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The white-robed multitude who stand before the throne have come out of the great
tribulation, "such as never was", "so that none is like it", they come out of that tribulation
which oppressed Daniel's "people"--Israel, which was called "Jacob's trouble".
Let us now seek to understand the meaning of the words, "they washed their robes,
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb". It is a misconception to speak of this
passage as a "standing of works", in contrast with the "standing in grace" of the present
dispensation. The dispensation is certainly different from the present one, but there is no
question of a standing in works here. These are "overcomers", whose salvation has been
settled for good by the once offered sacrifice of Christ. The epistle to the Hebrews makes
this clear, and we cannot find any scriptural warrant to convince us that any one will be
saved, under whatever dispensation he may come, by a mingling of works and faith: the
blood of Christ is spoken of four times in the Revelation:--
"Unto Him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by His Own blood, and made us
a kingdom and priests to His God and Father." (1: 56).
"Thou wast slain, and didst redeem back to God, by Thy blood, out of every tribe,
tongue, people and nation, and Thou didst make them to our God a kingdom and priests,
and they shall reign on the earth" (5: 9).
"They washed their robes and made them white by the blood of the Lamb, because of
this are they before the throne of God" (7: 14).
"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word
of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death" (12: 11).
Let us notice the facts here recorded, and the order of their development. First is the
redemption of the priestly nation, stated without any details except the fact of the
redemption and the goal towards which that redemption was directed:--
From sins. . . .
By His blood. . . .A kingdom and priests.
Secondly, the added item is now given that this redemption was not only from sins,
but from exile and banishment, "out of every tribe, tongue, people and nation"; further,
the sphere of their priestly kingdom is indicated, "they shall reign on, or over, the earth".
So far nothing has been said concerning the personal faithfulness of those redeemed,
these two passages speak of all Israel. The book of the Revelation, however, from first
to last is chiefly concerned with "him that overcometh":--
Out of all nations. . . .
By His blood. . . . A kingdom and priests on earth.
The two remaining references do not speak of "all Israel", but of a faithful number of
witnessing Israelites who overcome. In the third reference therefore the question of
redemption from sin is not in view, it is now, "the things that accompany salvation"
(Hebrews), or the "working out their own salvation with fear and trembling"
(Philippians) that is intended:--
They washed their robes. . . . By the blood. . . . They are before the throne.
The fourth reference makes the positive statement:--
They overcame the devil. . . . Because of the blood.