Revelation 19 - Dressed in Fine Linen

Unveiled Hope: The Reigning Christ of Revelation  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  35:50
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Introduction

When you invite someone here to church (notice that I didn’t say, “If you invite someone!”)—when you invite someone to come to Bethel, what is one of the first questions they ask? “Do I have to dress up?” Probably one of the biggest fears people have when they visit a church is that they will “stand out” because of what they are wearing. People fret that they don’t have “nice enough” clothes to wear, and they will be judged by the rest of the congregation. (I always like to answer that question by assuring them that nobody comes to Bethel to look at each other—we’re all there to turn our eyes on Jesus!)
But maybe you’ve been in that position where you’re self-conscious because you either over dressed or under dressed for a particular occasion—and it’s terribly awkward because by the time you get there it’s too late to change, and you just have to deal with everybody looking at you the whole time (or feeling like everybody’s looking at you!) For instance, what’s the one color that you’re not supposed to wear at a wedding? All the respectable sources say that it is rude to wear white to a wedding, because it will upstage the bride—this is her day, after all, and not yours!
Here in Revelation 19 we have come to the description of the great Wedding Feast of the Lamb—the Old Jerusalem, Babylon, has been swept away, utterly destroyed and cast out. And now the New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb has made herself ready—we will see her arrival in Chapter 21. And look at what it says about the way the Bride is dressed in verses 7-8:
Revelation 19:7–8 ESV
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
Elsewhere in Revelation we see that God’s people are also dressed in pure white robes—in Revelation 7 we read
Revelation 7:9 ESV
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
And in Revelation 6, the martyrs whose blood was shed by their persecutors
Revelation 6:11 ESV
Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
So by the time the Bride of the Lamb appears, dressed in her pure white garments, there is already a multitude in heaven wearing white robes! But it is not a faux pas to be dressed in the same pure white robes as the Bride of the Lamb—it is a gracious gift of God! And I want to show you here in this chapter that, if you are a Christian,
You have been given the RIGHT to wear the white robes of VICTORY in the PRESENCE of God
The churches who received this letter were not only struggling under the persecution of the Beast of Rome and the False Prophet of apostate Judaism, they were also struggling with their own sin and compromise. The church in Sardis, for example, had a “reputation of being alive, but are dead” (Rev. 3:1). And in His letter to them, Jesus promises to “clothe them in white garments” so that they will “walk with Him in white, for they are worthy” (Rev. 3:4). This is the first truth that we see here in this chapter, that a Christian is given the right to wear the white robes of victory before God, because they are

I. A Symbol of God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rev. 19:6-10)

Back in Revelation 7, when John describes the great multitude of God’s people in heaven, he says that
Revelation 7:14 ESV
I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
This is the basis of the great promise that Jesus makes to the church in Sardis—that the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, has washed them clean of their sin! When you come to Jesus Christ in faith, believing that He paid the blood-price for your guilt before a holy God and turning to Him to walk with Him and follow Him in obedience, then
Your LIFE is pure in His sight (Rev. 3:1-6)
Jesus promises in Revelation 3:5
Revelation 3:5 ESV
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
As one pastor puts it, “In this life, victory often looks like endurance” (Mark Dever). Christian, as you battle your sin every day, as you stay the course and persevere, every day one foot in front of the other, looking to Jesus at every step to say no to the remnants of the sin that tries to trip you up and yes to the holiness Jesus has purchased for you by His blood, He sees it all through His own righteousness that you possess by faith in Him! You are pure in His sight! And like those poor, stumbling, struggling believers in the church at Sardis, Jesus sees your struggle, He sees your daily battle with the sin that still dwells in you and your fight against the pull of the world around you to abandon Him, and He gives you the white robe of His righteousness to wear! As Spurgeon said, “After ten thousand sins, He loves you as infinitely as ever!”
Your life is pure in His sight, and even more amazing is the truth that
Your DEEDS are pure in His sight (Rev. 19:8)
Look again at Revelation 19:8:
Revelation 19:8 ESV
it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
The Bride of the Lamb comes to the wedding feast adorned in the righteous deeds of the saints! Think about that for a moment—the Bride of the Lamb, the New Jerusalem, the Church, is made more beautiful because of your deeds done in Christ! He has saved you out of your sin and rebellion, and has clothed you in His own righteousness—your old heart that could produce nothing but wickedness has been transformed by the sanctifying blood of Christ into a heart that can produce righteous acts that please God! When the devil accuses you of being a worthless Christian, when you feel like the ways that you try to serve God don’t matter because they seem small or ineffective, look here at God’s Word and be reminded that every deed you do for the sake of Jesus—sharing the Gospel with a friend over coffee, picking up the phone to check on a housebound member, sitting in the nursery so another mom can attend worship, praying for that loved one who continues to reject Christ, picking up your Bible and reading even a few verses—you may think all of those things are small or inconsequential, but in truth they are weaving the pure white linen of righteous deeds for the Bride to wear when she appears before her Lord!
Christian, you have been given the right to wear the white robes of victory in the presence of God—they are a symbol of God’s righteousness, and they are

II. A symbol of God’s VENGEANCE (Rev. 19:1-5)

on His enemies. The whole narrative flow of Revelation to this point has been the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, as God pours out His wrath on the generation that murdered the Messiah, just as Jesus Himself warned in Luke 21:
Luke 21:20–22 ESV
“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written.
And here in Revelation 19, the chapter opens with Hallelujahs that that promised vengeance had arrived:
Revelation 19:1–2 ESV
After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
The city of Jerusalem had made herself drunk on the blood of the saints, and now she has been destroyed as the vengeance of God fell on her. And even here there is a connection with the white robes of God’s victory—because back in Revelation 6 the martyrs who were crying out for this very vengeance were given a symbol of their coming victory:
Revelation 6:9–11 ESV
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
That white robe they were given to wear is a symbol that
God’s justice is perfect (Romans 12:19)
The saints that suffered under the persecutions of apostate Judaism and Roman emperor-worship receive this letter of Revelation to promise them that their vengeance is coming! That they only have to “rest a little longer”, and they would see the perfect justice of God falling on their persecutors! (Which, again, would be an odd thing to write to Christians suffering in 66 A.D. if the events of this book were all thousands of years in their future!)
But these things were written to comfort them that they would see the perfect justice of God avenging them, and so they could rest. Christian, in the same way today, you and I need to rest in the promise of the perfect vengeance of God. Paul reminds us in Romans 12:
Romans 12:19 ESV
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
The white robes of victory that are given to the saints in Revelation are a reminder that God’s justice is perfect. It is perfect in its administration—everything will be made right, and there will be no injustice left unaddressed. And if it is perfect, that means that it is also perfect in its timing, amen? So rest in the white robes of victory of God’s perfect justice for you!
In verses 3-5 of Revelation 19 we see another truth about the perfect justice of God--
God’s justice is ETERNAL (Rev. 19:3-5)
Revelation 19:3–5 ESV
Once more they cried out, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”
It’s important to recognize that the Old Testament word “Hallelujah” - “Praise YHWH”-only occurs here in the entire New Testament, and it is used to celebrate the destruction of the Old Jerusalem! The great multitude of the saints cry “Hallelujah” for the true and just judgments of God, they cry “Hallelujah” over the smoke rising from the ruin of Babylon (Jerusalem), and the angelic beings in Heaven echo that “Hallelujah” back in verse 4.
See here in these verses that the eternal justice of God over wickedness and rebellion does not dampen the joy of Heaven—it is one of the reasons for joy! The joy of seeing perfect justice that is never overturned or appealed, that cannot be blocked or mitigated or called into question—the smoke that rises up forever from the ruin of God’s wicked, rebellious enemies is a reason for eternal celebration in Heaven, and the white robes of victory that the martyrs wear is a symbol of His righteous and glorious vengeance on their behalf!
Christian, you have been given the right to wear the white robes of victory in the presence of God—those robes are a symbol of His righteousness, a symbol of His vengeance, and

III. A symbol of God’s VICTORIOUS ARMY (Rev. 19:11-21)

Heaven is ringing out with “Hallelujahs” over the destruction of Babylon the harlot—the drunken adulteress who played the harlot with the gods of the nations and rejected the Messiah with the words “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15)—she has been put away forever, and the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ, has arrayed herself in the pure white linen of her saints’ righteousness to shouts of “Hallelujah”. And in the following verses the Bridegroom Himself appears:
Revelation 19:11–14 ESV
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
The righteous Warrior-Judge rides out to seal His victory over the Beast of Rome and the False Prophet of apostate Judaism. And see how John picks up the description of His appearance from Chapter 1 here again—eyes like flames of fire, a sword coming out of His mouth to strike down the nations. And John makes it a point to describe Christ’s robe as “dipped” (Gk., baptized) in blood—the blood of His enemies as well as His own blood, which makes it possible for His armies to be “arrayed in fine linen, white and pure”. Christian, you have been given the right to wear the pure white robes of the victorious army of Christ! You wear the robes of victory that is won as
Christ conquers by the SWORD of His MOUTH (cp. Luke 21:24)
Standing on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the city of Jerusalem, Jesus pronounced the doom of destruction on the rebellious, adulterous harlot that she had become:
Luke 21:24 ESV
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
And here in Revelation 19 John reminds the suffering churches that that destruction is at hand! The Lamb is about to ride out in power and authority and conquer those enemies, and “tread out the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” on His enemies—He has declared her destruction with the words of His mouth, and now He is carrying out that destruction, and those who ride with Him are clothed in the white linen of His victory. Christian, you have been given the right to wear the white robes of Christ’s victory over His enemies—by wearing the white linen of His army, you share in His victory!
In verse 9 God’s people are invited to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, and in verses 17-19 an angel calls out to the vultures to come to another feast: “The feast of God”—as they descend on the bodies of the enemies of Christ that are arrayed against Him:
Revelation 19:17–18 ESV
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”
In verse 19 the Beast and the False Prophet are arrayed against Christ the Conquering King and His armies clothed in the pure white robes of His victory—but notice that there isn’t even a battle!
Revelation 19:19–20 ESV
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
The armies of Christ never even lift a finger, do they? They simply stand by and watch as He simply captures the Beast and false prophet—Rome and apostate Judaism—along with everyone who had sworn allegiance to them—and tosses them straight into the lake of fire! And verse 21 says
Revelation 19:21 ESV
And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.
The victory that Christ’s people win over the combined forces of Satanic opposition is won by Jesus Christ Himself! Do you see this? The so-called “Battle of Armageddon” isn’t really a battle at all! There is no dramatic flow of fighting back and forth, there are no acts of heroism or desperate charges or valiant assaults on Satan’s forces by the armies of God—The Beast and False Prophet array their armies against Christ and His people, and Jesus simply drops them into the Lake of Fire and slays the rest with “the sword that comes from His mouth”. Christian—this is what the pure white robes of your victory represent—that here in the midst of this dark and broken and rebellious world that hates you and your Savior
You will conquer by your FAITH in His WORD (1 John 5:4)
The sword that comes from the mouth of Christ vanquishes all of His enemies—He conquers them with His word. And in the same way, beloved, you stand clothed in the victorious white garments of Christ’s conquest over the world. And when you hold fast in faith to the Word that has come from His mouth, from He who is called “The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13), then you have victory over this world!
1 John 5:4 ESV
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Christian, you have been given the right to wear the white robes of victory in the presence of God—the pure white robes that symbolize your purity in His sight through your faith in Jesus Christ! So adorn the Bride of Christ with your deeds! Don’t despair, don’t give up or just “go along to get along” with this world, thus soiling your garments and failing to complete the works God has set out for you to do—make the Church more beautiful every day by your acts of love and service and devotion, clothing yourself with the perfect righteousness of Christ!
And put on those pure white robes of victory that remind you that the day is coming when God will make everything right again! That all of the hatred and slander and injustice and ridicule that is heaped on you now—and as bad as it may get in days to come—all of it will someday be made right! Rest in the perfect vengeance of God that is coming, entrust yourself to Him who judges justly and know that the Day is coming when all will be made right, and all will be made right forever!
And put on those pure white robes of victory that mark you as belonging to the victorious army of the Warrior King, Jesus Christ! Hold fast to the Word of His mouth and your testimony of Him in this world—do not shrink back from the opportunity to speak the Gospel, because it is the message that has the power to conquer sin and rebellion, to turn His enemies into His friends, to turn “objects of wrath” into beloved children. He conquers by the sword of His mouth, and by your faith in His word you conquer the world!
Jesus tells a story in Matthew 22 about a king who gave a great wedding feast for his son—and the guests he invited refused to honor him by their attendance. They rejected the king’s command to come and honor his son, and so the king destroyed their city, and burned it with fire. It is a parable that found its fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem—the Messiah came to claim His bride, Jerusalem, but instead of honoring Him, she rejected Him and carried out her adulteries with Rome instead: (“I have no husband but Caesar!”) And so in A.D. 70 God destroys the city, burning it with fire so that the smoke went up into heaven as a witness against her treachery and wickedness.
Jesus goes on in His parable to say that the King sent his servants out to gather anyone they could find to attend the wedding feast for his son, and
Matthew 22:11–13 ESV
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Friend, we don’t have much of a dress-code here on Sunday mornings, you don’t have to worry about being “under-dressed” to come worship here. But there is a Wedding Feast coming for which you cannot afford to be under-dressed! Don’t try to show up on that Day dressed in your own attempts at being righteous, don’t show up with your pockets stuffed full of your pet sins that you refuse to let go of, don’t try to come with your own homespun righteousness out of your good habits and family values and cultural conservatism—the only way you will be seated at that Feast is if you come wearing the white robes of the righteousness of Jesus Christ!
You need to put off all of your own attempts to weave a righteousness of your own—you need to quit trying to impress God and everyone around you with your faithful church attendance and conservative voting record, you need to stop washing the outside of your life while letting your heart rot with corruption and sin and rebellion, you need to quit clinging to your guilt and shame and broken past and come to Jesus Christ in repentance. Come and talk to us after the service, let us pray with you and help you understand from the Scriptures how you can know that you have been given the right to wear the pure white robes of the righteousness of God, purchased for you by the blood of the Conquering Lamb, Jesus Christ!
BENEDICTION
Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

Jesus tells the church at Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6) that He has “found their works incomplete in the sight of God”—they had given in to the pressures of the world around them to compromise their faith. What pressures do we face today that tempt us to “go along to get along” with our culture? What promise does Jesus give in Revelation 3:5 to those who stand firm in faith?
The word “Hallelujah” occurs only four times in the New Testament—all of them surrounding the eternal destruction of the enemies of God represented by “Babylon the Great” in Revelation 19:1-6. Does God’s eternal damnation of wickedness make Him less glorious, or more glorious?
This chapter describes the utter and complete victory that Jesus Christ wins over all of the combined forces of Satanic opposition. For the original readers of Revelation, those forces were represented by apostate Judaism riding on the power of Imperial Rome. What forces are conspiring together against God’s people today? And what does this chapter say about the victory that we have in Jesus Christ?
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