21. In Revelation 11:1-4, how does the apostle John describe a typical temple revealed to him?

²¹ Haggai was used in connection with the rebuilding of the typical temple of Jehovah at Jerusalem in the days of Governor Zerubbabel and High Priest Joshua (Jesus, Greek). The last surviving Christian apostle, John the son of Zebedee of Galilee, was exiled by the Roman Empire to the penal Isle of Patmos and had a series of inspired visions there. In one of these visions he saw a typical temple, concerning which he writes: “And a reed like a rod was given me as he said: ‘Get up and measure the temple sanctuary of God and the altar and those worshiping in it. But as for the courtyard that is outside the temple sanctuary, cast it clear out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. And I will cause my two witnesses to prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days dressed in sackcloth.’”​—Revelation 11:1-4.

23. To what “Israel” did John now belong, and at what temple did he worship Jehovah?

²³ Spiritually, therefore, the apostle John was a “new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) This is the thing that counts with God, according to what the apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 6:14-16, saying: “Never may it occur that I should boast, except in the torture stake of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been impaled to me and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything nor is uncircumcision, but a new creation is something. And all those who will walk orderly by this rule of conduct, upon them be peace and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.” The apostle John was one of that spiritual “Israel of God.” As such, he did not need to have a temple of stone and wood at Jerusalem in order to worship Jehovah of armies. As a spiritual Israelite, he worshiped Jehovah God at His great spiritual temple, the one that had been typified by the material, earthly temple that had stood in Jerusalem. (Hebrews 9:23-26; 8:1, 2) Just think if we had to have a material temple at Jerusalem in which to worship Jehovah God. Where would we be? But we can worship at the spiritual temple where John did.