[The Imperative of
Cleansed Soul “Garments” in the Present
Age]
In light of the historical evidence
of such "unfaithfulness," in the organized
church systems of Christendom, we can see
the importance of Paul's words in II Cor.
11:1-3: "I am jealous over you with a godly
jealousy; for I have engaged you to
one husband, that I may present you as a
chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by
any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve
through his subtlety, so your minds should
be corrupted from the simplicity
(single-hearted and pure devotion) that is
in Christ." Eve is a type of
the soul with its desire-nature
(emotions, feelings, response,
imagination), while Adam is a type
of the spirit (reason, righteous
judgment, will, determination), and the garden
of Eden is a type of the physical body
(which Adam was to "dress and keep"—Gen.
2:15). Thus we see our three-fold
being symbolically portrayed in the
Adam-Eve-Garden story in Gen. chaps. 1-3
(see I Thess. 5:23). It is through our "Eve"
(soul-desires) that we who have been WED (in
Spirit) to Christ, can be "beguiled" and
turned from our single and pure devotion to
Christ, entering into '"intimate
associations" with the world and its
defilements, and thus disqualifying
ourselves from being presented to Christ as
a "chaste virgin" (His Bride). This is in
harmony with Rev. 14:4, where the 144,000
firstfruits are spoken of as being "not
defiled with women." In other words, they
have not been led astray by "Eve"
(soul-desires) into compromising situations
with the world (including the apostate
religious world). Since they are not
defiled with women, it is evident
that the 144,000 are pictured as masculine
(even as the manchild of Rev. 12:5).
This is purely symbolic (for this
group will be made up of both men and women)
and shows that these "overcomers" are living
and walking in the Spirit, rather
than submitting to "the flesh"
(soul-desires). See Gal. 5:16-26. Paul, in
Rom. 8:4, says that those who walk after the
Spirit, are having "the righteousness
of the law "fulfilled in them. The
word "fulfill" here means "to fill up" or
"make full." In other words, the "linen
garment" of righteousness, which the Bride
is seen clothed with in Rev. 19:8, is
gradually woven into the very fabric
of their inner being, until it is "full"
(complete).
In Rev. 3:4, the "overcomers "are
pictured as the ones who "have not
defiled their garments." These are the
inner or soul garments, which have been
"washed and made white in the blood of the
Lamb" (Rev. 7:14). Our past sins (the surface
dirt and stains) are "washed away" by the
blood when we receive forgiveness of sins
(Rev. 1:5; Acts 22:16; I Cor. 6:11). But it
is only the Spirit, working in us because of
the blood, that can "bleach out" the "ground
in" filth of the sin nature in our souls,
making them white (pure). The intensity
of the "whiteness "(or brightness) of our
inner garments depends on the
degree to which we have allowed the Spirit
to remove that which is of the self and sin
life within. When Jesus was transfigured on
the mountain (a type of the heavenly
Kingdom), His raiment became "White as
light" (Mt. 17:2), or "shining (glistening),
exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on
earth can white them" (Mark 9:3). This
"white raiment" of Jesus is a type of His
Bride (and Body) which shall adorn
Him (being ONE with Him). It is the "pure
(white) in heart" who shall see God and
dwell with Him (Mt. 5:8). It is the
Spirit-glory (brightness) which sanctifies
us (Ex. 29:43, Rom. 15:16), separating us
from all inner defilement, and also
imparting and weaving in the righteousness
of Christ. This is the "holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb.
12:14). BOTH the negative (removing) and
the positive (imparting) aspects of the
Spirit's work are needed.
Now we can see the importance of
not defiling (getting dirty again) our
inner garments (Rev. 3:4, 14:4), that we
might be among those of whom Jesus said,
"they shall walk with me in white:
for they are worthy" (Rev. 3:4).
This is why Paul admonishes us to "walk worthy
of the vocation (calling) wherewith you
are called" (Ephes, 4:1), and to "walk as
children of the light" (Ephes. 5:8). In the
Old Testament, Enoch (meaning
"dedicated") is a type of the Bride, for
"Enoch walked with God: and he was
not; for God took him" (Gen, 5:24). "By
faith Enoch was translated that he should
not see death. . . for before his
translation he had this testimony, that he pleased
God" (Heb. 11:5). So the Bride, (those who
"follow the Lamb"—Rev. 14:4, walking
with Him and pleasing Him), shall be
translated first, at the beginning of the
tribulation. These are to be followed by
those who will be translated at the close of
the tribulation, who come "out of
great tribulation," "a great multitude which
no man could number" standing "before
the throne, and before the Lamb" (not
"with Him", as those in Rev. 14:1). They are
"clothed with white robes," having "made
them white" during the tribulation
period (see Rev. 7:9,14). They are
symbolized by Elijah, the second
man in the Old Testament who was translated
without seeing death (II Kings 2:11).
[Distinguishing Sin and
Uncleanness]
Because it is important that we not
defile our inner garments, I will add a few
more comments which I hope will be helpful.
In Zech. 13:1 we read: "in that day there
shall be a fountain opened to the House of
David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
for sin and for uncleanness."
The "fountain" was opened at Calvary when
Jesus gave Himself as a vicarious
sacrifice, and out of His side came forth blood
and water (John 19:34). The blood
was to atone for sin, and the water
symbolized the Word which is to purge out
uncleanness (John 15:3; Ephes. 5:26). It is
important to realize that all sin is
uncleanness, but not all uncleanness
is sin. In other words we can experience
uncleanness in our mental-emotional being
without actually committing any sin.
However, such "uncleanness" hinders
our fellowship with the Lord, and can keep
us from fully entering into the covenant
blessings, joys, and powers that the Lord
has prepared for us.
This is vividly portrayed in the
law of the Old Testament. All sin or
moral uncleanness had to be removed by the
admission of guilt (confession) and the
bringing of a sin or trespass offering to
the priest to "atone for" the offense (Lev.
5:5-6, Num. 5:6-8). This we can readily
understand, for under the New Covenant when
we sin we must repent, confess and receive
forgiveness and cleansing through the blood
of Christ (see I John 1:6-10). But under the
law there was also ceremonial
uncleanness which rendered individuals
"defiled," and when in this state of
impurity, the Hebrews were forbidden to
enter the sanctuary, partake of the sacred
offerings and gifts, etc. Only the clean
were fit to approach the Holy God and all
that appertained to Him (Lev. 7:19-21,
22:3, Num. 9:6-7, 18:11). Some of the bodily
conditions, such as the diseases of leprosy
and issues of blood, were types of sin, for
as we said before, all sin is uncleanness.
But there were other conditions, such as the
eating of unclean meats, touching the
carcass of an unclean animal, or touching a
dead human body, which were not acts
of sin, but still rendered a person unclean.
For these conditions, cleansing came through
water (washing, bathing, or
sprinkling). Read especially Lev. chaps. 11
& 15, and Deut. chap. 19. This is a type
of the cleansing of the church "with the
washing of water by the word" (Ephes. 5:26).
Again, the two main ways of
contacting uncleanness was by eating
(unclean meats) and touching (dead
bodies or carcasses). "Eating" is a type of
fellowship and intimate association,
showing that God's people are to have "no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness" (Ephes. 5:11). "Touching" that
which was dead is a type of contact
with the world and those who are "dead in
trespasses and sins" (Ephes. 2:1). God's
command is to "come out from among them, and
be [
] separate, says the
Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; and I will receive you, and will be a
Father to you, and you shall
be my sons and daughters, says the
Lord Almighty. Having therefore these
promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness (defilement)
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness
in the fear of God (II Cor. 6:17-7:1). But
read also II Cor. 6:14-16. The typical
significance of Jesus' washing of the
disciples feet as recorded in John 13:4-10
is important here. In our "daily walk"
as Christians we contact the uncleanness of
the world, and what we see and hear can "rub
off" on us, so to speak, and bring a certain
amount of defilement into our thinking and
feeling. Therefore we need to spend time
alone with the Lord in meditation, prayer
and reading of the Word, so that the Lord
can "wash our feet" and cleanse us from the
filth of the world. Through mutual
fellowship and ministry in the Word, we can
also wash one another's feet (John 13:14).
However, it is only as we heed, apply, and
obey the Word, receiving into our inner
being its teaching, reproof, correction and
instruction in righteousness (II Tim.
3:16), that it is truly effective for our
daily cleansing.
[Chaste, Unblameable,
Faultless and Perfect]
We have seen by Paul's statement in
II Cor. 11:2 that the Bride is to be presented
to Christ as a "chaste virgin."
In Col. 1:22, we read that those so presented
are to be "unblameable and
unreproveable in his sight." and in Col.
1:28-29, Paul declares that His labors,
preaching, warning and teaching are to the
intent that he might "present every
man perfect in Christ Jesus." The
word "unblameable" in Col. 1:22 is from the
Greek word amomos, and is the same
word which is translated in Rev. 14:5 as
"without fault" in the description of the
144,000.
The same word is translated
"faultless" in Jude 24. In Heb. 9:14 this
Greek word is translated "without spot" in
describing the vicarious ministry of Jesus
Christ as He presented Himself to God on our
behalf. The word indicates that which is
without blemish, blame or spot. It is only
through the grace of Christ that any
can be presented to Him "without fault."
Only those whose hearts are right toward the
Lord (being yielded and completely
submissive), daily walking in fellowship
with Him and in the light (truth-purity),
and daily submitting to His purging
and cleansing from ALL
unrighteousness and uncleanness, can be
"holy and without blame before him
in love (Ephes. 1:4), and "blameless
in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (I Cor.
1:8). Wherefore, beloved seeing that you
look for such things, be diligent
that you may be found of him in
peace, without spot, and blameless
(II Pet. 3:14). Those "called out" of this
world are to be presented to
Him "a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it
should be holy and without blemish
(without blame or fault)." Ephes. 5:27.
Not only presented as "a chaste
virgin", and "without fault," but also
"perfect" as Paul states in Col. 1:28. The
Greek word translated "perfect" is teleios,
and means that which is finished or
completed with reference to a certain goal
or objective, as when a builder or workman
completes a building or project of some
kind. The word is used by Paul in Phil. 1:6
where he says: "Being confident of this very
thing, that he who has begun
a good work in you will perform (finish,
perfect) it until the day of Jesus Christ."
This word can also be translated "mature,"
as the goal of "growing up in all things in
Christ," to a "perfect" (mature)
man, to the measure of the stature
of the fulness of Christ" (Ephes. 4:15,13).
But read all of Ephes. 4:11-16. This is too
vast a subject to be covered here, but
"perfection" is the goal which the Lord has
for all His children (Matt. 5:48). And
there is a prescribed measure of
perfection or maturity which must be
incorporated into the inner being of all
who are to be "called out" of this world
through the "door" of glorification and
presented to Christ. This is why we
must continue to grow (l Pet. 2:2, II Pet.
3:18) and "go on to perfection" (Heb. 6:1),
being ready to receive the "adoption" to
full sonship as explained in the
introduction.