In John 3:29 John the Baptist declared, “He who has the bride is the bridegroom.” Revelation 19:7b says, “His wife has made herself ready.” The readiness of the bride depends on the maturity in life of the overcomers. Furthermore, the overcomers are not separate individuals but a corporate bride. For this, building is needed. The overcomers are not only mature in life but are also built together as one bride.
Revelation 19:8 says, “It was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.” “Pure” refers to the nature, whereas “bright” refers to the expression. The Greek word translated “righteousnesses” may also be rendered “righteous acts.” These righteousnesses do not refer to the righteousness (which is Christ) we received for our salvation (1 Cor. 1:30). The righteousness we receive for salvation is objective so that we may meet the requirement of the righteous God. The righteousnesses of the overcoming believers in Revelation 19:8 are subjective so that they may meet the requirements of the overcoming Christ. Hence, the fine linen indicates our overcoming life, our overcoming living. It is actually the Christ whom we live out of our being.
The fine linen with which the overcoming believers are clothed is equal to the marriage garment in Matthew 22:11 and 12. According to the revelation of the Scriptures, the believers need two garments-one for our salvation and one for our reward. For our salvation we need a robe to cover us. This robe is the robe put on the prodigal son in Luke 15. Upon his return, the prodigal son said to his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (v. 21). But the father said to his servants, “Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him” (v. 22). This robe signifies Christ as our righteousness, and it is for us to be justified by God in His presence. All believers in Christ have this robe, the first robe, Christ as our righteousness, our justification, which enables us to stand before the righteous God.
However, we also need the second garment, which is the wedding garment in Matthew 22:11 and 12 and the fine linen in Revelation 19:8. This garment is not for our salvation; rather, it is for our reward, qualifying us to attend the marriage feast of the Lamb. The first garment qualifies us to meet God for our salvation; the second garment qualifies us to meet Christ for our reward. The second garment is the work of the Holy Spirit within us. It is the very Christ whom we live and who is expressed through us in our daily living. This is the righteousnesses of the saints in Revelation 19:8.
The second garment is also the righteousness spoken of in Matthew 5:20, Here the Lord Jesus says, “Unless your righteousness surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.” This righteousness is not the objective Christ we receive as our robe for our salvation. This righteousness is the subjective Christ whom we live out as our daily living. In Christ, who is our righteousness, we have been justified and saved. But after receiving Christ we need to live Him out. We need to live by Christ so that He may become our subjective righteousness. This subjective righteousness, Christ lived out of us in our daily life, is the white linen, the second garment, the marriage garment, that qualifies us to participate in the marriage feast of the Lamb.
The second garment is referred to in Revelation 3:4, 5, and 18. In 3:4 and 5 the Lord told the church in Sardis that those who have not defiled their garments will walk with Him in white and that the overcomers will be “clothed in white garments.” This is the garment for the marriage feast. In 3:18 the Lord advised the church in Laodicea to buy from Him “white garments.” From these verses we see that in the book of Revelation the matter of the second garment is emphasized. If we do not have this garment-the fine linen, bright and pure-we shall miss the marriage feast of the Lamb.
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