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.
a priori reason why John could not have packed his images this tightly, it nevertheless seems that the traditional interpretation fails to do full justice to the text and that a reconsideration is warranted.
Finally, the traditional view can be criticized for its claim that measuring in itself symbolizes spiritual protection and, by implication, physical vulnerability. Support for this interpretation of measuring as signifying protection is derived primarily from the OT. However, while vulnerability and security are in some ways present in our passage, a more nuanced reading is demanded. The traditional view seems to fly in the face of both what follows (the two witnesses, usually also taken to symbolize the Church, are protected physically)21, and what is one of Revelation’s themes, namely, the reality of spiritual danger and the consequences of apostasy22. Moreover, nowhere in the OT does measuring in itself symbolize protection, as we will see in the next section.
II. Measuring in the Old Testament
A number of OT texts mention measuring, but only a handful of passages are normally proposed to support the claim that measuring in Rev 11,1-2 symbolizes protection and security. The relevant passages are 2 Sam 8,2, Isa 28,16-17, Isa 34,11, Jer 31,38-40, Mic 2,5, Zech 1,16, Zech 2,1-2, and Ezek 40–4823. In addition, 2 Kgs 21,13, Lam 2,8, and Amos 7,7-9, are often mentioned in the same context to show how the act of measuring can also signify judgment. Before commenting on these OT texts, however, we will briefly consider two