Revelation 21:15 Commentary and Bible Study

The city is a perfect cube. It’s1500 miles long, and wide, and tall. It is enormous, but it is only a symbolic number, just to show the immensity of it. It may be far bigger than that. That is big enough to see that this is huge. And the measuring of the walls is another token of security. When somebody bought a property in olden times, just as today, the surveyor measured it up. There are plans to indicate what is yours, what is part of the property. And the meaning of all this measuring is simply that the eternal new Jerusalem, the place of abode of the resurrected people of God is measured by God. In other words, he keeps it and preserves it as his own for ever. It's more security, which is in mind in terms of duration. Who has seen gold which is transparent like clear glass, or crystal gold as the hymn writers like to think of it? All things are absolutely new.This is the second time in the book that a measuring rod has been used to measure buildings. The symbolism of measuring is the same. In both cases it signifies the ownership of God, the demarcation of something for the exclusive use of God. It indicates what is known to God and recognised by him, what he counts as precious and he will preserve and protect. But there are also differences. In chapter 11, it is John who does the measuring, but here it is one of the seven angels. The difference is significant. The structure that was measured by John was on earth. It was the temple in Jerusalem, representing the church of God. While living on earth he had responsibility for the church and its protection and instruction. Chapter 11 pictures the church on earth, surrounded by enemies, locked in mortal combat with the world, with false doctrine and with all Satan’s craft. But chapter 21 is a picture of heaven. All enemies have been removed and all that remains is pure. The angel measures the city; it belongs to an age which has not yet come. Now it is not just the temple that is measured, indeed there is no temple in this city (verse 22). It is the whole city that is measured for all belongs to God and is under his dominion. The temple has expanded to become the whole city for there is no part of this glorious future realm where God’s name is not adored. There are no areas of rebellion or pockets of resistance. The ideal nature of John’s view of the city is underlined by its perfect shape. It is unlike any other city that has ever been built on earth with a height that equals its length and breadth and of staggering proportions. Each dimension is twelve thousand furlongs, that is fifteen hundred miles. It is difficult to see how any can suggest a literal interpretation of this vision. In line with the numerology of the book, the number twelve points to the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles and this is multiplied by the number one thousand which stands for greatness. Its walls are one hundred and forty-four cubits – about two hundred feet – thick. It is a perfect number, a number which again symbolically combines Old and New Testament dispensations into one glorious wall of salvation. The way of salvation did not change from one Testament to the next, but was always by grace through faith alone. The golden reed for measuring this priceless city was in the hands of an angel and therefore the measurement is said to be according to the measure of an angel. It is however a unit of measure taken from the earth, for the city will be inhabited by those who come from the earth.