Marko Jauhiainen, «The Measuring of the Sanctuary Reconsidered (Rev 11,1-2)», Vol. 83 (2002) 507-526
The act of measuring in Rev 11,1-2 does not portray the Church as spiritually protected but physically vulnerable, as normally thought. Not only are there lexical and interpretive difficulties with the traditional view, it is also not supported by the OT and extra-biblical evidence commonly adduced. Reading two kai/j differently and recognizing an allusion to Ezek 8:16 LXX addresses both the lexical and interpretive issues. The act of measuring is used to communicate the fact that contrary to Ezek 8–9, this time God will not abandon his earthly sanctuary, though idolatry among his people will still be judged.
The plethora of commentaries and books on Revelation, and their lack of consensus in virtually everything, is a powerful witness to the difficulty of interpreting John’s symbols and images, which often have their background in the OT. Yet there are no formal quotations in Revelation, but rather these OT images and motifs have been frequently shaped and combined by John in such a way that the resulting allusions to the OT can be very elusive and subtle. A case in point is Revelation 11,1-13, which has often been cited as the most difficult pericope in the whole book1.
The present task, however, is not to solve once and for all every riddle in this difficult passage. Rather, this study will be looking at vv. 1-2 only. The primary focus will be on the act of measuring, with everything else receiving a rather cursory treatment. The essay will challenge the popular scholarly view that measuring the sanctuary and casting out the "outer court" symbolizes spiritual protection but physical vulnerability for the Church2. First, the traditional