"You have a few names in Sardis which do not pollute their garments, and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. The one who is conquering, he shall be clothed in white garments, and under no circumstances will I be erasing his name from the scroll of life, and I will be avowing his name in front of My Father and before His messengers. Who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit is saying to the ecclesia." Revelation 3:4-6 concordant
“White garments” (or robes) are mentioned seven times in the book of Revelation. The Laodiceans are counseled to buy white raiment to hide the shame of their nakedness:
"Seeing that you are saying that Rich am I! and Rich have I become, and of nothing have I need! and you are not aware that you are wretched and forlorn and poor and blind and naked, I am advising you to buy of Me gold refined by the fire, that you should be rich, and white garments, that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not be made manifest, and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may be observing." Revelation 3:17-18 concordant
Those Christians who grow to mature stature find the gold of His divine nature fulfilled within their inner man and have been taught how to be crucified with Christ. They belong to Jesus! It’s not just head knowledge for them, they are being redeemed from all other kinships, all other languages, out of every mindset in groups of people with national identity. Christian overcomers identify with Christ WITHIN THEIR INNNER BEING. They have grown by following instructions. They learn to wait on the Lord. They gain vindication of greater light. They are true partakers of the divine wisdom given true believers:
"And they cry with a loud voice, saying, Till when, O Owner, holy and true, art Thou not judging and avenging our blood on those dwelling on the earth?" And to each of them was given a white robe, and it was declared to them that they should be resting still a little time, till their number should be completed by their fellow slaves also, and their brethren, who are about to be killed even as they were." Revelation 6:10-11 concordant
In the heavens of the New Jerusalem, people are clothed with white robes, enlightened spirits of men who are enthroned with celestial substance. God’s governmental order is already clad in white garments, as a vast host who has come out of every people and nation:
"And around the throne I perceived twenty-four thrones, and on the twenty-four thrones elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and on their heads golden wreaths." Revelation 4:4 concordant
"After these things I perceived, and lo! a vast throng which no one was able to number it, out of every nation and out of the tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lambkin, clothed in white robes and with palm fronds in their hands." Revelation 7:9 concordant
"These clothed in white robes, who are they, and whence came they? ‘These are those coming out of the great affliction’. And they rinse their robes, and they whiten them in the blood of the Lambkin." Revelation 7:13-14 concordant
These are overcoming Christians who used the troubles of this life to be refined with Christ working on their insides. They were changed by trusting Christ to guide them through each of life’s experiences. The tribulations were most especially a refining process that taught them a lot about God. It made them conquerors with Christ, so they now fit in with the armies of heaven.
Christians in every time frame of church history have followed the conquering Christ to be made overcomers arrayed in His fine linen of righteousness, ROBED IN PURE LIGHT, being robed in white:
"And I perceived heaven open, and 'lo'! a white horse. And He Who is sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness is He judging and battling. Now His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, having names written of which no one except Himself is aware, and He is clothed in a cloak dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, dressed in cambric, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. And out of His mouth a sharp blade is issuing, that with it He should be smiting the nations." Revelation 19:14-15 concordant
We may conclude, now therefore, many things. Many overcomers are now in white raiment. All His holy army is alive in the unseen, clothed and representing His true conciliation, all in spiritual attire. This true state of spiritual enlightenment is within the heart of Christian men and women. This clothing is not from an imputed righteousness of the lower realms of heaven, where we first received Christ Jesus as Saviour.
Please note that in the second and third chapters of Revelation, the Lord is there sending instruction to the seven churches in Asia. Therefore, He is speaking to Christian people who have already received the imputed righteousness of forgiveness applied to their personal account. Though righteousness has been imputed to Christians through faith in Jesus, their worship has not taken them into further steps of devotion that clothe them with His Spirit.
His spirit instructs us how to be clothed in Christ, how to put on our lasting spiritual house, a raiment that is formed within us through every trial and test this life presents for us to conquer. Christians of mature stature have qualified by seeing with God’s eyes as overcomers, rather than seeing and thinking as a man.
Our Father has been writing His nature (name) upon all the overcomers of each church dispensation. They are now mature ones in the unseen heavenly places. We are connected to them, which we see when He enlightens us by His Spirit. A resurrection power has raised us to be like Jesus, to be united to God as one. God is our Father, the source of all divine instruction that clothes our inner man with His glorious Life:
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
Paul also exhorted:
“Now, being true, in love we should be making all grow into Him,Who is the Head — Christ out of Whom the entire body, being articulated together and united through every assimilation of the supply, in accord with the operation in measure of each one’s part, is making for the growth of the body, for the upbuilding of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:15-17 concordant
God is writing on the pages of our spiritual life. Our journey is to grow up into the fullness of Christ’s Headship, being led into a perfection. This is a perfect righteousness, a perfect nature, and a perfect state of enlightenment about being a Son of the living God. Be enthralled beyond measure that He has translated us out of the kingdom of darkness and has now introduced us to lasting heavens wherein His white garments clothe our inner man!
Daily we are watching the Lord's Spirit clothe us with understanding Him better. A robe of righteousness is granted for receiving the light that Christ brings within us. That power has no limits in reigning over every vestige of inner darkness. If, in our weakness, we are granted to see the invisible things about Him, it is because we overcame the teachings of men. We have been wrenched out of their grip to know forlorn, sorry stories no longer.
By letting Christ be formed more perfectly within our inner being, we now put on our house from heaven. God is perfectly capable of clothing us with His glorious light. He comes within our spirit with light shining on the promises God has given His sheep. His sheep are gathering at His right hand and are covered with a wedding garment, similar to natural sheep producing a covering of natural wool.
The spirit of Christ growing within will buy us back from every death, hell, and grave, to deliver us from the ways of earthly minded men. Christ fully formed within us creates a clean, clear connection to God within our spirit. We are learning that knowing God can truly save us from ourselves. God is willingly clothing us with the ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS gained by Christ Jesus.
This isn’t done by our own self-efforts in good works, but by the Word planted to grow within us until we are LED by His Spirit to be a tabernacle of God. This happens when we are trusting in the indwelling power of truth coming to reign within our lives. Yes, the King is coming to reign over our earthly things!
The wisdom of God is bestowed in the light of His Word. WISDOM reaches into our inner being to talk to us about truthful things, about heavenly things. It teaches us about having a single eye, seeing by an understanding light that clothes us with His understanding. God’s life can be recognized within our spirit to enlighten us with the mind of Christ. Having been quickened by God, we can submit to Jesus as Lord within our inner man.
Our inner man is continually being clothed with His spiritual COMNG. God grants His followers strength to experience more of Him EVEN IN JUST BEING PATIENTLY QUIET. In this waiting on the Lord, even the slightest sense of division caused by our own judgments and separate views is removed from us. Instead, now a ONENESS WITH CHRIST reveals the spirit of truth to us.
The Father’s work in His Sons is done by sending the Spirit of Jesus Christ to instruct us, teaching our spirit to recognize His Spirit. He then reveals in fuller detail the day by day beautiful truths shining out to be adored in our innermost being. Truths grow until we refuse to be defiled, soiled, or stained by earthly ways of being. Christ chooses to be spotless in behavior. When He is our Lord, we truly are CLOTHED in right attitudes, motives, and behaviors, having right characteristics before the eyes of God. He promises an inheritance to us that is “incorruptible and fades not away”:
"Bless Yahweh, my soul! O Yahweh, my Elohim, You are exceedingly great. With splendor and honor are You clothed; You are muffled with light as raiment." Psalm 104:2 concordant
"And He was transformed in front of them. And His garments became glistening, very white, as snow, such as no fuller on earth is able thus to whiten." Mark 9:3 concordant
“…and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.” Revelation 3:4
The Greek word that is here translated as “white” actually speaks more of the brilliant radiance of LIGHT than it does of a color. It is the same word which is used of the appearance of Jesus as “white and glistening” at the time of His transfiguration. Actually what is being instructed here is that Christians who overcome certain conditions qualify to be clothed with radiant LIGHT.
Our Father has made a way for us to be just like Jesus — tried, tested, and found faithfully robed in the celestial light of the Godhead. Overcoming Sons are being progressively clothed upon with the glory of the New Jerusalem order. Many learn of it after leaving the lesser glories of traditional church orders. The ultimate glory of the New Jerusalem is the HOMELAND for all Christian people on the path of life. It is the third heaven that grants wonderful oneness with God in our inner being.
Our Father writes His thoughts in our hearts, so that over time, these thoughts will carry us to sense His shining, intense brilliance. His brilliance is the dazzling heavenly glory that is brighter than natural sunlight. A measure of grace has been granted for all Christians to see the glories of the New Jerusalem order and access the teachings of celestial hosts. The scriptures are perfectly inspired in exact images that out-ray His thinking. Christ within Christians advises them how to put on truth, to be clothed in our inner man with the Word of God.
So it was on that not-to-be-forgotten day when our Lord led His three disciples to the top of a very high mountain and was transfigured before them:
“And after six days Jesus is taking aside Peter and James and John, his brother, and is bringing them up into a high mountain, privately, and was transformed in front of them. And His face shines as the sun, yet His garments became white as the light." Matthew 17:1-2 concordant
Only light is truly white. His garments were not white like snowflakes; they were white as light. Jesus was transfigured before them. He was transformed! His form was charged with light. The Greek word “metamorphoo” is the word the evangelist Matthew used to describe the change that took place in Him on that wonderful day. Jesus was transformed from his natural condition to one manifesting God's light like a robe of celestial light. This robe of light is what God gives all those drawn within the city of God. God’s light clothes our inner spiritual person now to face the light that is brighter than the sun:
“Verily I am saying to you that there are some of those standing here who under no circumstances should be tasting death till they should be perceiving the Son of Mankind coming in His kingdom. And after six days Jesus is taking aside Peter and James and John, his brother, and is bringing them up into a high mountain, privately, and was transformed in front of them. And His face shines as the sun, yet His garments became white as the light.” Matthew 16:28, 7:1 concordant
The shining forth was of the incorruptible Kingdom that day, and it became instantly apparent to these three disciples. Jesus showed Peter, James and John a revelation of what He Himself would gain when complete.
Secondly, Jesus revealed that God intends to do the same for all those joined with His incorruptible Son. Peter, James, and John knew what to look for as they anticipated what God would do next, yet they had to wait with the others for His return by Spirit when the day of Pentecost was fully come. That was when they could have spiritual access within their inner man to the great godly treasure Christ was revealing of the unspeakable, excellent glories that are available.
John beheld the body of Christ as one like the Son of man whose voice was as “many waters” standing in that same brilliant glory of heaven. The body of Christ was dressed in heavenly light, with God's garment reaching to the “feet members”:
"And I turn about to look for the voice which spoke with me. And, turning about, I perceived seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like a son of mankind, dressed in a garment reaching to the feet, and girded about the breasts with a golden girdle. Now His head and hair are white as white wool, as snow, and His eyes as a flame of fire, and His feet like white bronze, as fired in a furnace, and His voice is as the sound of many waters." Revelation 1:12-15 concordant
This picture is of the many-membered body of Christ. These are the overcomers of the candlestick churches who are being drawn out of those traditional forms of worship into a people in the unseen who have been growing in numbers for two thousand years. Overcomers of each candlestick church condition grew to qualify as overcomers. Christ Jesus has produced firstfruits in EACH GENERATION who now are called to the throne realm of knowing God as He is knowing us.
The firstfruits of Christ are predestined members of the body of Christ Jesus who will operate like reapers to those found in lower heavens. They are prepared by God to use His sword to gather all creation into One Head, into the universal convocation in the New Jerusalem order where the spirits of just men are made perfect. The New Jerusalem order is where all can hear an everlasting gospel being sent forth to deliver every lower order of worship as well as the earthly governments of men.
Jesus Christ stood outside His people in the Laodicean church and was knocking to first gain the attention of His earthly-minded people there. He advises them to buy divine council (gold), to feed on more correct food, to see more correctly. He advises them to be clothed with a special garment and to be fed with heavenly manna. Spiritual doors are open to the New Jerusalem order to those that follow this advice. He has been coming BY THE SPIRIT to teach, feeding His called-out ones so they are able to put on Christ, gaining white raiment from within.
Christ is reigning within our thoughts and motives! Certainly we did not gain such experiences in our initial salvation. We needed to correctly BUY His council to clearly hear Him when He taught something to us. We understand what we have been taught by the Holy Spirit in our daily ways of knowing God as being our Father.
“I counsel thee to buy of me…white raiment that you may be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear…” Revelation 3:18
The “earnest of the Spirit” is that measure in pentecostal heavens which assures us that we shall attain our appointed goal. GOD’S PROMISES ARE NOT ACCOMPLISHED BY ANY OF OUR ABILITY TO PERFORM, so it yet remains for the Lord to transform our bodies and refashion them like His glorious body. We are not to presume upon the timing of the Lord. We are all learning that ANY self-effort is vain! We confess our trying to “name it and claim it” has not worked.
The inner workings of the Spirit of Christ have awakened a turning more fully toward the light within us. We move from one step of understanding to other heavenly viewpoints, then on to more glorious visions of our Father. God’s Spirit, sent through Jesus Christ, is the only thing that can touch us deep within, deep enough to leave correct insight and revelation of to what we are to be conformed, what is the true image of God’s firstborn son. This is what the spirit of Christ teaches our minds in order to be renewed.
God’s Life will even quicken our mortal bodies because of His Spirit dwelling within our spirit. The scripture says so. Our Father has been writing his thoughts on our foreheads, showing the characteristics that are real in God. Knowing God’s truth sets us free. We are embraced as His beloved creatures who are being freed completely from every bondage to corruption!
As surely as the Daystar is arising in our hearts, beloved brothers and sisters, just so certain it is that the glorious light of the Lord shall be seen within His people!
“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3
This is not in being religiously zealous in soulish activities or excited emotionalism. It is the power of God really being the substance, the divine effulgence, radiating His majesty within our inner being to show the glory of the Lord. Arising from deep within us, God is dwelling in celestial radiance, in the emanating train of His power. This is the celestial garment Jesus has advised us to buy. It’s a promise He can give to those who are needing a more excellent ministry.
Can one hold back the dawn or forbid the sun to rise? The night is for those who sleep, but for those who walk in the light of the Lord EVEN THE DARKNESS SHALL BE LIGHT BEFORE THEM:
“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.” Micah 7:8 KJV
The dawn belongs to all who have lifted their eyes from the dark shadows of the night unto the realm of New Light. Our new heavens are filled with love of the Truth. We Christians are destined to walk in the glorious freedom allowed the sons of God!
God's sons have been and are now arising above mountains of earthly worship within their lives. Deep within mature Christians is the radiance of His glory! Everyone in the New Jerusalem order has this glory, yea, it indwells us now. The Father enlightens each member of the body of Christ. He clothes them with precious stones of brilliance, truths that shine in the kingdom are written upon us. A great host has put on His garments of glorious light. Christ is shining in our mind's eye as truth is being made known within. I am speaking TRUTH IN LOVE that many others are to be changed by Him:
“And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:11-12
“For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” Hebrews 3:14
“Wherefore the rather, brethren, make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:10-11
"To the one who is conquering, to him will I be granting to be eating of the log of life which is in the center of the paradise of God."' Revelation 2:7 concordant
"'The one who is conquering may under no circumstances be injured by the second death." Revelation 2:11 concordant
"To the one who is conquering, to him will I be giving of the hidden manna, and I shall be giving him a white pebble and on the pebble a new name written, of which not one is aware except the one who is obtaining it." Revelation 2:17 concordant
"And to the one who is conquering and keeping My acts until the consummation, to him will I be giving authority over the nations; and he shall be shepherding them with an iron club, as vessels of pottery are being crushed, as I also have obtained from My Father. And I will give him the morning star." Revelation 2:27 concordant
"You have a few names in Sardis which do not pollute their garments, and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. The one who is conquering, he shall be clothed in white garments, and under no circumstances will I be erasing his name from the scroll of life, and I will be avowing his name in front of My Father and before His messengers.” Revelation 3:4-5 concordant
"The one who is conquering, him will I be making a pillar in the temple of My God, and he may be coming out nevermore, and I will be writing on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which is descending out of heaven from My God, and My new name. Revelation 3:12 concordant
"The one who is conquering, to him will I be granting to be seated with Me on My throne as I, also, conquer, and am seated with My Father on His throne." Revelation 3:21 concordant
“Be ye faithful unto death [to self], and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelation 2:10
“Behold, I come quickly: hold fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” Revelation 3:11
Overcomers are promised that their name will not be blotted out of God’s book of life. They are secure knowing they will grow to the full, complete, divine nature of God. They are to be no more tainted, mixed, mingled, contaminated, stagnated, reduced, or lost IN ANY WAY through soulish thinking or the beastly appetites of the flesh that work in the heart of men. He has promised to deliver us from those pathways of death and fill us with GOD LIFE until we can no more stumble, nor make mistakes, nor be offensive, or fall short of His glory — no more failure, no more missing the mark, nor descent to again be captive to the glories of lower realms.
WE ARE NOW PLACED AS SONS WHO ARE TO BE ALWAYS AND UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES INDWELT BY HIS PERFECT GOD LIFE! Into this reality we do press until the unfailing spirit of His love swallows us up, renewing our minds to be clothed with His mind, CLOTHED IN THE CLEAN WHITE THOUGHTS OUR FATHER PROVIDES. He has provided clothing that is blessed with His heavenly light:
"Much peace is for those loving Your law, And there is no stumbling block for them." Psalms 119:165 concordant
"Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." Psalms 119:165 KJV
Having deep delight in His Word with respect to what He has REVEALED TO US, no other thing can now offend us. We are not stumbling around any longer. There are no more stumbling blocks before us. No existing condition or circumstance, situation, or person can offend or cause Christ Jesus to stumble. What a dimension His Word and His Spirit bring in changed thinking that is set before us in “putting on the mind of Christ”!
Yet it is not to be fulfilled in the sweet bye and bye in a mythical sense, but a godly disposition which is worked into us every day. The word “offend” is from the Hebrew word 'mikshal' and the Greek word 'skandalizo,' both of which mean ‘to cause scandal', as to participate in DISGRACEFUL GOSSIP ABOUT THE PRIVATE LIVES OF OTHERS that causes outrage and stumbling at the event. In other words, we are to no longer be A STUMBLING BLOCK.
God dwells within us until nothing coming from us can or will cause others to stumble so as to fall short of glory again. Our light does not have to be dimmed to our critics’ demand. His expanded promises are possible, by faith, for “THEY SHALL WALK WITH ME IN WHITE”.
"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy," Jude 24
We are not just barely making it in, as by the skin of our teeth! Christ has been wrought within us triumphantly, gloriously, by His conquering spirit reaching our inner spiritual man. His power keeps us from FALLING. That word in Greek is 'aptaistos', meaning ‘to stumble or to fall’. He is able to keep us from stumbling — being offended or thrown off balance by anything, or to go back down for lower things, or teeter on the edge of missing the goal.
Christ within us gives us great confidence. We are not regarding the many things which can disrupt man's sense of spiritual tranquility. Our focus is not upon those things that are causing many to stagger and flip-flop around like a fish out of water, as if trying to regain balance after stumbling over a rocky place in our path. God is well able to KEEP US CALM, COOL, AND COLLECTED — ENLIGHTENED! And He is able to present us FAULTLESS before the Father:
“These are those who are following the Lambkin wherever It should be going. These are bought from mankind, a firstfruit to God and the Lambkin. And in their mouth falsehood was not found, for they are flawless.” Revelation 14:4-5 concordant