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righteousness of saints (Rev. 19:8; 22:11). The evangelical concept of
justification by faith is nowhere seen or spoken of. In the article, The
Rest of The Dead, page 18, we have examined every reference to the phrase
'the blood of the Lamb', and to the shedding of blood generally, but out of
all the references, the only one that speaks of deliverance from sin, is that
of Revelation 1:5 and this is discussed in the article referred to above
where its connection is not with the average sinner, but with
the peculiar company, 'kings and priests', who play so important a part in
the outworking of its prophetic import. Two quotations call for insertion in
this article:
'They ... made them White in the blood of the Lamb' (Rev. 7:14).
'They Overcame him by the blood of the Lamb' (Rev. 12:11).
These passages are related. Those who wash their robes and make them
White are those who came out of great tribulation. Those who Overcame, do so
by the same blood of the Lamb, and under enormous pressure. Both companies
are martyrs. When this company is complete, it is likened to a Bride
prepared for her Husband:
'And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean
and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints' (Rev.
19:8).
The usage of the word translated 'arrayed' links the Bridal company with the
overcomer, as will be seen from the following list of occurrences of
periballo:
'He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment'.
'I counsel thee to buy of Me ... white raiment, that thou mayest be
clothed' (Justification is by faith, and cannot be 'bought').
'A great multitude ... clothed with white robes, and palms in their
hands'.
'What are these which are arrayed in white robes?'
'She should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white'.
'And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood' (Rev. 3:5,18;
7:9,13; 19:8,13).
In the days of the outpourings of the vials, a blessing
is pronounced upon him that watched 'and keepeth his garments (himation)'
(Rev. 16:15), a reference back to Revelation 3:5 and 18. The same Greek word
himation is used of the overcoming King of kings, Revelation 19:16; and His
vesture also was 'dipped in blood' even as were those of the suffering
overcomers.
The evidence is accumulative and overwhelming, that the Overcomer is
the key to the Revelation, and to the essential character of the Millennium.
The word mostly translated 'white' in the Revelation is the Greek
leukos, but in two references (Rev. 15:6 and 19:8), the word is lampros,
translated elsewhere by 'gorgeous', 'bright', 'goodly', 'gay' and 'clear'
(Luke 23:11; Acts 10:30; Jas. 2:2,3; Rev. 22:1). The usage of the word
'white' in the Revelation suggests a threefold subdivision:
(1) The Lord Himself.
(2) The Overcomers.
(3) Judgment.