Revelation chapter 11 verse 1 to 2
1 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.
The reed that was presented to John is a device for measuring. These days, we have a wide variety of criteria that we use to evaluate people, such as wealth, intelligence, and so on.
God is seated on the throne in the temple, which is the site where God is worshipped. According to Acts 17:25, God is the origin of all life and is the one who provides "to all life and breath, and all things”.
One is to take measurements of the temple. Through this, we are to evaluate the love that God has for us. According to John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." This is something that we need to comprehend.
The Bible mentions two altars, both of which have prophetic significance. See Hebrews 13:10–15 for further information on the altar of sacrifice, which is a representation of the cross on which Christ offered His life for the sake of humanity. All of this attests to the tremendous gift that Christ has given in order to redeem the world. Christ now acts as a mediator in the heavenly sanctuary on behalf of the entire world (Revelation 8:3-5; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1–2).
This points to all who profess faith in Christ. The standard of love will measure all who profess to be His followers and to love Him.
Christ says, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments” and “Love is the fulfilling of the law” (John 14:15; Romans 13:10). To measure the temple is to measure God’s love. To measure the altar is to measure Christ’s love. To measure “them that worship therein” is to measure our love (Revelation 11:1). And to measure our love is to look for Christ in us, the hope of glory, which is the finishing of “the mystery of God” (Revelation 10:7; Colossians 1:26-27).
The court is made available to unbelievers, also known as nations. The magnificent temple in Jerusalem was described in the New Testament as having a huge outer court reserved for worshippers of God who were of the Gentile faith. A thin wall divided this area from the inner courts, reserved exclusively for Jewish people (Ephesians 2:14). Unquestionably, the fact that the courtroom does not measure the individuals present is a negative sign. It is possible that these refer to Gentiles who profess their allegiance to God, just like at the Jerusalem temple. However, according to Revelation 11:2, their actions are shown the contrary. Over the course of forty-two months, they trample the "holy city" with their feet (Revelation 11:2). Daniel 7:7 uses a similar phrase, "tramping underfoot of the holy city," to suggest that the holy city is under persecution.
Revelation chapter 11 verse 3 to 6
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
1260 prophetic days = 1260 literal years
Forty-two months are equal to 1260 days, given the biblical rule of 30 days to a month. Applying the day-for-a-year principle, we find Revelation 11 pointing to a 1260-year period. In this time, the Gentiles, professed followers of God, tread underfoot the holy city (persecute God’s faithful followers). This infers a period of persecution during which God’s witnesses were to prophesy in sackcloth (Revelation 11:2–3).
Christ said of the Old Testament Scriptures, “It is they that bear witness to Me” (John 5:39).
John was also told that these were “the two olive trees and two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth” (Revelation 11:4). Olive trees were the primary source of fuel for lamps in Bible times.
Psalm 119:105 refers to the olive oil lamp as a symbol for the Bible when it says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” This means that during this period of 1260 years, the Bible would stand before the nations as a witness to the truth.
In the Bible, sackcloth has at least two important representations.
• One is repentance for evil or sin (Jonah 3:5–9; Matthew 11:21).
• The other is affliction, persecution, physical suffering, and the loss of loved ones (Job 16:15).
The two witnesses represent the message of repentance for sin because they prophesy while wearing "sackcloth." The message is being sent during a period of tribulation and persecution caused by people opposed to the Word of God.
The people pained by the Bible's message, both in the Old and New Testaments, rejoiced over the harm that befell the people of God who faithfully preached the gospel. According to Revelation 11:10, they were "merry" and sent "gifts one to another because these two prophets tormented them." This verse describes their reactions to the two prophets.
The story of the massacre at St. Bartholomew was a striking example of how this was put into practice. On August 24, 1572, hundreds of Protestants were sleeping in France, and they had put their faith in the monarch. However, without any prior notice, the monarch forced them to be killed.
“When the news of the massacre reached Rome, the exultation among the clergy knew no bounds. The cardinal of Lorraine rewarded the messenger with a thousand crowns; the cannon of St. Angelo thundered forth a joyous salute; the bells rang out from every steeple; bonfires turned night into day; and Gregory XIII, attended by the cardinals and other ecclesiastical dignitaries, went in long procession to the church of St. Louis, where the cardinal of Lorraine chanted a Te Deum. . . . A medal was struck to commemorate the massacre, and in the Vatican may still be seen three frescoes of Vasari, describing the attack upon the admiral, the king in council plotting the massacre, and the massacre itself. Gregory sent Charles the golden rose; and four months after the massacre, . . . he listened complacently to the sermon of a French priest, . . . who spoke of ‘that day so full of happiness and joy, when the most holy father received the news, and went in solemn state to render thanks to God and St. Louis’” (Henry White, The Massacre of St. Bartholomew, chapter 14, 1871)
According to Revelation 11:5–6, anyone who harms the two witnesses will face fire and plagues. Revelation 22:18 gives the needed insight when it warns, “Everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if any one adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book”. In other words, those who “hurt” the two witnesses by changing or undermining their message would receive the plagues of the book of Revelation.
Backing up this warning is the statement, “These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy, and have power over waters to turn them to blood” (Revelation 11:6). This is a direct reference to the Old Testament record of Moses and Elijah, who, when directed by God’s Word, brought plagues and droughts upon the earth (see Exodus 7:20; 1 Kings 17:1). Thus, the power of the two witnesses is demonstrated.
Throughout the Dark Ages, these two witnesses carried out their testimony to the true God with unwavering devotion. Despite the laws banning the Bible and the persecution and death of those who dared to read it, the light of the truth found in the Bible persisted. Turning away from the Bible's light of truth brought about intellectual and moral darkness. This led to the outbreak of plagues, wars, and the loss of life.
Further reading:
A Time When The Bible Was Banned And Burned - Link
Who founded the Catholic Church? - Link
538 A.D. and the Transition from Pagan Roman Empire to Holy Roman Empire: Justinian’s Metamorphosis from Chief of Staffs to Theologian - Link