And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
Parallel translations
- WEB Its wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
- BSB And he measured its wall to be 144 cubits, by the human measure the angel was using.
- NKJV Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.
- NASB And he measured its wall, 144 cubits, by human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.
- NLT Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick (according to the human standard used by the angel).
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 wall measures 144 cubits by human measurement, which the angel uses. The number signifies the completeness of God's people.
Overview
One hundred forty-four is twelve times twelve, echoing the symbolic completeness of God's people seen elsewhere in Revelation (7:4; 14:1). The note that the angel measures 'by the measure of a man' links heavenly realities to terms John's readers can grasp. As with the other dimensions, the figure is widely understood as symbolic of perfection and fullness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Rev 13:18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
- Deut 3:11For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
- Rev 7:4And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
- Rev 21:9And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
- Rev 14:3And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
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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 21:17 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
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