Why Measure the Temple?

I want to write about Revelations, but the material is so vast I never know where to start. I asked Paul to begin a dialogue with me; he will ask a question about Revelation and I will try to respond. This is a rewrite of a Dusty Disciple article from July 2009. Hopefully, time has added to the original understanding.

I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. (Rev 11:1-2)

QUESTION: Why is John told to measure the temple of God and why is the Court of the Gentiles excluded from this measurement?

DISCUSSION: Before the question posed can be answered, a more basic question must be addressed. Will a third temple be constructed before the return of Jesus Christ? Not only is the answer important in responding to the original question, the answer can give us some insight into the signs that will precede the return of Jesus. If the answer is “yes,” then we can fix the return of Jesus with relative certainty once construction of the temple begins. After we have answered the basic question about the temple, we can answer the original question about the significance of John’s call to measure the temple of God.

A FUTURE TEMPLE: A number of passages in the Bible suggest that a future temple will be constructed. When Paul warned of the coming antichrist, he wrote, “the man of lawlessness…the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God,” (2 Thess 2:3-4). The words of Paul indicate a temple that is required for the man of lawlessness to fulfill the prophecies written about him. Daniel has a similar prophecy that implies the existence of a temple.

“the prince who is to come…will make a firm covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering,” (Dan 9:26-27).

Sacrifice by itself does not require a temple. After Israel returned from Babylon, Ezra and the priests offered sacrifices on the altar (Ezra 3:3-4), for approximately twenty years before the second temple was completed. From the days of David, sacrifice on the Temple Mount was always associated with the Tabernacle, the Temple, or during the days when the Temple was being constructed as in the days of Solomon and Ezra. Further, with very few exceptions (Elijah), sacrifice and offering can only occur on the Temple Mount. Therefore, if sacrifice and offering are permitted in the prophecy of Daniel, then the Jewish people have access to the Temple Mount. If they have access and control of the Temple Mount to offer sacrifices, a temple will be constructed to fulfill the commandments of the Law given through Moses.

The Book of Ezekiel dedicates five chapters (40-44) to the description of a future temple that has never been constructed. The description was given by God to provide hope for the Jewish people who were about to go into exile for seventy years. If this prophecy is to be fulfilled, sometime in the future the temple described by Ezekiel will be built. The one who is prophesized to build the temple is the Messiah, also referred to in scripture as “the Branch.”

“Tell him this is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD. It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.'” (Zech 6:12-13)

“The Branch” is a title of the Messiah who is referred to in scripture as “a righteous Branch sprout(ing) from David's line” (Jer 33:15), “a Branch (that) will bear fruit” (Isa 11:1), and “a shoot…from the stump of Jesse,” (Isa 11:1).

Construction of the third temple will be one of the signs given to demonstrate that an individual is the Messiah. For this reason, the man of lawlessness will not only be compelled to construct the temple, but will use its construction to foster his Messianic claim. To further demonstrate that he is the Messiah, John tells us that he performs “great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heave in the full view of men,” (Rev 13:13). Fire from heaven is the quintessential sign from God who sent fire down from heaven at the dedication of the first temple and the offering of Elijah. The LORD also rained down fire in judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah and in the future will cause fire to come down from heaven and devour the enemies of God, (Rev 20:9).

Jesus warned of a future time when the man of lawlessness would take up residence in the temple.

“Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains.” (Matt 24:15-16)

The phrase “Abomination of Desolation” originates in the Book of Daniel who wrote, “Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation,” (Dan 11:31). This prophecy received partial fulfillment in the days of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (215-135BC), a ruler of the Seleucid Empire who, “profaned the temple in Jerusalem and dedicated it to Olympian Zeus,” (2 Maccabees 6:2). Antiochus prohibited the keeping of the Sabbath, celebration of the traditional feasts, and even the acknowledgment that a person was a Jew. In addition, he gave himself the name “Ephiphanes,” which means “God Manifest.” The desecration of Antiochus IV Epiphanes lasted approximately 3-1/2 years until his death in 163 BC.

Jesus refers to this history, “let the reader understand,” as a pattern of what will be repeated in the future by the coming antichrist. Like the man of Daniel’s prophecy, John tells us that the beast (the man of lawlessness, the antichrist) will open…

“his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast — all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Rev 13:6-8).

The duration of the beast’s authority will be approximately 3-1/2 years (1,290 days, Dan 12:11), from the middle of the seven year covenant to the end of the seven years, (Dan 9:27). Thus, the Gentiles “will trample on the holy city for 42 months,” (Rev 11:2).

In the days of Jesus, Herod the Great became a pattern of the antichrist. In order to win the favor of the Jewish people and solidify his clam as king of the Jews, Herod upgraded the second temple complex into one of the great wonders of the ancient world. He spared neither marble nor gold as his workman decorated the temple. He is reported to have hung a solid gold grapevine with three-inch thick branches from the front of the temple that was subsequently enlarged by wealthy donors. The rabbis referred to this object as the "true vine." Some scholars speculate that Jesus was at this location when he made the proclamation, "I am the true vine," (John 15:1).

Certainly the weight of scripture, including the words of Jesus, Daniel, Ezekiel, and Paul, indicate the existence of a future temple. Now we can return to the original question, “Why is John told to measure the temple of God and why is the court of the Gentiles excluded from this measurement?”

JOHN’S CALL TO MEASURE THE TEMPLE

In the Book of Revelations, we are told that John is given a measuring rod like a stick and instructed to "Go and measure the temple of GOD and the altar, and count the worshipers there." (Rev 11:1). This passage seems to pronounce the existence of the temple, but it is interesting to note that no measurements are recorded by John. The dimensionless measuring by John is contrasted with a story later in Revelations where an angel used a rod to measure Jerusalem and reported its length, width, and height to be 1200 stadia, (Rev 21:16).

Since no measurements are given, the reader must conclude that the act of measuring is the important principle being conveyed. Measuring is sometimes used in scripture to foreshadow the coming judgment of God, such as in the case of Daniel to Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting,” (Dan 5:27). (Other examples include: 2 Kings 21:12-14 and Isaiah 34:11.) However, since the temple is referred to as “the temple of God” and the altar and worshipers are included, it seems unlikely that destruction is being foretold. In scripture, measuring is also used to foreshadow the future movement of God to take possession of what belongs to Him.

The prophet Zechariah recorded the following vision given to him by God, “Then I looked up — and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, ‘Where are you going?’ He answered me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.’" (Zech 2:1-2). As in the eleventh chapter of Revelations, no subsequent dimensions are given by the angel to Zechariah. The action is symbolic. Zechariah continues,

“Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him and said to him: ‘Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’” (Zech 2:3-5)

The words of Zechariah look forward to the time when the nation of Israel will be placed in the land to dwell with the LORD forever. Further, “Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem,” (Zech 2:11-12). The measuring seen by Zechariah is a picture of the LORD taking Jerusalem and Judah to be His own possession. The measuring seen by John may constitute the initial portion of the larger measuring seen by Zechariah.

In scripture, the Temple Mount is a unique and special place to God. According to Hebrew tradition, before a temple ever existed, God placed His name at this location, (Deut 12:5-7). From this passage and several similar, the Hebrews held to a belief that the LORD literally carved His Name into the ground surrounding the Temple Mount. They point to the convergence of the Kidron Valley (east of the temple mount), Tyropean Valley (west of the temple mount), and Hinnom Valley (west of the upper city), which form the Jewish letter “Shin,” ש . Shin is the first letter of the word “Shaddai” (El Shaddai – God Almighty) and “Shem” (HaShem – His Name). So whether or not a temple currently exists in this location, the LORD has, from the time of creation, put His mark, and therefore, His claim on this property. As the LORD told Ezekiel during his discourse on the future temple,

"Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever.” (Ezek 43:7)

The importance of this location is reinforced by the numerous miraculous events that transpire between heaven and earth at this very place. According to the Bible…

• Abraham offered Isaac at the commandment of God on Mount Moriah at the location where the temple was ultimately constructed.
• Jacob saw his vision of a stairway to heaven with angels ascending and descending at this location. He called the place “Bethel” (House of God) and said that it was the “gate of heaven.” (Gen 28:17)
• At the instruction of the LORD, David built an altar on this location.
• The Spirit of God was poured out on this location when the first temple was dedicated by Solomon.
• The Spirit of God was seen leaving this location and ascending east of the temple (Mount of Olives) by Ezekiel.
• Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives just east of the temple.
• The Holy Spirit descended onto the temple and then was given to each and every believer.
• In the future, Jesus will return to stand on the Mount of Olives according to Zechariah.

GOD RECLAIMING HIS OWN POSSESSION

It should come as no surprise that Satan, the great enemy of God, desires to control this place that has God’s Name written upon it. The antichrist will use the same approach when he requires people to write his name on their hand or forehead, (Rev 13:16).

Measuring is the symbolic act of God reclaiming His own possession, whether the temple exists in John’s vision or is under construction. God is also coming to take possession of true believers, as John was told to “count the worshippers,” before the coming rapture, (Rev 11:12). In this context, measuring the “temple of God,” could also be an allusion to the greater body of believers referred to by Paul as, “the temple of the living God,” (2 Cor 6:16). The altar may refer to deceased believers since John “saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained,” (Rev 6:9).

The rest of the world, “the outer court,…has been given to the Gentiles,” (Rev 11:2). John is told to “Exclude” (NIV) and “Leave out (NAS), but the Greek is more emphatic, “Cast out” the outer court, the same Greek used in “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be an heir with the son of the free woman,” (Gal 4:30). While a Court of the Gentiles existed for God Fearers during the second temple to fulfill the words of scripture (Mar 11:17), it was not part of the original design given from God. The larger context implies that the majority of Gentiles are not worshiping the true God since “they (Gentiles) will trample on the holy city for 42 months.” This irreverence includes the greater area of Jerusalem that is “figuratively called Sodom and Egypt,” (Rev 11:8). Therefore, the area and the people that are not part of God’s possession are not included in John’s measuring and will be rejected.

Along with Jerusalem, the world’s wickedness will merit the judgments of the two witnesses who, “strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want,” (Rev 11:6). After the death of the two witnesses, the LORD will hand the holy city over to the Gentiles to be trampled upon for 42 months, “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled,” (Luke 21:24). This period marks the peak of the antichrist’s power that will be exercised over the last 3-1/2 years of the seven year period. The reign of the antichrist will be brought to an end by the return of Jesus who will reign as king and will take back the possession of Israel for the LORD. Never forget, “Whoever touches you (Zion) touches the apple of his (the LORD’S) eye.” (Zech 2:8).

WHAT WILL CAUSE THE TEMPLE TO BE CONSTRUCTED?

The current political environment in the Middle East currently precludes any peaceful attempt to construct a third temple. No secular Jewish government would even attempt to propose such an idea. In 1996, over one hundred people died during Muslim rioting that resulted from the construction of an additional exist to the Hasmonean Tunnel that runs along the inside of the western wall. Even though the archeologists had taken great care to brace the interior of the tunnel to protect surface structures, Muslims saw this as an attempt to undermine the foundations of their sacred structures. Since that time, most Israeli archeologists are relegated to sifting through the debris from the permitted excavations of Muslims on the temple mount.

Further, no one knows for sure where the temple should be located. There are a number of theories, but any theory would have to be supported by archeological evidence. At least two locations have been proposed south of the Dome of the Rock. If one of these locations could be supported by archeology, it opens up the possibility of two temples on the Temple Mount. In that scenario, the outer court of the Gentiles (Rev 11:2), would be a reference to the area containing the Dome of the Rock. A temple for the Jews and one for the Muslims would be somewhat analogous to the time Elijah built an altar to God adjacent to the altar built by the priests of Baal.

All this talk is mere speculation until some catalyst leads to the building of a third temple. Among many, there are three possible catalysts.

(1) A natural phenomenon such as an earthquake could destroy the Dome of the Rock and reveal foundations from the temple of Ezra or possibly even Solomon. Some believe these foundations still exist and were buried by Herod when he enlarged and elevated the Temple Mount. The evidence of the original temple foundations might offer sufficient proof to some and a sign that inspires others to rebuild the temple even in the face of opposition.

In scripture, earthquakes are often associated with the movements of God: (1) When the LORD descended on Mount Sinai, “His voice shook the earth,” (Heb 12:26), (2) When the LORD left the temple in the vision of Ezekiel, there was a great earthquake in the days of King Uzziah, (Zech 14:5), (3) At the crucifixion there was an earthquake, (Matt 27:54), and (4) An earthquake will accompany the return of the Messiah, (Zech 14:5)(Rev 11:13&19), “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” (Heb 12:26)(Hag 2:6).

Earthquakes occur with regularity in this part of the world since the Temple Mount lies just 15 miles west of the great Rift Valley where the Arabian and Africa tectonic plates move against one another. Several great earthquakes have happened along this fault including the great earthquake of 749 CE, which destroyed several Decapolis cities in the region east of Jerusalem. An earthquake hit the temple mount as recently as February 18, 2008, causing minimal damage to structures on the Dome of the Rock.

(2) A world leader could use the existing Dome of the Rock as a launching pad for proclaiming himself as a Messiah to the Jews and the Twelfth Imman to the Arabs (the Muslim world’s version of the Messiah). The increasing financial clout of the Arab nations in the face of a world struggling with a continuing financial crisis increase the potential of an Arab world leader. The Arabs have been looking for centuries for one who could unite all the Arab nations and force fundamental laws on the people.

An Arab leader would be rejected by all orthodox and many religious Jews, but some secular Jews might accept him if they thought peace would follow. If he could establish worldwide peace, he would have the foundation to declare himself to be god. He then could solidify that claim by making the Temple Mount his dwelling place.

(3) The Bible and history would lead the believer to consider some terrible confrontation, possible nuclear, between Israel and their Arab neighbors as the catalyst necessary to construct the temple. Israel will most likely be victorious in this war, possibly the battle prophesized in Ezekiel 38-39. Clearly the hand of the LORD will be seen in the victory of Israel (Ezek 39:7), and the nation will rush to bury the bodies of the dead in seven months in order to cleanse the land, (Ezek 39:12). This cleansing is required to prepare the nation and the people for a return to sacrifice and offering. As in the days of Ezra, construction of the temple will begin once the workers are purified by the offerings at the altar.

Construction of the temple could be one provision in a broader seven-year peace covenant referenced by Daniel, (Dan 9:27). As part of the peace agreement, Israel will burn weapons of war for seven years, (Ezek 39:9). In modern terms, this treaty involves a general disarmament of the world. In reality, only Israel will be disarming while the antichrist is rearming. How could Israel, after seeing the hand of God in victory, seek the trust and assurance of other nations? This is unfathomable, but prophecy would seem to indicate this is the case. Like any previous peace accord in history where Israel put their trust in a foreign power, God will not be pleased and will send two witnesses to prophesize against the nation of Israel, its rulers, and the world at large.

The principle architect of the peace agreement that leads to construction of the temple will have claim to the fulfillment of two major Messianic prophecies. Add a few miracles from the Book of Revelations, like causing fire to come down from heaven (Rev 13:13), and the antichrist will take his seat in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God, (2 Thes 2:4).

Scott