March 1: MULTIPLICATION
Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. Revelation 21:17
Angels have been known to appear to people in human form (Genesis 18:2; 19:1; Hebrews 13:2). This occurrence is probably more frequent than we realize. Perhaps one of the many fascinating categories of study that the redeemed will be privileged to learn in Heaven will be under the heading of ‘Near Misses/Good Saves!’ This writer and her husband experienced a day with an angel while traveling in Bethlehem ten years ago. At the end of the day, conversation revealed that no one else in our small group had seen him (there were six of us). The seventh “member” of our group was an unusually tall (at least 6’7”), muscular and very handsome young gentleman with dark wavy hair. He was wearing blue jeans and a crisply pressed peach-colored shirt with a button-down collar. Political tensions were running very high that particular day in Israel, and in retrospect we have come to believe that we were being protected from dangers of which we were unaware.
All that to say, the angel’s cubit is probably larger than that of a regular guy. John observed the angel measuring the wall of the heavenly Jerusalem. Considering other dimensions already given, it is most likely that this measurement was of the wall’s thickness. A cubit, the distance from a man’s elbow to fingertip varies. Today, a “royal cubit” is set at approximately 21 inches, which calculates to a conservative estimate of 252 feet thick. We can hardly imagine such magnificence (see 1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
Whatever the cubit size is, its multiplication by 144—or 12 x 12—points to a spiritual application in God’s economy. The number 12 and its square, 144, represent a completion that describes God’s Kingdom. Our day-by-day actions and words, under the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit, have great potential to multiply the citizenship of His kingdom. As it is impossible to overstate the measure of greatness and glory of the Everlasting Kingdom, it would be impossible for God’s people to over-express their love for Him in reaching out to the world. The potential is exponential!
The walls of the city of Babylon were considered a marvel of antiquity. One historian described them as being 80 feet thick for the purpose of accommodating chariot races. Such an event was a “big deal” just as many of today’s distractions are. Beloved, if you have an awareness of the call of God on your life, be mindful of the supernatural power that is essential for multiplication. If you allow distractions or place your own ideas of service above His call, you will unwittingly be ignoring His Spirit and quenching that essential power in your life.
No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things to spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:11b-13 (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:19)