Revelation 7:14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 7:13-17

Here we have a description of the honour and happiness of those who have faithfully served the Lord Jesus Christ, and suffered for him. Observe, I. A question asked by one of the elders, not for his own information, but for John's instruction: ministers may learn from the people, especially from aged and experienced Christians; the lowest saint in heaven knows more than the greatest apostle in the world. Now the question has two parts:?1. What are these that are arrayed in white robes? 2.... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:13-14

7:13,14 And one of the elders said to me: "Do you know who these are who are clothed in white robes and where they came from?" I said to him: "Sir, you know." He said to me: "These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation, and who have washed their robes, and have made them white through the power of the blood of the Lamb." One thing is to be noted before we go on to deal with this passage in detail. The King James Version generalizes the meaning by translating: "These are they... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:13-14

This passage speaks of the blood of the Lamb. The New Testament has much to say about the blood of Jesus Christ. We must be careful to give this phrase its full meaning. To us blood indicates death, and certainly the blood of Jesus Christ speaks of his death. But to the Hebrews the blood stood for the life. That was why the orthodox Jew never would--and still will not--eat anything which had blood in it ( Genesis 9:4 ). The blood is the life and the life belongs to God; and the blood must... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:13-14

Let us now unite the two ideas of which we have been thinking. The blessed ones have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Let us try to express as simply as possible what that means. The white robes always stand for two things. They stand for purity, for the life cleansed from the taint of past sin, the infection of present sin and the attack of future sin. They stand for victory, for the life which has found the secret of victorious living. Put at its very... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 7:13-14

One thing in this passage remains to be noted, and it is of the first importance. It is said of the blessed ones that "they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Here is symbolically laid down man's part in his own salvation; the blessed ones washed their own robes. That is to say, the act of man's redemption is Christ's, but the effect is not passive and man has to appropriate it. There might be available to a man all the apparatus to cleanse his garments, but it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 7:14

And I said unto him, sir, thou knowest ,.... John replies in a very humble, modest, and respectful manner, to the elder, calling him "sir", according to the usage of the eastern people; and it is observable, that this word is much used in his Gospel, and more than in any other book; see John 4:11 . Some copies, and the Complutensian edition, read, "my Lord"; and so do the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions. John confesses his ignorance, and ascribes knowledge to the elder, and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 7:14

Sir, thou knowest - That is, I do not know, but thou canst inform me. Came out of great tribulation - Persecutions of every kind. And have washed their robes - Have obtained their pardon and purity, through the blood of the Lamb. Their white robes cannot mean the righteousness of Christ, for this cannot be washed and made white in his own blood. This white linen is said to be the righteousness of the saints, Revelation 19:8 , and this is the righteousness in which they stand... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 7:9-17

The Church above, caught up out of the great tribulation. We have before called attention to the fact that in this chapter we have, first, a part of the Church on earth, sealed in the tribulation; second, a part of the Church in heaven caught up out of it. £ The first and most natural inquiry concerning the second part of this chapter is, "At what point of time are we to fix the occurring of the glorious realities set forth in this vision?" And from the structure of the chapter the reply... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 7:13-17

The eternal blessedness. The vision is yet heightened. A further brightness overspreads the scene, The comfort of hope is yet expanded. Arrested by one of the elders, the seer lowlily refrains from declaring who constitute the triumphant host, and receives the consoling assurance that they are from the fields of earthly suffering, toil, and danger. They are now exalted far above all worldly power. The final blessedness of the righteous is— I. BLESSEDNESS FOR WHICH THEY ARE ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 7:13-17

The human population in heaven (No. 2). "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?" etc. Here is an illustration of three facts in connection with the human population in heaven. I. THEIR EARTHLY LIFE WAS MARKED BY GREAT TRIAL . "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? [these which are arrayed in the white robes, who are they?] and whence... read more

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