Handout - Western Christadelphian Bible School

4 Revelation 11:2
The 42 months during which the beast blasphemes God's Name and tabernacle, and
overcomes the saints (remember, this must mean Israel, from the parallel contexts) appear in
another account of tribulation for the Jews. In Revelation 11:2 it is said that "they", the
gentiles, will tread down Jerusalem for 42 months. Which gentiles can be determined by
following the parallels back via the beast of Revelation 13; to the little horn of Daniel 7; to
the king of the north of Daniel 11; to Paul's man of sin in 2 Thessalonians 2.
Since we started this chain, originally, in the Olivet prophecy, it certainly seems likely that
this treading down of Jerusalem by the Gentiles - for 42 months - is the same as that to which
Jesus referred in the Olivet prophecy:
"… they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all
nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the
Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24).
A couple of deductions are possible from the parallelism between these passages.
(a) The times of the gentiles are 3 1 / 2 times.
(b) The times of the gentiles have not yet begun.
The times of the gentiles are "even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it"
(Jer 30:7).
5 Revelation 11:3
The next link in the chain lies in the verse that follows the last link. In this case, however,
the period is 1260 days, which appears to be a different time. But the context suggests that
the period during which the two witnesses testify is the same as that during which Jerusalem
is trodden down. And the two witnesses carry out their work “clothed in sackcloth” (Rev
11:3) – which implies distress – linking the period of their ministry with the “treading under
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