In Revelation, many first-century believers were killed because of their belief in Jesus as the Lamb of God.
They were given white robes to wear.
Their robes are white because they had been washed in the blood of the Lamb.
We read about this in Revelation 6:9-11, 7:13-14, and 12:11.
Revelation 6:9-11 (NIV)
9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
10They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”
11Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.
Revelation 7:13-14
13Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 12:11
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
In Revelation 19:8, the slain believers are wearing fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of Jesus given to them.
Revelation 19:8 ( Websters Bible Translation)
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
- see also: Lamsa New Testament, Anderson New Testament, Worsley New Testament
Smith's Literal Translation translates Revelation 19:8 as the justification of the holy.
And it was given her that she put on fine linen, pure and shining: for fine linen is the justification of the holy.
Unfortunately, most translations have Revelation 19:8 translated as the righteous "acts" or "deeds" of the saints.
However, "acts" and "deeds" are not in the Greek manuscripts but have been added by the translations.
By adding "acts" or "deeds," it leads the reader to believe that those who were killed were righteous, justified because of their deeds.
However, we know from Romans and Galatians that righteousness comes through faith in Jesus apart from acts and deeds.
Let's put these verses together.
In Revelation, the first-century saints were killed because they believed Jesus was the Lamb of God who shed his blood to establish the new covenant of grace.
The blood of Jesus washed them clean from all sins and presented them as justified, meaning righteous - just as if they had never sinned.
Righteousness is symbolized in the white robes they were given to wear.
In Romans and Galatians, Paul explains the same gospel.
Righteousness (justification) is provided in the blood of Jesus - the Lamb of God whose blood was shed for our sins.
Through faith in Jesus, believers from all centuries are declared righteous by God, they are justified.
This is the gospel of grace in Revelation.
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