Revelation 21
verse 15. 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 lieth foursquare, and the
length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve
thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and
four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city
was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
(Excerpt taken from
Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911 Editions)
The City's Dimensions.
- According to this testimony the city is laid out in a perfect square,
measuring equally on all sides. The measure of the city, John declares, was
twelve thousand furlongs. Twelve thousand furlongs, eight furlongs to the mile,
equal fifteen hundred English miles. It may be understood that this measure is
the measure of the whole circumference of the city and not merely of one side.
This appears, from Kitto, to have been the ancient method of measuring cities.
The whole circumference was taken, and that was said to be the measure of the
city. According to this rule, the New Jerusalem will be three hundred and
seventy-five miles on each side. The length, breadth, and height of it are
equal. From this language, the question has arisen whether the city was as high
as it was long and broad. The word rendered equal is isoV (isos); and from the
definitions given by Liddell and Scott, we learn that it may be used to convey
the idea of proportion: the height was proportionate to the length and
p 757 -- breadth. And
this idea is strengthened by the fact that the wall was only a hundred and
forty-four cubits high. Taking the cubit at about twenty-two inches, the length
which is most commonly assigned to the ancient cubit, it would give only two hundred
and sixty-four feet as the height of the wall. Now, if the city is just as high
as it is long and broad, that is, three hundred and seventy-five miles, this
wall of less than three hundred feet would be, in comparison, a most
insignificant affair. Probably, therefore, the height of the buildings of the
city is to be judged of by the height of the wall, which is distinctly
given.
The following
criticisms on verse 16, the verse which gives the dimensions of the heavenly
city, are undoubtedly correct: -
"It has been
inferred from the above text that the New Jerusalem city is to be as high as it
is long, and that its length will be twelve thousand furlongs, or fifteen
hundred miles. It seems to us entirely unnecessary to place such a construction
upon the language. The word equal does not always mean the same as to
dimensions or position; it is frequently used in the sense of proportion. If we
were to say that the length and the breadth and the height of the city were in
proportion, we should not violate the language." This view is taken by
Jas. Du Pui, A. M., in his Exposition of the Apocalypse. The following from
Thomas Wicks, author of Lectures on the Apocalypse, presents the same idea:
"The language, however, will bear another meaning,
which is far more natural. It is not that the length and breadth and height
were severally equal to each other, but equal with themselves; that is, the
length was everywhere the same, and the breadth everywhere the same, and the height
the same. It was perfect and symmetrical in all its proportions. This is
confirmed by the fact distinctly stated, that the wall was one hundred and
forty-four cubits high, or two hundred and sixteen feet, a proper height for a
wall; while it is said that 'the length is as large as the breadth."'
This writer allows but eighteen inches to the cubit.
The Greek word isos,
which is translated equal, will, according to Pickering, bear the meaning of
proportion. Greenfield, in defining one of its cognate words (isotes), gives to
it the
p 758 -- sense of
"equal proportion," and refers to 2 Cor. 8:13, 14 as an example where
this definition is quite admissible.
It would appear,
therefore, that the height of the city was proportionate to its length and
breadth, and not that it was as high as it was long. The text certainly admits
of this interpretation; and this frees the language from all ambiguity, and the
city from all disproportion, and shows perfect harmony in the general
description.
The building of the
wall was of jasper. Jasper is a precious stone usually described as of "a
beautiful bright green color, sometimes clouded with white or spotted with
yellow." This we understand to be the material of the main body of the
wall built upon the twelve foundations hereafter described. And let it be
remembered that this jasper wall was "clear as crystal" (verse 11),
revealing all the glories within.
*******
'an hundred and forty
and four cubits' Interesting isn't it?
144 cubits.
144,000-
Rev_14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before
the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn
that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from
the earth.
God does everything
for a reason, everything. Do we always comprehend the reasons, no. Do we have
to? No. Will we one day understand? Yes. We are allowed to comprehend
everything necessary to our salvation, and by the grace of our Lord and Savior
we will!
Knowing the dimensions
of the new city Jerusalem truly amazes us doesn't it? Such a city! That our God
and our Savior will be in that city with us is most amazing… and we will
definitely find out more about that very soon!
A new home, a home
that will boggle our minds with wonder, truly we long for this city, this
perfect city! This world isn't our final
home, this world wasn't Abraham's home… remember this…
Heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go
out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and
he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Heb 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise,
as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the
heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath
foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Heb 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received
the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
earth.
Heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly
that they seek a country.
We are strangers and
pilgrims on earth! Our country is heaven, our city is the new Jerusalem!
Please, Father, may we
live with you in this new country, in this new city! By Your Love, Your Grace,
Your Mercy!
In the name of Jesus
Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever! AMEN!
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