Which Temple Did John See?
By Dr. Nicholas J. Schaser
In Revelation, John is told to “measure the Temple of God and the altar and those who worship there” (Rev 11:1). If the Apocalypse was written before 70 CE, then this verse may refer to the Second Temple. If John’s visions occurred after 70, then he may have seen a third Temple that would be built in the future. However, based on the context of Revelation, it is more likely that this Temple is a symbolic reference to the body of believers in Jesus.
Several factors support the notion that the “Temple of God” in Revelation denotes the assembled followers of Jesus, rather than a future architectural structure. First, Jesus himself refers to believers as part of a Temple, declaring, “The one who is victorious, I will make... a pillar in the Temple of my God” (Rev 3:12). According to Jesus, those who remain faithful will be foundational members of the eschatological messianic community. Since this initial reference to the “Temple of my God” (ναῷ τοῦ θεοῦ μου; nao tou theou mou) is a metaphor for the church, readers should interpret the “Temple of God” (ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ) in a similar way when it appears in Revelation 11. The immediate context of John’s Temple vision aligns with this symbolic reading insofar as the enigmatic witnesses are called “two lampstands (λυχνίαι; luchníai)” (11:4). Lampstands were part of the Temple furniture, but Revelation repurposes them as an ecclesial symbol: “the seven lampstands are the seven churches” (1:20). Thus, the narrative context clarifies that the Temple and its furnishings signify Jesus’ followers.
John’s role in his vision also suggests that the “Temple” indicates a group dedicated to Yeshua. John states, “I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, ‘Rise and measure the Temple of God’” (Rev 11:1). The measuring rod serves as a “staff” (ῥάβδος; rábdos), which is the same instrument that God uses to shepherd the faithful; as the psalmist says of the Lord, “Your rod and your staff (ῥάβδος) comfort me” (Ps 22:4 LXX [Ps 23:4 in Hebrew and English versions). Rather than sizing up the sanctuary, John’s staff takes stock of the flock. It may sound odd that John is told to “measure” (μετρέω; metréo) an assembly of people, but this kind of language appears elsewhere in the New Testament. For instance, Ephesians refers to “the measure (μέτρον; métron) of the stature of the fullness of Messiah... from whom the whole body... according to the proper measure (μέτρον) of every part, makes the body grow” (Eph 4:13, 16; cf. 2 Cor 10:12; also see 1 En 70:3-4). Revelation itself says that John is to measure both the “Temple of God” and the “worshipers” therein (11:1); that is, the contours of the assembly and the individuals who constitute it. When all of this textual evidence is taken together, it seems best to view Revelation’s “Temple of God” not as a building made of stone, but as the body of those who proclaim that Jesus is Lord.
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