Revelation 21:16 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Revelation 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Revelation 21:15 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

Revelation 21:16 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.

Revelation 21:17 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.

Revelation 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "city", "lieth", "foursquare", "length", "large", "breadth", and "measured". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "city" and "lieth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And he that talked with me had..." into verse 17's "And he measured the wall thereof an...", so "city" and "lieth" belong inside that flow. In Revelation context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "city" and "lieth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.