  Correct.
 And
the one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod
to measure the city, and its gates and its wall.
16And the city is laid out as a square,
and its length is as great as the width; and he
measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred
miles;
its length
and width and height are equal. 17And
he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according
to human measurements, which are also angelic
measurements. Revelation 21:15-17 (NAS)
The King James Version uses the
measurement "furlong" which is equivalent to the
Greek measure "stadion":
 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the
gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 16And 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. 17And he measured the
wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits,
according to the measure of a man, that is, of the
angel. (KJV)
A Symbolic Number?
It is perhaps no coincidence that the symbolic
sacred number
12 (often used to represent the entirety of a
religious group) multiplied by the symbolic number
1000 (to represent ultimate completeness), or
12,000 total, is being used to refer to the wife of
Christ (the bride of the Lamb).
As the Old Testament people of God were
symbolized by the 12 tribes...and the children of
the New Covenant or Testament were symbolized by the
12 apostles...the wife of the bride (the church that
belongs to Christ) is also described using these
same symbolic numbers:
- 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel
(Revelation 7).
- The 12 gates of the bride of the Lamb
(Revelation 21:12), with the 12 names of the
tribes of Israel, represented by 12 pearls
(Revelation 21:21).
- The 12 foundation stones of the bride of the
Lamb (Revelation 21:14) with the 12 names of the
apostles of Jesus Christ.
 Massive
in Size:
Although the measurements are most likely
figurative or symbolic numbers...if they were
literal measurements, can you imagine John seeing in his vision this bride of the Lamb...this
city...measuring approximately 12,000 furlongs (1360 miles) long, 12,000
furlongs wide and 12,000 furlongs high?
If these dimensions were literal figures (not figurative amounts) the length
of the city would be approximately as tall as the United States (from the
southern tip of Louisiana to the northern border of Minnesota), and the width of
the city would be approximately the same width as half of the United States
(from the west coast of the state of California to the west edge of the state of
Minnesota). This does not take into account the height of the city (also 1360 miles
high).
As a Christian suffering unbelievable persecution at the time...would you
have any worries that there would be enough room in the city for those who overcame?
In a new heaven and earth:
Although we make a comparison to the size of the
United States above, remember that at this point in
John's vision the former earth and heavens had
passed away (see Revelation 21:1). John is
seeing a new heaven and a new earth...and a new city
(the bride of Christ) coming down from heaven.
We continue to add below to the list of promises that Jesus makes to His
followers:
|
To the Christians
(to those in Jesus'
church...the bride of Christ): |
|
Who do what: |
Jesus Promises: |
Reference: |
| Who read, hear and heed the words of this prophecy. |
He will be blessed. |
Revelation 1:3 |
| Change your hearts and do the things you did at first. |
If you don't change, I will come to you. I will take away
your lampstand from its place. |
Revelation 2:5 |
|
To him who
overcomes. |
Will grant to eat of the tree of life. |
Revelation 2:7 |
| To the one who is faithful until death. |
I will give you the crown of life. |
Revelation 2:10 |
|
To him who
overcomes. |
Shall not be hurt by the second death. |
Revelation 2:11 |
|
To him who
overcomes. |
Will give the hidden manna and white stone. |
Revelation 2:17 |
|
To him who
overcomes and keeps Jesus' deeds until the end. |
Will give authority over the nations....and I
will give him the morning star. |
Revelation 2:26-28 |
|
To him who
overcomes. |
Will be
clothed in white garments. Jesus will not erase his name from the Book of
Life. Jesus will confess his name before the Father and His angels. |
Revelation 3:5 |
|
Because you have kept the word of My perseverance. |
I will also keep you from the hour of testing. |
Revelation 3:10 |
|
To him who holds fast (to Jesus' words). |
No one will take your crown. |
Revelation 3:10-11 |
|
To him who
overcomes. |
I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God and he
will not go out from it anymore. |
Revelation 3:12 |
|
To him who
overcomes. |
I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of
the city of My God (the new Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from My
God) and My new name. |
Revelation 3:12 |
|
Know that those that I love, I
reprove and discipline. Be zealous and repent. Hear my voice and open
the door. |
I will
come in and dine with him, and he with Me. |
Revelation 3:20 |
|
To him who
overcomes. |
I will
grant to him to sit down with Me on my throne. |
Revelation 3:21 |
| The ones who came out of the great tribulation who have
washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb |
For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and
they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne
shall spread His tabernacle over them. They shall hunger no more,
neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any
heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd, and
shall guide them to springs of the water of life; and God shall wipe every
tear from their eyes. |
Revelation 7:14-17 |
| God's
holy people must have patience and faith. If any person is to be a
prisoner... |
...then
that person will be a prisoner. |
Revelation 13:10 |
| God's
holy people must have patience and faith. If any person kills with a
sword... |
...then
that person will be killed with a sword. |
Revelation 13:10 |
| Fear God and give Him praise. Worship God. He
made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water. |
Know that the time has or will come for God to judge all
people. |
Revelation 14:6-7 |
| The one that worships the beast (animal), or the idol or
image of the beast, or gets the mark of the beast will be punished.
This means that God's holy people must be patient. They must obey
God's commands and keep their faith in Jesus. |
It will be bad for those people who worship the animal
and his idol or get the mark of his name. That person will be tortured
with burning sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb. And the smoke
from their burning pain will rise forever and ever. There will be no
rest, day or night, for those people who worship the animal and his idol or
get the mark of his name. |
Revelation 14:9-12 |
| The dead people who were
"in the Lord" when they died. |
They will be blessed. These people will rest from
their hard work. The things that they have done will stay with them. |
Revelation 14:13 |
| For those of God's people who live in the great city (the
harlot), who will be tempted to share in her sins. |
Come out of that city, my people, so that you will not share in her sins.
Then you will not get any of the bad things that will happen to her. |
Revelation 18:4 |
| John fell down to worship an angel. |
John was told not to do this (we are not to worship those
that are fellow servants who hold the testimony of Jesus). We are to
worship God. |
Revelation 19:10 |
| For those that are in the church (the bride of Christ) |
The people will come down from heaven, as a city made
ready as a bride adorned for her husband |
Revelation 21:1, 9-14, 18-21 |
| For those that are in the church (the bride of Christ) |
God and the Lamb will be among them and they shall be His
people. No more death, crying or pain. |
Revelation 21:3-4 |
| To those in the church (the bride of Christ) who thirst
for spiritual life. |
And He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning
and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water
of life without cost. |
Revelation 21:6 |
| He who overcomes... |
"He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will
be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving
and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters
and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and
brimstone, which is the second death." |
Revelation 21:7-8 |
| For those that are in the church (the bride of Christ). |
There will be plenty of room in that city. |
Revelation 21:15-17 |
| For those that are in the church (the bride of Christ). |
The Lord God, the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
The glory of God and the Lamb will illumine her and be her lamp. |
Revelation 21:22-24 |
| For those that are in the church (the bride of Christ). |
There will be no night there...there will be no spiritual
darkness in her (nothing unclean...) |
Revelation 21:25-27 |
Click here to add the
images from Chapter 21 to the Glossary of Images
 Click
on Chapter 22, Question 1 below to continue...
|
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