“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.”
The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide; the angel measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and as high as it is long - the city is a perfect cube (12,000 stadia = 2,400 kilometers on each side), echoing the Holy of Holies' cubic form. Twelve, the number of God's people, is multiplied by 1,000, suggesting the infinite perfection of God's dwelling.
Church Fathers on Revelation 21:16
“And the city is placed in a square.” The city which he says is squared, he says also is resplendent with gold and precious stones, and has a sacred street, and a river through the midst of it, and the tree of life on either side, bearing twelve manner of fruits throughout the twelve months; and that the light of the sun is not there, because the Lamb is the light of it; and that its gates were of single pearls; and that there were three gates on each of the four sides, and…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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