Revelation 11:1

So often the Apocalypse of John is used to scare people into submission. I think some people forget that the purpose of the amazing images in this book is to bring hope and encouragement to faithful believers and to let them know that God is aware of all of suffering they experience.

In Revelation 11:1 John is told to take a rod and measure the temple, the altar, and those who worship in it. The physical temple in Jerusalem (whether it was standing at this time or not) is obviously not what John is to measure. John is being asked to see who measures-up to God’s standard of a true believer. This group or community of believers is marked off (or set apart) so that they cannot be spiritually harmed by the events that unfold on earth. It is God’s presence in their hearts and lives that preserves them so that they can receive God’s blessings.

It is important to remember that the measuring stick is incapable of measuring our effort. Our best efforts don’t even register. It can only measure whether or not we have maintained our faith in Christ. While the things we do (or don’t do) are an indicator of the faith we have, they are not our admission ticket. It is our faith in Christ that provides access to the safety of the temple.