Revelation 7:14

And I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they that came out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Lord, thou knowest ... The very fact of the elder's asking John of their identity suggests that John probably understood who they were and whence they came; but, as being appropriate for one still under probation, the apostle refrained from saying so, his response, "Lord, thou knowest," being noncommittal. It is a gross misunderstanding to make John's respectful reply here the basis of denying that one of the Twelve is the author through whom this prophecy came.

These are they that came out of the great tribulation ... This verse is the principal proof-text for sponsors of the Great Tribulation theory; but the words "they that came are translated from the present middle participle, meaning they continue to come."[52] Bruce translated this, "These are the comers.[53] This positively identifies the "coming" of these white-robed saints w dispensation. "The whole history of the church is a time of tribulation.[54] "The Great Ordeal (tribulation) is a prolonged process, which from John's temporal standpoint was partly past and partly future."[55] Right here is the key to Revelation 1:19. Many of the scenes in Revelation mingle visions of things past, present, and future simultaneously. Any neat little scheme of making one section of Revelation past, another present, and yet another future, collapses in a careful understanding of the text. We agree with Beckwith that, "There is nothing here which points to any one particular distress."[56]

And they washed their robes ... The undeniable reference in this is to the conversion of the saints at the time of their residence upon the earth. Thompson stated that, "The understanding of this passage derives from such Scriptures as Acts 22:16; Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27; and Titus 3:5,[57] all of which refer to primary obedience to the gospel, the unique manner by which anyone since Pentecost was ever able, in any sense, to "wash" his robes in the blood of Christ. This is a metaphor, but it surely stresses the part which sinners themselves have in their own salvation. They must obey the gospel. Note that it is said, "They washed," a reference to what one must do to be saved. Christ provides the means of our redemption, but he requires of people that they appropriate the blessings of it through obedience. All of the apostles taught this same truth. Peter, on Pentecost, commanded those who wished to be saved to "Repent and have yourselves baptized ... save yourselves from this crooked generation" (Acts 2:38,40). "Save yourselves ... wash your robes," etc., all such passages stress the human response in salvation.

Again, note the doxology of Revelation 7:12, which was being spoken by this white-robed throng. When they praised the Lord for salvation, they spoke not of what they had done (though they could not have been saved without it), but of the blood of the Lamb.

"The great tribulation of this passage is the persecution of the followers of Christ which broke in such intense malignity in John's day and continues until the ultimate triumph of Christ.[58] The following verses, designed to comfort and encourage the suffering church, must be understood with reference to the dark background of persecutions.

[52] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 126.

[53] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 646.

[54] James William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 631.

[55] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 102.

[56] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 545.

[57] W. S. Thompson, Comments on Revelation (Memphis, Tennessee: Southern Church Publications, 1957), p. 85.

[58] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 646.