Scripture reading: Romans 11:13-15 & 25-31
In Romans 11 Paul is talking to the natural Jew and he is talking about the natural Gentile. He is telling of the destiny of the Jew and the Gentile. The Jew was cast away by God because He wanted to bring in the harvest of the Gentile. When the harvest of the Gentile comes in, then He is going to again bring in the Jew. God is going to use the Gentile church, THE CHURCH, to deliver the Jewish people from the sin of unbelief into which they have fallen. They are going to have some very convincing arguments from God through the church. Scripture says that through the church the manifold wisdom of God will be preached to principalities and powers, and, of course, to the Jews. See Ephesians 3:9-10.
Revelation 11:2 tells us that for “forty and two months” Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles. We are talking about the Jerusalem of God, not just the natural Jerusalem. Natural Jerusalem is going to be attacked and trodden down and spiritual Jerusalem (the outer court of the church) will be totally destroyed. “Forty and two months” is three and a half years. Other scriptures tell us what is going to happen in these three and a half years. Let us first look at the verse below.
Revelation 11:3, “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”
During the time when the outer court is being trampled under foot, the holy of holies is going to be riding high and really battling the enemy. “I will give power unto my two witnesses…“ Take that picture. One part of the church is being trampled, and the other part they cannot touch, they are afraid of them. We will see also, as we go on further in the study, that there is yet another part that is going to be protected and not touched at all. THREE PARTS – one part will protect the other, and the outer court, which is indefensible, will be trodden down by the enemy.
Daniel 7:21 and 22, “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints (this horn is the antichrist), and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”
Further light comes on this subject in verse 25. “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” (until this three and a half years). This is the time when the saints will get power and begin to show forth their authority. They will not have the final victory over the enemy until the end of the three and a half years. One part of the church will be suffering during the three and a half years, the other part will be a fighting church overcoming the enemy, and the other part will be a hiding church being preserved and hidden from the enemy. This all depends on the power that this section of the church has.
The outer court people will have no power against what Satan is going to throw against them, because they have not been submitted to Christ. The holy place people will have the power, but they will have the power to escape and to be hidden and preserved. The holy of holies people will have the power to stand before the enemy and drive him from them, until finally they gain the victory over the enemy, over Satan and his hosts, and the world and all their technology, after three and a half years.
(Excerpt from The Book of Revelation, Volume 2, pages 7-9)
Thought for today: Let us strive to be part of the Church that cannot be touched and is overcoming the enemy.
Sonlight Devotional 