Revelation 21:15-16

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 21:9-27

We have already considered the introduction to the vision of the new Jerusalem in a more general idea of the heavenly state; we now come to the vision itself, where observe, I. The person that opened the vision to the apostle?one of the seven angels, that had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, Rev. 21:9. God has a variety of work and employment for his holy angels. Sometimes they are to sound the trumpet of divine Providence, and give fair warning to a careless world; sometimes... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 21:9-27

It will be better to read the description of the city of God as a whole before we deal with it in detail. 21:9-27 9 There came to me one of the seven angels who have the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and he spoke with me. "Come," he said, "and I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a 10 great and lofty mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, and it had the glory of God. 11 Its... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 21:16

And the city lieth four square ,.... To the four corners of the world, from whence its inhabitants come, and denotes the regularity, uniformity, perfection, and immovableness of it. And the length is as large as the breadth ; this church state will be all of a piece, perfect, entire, and wanting nothing. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs ; or fifteen hundred miles; a monstrously large city indeed! such an one as never was upon earth; see Ezekiel 48:35 ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 21:15

Had a golden reed - Several excellent MSS. add μετρον , a measure; he had a measuring rod made of gold. This account of measuring the city seems to be copied, with variations, from Ezekiel 40:3 , etc. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 21:16

The city lieth foursquare - Each side was equal, consequently the length and breadth were equal; and its height is here said to be equal to its length. It is hard to say how this should be understood. It cannot mean the height of the buildings, nor of the walls, for neither houses nor walls could be twelve thousand furlongs in height; some think this means the distance from the plain country to the place where the city stood. But what need is there of attempting to determine such measures in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 21:9-21

The spiritual commonwealth of the good. "And there came unto me one of the seven angels," etc. There is a spirit world. This is a fact, established by conclusive reasoning and accordant with the concurrent beliefs of mankind. This spirit world is a commonwealth. It has a social order. The existence of spirits destitute of gregarious instincts and social affinities is conceivable, and may be perhaps somewhere in existence in the great spirit world—the world of which the material universe... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 21:9-27

The New Jerusalem. We must see in this a portrayal of that holy community which is "the bride, the wife of the Lamb." It is the ideal representation of vital Christianity—Christianity as a system, but as a system embodied in the lives of men. The descriptions are of a glorious character. What can exceed the essential glory of the true Christendom, the true Church, the true bride, the veritable "wife of the Lamb"? It must not be separated from the heavenly, the final Jerusalem, the happy... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 21:15

And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof; had for a measure a golden reed to measure, etc. "He that spake" is the angel of Revelation 21:9 (cf. the action of Revelation 11:1 ; and Ezekiel 40:3 , Ezekiel 40:5 ; Ezekiel 42:15 , et seq. ) . Here the measuring is evidently to indicate the large extent of the city (see on Revelation 11:1 ). The reed is golden, as being the typical heavenly material. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 21:16

And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth. The shape is doubtless typical of that which is complete and symmetrical, to which nothing is wanting to render the shape perfect. The word τετράγωνος , "foursquare," is thus used by Greek philosophic writers. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. That is, in each direction. (On στάδιον , "furlong," see Revelation 14:20 .) The number twelve thousand, which is the number of the... read more

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