Previously Christ/the Angel of the Lord, bringing the earth back to the rightful Owner, standing on the earth and the sea, and Who had His face directed towards Jerusalem, did not allow John to write down what the seven peals of thunder had said. Now, however, Jerusalem, and the Temple of God, come fully into the picture. The Authorised Version follows some manuscripts that say: “…and the Angel stood, saying, Rise…” John is given a reed, a staff, a measuring rod. He has to take the measurement of the Temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. Literally and spiritually. Will the ‘Temple of God’ live up to God’s expectations?
Because the division of the Book of Revelation into chapters was only invented at the end of the Middle-Ages, it is good to read from chapter 10 onwards without a break. John has to prophesy once again about, before, and against many nations and peoples and languages and kings – as he did in verses 10-11- and he must begin with Jerusalem and with the heart of Jerusalem which is the Temple. He must apply the standard to them first and foremost. The angel (Christ, the Angel of the Lord?) tells him to do so. The Angel with a capital ‘A’ really does belong here, for a short while afterwards He says: “I will…”1
It always happens like this: beginning with Jerusalem. The Jewish Apostles have to begin at Jerusalem, go afterwards to the half-Jews of Samaria, and finally to the nations, the Gentiles, the goyim.2 The Lord blesses the world via Israel, through and by Israel and from what has happened in Jerusalem, salvation goes out all over the whole world. There is first the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem with only Jews and proselytes (Gentiles who had become Jews, by conversion to Judaism), followed by the Feast of Pentecost in Samaria3 and finally there is the Feast of Pentecost for the Gentiles, at the house of Cornelius from Italy.4 The last recorded outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts takes place at Ephesus, where people have indeed been converted from sin, through the ‘deficient’ preaching of Apollos, ‘being only acquainted with the baptism of John’.5 So they were only baptised in ‘the baptism of John’ (the Baptist).6 When they were converted to the Lord Jesus Christ and were baptised in His Name, then they also receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.7 The outpouring of the Holy Spirit fans out from Jerusalem and ultimately reaches Rome,8 as recorded in the Book of Acts. The Lord appears to a Jewish rabbi, Saul of Tarsus,9 and he becomes the first Apostle to the Gentiles. This was remarkable. Saul who was made Paul (meaning ‘small’) becomes the first Apostle to the Gentiles. Not Cornelius. There were many good reasons to choose Cornelius for that role! Cornelius was born a Roman citizen who knew by his upbringing the way of thinking of the Gentiles. He was rich, well educated, a Roman centurion and had received the Holy Spirit just like the Jewish apostles! He knew the Greek-Roman world so well, being a Gentile himself! But, as the Bible says: ‘…salvation is from the Jews’.10 And so the message of salvation goes forth into the whole world from Jerusalem, by a Jewish rabbi: Paul.
Back to Jerusalem. Now Jerusalem has to be measured, physically and spiritually. Why? What does this mean? And which Jerusalem? And which Temple?
• Peace will once again cover the whole earth from Jerusalem one day. And the nations will go up to Jerusalem.11 The King will one day reign on the throne of His father David that stood in Jerusalem and rule in the midst of Jacob (the 12 tribes of Israel) and His Kingdom will never end.12
• The Lord is still confirming His time of grace by signs and wonders, including healing today. But for how long will He continue to do so? Only He knows. Let us therefore work as long as it is still day, before the night comes, when no one can work.
Bible References:
1.Revelation 11:3 2.Acts 1:8 3.Acts 8:14–17 4.Acts 10:44–47 5.Acts 18:24–28 6.Acts 19:3 7.Acts 19:1–7 8.Acts 28:16 and 28–31 9.Acts 9:1–19, 22:3–21, 26:4–18; Galatians 2:6–9 10.John 4:22 11.Isaiah 2:2–4; Micah 4:1–3; Zechariah 14:16–19 12.Luke 1:32–33
