Revelation 21:17

17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).

Revelation 21:17 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 21:17

And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and
four cubits
The root of which is twelve, for twelve times twelve is a hundred and forty four; which number is mystical and apostolical, and suited to the perfect state of this church: hence twelve gates, and twelve angels at them, and the names of the twelve tribes on them, and twelve foundations of the wall, and twelve thousand furlongs, the measure of the city.

According to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel;
who talked with John, and measured the city, gates, and wall, and who appeared in the form of a man; and his reed might be, as some have supposed, the length of a man, six cubits, or six feet, as in ( Ezekiel 40:5 ) and may denote that this business requires the utmost wisdom and understanding of a man, and even of an angel, to look into, and find out; see ( Revelation 13:18 ) and also may signify the angelic state of the saints at this time, when the children of the resurrection will be like the angels of God, for immortality and glory.

Revelation 21:17 In-Context

15 The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles.

17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).

18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.

19 The wall of the city was built on foundation stones inlaid with twelve precious stones: the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,

Footnotes

• [a]. Greek 144 cubits [65 meters].