Revelation 21:15

15 The angel speaking with me had a gold measuring-rod with which to measure the city, its gates and its wall.

Revelation 21:15 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 21:15

And he that talked with me
One of the seven angels, ( Revelation 21:9 ) for not a man is the measurer of this city, as in ( Ezekiel 40:3 ) nor John, as of the temple, ( Revelation 11:1 ) but an angel, the same that showed to John this great sight:

had a golden reed;
not a common measuring reed, or rod, as in ( Ezekiel 40:4 ) ( Revelation 11:1 ) but one covered with gold, denoting the present glorious state of the church, being without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing:

to measure the city;
the new Jerusalem, its length and breadth; see ( Zechariah 2:1 Zechariah 2:2 ) to show how exactly conformable this church state will be to the rule of God's word, even to perfection: and the gates thereof; to signify who had a right to enter into it, and who not:

and the wall thereof;
its height, it being exceeding high.

Revelation 21:15 In-Context

13 There were three gates to the east, three gates to the north, three gates to the south and three gates to the west.

14 The wall of the city was built on twelve foundation-stones, and on these were the twelve names of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb.

15 The angel speaking with me had a gold measuring-rod with which to measure the city, its gates and its wall.

16 The city is laid out in a square, its length equal to its width. With his rod he measured the city at 1,500 miles, with length, width and height the same.

17 He measured its wall at 216 feet by human standards of measurement, which the angel was using.