Revelation6:11 (NKJV) Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both [the number of] their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they [were,] was completed.
The people given white robes are the Martyrs of the Great Tribulation.
Revelation 6:9-10 (NKJV) When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
These people counted gaining Christ as more valuable than their physical lives. God puts them in a privileged position before His throne and listens to their prayers. And they are crying out with a loud voice, one voice from many. They cry out, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood.”
Therefore, why the white robe? Why not immediate action?
The reason for the delay is “…until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.”
In Romans 11, the Scriptures explain why not all the Jews believe in Jesus.
Romans 11:25 (NKJV) For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
In 2 Peter, the Scriptures tell us why the end waits.
2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as somecount slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
God saves all who would be saved. Romans 10:13 clarifies that all who call on the Lord will be saved. Jesus died so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. The “how long” of the martyrs is expressed as God gives all who would be saved time to be saved.
In Revelation 6:11, there is the following phrase, “… until both [the number of] their fellow servants and their brethren.” Why “both?” Are not their fellow servants their brethren? It is probably better to translate this verse along the lines of the KJV and the NLT.
Revelation 6:11 (KJV) And white robes were given unto every one of them; andit was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled.
Revelation 6:11 (NLT) Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters--their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred--had joined them.
Let’s return to the question, “Why the white robe?”
In Luke, Jesus said,
Luke 20:46 (NKJV) “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in longrobes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts,
From this, we gather that long robes are a sign of honor. In Esther, when the king wanted to honor Mordecai, he put on him the royal robes. Clothing is significant. The garments of the Jewish priesthood were carefully defined and made to exact specifications because of their symbolic significance. When Jesus was transfigured before James, Peter, and John, the Scriptures say:
Luke 9:29 (NKJV) As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, andHis robe [became] white [and] glistening.
In this translation, “glistening” is a weak rendering of a word that means to flash out like lightning. Jesus's garments would have been blindingly bright. White shows purity and cleanliness. We all are washed white in the blood of Christ as our sins are washed away. We are made clean. Shining shows glory. Jesus’s face shown when He was transfigured. Moses’s face shown when he spent time in the presence of God. In Hebrews 1, Jesus is said to be the “shining forth” of God’s glory. In Corinthians, Paul speaks of the “crown of righteousness” that awaits those who faithfully serve God in this life. The white robes given to the martyrs of the Tribulation show the unique honor and glory they receive for their faithfulness.
We cannot earn our salvation, but we can store up treasures in heaven. We can be saved as if by fire, having nothing but our lives. Or, we can enter into heaven, where our treasures are stored.
How many of us waste our lives pursuing the things of this world? We know Jesus. We go to church and worship God, but our priorities end there. We pursue our careers, our wealth, and our desires as if these are the things that matter. Our faith is so weak that we do not see the kingdom of God surrounding us. We are blind to the work of God in the world.
Do not focus on what is in the news and what is happening in the world. Focus on what God is doing in the world. Invest in His work and His kingdom.
The Church age is at an end. We are in the last days. No one knows when Jesus will return, but we know we are in the “end times.” Jesus gave us enough information that He said we should know the “season.” Plan for the future and act as if you will live to see retirement, and live as if Jesus will return at any moment.
The white robes given to the martyrs should remind us that glory and blessing await those who seek God's kingdom first.
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