White Robes

“And they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the lamb” (Rev. 7.14b). “Robes” is in plural number, and these robes signify righteousnesses, even the righteousnesses of the saints. They do not refer to the Lord Jesus Christ as our righteousness. Indeed, the robe (singular) is righteousness (Is. 61.10), and it is the Lord himself (Jer. 23.6), for Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1.30). We are clothed with Him as we come before God. But this righteousness has no need to be cleansed by the blood.

Hence we have two robes: the one we are clothed with when we are saved, by which we stand before God; the other is our own righteousness – even our victories – in which we may stand before Christ. The white garments spoken of in Revelation 3.18 require a price, whereas redemption is that which need not be bought.

No Christian will be judged and condemned before God (John 5.24); but no Christian will be exempt from having to stand and be judged before the judgment seat of Christ according to what he has done (2 Cor. 5.10).

Believers’ robes are washed clean, yet not because of the great tribulation but because of the blood of the Lamb.

The very fact that the robes of the saints are washed in the blood of the Lamb shows how they once were defiled on earth yet they have followed the instruction of 1 John 1.9, and thus they are cleansed.

Rev. 19.8 The wife of the Lamb, as we have seen from the above discussion, signifies the New Jerusalem. “It was given to her” are words to indicate reward. “Bright” is due to the whiteness of the fine linen. This is in direct contrast to the clothing of the great harlot (17.4). “Pure” here is in perfect agreement with the word “pure” in 19.14.

“For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints” (Darby)-The word “righteousness” is the same as is found in Isaiah 64: “our righteousness” (v.6).

These saints will soon be inhabitants of the city of New Jerusalem. The duration of time as a bride is limited, but as a wife it is from start to finish. So, too, is this the case with New Jerusalem. During the millennial kingdom, New Jerusalem is the bride of the Lamb. And in the new heaven and new earth New Jerusalem will be the wife of the Lamb.

Christians are divided into the saved and the overcomers. Only the overcoming believers are related to the new city during the millennial kingdom. In the new heaven and new earth, both the saved and the overcomers partake equally in the New Jerusalem.

The wedding gown is worn only for a time; the believers who overcome are joined together as the bride.

At the marriage of the Lamb it looks as though the door of New Jerusalem is opened for the first time to let in the overcomers. The five foolish virgins are not able to enter at this time.