Revelation 19:8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (NASB95)
Revelation 19:8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (NASB95) The bride refers to the church of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:22f). Second, we are told, “His bride makes herself ready.” This brings out the aspect of personal responsibility of individuals. There is first the responsibility in relation to salvation.
To be a part of the bride, one must have believed in Christ as his or her personal Savior from sin. But the primary emphasis here relates to the issue of true spirituality which results in rewards or preparation for eternity. Men must personally and responsibly believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and then, as believers and as part of the bride of Christ, they must choose to walk by the Spirit of God according to the Word, by faith, so they can bear fruit or reproduce good works. This is what is meant by the statement, “makes herself ready.”
God’s part is brought with the statement in verse 8 that “it was given to her to clothe herself…” The words “was given to her” focuses our attention on God’s grace and refers, I believe, to two phases of His grace to all believers who make up the bride of Christ.
First, it refers to those gifts Christ has given to the church which enable believers to produce good works for God and to glorify Him. Second, “was given to her” also refers to the reward the Lord will give for faithful service or the righteous deeds done in the power of the Holy Spirit. The reward is a beautiful wedding garment to be worn at the wedding feast. This is clearly spelled out in the next words of our text, “… to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
Revelation 19:9 Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” (NASB95) Verse 9 has reference to the custom of inviting guests to the wedding feast as seen in Matthew 22 and 25. This passage records a beatitude, a pronouncement of blessing upon those invited. All men are invited, both Jews and Gentiles, but to enter and be a part one must accept the invitation and come with the right wedding garment, namely, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This means one must first accept the invitation to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:12; 3:3, 16; Rom. 3:21-22; 4:5; Matt. 22:8-13).
Every guest must have on a wedding robe, a garment of righteousness, in order to be a part of the marriage feast or the millennial reign of the Savior. These guests are friends of the bridegroom (John 3:29).
Revelation 19:10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (NASB95) John is overcome by the awesome revelation given to him and falls at the feet of the angel who gave him this revelation and he is rebuked by the angel for doing so. He had forgotten that one must always keep in mind that it is the message about God and His ways and not the messenger that is important whether men or angels. Revelation from God whether through an angel or man must always result in the worship of God and not the messenger. The messengers are simply servants as the angel tells John.
Revelation 19:11-20:3 records the “Second Advent” of Jesus Christ, which like the “First Advent” will be literally fulfilled. None of the details given in Revelation 19:11-21 corresponds to the “Rapture” of the church.
The “Rapture” of the church is distinguished in Scripture from the “Second Advent” of Jesus Christ. For example, the “Rapture” delivers the church from the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9) while the “Second Advent” delivers Israel from Satan, Antichrist and the Tribulational armies. The “Rapture” is seen only by the church and is therefore invisible to the world while the “Second Advent” is the visible manifestation of Christ on the earth (Revelation 1:7).
Revelation 1:7 “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.” (NASB95) The Lord meets the church in the earth’s atmosphere at the “Rapture,” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) whereas the Lord physically lands on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem at His “Second Advent.” (Zechariah 14:4). Signs do not precede the “Rapture” whereas visible signs precede the “Second Advent.” (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:10-31).
The Lord claims His Bride at the “Rapture” but He returns with her at the “Second Advent.” (1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:10) The “Rapture” completes God’s program for the church (1 Corinthians 15:51-58) while the “Second Advent” is related to God’s program for Israel (Matthew 24).
The “Rapture” is a mystery (1 Corinthians 15:51-57), not known to Old Testament saints whereas the “Second Advent” is prophesied throughout the Old Testament canon. The “Rapture” leaves creation unchanged whereas the “Second Advent” entails a change in creation from corruption to perfect environment (Romans 8:18-22). The “Rapture” does not fulfill God’s covenants to Israel whereas the “Second Advent” marks the beginning of their fulfillment through Christ’s millennial reign. The “Rapture” precedes the Tribulation whereas the “Second Advent” follows it as indicated by the chronology presented in the book of Revelation. The church is nowhere found during the events of the Tribulation period recorded in Revelation 6-18 but appears as Christ’s bride in heaven in Revelation 19:1-10 and comes back with Christ at His Second Advent as recorded in Revelation 19:11-21.
