, ignore, ostracize, ridicule, and want nothing to do with us if we are truly following Jesus Christ with wholehearted devotion and if we are doing and saying the kinds of things Jesus and his New Testament apostles did and said. For our opponents, although many of them profess to believe the Scriptures, some of them don’t do so in practice, and they will not approve of us if we do.

Measuring The Temple

And what does it mean that John was to measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship in it? This is not a measurement of a physical building called “the temple of God.” This is a spiritual evaluation of the spiritual temple of God, the church, which is comprised of all who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ. This is a testing of our faith to see who is truly of God and who is not, and who needs to change, for time is running out.

Have we died with Christ to sin, and are we continuing to do so daily? Are we living in submission to him as Lord? Are we walking in fellowship with him according to his commands? Are we living holy lives pleasing to God, no longer living in sin? “Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only be blest, and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul” (Elisha A. Hoffman, hymn writer).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Acts 26:18]

Living Sacrifices

Based off Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6:11-14 NIV
An Original Work / September 14, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you,
In view of God’s mercy,
To give yourselves to God in love
As living offerings,
Pleasing to God, holy in love.
This is your true worship.
Do not conform to worldly lives.
Let God transform you today.
Then you’ll be able to
Test and approve of what
God’s will is – His pleasing
And perfect will. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Offer yourselves unto God.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Do not be conceited.
Humble yourselves before your God.
Do not be self-righteous.
The strength you have to live in love
Comes from your Lord God, so
Live your new lives in pow’r of God.
Be changed in heart, mind and will.
Do this because of what
Christ did for you when
He died on the cross to save
The world from sin. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Humble yourselves before God.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –
Count yourselves dead to sin,
But be alive to God in Christ.
Do not let sin reign in
Your earthly lives so you
Obey its evil desires.
Offer yourselves unto your God
As those who’ve been born again.
For sin shall no longer be
Your lord and master.
Give of yourselves to God
For righteousness. Oh, holy ones,
I counsel you – Be alive to God in Christ.

Measure The Temple of God
An Original Work / April 22, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love