White Robes

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7:9-14.

The seventh chapter of Revelation relates to two classes of the redeemed. It first introduces the definite number of an hundred and forty and four thousand, and gives distinct specifications relative to them. The closing portion of the chapter then describes the great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues, as clothed with white robes, and bearing palms of victory. One class is numbered; the other cannot be numbered. One is manifested and sealed at a definite period of time; while the other is redeemed, not only from all nations existing at any one time, but from all people who have lived upon the earth from the time of the offer of salvation to fallen man, to the close of human probation.

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Verses 9, 10. The prophet had just before taken a definite view of the one hundred and forty-four thousand, which were to be manifested and sealed near the close of probation. He next beholds with astonishment the numberless hosts of the redeemed, which make up all the saved. And as his prophetic eye runs back over all time, he sees them gathered from all the nations, in all the different ages of the world. Hence the expression, "After this I looked, and, lo, a great multitude."

These stood before the Lamb. They had been redeemed by the blood of Christ, and stood before him as the dear purchase of his blood. They were clothed with white robes. We should not understand by this that the saints in this world, or in that which is to come, are to wear literal garments of white linen to represent inward holiness. The white robe must be understood as a figure of purity of character. The redeemed of the Lord had obtained this purity during the period of their probation. They had availed themselves of the matchless cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, while, at the same time, they had, in his strength, wrought righteousness. These, also, held palms in their hands. They were victors. They had conquered the world, the flesh, and the devil. They had overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.

And let it be borne in mind, these were the saved "of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues." Abel and Enoch will be there; righteous Noah, faithful Abraham, and all the holy prophets of God, with robes washed in the blood of the Lamb, and bearing palms of victory, through his redeeming power, will stand before him, as well as the apostles and martyrs of Jesus, the reformers, and those saved in the nineteenth century. It is said of the entire multitude of the redeemed, that they come out of great tribulation. Not one of them had lived in the period of the thousand years after the world should be converted and all men become holy.

In our remarks upon this subject in our last issue, we dwelt quite fully upon the first three divisions, the white robes, the washing of these robes, and the great tribulation. We now call attention to the fourth point.

The blood of the Lamb. A lamb is used as a symbol of meekness. Speaking of Him, the prophet says: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Isa. 53:7. Christ is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Rev. 13:8. He is represented by a lamb, because of his life of humility, and because an innocent lamb had been slain in past ages as a type of the great sacrifice for sins.

When Jesus was baptized of John in Jordan, the heavens opened, the Spirit like a dove descended upon him, and there came a voice from Heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Mark 1:10, 11. After that, "John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29.

The blood of Christ cleanses from sin, on conditions. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Verses 8, 9.

The blood of Christ purges from sin. "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." Heb. 9:22. "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Verses 13, 14.

The sinner who has sold himself for naught is redeemed from sin through the blood of Christ. "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." 1 Pet. 1:18, 19. "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins." Col. 1:13. 14.