Apocalipse 3

Apocalipse 3

Hughes says that white is "the grand apocalyptic color, the color representative of what is beyond." (See Luke: That You May Know the Truth) The LORD, through His mouthpiece, the prophet Isaiah, appeals to His disobedient chosen people with an offer of grace and mercy - "Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; (PLAY SONG) Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool." (Isa 1:18+) Even in the ancient pagan world white spoke of purity, festivity and triumph as Ramsay describes below. William Ramsay - White was widely considered among the ancient nations as the color of innocence and purity. On this account it was appropriate for those who were engaged in the worship of the (pagan) gods, for purity was prescribed as a condition of engaging in divine service though usually the purity was understood in a merely ceremonial sense. All Roman citizens wore the pure white toga on holidays and at religious ceremonies, whether or not they wore it on ordinary days; in fact, the great majority of them did not ordinarily wear that heavy and cumbrous garment; and hence the city on festivals and holidays is called “candida urbs,” the city in white. Especially on the day of a Triumph white was the universal color — though the soldiers of course, wore not the toga, the garb of peace, but their full-dress military attire with all their decorations — and there can hardly be any doubt that the idea of walking in a Triumph similar to that celebrated by a victorious Roman general is here present in the mind of the writer when he uses the words, “they shall walk with me in white”. A dirty and dark-colored toga, on the other hand, was the appropriate dress of sorrow and of guilt. Hence it was worn by mourners and by persons accused of crimes. (The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia and Their Place in the Plan of the Apocalypse) As an aside the phrase "with Me" (met emou) is found in Lu 23:43+ in Jesus' words to the thief on the cross declaring "Truly (amen) I say to you, today you shall be with Me (met emou) in Paradise.” and in His high priestly prayer in Jn 17:24+ Jesus says “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me (met emou) where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." THOUGHT - What an incredible thought to be WITH JESUS forever and ever! May that truth continually motivate us to "lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Heb 12:1+)