Today’s reading is Revelation 11.
Measuring the Temple
After John is recommissioned through the eating of the scroll in Revelation 10, he is told to measure the temple of God In Revelation 11:1-3. Let’s not get distracted arguing about whether this is God’s temple in heaven, the temple in Jerusalem, or the church as God’s temple in the New Covenant. The message of this measuring will be the same no matter which of those we choose. Notice, John measures the temple, the altar, and those who worship there. He is to leave out the court because it is given to the nations and the Gentiles will trample it underfoot for forty-two months.
Did you catch it? Why was the court not to be measured? Because it is unprotected and given over to trampling. Why then were the temple, altar, and worshipers within to be measured? Because they are not given over to be trampled. They are protected.
The Meaning of the Measuring in Ezekiel
As we’ve already been taken back to Ezekiel by the eating of the scroll in Revelation 10:8-11, we can’t help but be transported back to the measuring of the visionary, cosmic temple in Ezekiel 40-43. In Ezekiel 43:6-12, God explained why He had the visionary temple measured and what it was supposed to mean for Ezekiel’s preaching to Israel. The temple was the place of His dwelling and the people were to stop profaning it and defiling His holy name with their idolatry. Then He specifically says:
As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and they shall measure the plan. And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and entrances, that is, its whole design; and make known to them as well all its statutes and its whole design and all its laws, and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe all its laws and all its statutes and carry them out (ESV).
Whatever we make of the temple Ezekiel saw measured in his vision, God explains the entire purpose of the vision was to tell Israel to quit profaning His name and to start observing His will and carry out His statutes. Isn’t this precisely what John has been telling the seven churches?
The Meaning of the Measuring in Zechariah
In addition to Ezekiel, we see a callback to a similar scene in Zechariah. Be aware, right after the measuring of the temple in Revelation the reference to two witnesses, two lampstands, and two olive trees is a hyperlink to the two lampstands and two olive trees of Zechariah 4. Thus, the Revelation measuring is sandwiched between allusions to Ezekiel and allusions to Zechariah.
Don’t be too surprised then to recall we find a similar measuring scene in Zechariah 2:1-12. In this one, we witness the whole city of Jerusalem measured. The man measuring the city is told by an angel:
Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst (ESV).
WOW! The meaning of the measuring was a declaration of God’s protection. Though the city of Zechariah’s vision would have no walls, God would be her wall, and a wall of fire at that. Further, the city’s glory would be God Himself dwelling in and among His people. Praise the Lord!
But keep reading Zechariah and see the instruction based on this declaration:
Up! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. For thus said the LORD of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them” (ESV).
Israel was called to flee into the protection of the city which has been measured, because all who stayed outside with Babylon would become plunder.
The Meaning of the Measuring in Revelation
The measuring of the temple in Revelation 11, sandwiched between callbacks to Ezekiel and Zechariah bring together both of those visions. As the 144,000 were sealed and protected under the sixth seal (see Revelation 7:1-8), the temple and altar along with the worshipers therein are measured and protected under the sixth trumpet.
However, to be in the protection of the measured temple, the Christians must not profane the name of God. They must not carry on with idolatrous practices. They must not listen to the Balaamite Nicolaitans or Jezebel the prophetess. They must not compromise with the cities around them. They must worship God and God alone. They must align with the order of the true cosmos, centered around and bowing before the throne of God.
But perhaps the significant difference between Revelation 11:1-3 and Zechariah 2:1-2 gives us the biggest indication of the meaning of this measurement. In Zechariah the entire city is measured. In Revelation only the temple and the worshipers inside it are measured, the rest of the holy city is given over to the trampling by the nations/Gentiles.
This is hard for us. But recall the messages sent to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3. The church, the holy city, the new Jerusalem, the bride of Christ was tarnished. Many in the “holy city” were faltering. Though they were “in” the holy city, they were actually living in Babylon. They were compromising with Babylon around them. Rather than aligning with God and true worship of Him, they were aligning with the nations around them, with the Gentiles around them. They thought they found safety with one foot seemingly in the church and one foot in the city. But God explains these compromisers will be trampled. Interestingly, not trampled by God, but trampled by the very ones from whom they thought they were receiving protection.
Once again, God explains if we don’t give ourselves wholly to Him, He will give us up to our compromising, backsliding, idolatrous ways. Then we’ll find out how those false gods will deal with us. They will trample us.
Fire and Glory
But let us not end on the negative note. Yes, those who take comfort outside the temple in the holy city will be trampled. But the main point of this is not to fear trampling out there, but to see the protection in the temple. Up! Let us escape the treacherous Babylon and flee into God’s holy temple, gathered around His altar, worshiping Him. Inside the temple, we stand behind a wall of fire and God is the glory in our midst. No matter what is happening in the earthly realm, that is what is happening when we pull back the curtain and see faithfulness to God from His perspective.
Praise the Lord!
Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 11.
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PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family
How does Revelation 11 prompt or improve your praise of God?
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