Revelation 21:15
15 And [kai] he that talked [laleo] with [meta] me [emou] had [echo] a golden [chruseos] reed [kalamos] to [hina] measure [metreo] the city, [polis] and [kai] the gates [pulon] thereof, [autos] and [kai] the wall [teichos] thereof. [autos] KJV-Interlinear
15 And the one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. NASB
Gold has always been a symbol of intrinsic value, and perfection, and a golden measuring rod here indicates a perfect form of measure.
Now note first of all. Lots of commentators get into the speculations of what many things mean. And, unless there is something specifically mentioned in a passage, or unless there has been some earlier reference made within the Bible, then all of the speculation in the world is meaningless. Often times we simply rely on common sense, or what seems to be the obvious, in order to figure out the meaning of a passage.
What do we know thus far? Well, the new city of Jerusalem already exists. John wrote these words around 96 A.D. That was 1,915 years ago. And the city is going to descend out of heaven, after the new universe has been created.
In eternity past, God looked down the corridor of time and saw everything that would occur in human history. He has known before now, just how many human beings would be born alive, just how many would reject Christ and will go into the Lake of Fire, and He knows just how many will believe in Christ.
I have read speculations of total human births in history ranging from several hundred billion to several trillion.
Neither you nor I, nor anyone else, can possibly figure out those numbers for certain.
Also, since we will be in resurrection bodies, which will have the mobility of angels, the usual rules of gravity will not apply, so the three-dimensional measurements of the city will provide much more room for its citizens. It also provides for many more design options.
The measurements of the city are cubed shaped. The angel is, even back in John’s time, able to measure the city with complete accuracy. Note that the city is equal in its three dimensions. The passage does not state that the walls are as high as the city it tall.
The measurements are perfect, uniform, and the city is complete.
Most cities in human history are formed along the beaches, or rivers, or follow various geographical features. They are not uniform in any way. Likewise, all cities of human history are of varying sizes. No one can know the final population of any given city. People move into the city and people move out. People are born into the city and people die. So, city planning is always ongoing. We generally discover the difficulties of city planning when we get stuck in traffic. The roads are never wide enough to accommodate the high traffic times of the day.
The measurements of the new and final Jerusalem are set. Its population is known by God and has been known since eternity past. The city will never need to grow, and it will never be reduced.
And one more thing regarding the city. It is huge.
The angel carries a golden measuring stick. The dimensions of the city are as intrinsic as the measuring tool.
God gives the measurements of a city that is already built. God gave Ezekiel the measurements of the temple in Eze. 40. God also gave measurements of the temple Rev. 11:1.
What God invents is perfect. God measures out that which belongs to Him. And that which belongs to God is eternal. This city was constructed long ago, and when we see it for the first time in the next life, then we will see the only city in existence that will last longer than any other city in history.
But the significance of this city is that it marks out that which belongs to God, is build by God, and will continue to exist forever.
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