3. The court which is without the temple--measure it not: As the measured portion of the temple symbolized the true Israel, the court without, outside the measured part, signified unbelieving Israel. “ The court without--leave out” --it was not to be measured for preservation. They were not the sealed servants of God--they were not included in the twelve times twelve thousand of the spiritual tribes. They were given unto the Gentiles, and along with the old temple and Jewish state they were destined for destruction. As unbelieving Israel they should be cut off (Romans 11:22). Paul said cut off; John said leave out. The whole symbol is that the measured portion was the preserved spiritual Israel, and the unmeasured part was the unbelieving fleshly Jewish nation “ given to the Gentiles” to be destroyed by the Romans, which was done in the siege of Jerusalem, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the end of the Jewish world. 4. The holy city shall they tread under foot. Jerusalem was the once holy city: but was no longer that. It was here called holy because of its past association with the covenanted and the sainted ancestors. “ How is the faithful city become harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.” (Isaiah 1:21) “ 0 Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee . . . Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” (Matthew 23:37-38) By divine decree Jerusalem was to be desolated and “ trodden down of the Gentiles.” (Luke 21:24) The judgment had already been passed, and John was commanded to leave Jerusalem out, and “ measure it not,” as that which had been cast away. 5. A thousand two hundred and threescore days. The mathematical calculation of this figure was twelve hundred and sixty days, the same period of time assigned for the flight of the woman into the wilderness. (Chapter 12:6) The interpretation of scriptural numerals in relation to days and months should not be made on the basis of the literal number unless an over-riding reason for the exact mathematical application exists. Such a reason does exist in this calculation of the forty and two months, or the twelve hundred and sixty days of Revelation, mentioned in 11:2-3, 12:6 and 13:5. From the imperial order and the beginning of the siege to its end and completion it was forty-two months, or a thousand two hundred and threescore days, or the oft-mentioned twelve hundred and sixty days--that was the exact period of time, as a matter of historical record, which covered the events of the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. An example of such necessary mathematical application is in the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the end of the ten tribes, chapter 7:1-9. Because of the importance of this Isaiahan prophecy, and its bearing on the exact mathematical application of the forty-two months period of Revelation, the entire section of the Old Testament prophecy is here inserted: “ 1. And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jothan, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. 2. And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. 3. Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’ s field; 4. And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. 5. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, 6. Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: 7. Thus saith the Lord God, it shall not stand neither shall it come to pass. 8. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people. 9. And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’ s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.” This prophecy of Isaiah was to the effect that the conspiracy against Judah could not be executed, and that in threescore and five years the ten tribes (Ephraim) would cease to be a people, and it is the history of it that in exactly sixty-five years, from the date of Isaiah’ s prophecy, the ten tribes came to end--and that prophecy was literally fulfilled. And it was the history of it, in connection with the point of discussion, that it was exactly forty-two months (twelve hundred and sixty days, or a thousand two hundred and threescore days) from the imperial command to besiege and destroy Jerusalem to the accomplishment of the commission-- and this apocalypse was thus literally fulfilled also. For the historical evidence, Vespasian received his commission from Nero, and declared war on Jerusalem February, A.D. 67. The siege ended with the fall of Jerusalem, the burning of the city and temple, in August, A.D. 70. This computation of dates yields the forty-two months for Jerusalem to be “ trodden under foot” as in the vision of Rev 11:2. The historical authority for these dates is Lardner’ s Jewish Testimonies, Vol. 8, and Josephus, in Wars Of The Jews, Vol. 7. The continuous historical theory of the dark ages period and to the end of time lacks historical evidence and factual support and must be rejected. In chapter 13:5 the same exact number was used to designate the period of the beast’ s authority, and for the two witnesses to testify, as mentioned in verse 3, here in chapter 11. It was the same period as the “ times of the Gentiles” in Luke 21:24, and it meant the time of judgment on Jerusalem by the Romans--therefore, the city was trodden down until the times connected with these events were fulfilled; that is, the period in which the Gentiles were engaged in the treading down of Jerusalem was thus designated, and only that period was envisioned in the mathematical phrases of the forty and two months and the thousand two hundred and threescore days. The period designated as “ the times of the Gentiles” in the Lord’ s discourse on Olivet, as recorded by Luke, (21:24) does not refer to the time of salvation for the Gentiles, but to the period for the infliction of judgment on Jerusalem which was accomplished by the Gentiles (the Romans). The preposition until connected with the phrase the times of the Gentiles carries no indication of anything after the times mentioned. In Galatians 3:19 the apostle declared that the law was added until Christ should come-- and that was its point of termination. In Hebrews 10:9 the apostle further said that the Mosaic ordinances were imposed until the time of the new covenant--and there the old ordinances ended. So the declaration that Jerusalem was trodden down until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled had reference to the siege and destruction of the city--that was the point of termination, and Jerusalem and all for which it had stood in the system of Judaism, theocratically and politically, according to all prophecies and apocalypses concerning it, came to its inglorious end.