A Correction
And an Apology
                                                                                    By Pastor F. M. Riley
                                                                                    July 14, 2018
     "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  James 5:16.  
Introduction
     I recently wrote and posted online a Bible Study entitled, "New Jerusalem."  By the Grace of God, it is my blessing to point out to my readers,  that in that study there was a glaring error.  I say "by the grace of God," for not one single reader called the error to my attention.  None! Nevertheless, it was an error, and the Spirit of the Lord convicted me that something was wrong with that study, and gave me no rest, until I found out what it was, and purposed in my heart to correct it.  This article is written to set forth my confession, my correction, and my apology to my readers.  
The Error
     If our readers who received the study, will look on pages 7 and 8 of the study, New Jerusalem, under the heading, "Shape and Size," No. 1, I stated that the length of 12,000 furlongs, calculated out, means that New Jerusalem is millions of miles in size.  This statement is totally incorrect, and I want to correct the statement and apologize to my readers for having made the error.  New Jerusalem will indeed be very big, big enough to provide an "abiding place" for every true believer [John 14:1-3], but it will not be a monstrosity.  
    The Reason Why
     It all began when I used my old dictionary to look up the meaning and length of a "furlong."  I haven't the slightest idea why my old dictionary was totally wrong about the length of a furlong.  It might have been a typographical error in the dictionary, or it might have been that it was accepted back around the turn of the last century, that the length of a furlong the dictionary listed, was regarded as being correct.  I don't know, and have no way of finding out.  
     Anyway, at this point I know that the length of a furlong listed in that very old dictionary was wrong, and I made the error of not double checking elsewhere.  I used their figures for the length of a furlong to calculate the size of New Jerusalem, and my calculations were wrong.  I apologize to my readers for having not been more diligent in determining the correct calculations.  Now I want to correct the error for our readers, and for the glory of God.
The Size of New Jerusalem
     The angel speaking to John in Revelation 21:15-17 measured the city, stating that "The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal."  The angel's measurement was "12,000 furlongs."  Assuming that this measurement applies to one wall of the foursquare city, then the distance around the city would be four times this distance, or 48,000 furlongs.  
     The length of a furlong, now checked out from several sources, is 220 yards, or 660 feet.  Then to determine the distance measured by the angel, we multiply the 660 feet [one furlong] by 12,000.  This calculates out to be 7,920,000 feet.  The distance in a mile today is 5,280 feet.  In order to calculate the miles involved in the amount of feet, then divide the number of feet by 5,280.  The correct answer to this calculation is exactly 1500 miles.  Again, I ask our readers to make the calculations for themselves.  
     Therefore if the angel was measuring only one side of the city, it would be 1500 miles in length, or a total distance around the city of 6,000 miles.  This is highly probable of being the correct measurements.  
Then this majestic golden pyramid towers 1,500 miles into space above ground level, and the head or capstone of the pyramid, where the four corners come together,  is occupied by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  
     I now feel certain these are the correct measurements of the "Father's house" in glory.  What makes me feel so certain?  I'm so glad you asked!  
     "15" is the number in the Bible which signifies, "Rest; rest in salvation in Christ; Millennial rest; Jubilee rest."  Our precious Lord said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," Matthew 11:28.  And He will!  And He does!  I know!  
     For when I was only 11 years old, I received the Lord Jesus as my own personal Savior, and He has  now been my spiritual rest for the past 73 years.  I know that either by death, or by the rapture, I will SOON be leaving this present evil world, and entering into New Jerusalem, that great 1,500 mile long, wide, and high, Golden city in the sky, to meet my Heavenly Father.  My prayer is that every reader will meet me there, John 5:24; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 8:10-13.  
     Dear readers, please find it in your heart to forgive me for making such an error, on such a wonderful subject, and pray for me.  
<<<<<<<       O       >>>>>>>
     Contact information:
POSTAL..........Pastor F. M. Riley, 14275 Co. Rd. 8120, Rolla, MO 65401.
EMAIL............francismriley34@gmail.com
PHONE..........573-202-6493  
<<<<<<<       O       >>>>>>>