Study in Revelation #57

The sermon presents a theological argument against the Preterist interpretation of Revelation 11:2, which identifies the 'holy city' as literal Jerusalem trampled underfoot by the Romans for 42 months. It contends that the phrase 'holy city' in Revelation consistently refers to the faithful church, not Jerusalem, and that the 'great city' in Revelation 11:8—spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where the Lord was crucified—is best understood as Rome, symbolizing the corrupt, idolatrous, and tyrannical harlot church. By analyzing the use of 'kings of the earth' throughout Scripture, the sermon demonstrates that this phrase consistently refers to Gentile rulers, not Jewish authorities, and that Rome, as the city upon seven hills and the power that ruled over nations, fits the description of the great city that reigns over the kings of the earth. The sermon further argues that the 42-month period in Revelation 11:2 does not align historically with the Roman siege of Jerusalem, which lasted only five months, and that the phrase 'until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled' in Luke 21:24 indicates a longer, eschatological fulfillment rather than a literal 42-month occupation. Ultimately, the holy city is the church, and its trampling underfoot is a spiritual reality under the papal antichrist, requiring faithful witness and spiritual warfare without compromising with Rome, even in shared moral opposition to societal evils.