Revelation 21:17 - Exposition

And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits. (For the signification of the number, see on Revelation 7:4 .) The parallel between the shape of the city as just related and the holy of holies ( vide supra ) almost seems to have insensibly suggested the transition from stadia to cubits. The discrepancy between the height of the city, which is twelve thousand furlongs ( Revelation 21:16 ), and the height of the wall, which is a hundred and forty-four cubits, has led to the suggestion that in the height of the city is included the hill on which it stands (Alford). Others understand that the wall is purposely described as of small height, because the writer wishes to indicate that "the most inconsiderable wall is sufficient to exclude all that is impure" (Dusterdieck). According to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel; of an angel. That is, the measure here used by the angel is that used by men (cf. "the number of a man," Revelation 13:18 ).