Useful Bible Studies > Revelation Commentary > chapter 19

The bride of Christ

Revelation 19:8

There is a previous description of the clothes of God’s people in Revelation 7:13-14. There, they have washed their clothes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. The Lamb means Christ; his blood is a reference to his death. The meaning is that God’s people can only serve him properly because of Christ’s death. They do not depend on their own efforts or their own good works to save them. God has forgiven them and he has given them a right relationship with himself because of Christ’s death (see Isaiah 1:18).

Here in Revelation 19:8, the description is of the bride’s clothes at a royal wedding. The bridegroom is Christ and God’s people, together, are the bride (Ephesians 5:31-32).

The description here continues the previous description. Now we know the material of the clothes. Its name is byssus, which is a fine and good quality type of the material called linen.

We read previously that God’s people had washed their clothes in Christ’s blood. Now, we see that the clothes are clean. That is, God’s people are free from sin (evil deeds). Similarly, we read that they made their clothes white. Now, we see that the clothes are bright. That is perhaps a word-picture: God’s people show his goodness.

John also explains the meaning of these clothes. They mean the righteous deeds (good acts) of God’s holy people. The word for ‘righteous deeds’ does not mean that they have earned their right relationship with God by their good deeds (Romans 4:1-6). That word, DIKAIOMA, means the expression and result when God declares someone righteous (good). God declares his people righteous because they have accepted Christ’s death for them (Romans 4:22-25). Now, Christ lives in them (Colossians 1:27). Because of that, they can do the acts of which God approves (Ephesians 2:10).

Next part: The invitation to the marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9)

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