With What We Measure?

Revelation 11:1-2 (KJV)
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

The angel gave the rod to John by which he could measure things, not in heaven, but obviously still of this earth. Gill offers an interesting consideration and suggests that the rod may typify the Word of God, which had been the subject of the previous chapter. It is with God’s Word we measure or judge the work of God on earth.

John is instructed to measure three things:
-The temple of God
-The altar and
-Those that worship at it

Typology always breaks down at this point because it becomes the work of the imagination of the student to assign our points to the types. My practice to avoid problems in this regard is to remember that, unless the Bible interprets the types, our own interpretations are merely suggestions. They cannot be held too dogmatically.

The temple of God
Fits easily as a type of the churches. Though they were removed in chapter four, this could take us back previous to the rapture. The nature of a church ought not be judged by its size, the pastor’s popularity the church’s programs or anything of that nature. God gives us the Word of God so we can measure our church next to that.

The altar
May be a picture of the Gospel preached in the church. Is it clear, repeated often and appealed to passionately?

The people at the altar
May be a picture of the sacrifice and dedication of the members of the church. Is there a difference between the thing preached and the thing practiced in the church?

The only measure by which to fairly judge the work of God is the Word of God.

There was an instruction not to measure outside the temple because it belonged to the Gentiles. Those who are not saved are not to be judged by Bible teaching. They are to be judged in only one way, are they lost? If so, attempt to reach them. Don’t condemn them for a doctrine they have little knowledge of and no power to keep.

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Revelation 11:1-2 (KJV) With What We Measure?

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