Revelation 21:15; A Golden Reed to Measure the City

Revelation 21:15 (KJV)  And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 

Johns angel-guide from Revelation 21:9, here designated by “he that talked with me., supplies him with measurements of the city in v15-17. He takes the dimensions with a golden measuring rod – And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. 

The rod made of the precious metal gold is appropriate to the dignity involved in the service of God. The angel’s purpose is to measure the city and to give John information he could not discern from direct vision (Caird). The measuring activity gains John’s attention as does the similar pursuit in Ezekiel 40:4 (Lee).

Ezekiel 40:4 (KJV)  And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel. 

Ezekiel provided measurements for his city-like temple too (Ezekiel 40:2, 48; 42:16-20) (Moffatt). The measurements taken by the angel convey the holiness, perfection, absolute conformity to the ideal pattern of creation, and divine presence in the city in terms of numerical and geometrical symbols (Kiddle).

Ezekiel 40:2 (KJV)  In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south. 

Ezekiel 40:48 (KJV)  And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side. 

Ezekiel 42:16-20 (KJV)  He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed. He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed. He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place. 

“The city” is a comprehensive one that includes the gates and the wall.

[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody 1995, 466-467]