{A reed} (kalamos). Old word for a growing reed ( Mt
11:7 ) which grew in immense brakes in the Jordan valley, a
writer's reed ( 3Jo 1:7 ), a measuring-rod (here, 21:15f. Eze
40:3-6 42:16-19 ). {Like a rod} (homoios rabd(9369)). See 2:27 Mr 6:8 for
abdos. {And one said} (leg(936e)). "Saying" (present
active masculine participle of leg(935c)) is all that the Greek has.
The participle implies ed(936b)en (he gave), not edoth(885c), a harsh
construction seen in Ge 22:20 38:24 , etc. {Rise and measure}
(egeire kai metr(8873)on). Present active imperative of egeir(935c)
(intransitive, exclamatory use as in Mr 2:11 ) and first aorist
active imperative of metre(935c). In Eze 42:2ff. the prophet
measures the temple and that passage is probably in mind here.
But modern scholars do not know how to interpret this interlude
( 11:1-13 ) before the seventh trumpet ( 11:15 ). Some
(Wellhausen) take it to be a scrap from the Zealot party before
the destruction of Jerusalem, which event Christ also foretold
( Mr 13:2 Mt 24:2 Lu 21:6 ) and which was also attributed to
Stephen ( Ac 6:14 ). Charles denies any possible literal
interpretation and takes the language in a wholly eschatological
sense. There are three points in the interlude, however
understood: the chastisement of Jerusalem or Israel (verses
1,2 ), the mission of the two witnesses ( 3-12 ), the rescue of
the remnant ( 13 ). There is a heavenly sanctuary ( 7:15 11:19 14:15 , etc.), but here
aos is on earth and yet not the actual
temple in Jerusalem (unless so interpreted). Perhaps here it is
the spiritual ( 3:12 2Th 2:4 1Co 3:16f. 2Co 6:16 Eph
2:19ff. ). For altar ( husiast(8872)ion) see 8:3 . Perhaps
measuring as applied to "them that worship therein" ( ous
proskunountas en aut(9369)) implies a word like numbering, with an
allusion to the 144,000 in chapter 7 (a zeugma).
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