Revelation7:14

Translation

I said to him, “My Lord, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who have emerged

from great tribulation, they have washed their robes and made them white through the blood shed by the LAMB.

Paraphrase

I said to him, “Sir, I don’t

know the answer, but you know it.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who have emerged victorious from great tribulation, they have a reputation of being pure because they have made their reputations pure through the sacrificial blood shed by THE ONLY EFFICACIOUS SACRIFICE.

Footnotes

1: “emerged”

There are only two ways to come out of persecution: with your faith in tact (spiritually victorious), or having caved in and recanted the faith, in which case one can no longer be said to be wearing white. Therefore, the paraphrase inserts the word “victorious.”

Seek to be Clothed in White

You will notice that there are many references in Revelation to how people are dressed. Jesus and the angels are often described as being dressed in ways that demonstrate power and authority. Being dressed in white is the most common description in Revelation of the saints Revelation 6:11, Revelation 7:10, Revelation 16:15, Revelation 22:14. We need to be sure we are properly clothed, meaning that we are characterized by purity of heart and mind. When people look at your life, what do they see? Are you as concerned about purity as Jesus wants you to be?