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Fulfilling the Mystery
Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple (Greek, NAOS i.e., the inner realms of the temple) of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles (Greek, ETHNOS i.e., the nations). And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.
God told John to measure – to consider, evaluate and comprehend the inner realm – the holy of holies and the holy place of God’s house. He also was to evaluate the altar of incense (the only altar present in the inner place) and those who worship there. Since incense speaks of intercessory prayer and worship that ascends as a sweet aroma to the Lord, John was to assess both the worshippers and their worship. But because the outer court had been given to the nations, the entire holy city would be trampled for 42 months.
God’s house has existed in every generation. Today, there is an inner realm in God’s sanctuary. Accordingly, many priestly believers are offering up the incense of worship and prayer before the Lord. God’s instruction to John reveals to us something of the function of New Testament prophetic ministry. John was to notice, discern, and evaluate the worship in God’s house.
Personally, I want to be a man of the holy of holies – one who lives in intimate relationship with the Lord; I do not want to live in the outer court. The outer area has been given to the nations so that they might trample it. Present day “outer court Christians” are being tread upon by the nations. Many churchgoers have been deeply affected by the philosophies and value systems of the world. Secular thinking literally permeates whole sections of God’s house. As a result, the entire city of God (the whole Church) has been affected because many in our midst have received and taught the ways of the nations.
For example, men who were good leaders in the world are invited to teach and write books on Christian leadership in the Church. Successful business managers instruct on how to get things done in God’s house. But is it wise to “Christianize” effective business principles in order to extend God’s kingdom? In fact, a question arises: “Exactly whose kingdom will be expanded?” Jesus said that leadership in His kingdom would be different from that in the world (Matthew 20:25 - 28). Because those successful in the world are accommodated in training Church leaders, the whole city of God gets trampled.
I believe the Lord is saying, “There is an inner realm in My house. Rise up and discover it. Discern and comprehend it. Begin to walk around its boundaries and learn what is acceptable to Me and what is not. Participate in the priestly call to intercessory prayer, worship, and praise. As you learn My ways in worship you will begin to bring definition to others concerning this realm. And as you become one who speaks from this realm you will begin to woo unto Me those being run over by the nations. There is a vision to be imparted to My house. The world’s ways are not the message!”
There is a great deal of activity presently going on in God’s house. Some of it has eternal roots and some does not. Clearly, we are all going to need spiritual discernment to properly understand what the Lord is doing in our generation. The fruits of worldly thinking are evident even in the area of worship itself. The world says we should strive and compete to succeed. Then we see Christian musicians doing just that. To them, worship ministry is a career. Steps are taken and decisions made in order to emerge as “a successful worship leader”. But God desires hearts broken in His presence, not posturing before others while using words of intimacy toward Him.
As for me, I want to live in the holy of holies. I want to understand this realm and describe it to others. I long to see people near me getting thirsty for what I see. Then, as they draw near to Him, I will get thirsty for what they see. Consequently, the areas of our lives that are of an “outer court” nature will begin to change and come into harmony with God’s ways. But let us be clear, He does not intend to leave His Church in the outer courts, at a distance from Him. He wants all His people living in the holy of holies. The entire Church is called to live in bridal intimacy with Him. I used to think that only a small portion of God’s people would respond in this life to the call of the Bridegroom. But then one day, I saw the words of the angel to John.
”Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
Simply stated: the Scriptures identify the whole heavenly city as His bride. Therefore all who are born of His Spirit are called into intimate fellowship with Him. Let us draw near.
One persistent problem is that the Church often spends time measuring in the wrong arena. God calls us to examine the holy of holies, not places that the world finds interesting or significant. If we are not careful, we could spend the rest of our lives defining the outer court and never go anywhere in God’s purpose. But if we respond to His call, dwell where we are supposed to, and start describing our surroundings to others, those standing at a distance will begin to question their spiritual aloofness and start their own personal journeys into the holy places.
The Lord informed John that the holy city would be trampled by the nations for 42 months or 3 1/2 years. The phrase “3 1/2 years” is stated three different ways in the Bible. In the Book of Daniel it is “time, times, and a half a time”. Here in Revelation 11 it is 42 months and also 1260 days.
Obviously, the number 7 has symbolic significance in the Book of Revelation. John speaks of 7 vials, 7 trumpets, 7 lampstands, 7 spirits, 7 thunders, 7 horns and eyes on the Lamb, etc. If the number 7 speaks of perfection, 3 ½ (which is exactly ½ of 7) could speak of perfection in limitation. For example, Jesus ministered on earth for 3 ½ years (Daniel 9:27). In the gospels we see the Perfect One walking in limitation. Jesus flawlessly revealed God’s kingdom while in a body of flesh. The perfect and absolutely sinless God of the universe confronted the religious system of His day not in omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, but as a man.
Consider also Elijah. James tells us that when the prophet prayed for rain to cease in the land, the drought lasted for 3 ½ years (James 5:17). Then when he petitioned the Lord, it started raining again.
Both Jesus (Isaiah 53:2) and Elijah ministered in a time of spiritual drought. Therefore, the number 3 ½ could also speak of a time of spiritual lack and God’s confrontational response (e.g., Jesus in the temple with the scourge of cords and Elijah calling down fire from heaven). In both cases, God’s perfect merciful work was accomplished, and His judgment was expressed with limitation. It is in such a time that we are to be exploring the holy of holies.
God’s response to the nations trampling His city is not to rapture His people out of the war, but to raise up two witnesses. In the next chapter, we will consider the correlation between the two witnesses and New Testament prophetic ministry.
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