The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 268

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1, 2.-The measuring of the temple. Whether this chapter be the history of events that -had already ta.ken place when it was written or were then happening; or wliether it consists of predictions inspired of God of events then future, though near at hand in the history of Juda.ism and of the Church; or of ev-ents yet future in the exP\Jrience of the whole Church, as many affirm; or whether, yet again, the whole chapter be a.n inspired allegory which, under the likeness of. actual historical events, or of inci4ents recorded in the ancient Scriptures, were intended to convey to us spiritual teachings a.ppli~~ ~ all times ;-who can po~itively and certainly say? And like doubt hangs.over the in~- pretation of the forty and two months told of here and elsewhere, whether they_ are-Jo be taken literally, symbolically, or according to the reckoning of those who <lOUnt each day to mean a yea.r. We stay not, .however, to.discuss these questions, but prefer to take these verses whieh tell of the measuring of the temple as echoes of those earlier teachings of this book, and of many other Scriptures beside, which tell us·of the Lord's perpetv.al presence in his Church, his strict investigation and his perfect knowledge of all "Who constitute her membership, and of all tbat occurs therein. "The Lord .is in his holy temple; his eyes behold, his eyelids try the children of men:" of such words does this cQµ11nand to " Arise, and measure the temple" remind us, and in the sense th,ey suggest we desire to consider them now. Let us observe, therefore- . · . ,'• . l. THE DASURING, We have a similar command in Ezek. xL, when in lik~ inspi.i,id vision that prophet beholds the glorious restored temple of God. And so in oh. x~i. of this book we read of the angel who had the golden reed to measure the holy city. But aa in those other representations we cannot think that material earthly buildings are meant, or any litera.L measurem-ents whether of city or temple, so here we regard t~e temple as telling of that glorious spiritual fabric of which we so often read ~der like ima.gery in the Epistles of St. Paul; and the measuring is a meta.phor to signify that careful investigation and scrutiny whereby true knowledge is gained as to _the nearness or otherwise of that which is measuroo to its proper standard and ideal. _For it is~ be noted: 1. God has an ideal for everything, a standard to which he would have it conform. He had in the creation of the world, and we are told how he saw .all that which he had made, and declared tha.t 'it answered to his ideal, .and that it was "very goo<l." And be Looks down from heaven-so we are told-to see what is done upon the earth; he taketh account of all that men do. All other creatures fulfil their idea.l,- there is no need to take account of them ; but man, endowed with the terrible power of contradicting and refusing his Maker's will, as well as of assenting to it-and he could not have the one witho\lt the other-it is needful that the Lord should " behold" and "try" h-i. actions by an unerring standard in order that he may be the more readily led to try them in like manner himself, and so conform . them thereto the more nearly. 2. Ohrist is the ideal Man, and therefore called " the Son of man." He did in all things so answer to his,Father's intent that he was the" beloved Son in whom" God was " well pleased." 'l'hat is the standard to which we are to look, and by which we are to regulate our lives. Happy they who follow him closely "whithersoever he goeth." 3. And this "measuring" is continually going on. There is an inward monitor as well ~ an outward one, Conscience affirms, consents to, and confirms what the Word of God declares, and is perpetually holding up both the standard and ourselves, and making us inwardly if not outwardly blush when we see the contrast between the two. 4. Qr,_w grateful we shouW, be/or this I "Lord with what care thou hast• be girt us xound 1" - 80 sings holy George Herbert; and one evidence of this care is in the consta.nt bringing before our consciences the rigid rule of right. But note next- . ,-: . Il. THJI llBA8UBED THAT Alilll SPOKEN OF HEBE. -The temple, the alta.r, a)1Jlt'1•Jl80PW. 1. _71.e temple of God. No doubt St. John, as a devout Jew, and one w:bo' bad oC. freqllentod with joy the oourta of the Lord's house at Jerusalem, had that tample-for 300 THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [CB. XL 1-19.