“And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs.The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.” Revelation 21:16
Read Revelation 21:15-21
If you read what is written in verse sixteen carefully, you will come to the conclusion that the New Jerusalem is shaped like a cube: the length and breadth and height have the same dimension. Twelve thousand furlongs is equal to about 2400 kilometers, which is almost the flying distance from Toronto to Calgary. This means the holy city will be over five million square kilometers in size. This is an unbelievably large metropolis. Its height will be similar to some of the mountaintops of the Rockies. According to Isaiah 2:2, the house of God will be situated on the highest of mountaintops.
These unbelievable dimensions of the holy city indicate its great size and amazing capacity! We must not think too small of God. The future glory of the Church shall be beyond our imagination. However, the extraordinary shape of the New Jerusalem also points us in another direction. The cubic shape of the city reminds us of the holy of holies. That part of the tabernacle, as well as the temple, was also the shape of a cube (Ex. 26 and 2 Chr. 3). This most holy part of the temple was not accessible to the general population. Only the high priest was allowed to enter it once per year on the great Day of Atonement. But, in his beautiful vision, John saw rich fruits on the basis of Christ’s redemptive work; all God’s people lived with Him in the Holy of holies. That is the dwelling place of God, where salvation has been accomplished and eternal life is given. Would you not like to live there as well? There is still room.
Thought: Those who are homesick for heaven will be brought home.
Psalter 227:1,3 (based on Psalm 84) O Lord of Hosts, how lovely Thy tabernacles are; For them my heart is yearning In banishment afar. My soul is longing, fainting, Thy sacred courts to see; My heart and flesh are crying, O living God, for Thee. Blessed they who dwell in Zion, Whose joy and strength Thou art; Forever they will praise Thee, Thy ways are in their heart. Though tried, their tears like showers Shall fill the springs of peace, And all the way to Zion Their strength shall still increase.