Study in Revelation #56

The sermon presents a critical examination of the Preterist interpretation of Revelation 11:1–2, arguing that its literalist reading of the temple, outer court, and Jerusalem fails to align with the broader symbolic usage of these terms throughout Revelation. It contends that the temple, altar, and holy city are consistently symbolic in the book—representing the church or spiritual realities rather than physical locations—making a literal interpretation inconsistent with the text's overall pattern. The sermon challenges the claim that Jerusalem was literally trampled underfoot for 42 months, noting that a historical siege does not equate to a literal treading underfoot, and that the phrase "holy city" elsewhere in Revelation refers to the heavenly Jerusalem or the church, not the earthly city. Furthermore, it argues that the 42-month period should be understood through the day-for-a-year principle, as seen in Daniel 9, indicating a prolonged era of persecution lasting 1,260 years, not a brief historical event. Ultimately, the sermon advocates for a historicist interpretation that sees the passage as a symbolic prophecy of the church's suffering under the spiritual tyranny of the Papal Antichrist, emphasizing the need for biblical interpretation grounded in the text's consistent symbolism and theological coherence.