“Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure 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. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months” (Revelation 11:1-2).
The opening verses of Revelation chapter eleven mark the emergence of the temple of God, a structure that is rich with historical significance. King Solomon oversaw the construction and subsequent dedication of Israel’s first temple in 953 B.C. That magnificent building stood until 586 B.C. when it was destroyed by the invading Babylonian army. It was later rebuilt around 517 B.C. as chronicled in the book of the Old Testament prophet Ezra (6:15-16).
Centuries later, another temple building project began under the patronage of a secular governor known to history as Herod the Great. An ancient account of that project tells us that the temple’s primary structure was built of stone and gold and took almost a decade to complete. It was also said that the sun reflected off the white stone and gold of the temple with such intense brilliance that it was impossible to gaze upon it from a distance in the daytime.
With this in mind, let’s consider Jesus’ message to His disciples concerning the temple of that era…
“As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’ ‘Do you see all these great buildings?’ replied Jesus. ‘Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down'” (Mark 13:1-2 NIV).
That forewarning materialized roughly four decades after Jesus spoke those words. Beginning in A.D. 69, the Roman general Titus marched on the city of Jerusalem with 30,000 armed forces. His military objective involved a systematic and ruthless campaign to eliminate any remaining opposition to the Roman Empire. That military action leveled the city of Jerusalem along with the temple and every other major building. It also led to an estimated loss of one million lives.
The elaborate architecture of the temple reflected its role as a central component of Jewish spiritual and cultural identity. However, the Romans demolished the temple so thoroughly that modern scholars and archaeologists cannot pinpoint the exact location of several portions of it. Thus, Jesus’ prophetic statement came to pass just as He said: “…the time is coming when not even one stone will be left upon another. All will be demolished” (Luke 21:6 CEB).
We’ll tie these historic elements together next.