One that had spoken to John. The Scripture said in verse 15,
he had a golden reed. That's what verse 15 says. That's
what we looked at last time. He that talked with me had a
golden reed to measure the city and the gates thereof and the
wall thereof. John said there was one that
had this measuring reed, golden reed. It was going to measure
the city. It was going to measure the bride. It was going to measure the gates. It was going to measure Christ
Himself, the door. And it was going to measure the
wall thereof. Salvation. We looked at those
scriptures last time that the wall is actually salvation by
Christ. That is the wall of the city.
And all of that, John says, the city, the gates, the wall, is
all measured by this golden reed. And we looked last time and we
know that that golden reed is the Word of God, unchanging,
unending, indisputable, God's Word is the standard by which
all things are judged. Now, that verse 15, let me tell
you this, that verse is given for the sake of God's people
so that God's people might know. What's the standard by which
we measure what we believe? That's what he's saying right
there. This is the answer that's given to all that would question. Why do you believe what you believe? Well, we say this. We've got
a golden reed. We've got a golden measuring
unit, a golden rod. It is the rod. It is the measurement. It's the reed of God's Word. Why do we believe what we believe?
Because this is what God said. This is where we stand. The bride,
whenever John said he had this golden reed and he was going
to measure the city, the city, Mount Zion, the church of God,
the bride is who God Almighty says she is according to His
Word. That's what he's saying. He measured the gates. We looked
at the gates. That's the door. All these gates. One door. Gates. Why do we believe what we believe
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ? Because God Almighty said, this
is the report. Who hath believed our report?
Who hath believed what God has said concerning who His Son is? Why do some say that He is one
that has gone to the cross and is trying to save somebody? Why do we believe that when we
preach and proclaim that the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Lamb,
why do we believe that Almighty God chose a people in Him in
distinguishing love? Why do we believe that the potter
out of the same lump, chose one vessel under honor and another
vessel under dishonor, and chose them in Christ, those that He
has everlastingly loved. Why do we believe that the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Word Himself, came into this world made of
a woman, made under the law, subject to obedience as a man? Why do we believe that He came
into this world and walked in this world for the elect and
earned a righteousness as a man? that a man obeyed God, and that
a man absolutely looked upon by God Almighty and said, that's
my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. Why do we believe that
the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross and laid down His life
for the elect? Why do we believe that He said,
I lay down my life for the sheep? Why do we believe? God's Word
declares that. There's the reed. That's the
golden reed. That's the measurement. Why do
we believe that salvation is the walls of this city? Why do
we believe that salvation is of the Lord and that salvation
is not by the works of man's free will? Why do we believe
that salvation is not by the works of the flesh? Why do we
believe that salvation is all of grace, that God ordained it,
God procured it, God Almighty executed it? God's Word, golden reed. Well, verse 16 is what I want
to look at for a minute. Here he is. He's taken that golden
reed. And now he's going to measure.
He said in verse 15 that he was going to measure it. And here
it is. Here is the measurement. Now
that first part, the city, in verse 15, here is verse 16 talking
about the measurement. He said he was going to measure
it, and he's going to measure it now. The city lieth four square, 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. According to God's Word, according
to God's measurement, according to the golden reed of God's absolute
standard, we know the exact measurement
of that city. That's what he said. He measured it, 12,000 furlongs. This city is perfectly equal
in length and breadth and height. That's what we know about it. There's nothing irregular about
it. Its layout, its dimensions were all determined by Almighty
God before the foundation of the world. It's four square. There's no impartiality with
God. This city is God's church. That's what we know. Now we found
out in Revelation 5 that out of every nation, tribe, kindred,
tongue, God has a people. What about those over there?
What about these over here? What about those in this country?
How about us sitting here at Katie Baptist Church this morning? Well, here's what we know. That
the length of one kindred is not greater than the breadth
of another tongue, and the height of one people is not greater
than the measurement of another nation. The length, the breadth,
the height are all equal. Why? Because they're in Christ.
They don't deviate. There's no deviation. This city
is built upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 3.28 says, There is
neither Jew nor Greek. The Jews are not going to say,
I tell you what, our side really ought to be a
little bit greater. Really, it ought to be this wide
for us. that wide for you and this high
for y'all and this end ought to be that, no? Length, breadth,
depth equal. Surely, surely one like the Apostle
Paul ought to get a little bit more honor. He's not going to have any more
honor than that thief on the cross. in Christ as neither bond nor free, neither
male nor female, for year one in Christ Jesus. One. Perfect. Chosen. We are what we are by
the grace of God. What do we have to boast in? This city's measurement. I thought
it was amazing. The scripture gives reference
to some things that we're not told. And where we're not told
something, then don't speculate on it. 12,000 furlongs. Oh, there's
a lot of things that I could think about a 12,000 furlongs. The 12,000 part, that is. I did
find a couple of things out about furlongs here. I thought it was
Now I want to share them with you. Furlong, in this day of
writing, was a measurement used to measure a stadium or a race. They measured a race in furlongs. That was the measurement for
a race. If you're going to have a race,
it's measured in furlongs. That was the measurement for
a race. This is the distance. It's going
to be furlongs. And if I tell you, I said, now
I got a measurement here, I'm going to measure, here's the
measurement I want to talk about. Light years. I said, well, that
only measures one thing. That measures the distance that
light travels, 186,000 miles per second. That's how fast light
is. That's what they tell me. And
the distance that light can travel in one year is a light year.
Now, light year measures one thing. Distance. That's all it
measures. What is it going to measure?
It's not going to measure how wide this Bible is. I know that. It
measures one thing. Furlongs measured races, the
distance of a race. Furlongs. And that word furlong comes from
the base of a word that means to cause, to stand, to place,
to put, to establish, to set. So furlongs. Furlongs is the measurement that is established by God's
Word concerning a race in whom all that was in the race were
caused to stand or placed or put or set. That's what the Word
meant. It meant the distance of a race
that is established by Almighty God. Paul the Apostle gave us some
indication of this. All that are found in this city
have, by the grace of God, run with patience the race that's
set before them, chosen in Christ. Let me tell you, there's some
folks here this morning that's running a race. They're setting right
here. You're not out. I mean, you know,
in our minds, we think that our legs are got to be they got to
be moving. They got to be more arms, got to be pumping stuff.
That's how we think. This is this is a race. We're
running the race. Placed in this established city,
that's an established race. You were set to run this race. Established to run this distance. How far is it? It's as far as
Almighty God has established it's going to be. Now those are
some things that I do know. By the mercy and compassion of
Almighty God for Christ's sake, all that were redeemed by the
blood of Christ, called and kept by the blessed Holy Spirit, all
of them fight the good fight of faith. And they've laid hold
of life whereunto they were called. That's the race. That is the
race. Why did you get up this morning and still believe in
God? Because God Almighty has established this race that you're
going to run. And you run it. You run by faith. You don't run it of yourself.
By the grace of God, you were chosen to this race. By grace, you were redeemed. By grace, you were called. By
grace, you're kept. You're here by the grace of God. Almighty God had everlastingly
loved His people, put you in Christ, and as Brother Scott
is so able to say, it kept you right there. Aren't you glad?
Aren't you glad you got up this morning with a desire to be here? Just a desire to come. I want
to hear what God's got to say. I want to hear what Almighty
God, for Christ's sake, has got to say in His Word. But in closing, another thing
that I got to thinking about that city, that city was as wide
as it was deep as it was tall. Now, you know, that's an unusual
shape for a city. Now, you know, we can spread
out a city. I mean, there's a lot of A lot
of land. Fairmont is a pretty nice sized
city. I don't know how many acres it
covers. I don't really know how wide it is and how broad it is,
but I can tell you this, it's not as deep as it is wide and
broad. It might be 10 miles across.
I don't know. Maybe 10 miles wide, but it ain't
10 miles deep. How deep is it? Well, I don't
know. That's one of the tallest buildings, I guess. What city could stand that was
built as wide as it is, deep as it is, breath? How can something
stand only that which Almighty God has built? Man is going to
say that is impossible. That is impossible to have a
city that is built like that. Nothing could stand like that.
I'll tell you this, the city that Abraham looked for that
had foundations, whose builder and maker is God with man, it's
impossible. Like salvation. With man, that's
impossible. But with God, all things are
possible. John said this is the measurement
of this city, the width and the breadth. and the height of it
are all equal. Nothing irregular about it. Four
square. Perfect. God looked at that and
God Almighty said, it's good. God created that. No impartiality. Nothing out of square. Everything
lines up perfect on that cornerstone. The cornerstone of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And I'm glad it is. What Almighty
God has created, Almighty God has established, and Almighty
God has kept. And all that be found in that
city, God established and set and kept from the foundation
of the world the race that they were going to run. And when the
last shot was fired, they were all there, every one of them.
All that the Father has given me This is His will that I should
lose nothing. And He said, I won't. May the
Lord bless His Word to our understanding and our comfort. For Christ's
sake, Amen.