Measuring of the Temple, Altar, and Worshipers

1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

From the context, you must look back to chapter 10.  John was just given a little book and told to eat it, and then said he would prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.  He is then given a reed to measure the temple of God, the altar, and them that worship in it. We are not given the dimensions of this temple. This is not the Solomonic temple, nor the temple constructed by Zerubbabel, nor the temple that Herod the Great built.  All of those were desecrated  and/or destroyed.  I believe this is a literal temple not a figurative one. When it will be built is not yet revealed. Just as these other temples, it will be constructed on mount Moriah in Jerusalem. Whether it is constructed were the Doom of the Rock now sits or if it is constructed a small distance away from that site is left to know in the future. One thing for certain, God’s will prevail.

2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. John is told not to measure the court of the gentiles. This is a court and area that was constructed for the Herodian temple site. The gentiles were allowed to get close to the temple but never allowed to enter in the area designated for people with Jewish blood. I am not going to speculate why John is told not to measure this area. The city of Jerusalem will be occupied and controlled by gentiles for 42 months. Other passages refer to this length of time as 3 ½ years, or 1260 days.