Revelation 19:7-8- imputed or imparted righteousness?

[MarieP]

"'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.' 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 issue came up in a previous discussion of whether or not the robe spoken of here is the imputed, alien righteousness of Christ or the imparted righteousness that the Spirit gives in sanctification.

I take this to include at least the latter, as Rev. 7:14 says, "So he said to me, 'These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.'"

The garments have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. Christ's righteousness imputed to us, which gives us right standing with God, does not need washing in His blood, no? Yet ours do, as in this life they are still tainted with sin.

At the very least, could we not say it includes the idea of both- one as the foundation for our being in heaven and the other our meetness for heaven? Spurgeon, commenting on Matthew 22:11-14, says,

Justification by faith is not contrary to the production of good works: God forbid. The faith by which we are justified is the faith which produces holiness, and no one is justified by faith which does not also sanctify him and deliver him from the love of sin. All the essentials of the Christian character may be understood as making up the great wedding garment. In one word, we put on Christ, and he is "made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption."

The Wedding Garment

Calvin comments on the same parable,

As to the wedding garment, is it faith, or is it a holy life? This is a useless controversy; for faith cannot be separated from good works, nor do good works proceed from any other source than from faith. But Christ intended only to state, that the Lord calls us on the express condition of our being renewed by the Spirit after his image; and that, in order to our remaining permanently in his house, we must put off the old man with his pollutions, (Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:22,) and lead a new life, that the garment may correspond to so honorable a calling. But a question arises, how comes it that a beggar is punished so severely for not bringing a wedding garment; as if it were unusual to see the wretched people, who beg their bread on the public roads, wearing tattered and ugly clothes? I reply, the question is not as to the manner in which the garment is to be procured; for whomsoever the Lord invites he at the same time supplies with clothing, and in all of us is fulfilled what Ezekiel says, (16:6-14,) that God finds nothing in us but wretchedness, and nakedness, and abominable filth, but adorns us with magnificent attire. We know also, that there is no other way in which we are formed anew after the image of God, but by putting on Christ, (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27.) It is not, therefore, the declaration of Christ, that the sentence of casting them into outer darkness will be executed on wretched men who did not bring a costly garment taken from their own wardrobe, but on those who shall be found in their pollution, when God shall come to make a scrutiny of his guests.

Commentary on Matthew, Mark, Luke - Volume 2 - Christian Classics Ethereal Library

Back to the verse in Revelation, Spurgeon actually brings up the translation issue that was brought up in the previous discussion. He says,

In the Greek, our text runs thus—“Fine linen, clean and white, for fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.” Our Revised Version has, in this case, not given us a translation but an explanation and that explanation is a contraction of the sense. The revisers word it, “Fine linen is the righteous acts of saints.” That word “acts” is of their own insertion. The word “righteousnesses” has a fuller meaning—it is exceedingly broad and they have narrowed it and misapplied it. We shall have a complete array of righteousnesses in Christ’s righteousness, active and passive—a garment for the head and a garment for the feet and for the loins.

What righteousnesses we have! Righteousness imparted by the power of the Spirit. Righteousness imputed by the decree of God. Every form of righteousness will go to make up the Believer’s outfit—but remember, all of it is granted and none of it is of our own purchasing. We shall not have Christ’s righteousness to cover up our sin, as some blasphemously say—for we shall have no sin to cover. We shall not want Christ’s righteousness to make an evil heart seem pure—we shall be as perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. Washed in the blood of the Lamb, we shall have no spot upon us or within us. We shall have a complete righteousness. And thus arrayed, we shall be covered with the beauty of holiness. This garment is most befitting, for it is, “The righteousness of saints.” Saints ought to have righteousness. They are themselves made holy and therefore they ought to be adorned in visible holiness. And so they shall be.

Best of all, we shall be arrayed in that day with that which pleases the Bridegroom. Do I not remember how He said, “I counsel you to buy of Me white raiment”? Yes, she has remembered His bidding. She has nothing else but that “fine linen” which is the “The righteousness of saints.” And this He delights in. She comes to the Lamb bearing about her the result of His own passion and of His own Spirit. And she is well pleasing in His eyes. The Lord sees in her of the travail of His soul and He is satisfied.

http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols34-36/chs2096.pdf

Matthew Henry calls it, "the robes of Christ’s righteousness, both imputed for justification and imparted for sanctification—the stola, the white robe of absolution, adoption, and enfranchisement, and the white robe of purity and universal holiness."

Revelation 19 Commentary - Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)

 

[Jack K]

Correct. It's not either, but rather all. All the righteousness that is ours as a result of the full work of salvation, done by God, both in us and for us.

 

[Contra_Mundum]

"Righteousnesses" is simply plenitude of virtue, and a Hebraism. Compare with Is.64:6, "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." It is wrong to limit our unworthiness in that case merely to our deeds. Another consideration is that the plural possession corresponds to the plural possessors, the saints.

"Made herself ready," v7, is the only thing predicated of the bride, and indicates her willingness to be joined in marriage. What can she "do" that would make her acceptable? If she is already the bride-determined, she cannot improve her lot. But you might expect her to be and do consistent with eager anticipation.

What is said about her in v8 simply further indicates that her "presentability" is all her benefactor's doing.

1. It was granted, gifted, given (as in Jn.3:16); to her.

2. That (ινα, hina) she should be dressed upon (cf. Ezk16:10ff; Is.61:10), περιβαληται, from περιβάλλω, I take for a passive (rather than a middle), "might have thrown around (her)" by her attendants, see Ps.45:13-14; rather than "might throw around herself."​

I do not see it necessary to make v8 answer the vary narrow question: What did she do to make herself ready?

The thrust of v8 is 1) that she has been given gifts; and 2) she now appears righteous to her groom. Spurgeon has rightly detected the artificial constraint applied to the explanatory phrase at the conclusion by some translations and interpreters, for it practically negates the greater part of the power of the point intended.