Revelation Chapter 21 Verses 15-21

15 And he who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its breadth; and he measured the city with his rod, twelve thousand stadia; its length and breadth and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits by a man’s measure, that is, an angel’s. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every Jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

Here was have a description of the city – and it is remarkably numerical! It is also remarkably beautiful once we understand the symbols it uses.

Why is the city measured? Ezekiel measured what he saw in Ezekiel 40-43 in order to stress its holiness and separation from what is common. Ezekiel 42:20 — “He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.” Earlier, in Revelation 11, we saw the temple measured for the same reason. The church is measured here yet again for the same reason. The church belongs to God. The church is apart from the world. And we are being measured by God today just as God was measuring the church in Revelation 21. Do we measure up?

What are the measurements? The city is a cube — 12,000 by 12,000 by 12,000 stadia. This description causes trouble for literalists since 12,000 stadia is about 1500 miles. The walls surrounding the city are 144 stadia high. The foundations of the city are adorned with 12 precious jewels, and the 12 gates are made of 12 pearls. (Once again, how could anyone not see the symbolism here? And if these numbers are symbolic, then what about the 1000 years we saw earlier? On what basis could someone conclude that all of these 12’s are symbolic and yet that earlier 1000 is literal?)

As for the reference to an angel in verse 17, Hailey writes: “The measure ‘according to a man, that is, of an angel,’ is that it is a measure understood by man, one in common use be men, but in the hands of an angel.”

The church is described as a precious and beautiful city in the shape of a huge golden cube with golden streets. The number 12 appears in every measurement — this city is for the people of God. The city of pure gold with streets of pure gold is not a description of Heaven — the text itself tells us that much! It is a description of the city of God that comes down out of Heaven. It is a description of the city where God presently dwells with his people — and that city is the church. John is describing the church!

We generally apply these descriptions to Heaven, and many no doubt could apply to that beautiful home that God has prepared for his church. But the context suggests that those descriptions are used here to describe the church — not the future home of the church. John is describing a people — not a place!

The church is the city of God – and how does God see his church? He sees it as a huge golden city with streets of gold. John is telling us how God sees his church! But am I saying that the church here and now has streets of gold? Yes! Am I saying that the church here and now is the city foursquare? Yes! That is exactly what I am saying. That is what I believe these beautiful chapters are telling us.

Do we see ourselves as God sees us? Do we truly understand how beautiful the church is? Do we truly understand how important the church is? We often say that Revelation shows us things we can’t see (Heaven) in terms of things we can see (golden streets, etc.), but is that really what it happening here? If these chapters are describing the church, then isn’t God really describing something we can see (the church) – and isn’t he then telling us that we are not seeing it as it really is! Isn’t he telling us that we are not seeing the church as the beautiful, golden city of God that it is. These chapters are giving us God’s view of his church — and if that view is not our view, then we need to change our view!

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