Revelation 19:8 (NKJV)
And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
Bible Commentary
Revelation 19:8 is a Bible verse from the last book of the Bible that describes the adornment of the bride of Christ.
Let’s look at Revelation 19:6-8 to put this verse in context.
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
The marriage of the Lamb is a reference to the Second Coming of Christ, when Jesus comes to gather His people and be reunited to His bride—the church.
As Christians, we follow the Lord in obedience to His Word because we love Him. He gave Himself for us on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. He earned our love and devotion. So we, His bride, prepare ourselves for His coming.
Make Yourself Ready
As we seek Him and His Word, we mature spiritually and make ourselves ready, as Revelation 19:7 says. The truth in love drives out the impurities from our lives, and in turn, He grants us the gift of righteousness, which is more of Himself.
As we give up self (selfishness) and seek more of Him, we are transformed from earthly and fleshly to spiritual and supernatural. Galatians 5:22-23 says,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 says,
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
Unlocking the Truth – Righteous Acts of the Saints
In Revelation 19:8, the wife of the Lamb is given fine linen, which is described as clean and bright. To get a picture in our minds, think of the beautiful clear, bright water at certain beaches. The ocean water at some beaches is clear and beautiful, while other ocean or lake water appears dark and muddy.
One is beautiful, clear and seems clean; the other does not. The people on earth can be compared like this. Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are clean and clear because the sacrifice of His blood cleanses us from our sin.
God desires for everyone to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and that is why He has delayed His coming for so long. 2 Peter 3:9 says,
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
This is why those who know Jesus Christ have such a big responsibility to use their God-given gifts and talents to point others to Christ so they too, can be saved.
Righteous Acts of the Saints
Notice in Revelation 19:8 the explanation of what the fine linen is.
And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
These righteous acts are exactly that—acts of kindness, a word of encouragement, an attitude of mercy or empathy toward someone who is difficult to love, a gift given anonymously, or just a simple smile. It doesn’t take much talent to do any of these. What it does take is a decision to reach in and access the love of Christ within us, and then hand it out to others.
And to her it was granted means we have the fine linen, but we must choose to wear it.
Just like a bride coming down the aisle in a beautiful wedding gown, these righteous acts are a lovely vision of beauty—not only to God but to others. It draws the attention of others to Jesus Christ, and not to ourselves.
The righteousness of Christ, our fine linen, attracts the attention of others, which is clean and bright, holy and pure. As the wife of Christ dressed in this fine linen, we are in a place of safety, security and rich satisfaction. No earthly beauty can compare.
Study the Bible verse of Revelation 19:8 and put on the fine linen given by the Saviour of the World, Jesus Christ.
