And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
Parallel translations
- WEB He who spoke with me had for a measure a golden reed to measure the city, its gates, and its walls.
- BSB The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls.
- NKJV And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
- NASB The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
- NLT The angel who talked to me held in his hand a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The angel carries a golden measuring reed to measure the city, its gates, and walls. The measuring marks the city as God's secure, established dwelling.
Overview
Measuring imagery recalls Ezekiel's visionary temple (Ezekiel 40) and signals divine ownership and protection. The golden reed fits the precious, glorious character of the city. The act assures that everything about the New Jerusalem is exactly as God has purposed, complete and secure.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Zech 2:1I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.
- Rev 11:1–2And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
- Ezek 41:1–5Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.
- Exod 40:3–5And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.
How Revelation 21:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.