Chizayon (Revelation) 11:1 
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the Temple of Elohiym, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

The word translated as reed in this verse is κάλαμος kalamos (Strong's G2563), which is generally construed as a reed (the plant or its stem, or that of a similar plant).

The kalamos reed was used for pens for the scribes and is used today to create the reeds used by wind instruments such as the saxophone, clarinet, oboe, English horn, and bassoon.

The word translated as rod in this verse is ῥάβδος rhabdos (Strong's G4464), which is generally construed as a stick or wand (as a cudgel, a cane or a baton of royalty): a rod, a sceptre, or a staff.

So, it is possible to translate this verse to read “And there was given me a reed like unto a sceptre!”

Was this concept ever intended? It appears so.

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 27:28-29
And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe. 29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Yahudiym! 30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

Other translations use the word stick instead of reed (New Century Version, International Standard Version), or measuring rod (Common English Bible), or rod (English Standard Version).

Do we see examples of a stick in the Tanakh? Sure we do. Let us take a look:

Yechezq’el (Ezekiel) 37:15-17
The Word of Yahuah came again unto me, saying, 16 Moreover, son of A’dam, take you one stick, and write upon it, For Yahudah, and for the children of Yashar’el his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Yoceph, the stick of Ephrayim, and for all the house of Yashar’el his companions: 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in your hand.

The word found in this passage translated as stick is the word (עֵץ) ets. So, why would the writer of Chizayon use the phrase “a stick like a rod?” Why not say simply “a rod” or “a sceptre”?

The word we see that is sometimes used for the stick, or alternative terms, is the word (מַטֶּה) matteh (Strong's H4294) which is generally construed as a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread).

A reed like unto a rod could also be construed as a branch like unto a sceptre!

Yet, there is another word that means sceptre. It is the word (שֵׁבֶט) shebet (Strong's H7626) meaning to branch off; a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan:— correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.

So, if you were writing Chizayon 11:1 in Ivriyt (Hebrew), which words would you use? I am partial to a reed ((שֵׁבֶט) shebet) like unto a rod ((מַטֶּה) matteh).

Given all of this, we see that the sceptre, the rod, and the reed, seem to be mentioned by each of these words. But consider:

Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 49:10
The sceptre (שֵׁבֶט shebet) shall not depart from Yahudah, nor a Torah giver from between his feet, until Shiyloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Tehilliym (Psalm) 23:4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod (שֵׁבֶט shebet) and your staff (מִשְׁעֵנָה mishenah) they comfort me.

The word for staff here is (מִשְׁעֵנָה) mishenah (Strong's H4938). This is the feminine of Strong's H4937 (מִשְׁעֵן) mishen (meaning a support (concretely), i.e. (figuratively) a protector or sustenance). In the feminine, meaning support (abstractly), i.e. (figuratively) sustenance or (concretely) a walking-stick or staff.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 24:15-19
And he took up his parable, and said, Bil`am the son of Be`or has said, and the man whose eyes are open has said: 16 He has said, which heard the words of El, and knew the knowledge of El Elyon, which saw the vision of El Shaddai, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: 17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Ya`aqov, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Yashar’el, and shall smite the corners of Mo’av, and destroy all the children of Sheth. 18 And Edom shall be a possession, Se`iyr also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Yashar’el shall do valiantly. 19 Out of Ya`aqov shall come he that shall have dominion and shall destroy him that remains of the city.

And so it is that a prophecy is found predicting the rise of David over the region. Although the prophecy is restricted to Ya’aqov and Yashar’el, the sceptre would always be in the hands of Yahudah (Judah), the tribe from which David would derive. More prophecy regarding the sceptre would follow:

Yekhezq’el (Ezekiel) 20:33-36
As I live, says Adonai Yahuah, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: 34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Mitsrayim, so will I plead with you, says Adonai Yahuah. 36 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, (שֵׁבֶט shebet) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:

Here, we see another extensive verse predicting another exodus – a bringing out from the countries and into the wilderness. Here, Yahuah will speak to us face to face, and will cause us to pass under the sceptre (of leadership and the Torah) and we will be brought into the bond of the covenant.

Yechezq’el (Ezekiel) 20:38
And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Yashar’el: and ye shall know that I am Yahuah.

So, what is the point of this discussion? The reed given to Yahusha is a symbol for the sceptre placed in the hand of Yahudah – the symbol of the rulership of the king.

This becomes an important point when we look at the list of kings found in Mattithyahu 1. From David, each person for 14 generations held the throne in Yahud (Judea) until Yekonyahu/Yahuyakiyn who was taken into captivity in Babylon.  The kingdom was also given to his brethren (Elyaqiym/Yahuyaqiym, and Mattanyahu/Tsidqiyahu).  Why aren’t these brothers counted in the roster of kings in Mattithyahu? Is it possible they were excluded because they never held the sceptre of the king?

And what instrument were the Romans imitating when they placed a reed in the hand of Mashiach? Was it the rod of Aharon?

Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 1:7-12
But Yahuah said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatsoever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you, says Yahuah. 9 Then Yahuah put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And Yahuah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. 11 Moreover the Word of Yahuah came unto me, saying, Yirmeyahu, what do you see? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. 12 Then said Yahuah unto me, You have well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.

We must take a longer look at this passage, because a specific authority is given to Yirmeyahu – the authority to root out, to pull down, and destroy nations and kingdoms, and to build and to plant nations and kingdoms.  And the symbol of this authority was the rod of an almond tree. There is a specific meaning here:

Bemidbar (Numbers) 17:2-5
Speak unto the children of Yashar’el, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write you every man's name upon his rod. 3 And you shall write Aharon's name upon the rod of Leviy: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. 4 And you shall lay them up in the Tabernacle of the assembly before the testimony, where I will meet with you. 5 And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Yashar’el, whereby they murmur against you.

We see here that the rod of Leviy has Aharon’s name written upon it, rather than Leviy. Is it reasonable to believe that this was the same rod which Aharon cast down before Pharoah and which became a dragon?

Shemoth (Exodus) 7:8-9
And Yahuah spoke unto El־Mosheh and unto El־Aharon, saying, 9 When Phar`oh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then you shall say unto El־Aharon, Take your rod, and cast it before Phar`oh, and it shall become a dragon.

The passage in Bemidbar is going to speak even more concerning this rod of Leviy with the name of Aharon fixed to it:

Bemidbar (Numbers) 17:6-8
And Mosheh spoke unto the children of Yashar’el, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aharon was among their rods. 7 And Mosheh laid up the rods before Yahuah in the Tabernacle of witness. 8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Mosheh went into the Tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aharon for the house of Leviy was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

So, what happened to this blossoming rod?

Bemidbar (Numbers) 17:10-11
And Yahuah said unto El־Mosheh, Bring Aharon's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a sign against the sons of rebellion; and you shall quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. 11 And Mosheh did so: as Yahuah commanded him, so did he.

So we see that Aharon’s rod was added to the Ark of the Testimony (Ark of the Covenant). However, it did not remain there, because by the time we get to Solomon, the rod is removed.

Melekiym Ri’shon (1 Kings) 8:6-9
And the priests brought in the Ark of the Covenant of Yahuah unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the Keruviym. 7 For the Keruviym spread forth their two wings over the place of the Ark, and the Keruviym covered the Ark and the staves thereof above. 8 And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day. 9 There was nothing in the Ark save the two caphire stones, which Mosheh put there at Chorev, when Yahuah cut a covenant with the children of Yashar’el, when they came out of the land of Mitsrayim.

By the time we get to the kingship of Solomon, Aharon’s budding staff had been removed. Where did it go? To David of course, and to each of his successors!

Tehilliym (Psalm) 23:4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.

We can assume that the rod of Aharon – if it was being kept by the kings – must have passed from king to king: from David to Shalomah; to Rechav`am; to Aviyahu; to Aca; to Yahushaphat; to Yoram; to Uzziyahu; to Yotham; to Achaz; to Yechizqiyahu; to Menashsheh; to Amon; to Yo’shiyahu; to Yekonyahu about the time they were carried away to Babel.

However, the rod of Aharon would continue in the hands of the kings even though they were no longer on the throne, but permanently exiled from it following the curse brought by Menashsheh on Yahud (Judea). This means the rod of Aharon was in the hands of Yekonyahu; then to She’altiy’el; to Zerubbavel; to Aviyhud; to Elyaqiym; to Azzur; to Tsadoq; to Yoqiym; to El’ayil; to El`azar; to Matthan; to Ya`aqov; and finally to Yoceph the father of Miryam, all of whom were kings, but unable to take the throne because of the curse. But somehow, the rod did not get passed to Yahusha Ha’Mashiach – so they substituted a reed.

The curse:

Melekiym Sheniy (2 Kings) 23:26-27
Notwithstanding Yahuah turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Yahudah, because of all the provocations that Menashsheh had provoked him withal. 27 And Yahuah said, I will remove Yahudah also out of my sight, as I have removed Yashar’el, and will cast off this city Yerushalayim which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.

When reviewing the passage in Mattithyahu (Matthew) 1, whether you read versions which declare Joseph to be the husband of Mary, or as you read in the Cepher that Yoceph was the father of Miryam – either way – you see that Miryam was part of the family of the exiled kings of Yahud (Judea). Her son Yahusha had direct lineage to the throne as the seed of the woman.

Did the rod continue in the hands of these exiled kings? Yet, the rod did not pass to Yahusha, who was named “King of the Yahudiym” by the Roman Pontius Pilate, both by oral proclamation, and then by written proclamation, but who made it clear that his kingdom “was not of this world”. Instead of a rod, he was given a reed. And a reed like unto a rod would be shown to Yochanon to measure the temple.

This reed would appear again in the Cepher Chizayon:

Chizayon (Revelation) 21:9-12
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's woman. 10 And he carried me away in the Ruach to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Yerushalayim, descending out of heaven from Elohiym, 11 Having the glory of Elohiym: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Yashar’el:

For those who insist that the tribe of Dan is omitted from the roster of the tribes, we see here that such is not the case. Dan is one of the twelve, and the tribes of Ephrayim and Menashsheh are included in the count under the tribe of Yoceph.

Chizayon (Revelation) 21:13-14
On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

When we see the discussion concerning the “twelve” apostles, let us reason together. It is certain that this roster does not include Yahudah Ish’qiryot; but is the twelfth Mattias as selected by the eleven? Stephen, who would have been selected but for his martyrdom? Or is it Pa’al, the one selected by Ha’Mashiach on the road to Damascus?

Chizayon (Revelation) 21:15-17
And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16 And the city lies foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand stadion. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. 17 And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

Chizayon (Revelation) 21:18-22
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. 22 And I saw no Temple therein: for Yahuah Elohiym Tseva’oth and the Lamb are the Temple of it.

And what of the rod of Aharon? Did it remain in the hands of Yoceph the father of Miryam?

A stained glass window depicting the planting of the blooming rod of Joseph of Arimathea in the area called Avalon in Southwest Britain.