Scripture Daily

Context No. 299 of 4322 · Revelation

Context · Reflection

Revelation 19:6-10: in context

6I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns! 7Let’s rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let’s give the glory to him. For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.” 8It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9He said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.’” He said to me, “These are true words of God.” 10I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, “Look! Don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.”

This passage is a burst of heaven's celebration. John hears something like the roar of a great crowd, like many waters and mighty thunder, crying Hallelujah, because the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. It is the wedding at the end of the whole story, and the detail that rewards attention is what the bride is wearing.

She is given fine linen to wear, bright and pure, and then the text explains the cloth: the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. The wedding dress is woven out of the faithful acts of God's people, every quiet, unnoticed thing done in love and obedience becoming a thread in the garment the bride wears at the end. And the language holds two truths together without straining. It was given to her to be clothed this way, which is grace, and the linen is the saints' own righteous deeds, which is their response. The dress is a gift, and it is also made of their lives. Nothing small and faithful turns out to be wasted; it is being gathered up and woven into the final glory. Then John, overwhelmed, falls down to worship the messenger who showed him this, and the angel stops him at once: do not do it, I am a fellow servant with you; worship God.

The image reframes the ordinary faithful thing I might think no one sees. Every righteous act is a thread being set aside for a wedding. Do I treat my small, unnoticed acts of faithfulness as pointless and forgotten, or as threads already being woven into a garment I will one day see?

Sources