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.
"For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God" (1 Pet 4,17a NIV).
3. The Measuring of the Sanctuary
We can now pull the various threads of this investigation together by considering the function(s) of measuring in our passage. As has been pointed out, the commands to measure and not to measure create a contrast between the measured and non-measured item(s)60. Measuring is thus a device that draws a line of demarcation between the two groups or entities. If John is consciously using OT motifs, he deviates from them in at least two ways. First, the fact that John is told not to measure something is a signal to the audience to pay attention especially to the excluded items61. The narrative of Ezekiel’s visionary visit to the temple in Ezek 8–9 explains the mention of all four measured and non-measured items, and hints at the ultimate doom of idolaters among the people of God. Second, while nothing is said about the fate of the thing measured (i.e., the sanctuary), the contrast with that which is not measured (i.e., the court outside the sanctuary and everything therein) suggests that it will not be cast out (and, implicitly, not be exposed to the trampling by the nations). Thus the prophetic act of measuring the sanctuary is not intended to convey that Christians are spiritually protected during the final tribulation (thus rendering meaningless all the warnings to the contrary in Revelation), while physically vulnerable (which was, after all, part and parcel of being a Christian). Rather, John is being more subversive. Traditionally, the whole temple compound is trampled (Dan 8,13), but John takes a different tack. Unlike the sanctuaries of the past, this one will be protected from God’s judgment62. Idolatry among God’s people will still be judged, but this