The Promised Land
The Temple of Ezekiel
and then there is the City of God....The length, width, and height of the city measure to 12,000 stadia. Many translations convert this measurement for us to help us understand the size of the city. The NRSV and NASB read 1500 miles while the NET and NLT read 1400 miles. I like this version. “the city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width;… fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal” (Revelation 21.16).
But I want you to understand something about this understanding. Ancient cities usually were measured in size by their circumference. Large cities during antiquity had a wall of defence surrounding them, and it was that wall that was measured. New Jerusalem has a wall surrounding it (Rev 21.17). So, Rev 21.16 likely means that the wall surrounding New Jerusalem is “foresquare” and that it is about 1,500 miles in circumference. The text says, “The city lies foursquare,” meaning its base which is surrounded by the wall. Accordingly, each of the four sides of the base of New Jerusalem are 375 miles in length, not 1,500 miles as commonly understood. And, of course, the height of the city is 375 miles as well, not 1,500 miles... which is more logical to me.
Here is why... The promise to Abraham on the size of Israel happens to have borders that measure 375 miles. The distance from the Wadi el Arish to the Euphrates River in Syria is about 375 miles. the entire Promised Land will stretch “from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates” (Genesis 15.18). "The river of Egypt” in the Old Testament always refers to the Wadi el Arish. It was the usual northeastern border of ancient Egypt. The “river Euphrates” refers to that portion of the Euphrates River that runs through Syria.