Blood Washed Robes and the Lamb of God — Al Whittinghill

Calling on the Lord in Personal Need

As John said many times when the Lord walked Galilee he walked in Jerusalem. He would say to people what do you want me to do for you. Now he knows all things but he wanted them to tell him Adam where are you.

I mean God you were. Adam was. Adam didn't know where and he needed to say it. And I sitting there felt impressed that we ought to have a moment of prayer and for you to tell him what do you want the Lord to do for you.

You tell him. And you know there was a lady in the crowd that came in. Everybody was thronging Jesus but she got down low and she crawled up and touched the hem of his garment. She said I don't stand a chance fighting the crowd but if I can get just low enough to touch the hem of his garment he will meet me.

And as he was walking this woman came low and through the feet in the crowd she touched his hems of his garment. And the crowd went like this because Jesus said who touched me. And the disciples said what do you mean who touched you.

You see these crowd thronging you. But someone touched me. You know because he read her heart her great need. She'd spent everything she had with men's remedies and doctors. And no one could help her but one right touch.

Lord what do you want me to do for you. And we touch him. And we find spontaneous love and mercy that's been waiting for us. So we want to bow our heads. And maybe you've had it in general in your mind I need this or I need that.

But what we really need is to touch him to know him. And maybe you need to in the quietness in the chamber of the secret place of the Most High your spirit where he wants to live and inhabit to say to him Lord I need for you to do this.

Tell him let's pray father we bow before you. Listen to the heartbeat of this congregation the people as they pray Lord do this for me. Do this for my family. Do this in my life. I need to be saved. Or Lord I need to be filled with your spirit.

Lord hear the cry of your people and may there be in this moment a yes from you to them. That's gracious. You tell him a bruised reed. He won't break a smoking piece about to go out. He won't put it out.

But he will touch and bring more than you ask or thought. You've never seen. I've never heard. We've not heard the good things that he's prepared for those who really ask you have not because you ask not ask him.

Lord. You've heard the prayers of the hearts. You always listen to the prayer of our heart not just our lips. So we bow before you and thanksgiving in advance in Jesus name. Also I feel that it would be good tonight to give those of you who've never done this never.

You may have come down an aisle. You may have prayed. You may have been in Sunday school. But have you ever afforded yourself of the immense heavenly privilege that angels look and marvel to stand and just say these words Jesus Christ is my Lord.

We're just gonna wait and as the Lord leads you maybe it's your first time. You'll be amazed at what happens when you say that before the congregation Jesus Christ is my Lord. There may be several standing there may be maybe I don't know but I felt the Lord say give them a chance to confess me before men to confess that I am Lord.

So we'll wait. If you want to stand and just say it Jesus Christ is my Lord. Then sit back down. Who'll be who has the need to do this. Let's all Jesus Christ is my Lord. Don't be shy. Amen. Amen. Anybody the first time.

Anybody the first time needs to stand and say Jesus Christ is my Lord. Others. There's a lot of people one second after their death would wish they had done that. Anybody else? Amen. Sister just another second.

Amen. Sweet sister what a privilege it is to do this and to worship him together from our hearts. Well father thank you for the testimony of this. And we don't want to leave anyone out but Lord heaven is listening.

Earth is waiting and our hearts are needing to confess you as Lord of all heaven and earth adores you and worships you in this moment. And we add our praises to this earthly altar and say Jesus Christ you are our wonderful Lord.

The Wedding Garment and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb

And we want to walk worthy of such as thee in Jesus name. Amen. We have a lot of ground to cover tonight. But I want to say this to you it is holy ground and I hope that you will have your Bible there.

You may not use the same translation but you'll you have scriptures on the some of them will be up top but I urge you to find a piece of paper to write down these references and take them home with you as well and get alone with your heavenly father and let the Spirit of God open up these scriptures to your heart because that is when the heavens will declare to you the glory of God.

Well I want to begin tonight by reading a text from Matthew chapter 22. It is an amazing text but it's answering Jesus is answering a question. He's answering a question of the Pharisees who ask him by whose authority are you doing these things.

And so he answered them in a series of parables. In fact it says in one place he used a parable every time he preached. He gave little pictures to give a big picture. And that's what we do when we read the Bible.

We see examples and types and pictures and metaphors that show the bigness of eternal things. And that's what we did Sunday when we looked at the blood covenant. Because I have never seen and ear has never heard even to begun to comprehend what God has gotten for those of us waiting for us who love him.

So in Matthew chapter 22 Jesus is answering the question by whose authority are you doing these things. And so Jesus points them with a parable to something in the distant future for them. And let me read this with you.

And I'm gonna explain this as we go along because it is a picture that is a living picture and it's also a frightening picture. Verse 1 Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables. And he said this the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king which made a marriage for his son.

Heaven the kingdom of it is like a great king who made a marriage for his son. Can anybody guess who that son might be. Well. And he sent forth his servants to call them that were invited to the wedding.

But they would not come. They wouldn't act on the invitation again. He sent forth other servants saying go tell those which are invited. Behold I've prepared everything my my dinner my ox my fat cows are killed and all things are ready.

Come to the marriage. What an invitation from the king. But they made light of it. You know that's the same word that it says over in Hebrews where it says how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation.

That's the same Greek words there make light of it. They didn't just treat it with respect. They went their ways. Verse 5. One to his farm and another to his business. And the remaining people took his servants and treated them very spitefully and even slew them.

But when the king heard about this he was angry. He was wroth. And he sent forth his armies and he destroyed these murderers. And he burned up their city. And he said to his servants the wedding is ready.

But those which were originally invited are not worthy. Go therefore into the highways. And whoever are as many as you find invite them to the marriage. I'm inviting the people you find he's saying to the marriage.

And so those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all as many as they found both bad and good. Now why did he write that. Why did he say that. Because bad and good is not the way to get invited to the wedding.

There's another criteria. He invites the bad and the so-called good in their own eyes to come to the wedding. And the wedding was furnished with guests. Now it gets mysterious. This is what the lord is teaching.

And when the king came in to review is the word in the language he was reviewing the guests. He saw there a man that had not owned a wedding garment. Now the jews understood this because when you went to a wedding you wore a special type of clothes.

You had to come a certain way and you had to wear a robe. That was it was a white robe that was down to the wrists and down to the your ankles. And it was. It stood for purity and righteousness. And it was a beautiful thing.

So he saw a man who didn't have on a wedding garment and came to him and he said friend how did you come in here not having a wedding garment. See that's the way you get in the right garment. And he was speechless.

He couldn't say a word. And the king said to his servants this is where it gets frightening. Bind him hand and foot take him away and cast him into outer darkness. They'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And that description is in another gospel where it says they'll be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth when they see others going in and they're not in themselves. And then he adds this word the lord jesus for many are called but few are chosen.

A lot of people are invited but they don't respond. Many are cold and some are frozen. The little girl quoted that verse many are instead of chosen she said frozen. Many are cold and some are frozen. And it's true that is the case all around us.

Revelation 19 and the Bride Made Ready by Grace

Well this is a picture turned to revelation chapter 19. And you'll see it is a picture of what will literally happen in the days ahead. In revelation chapter 19 if it's still called day at this time beginning in verse 6 there's a vision into heaven after you see babylon destroyed.

And in chapter 18 things coming together and all the people saying hallelujah salvation to our god glory and honor and power be unto the lord our god. In verse six i heard as it were the voice of a great multitude as the voice of many waters like the ocean when it's got a hurricane.

I mean this is so loud and so big. And and and saying thunder like mighty thundering hallelujah for the lord god omnipotent reigneth. Those are the verses that george frederick handle used to write the messiah that inspired him.

So they saying let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him. Because the marriage of the lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready. How did she do that. What did she do to be worthy to come to this wedding.

She's done it. She's got it ready to come. And to her verse 8 was graciated or graced. The word is caries. It was granted by grace that she should be clothed in fine linen clean and white. Because here's what it means in scripture.

The fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. The fine linen is the invitation acceptance. It's that gift that god has graced the church with that gives her an entrance that's abundant into this marriage right here.

And verse 9 he says to me write this down. Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the lamb. And he says to me these are the true sayings of god. And john fell at his feet to worship him.

He says don't do it. I'm just one of your fellow servants. Do you see what's waiting for fellow servants and for angels and for others in the days ahead. Who are these people. You'd you'd seen them earlier.

Back in john and revelation chapter 7. Listen to how they've gotten these robes. Turn to revelation chapter 7. And i want you to hear these verses. In chapter 7 of revelation he sees the ceiling of the 12 000 of each tribe of israel and they're preaching.

But then he says in verse 9 of chapter 7 after this i beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all ethnicities or nations and kindreds and people and tongues. And they stood before the throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes.

And they had palms in their hands. And it's like the triumphant entry. And they cried out with a loud voice saying literally hosanna. But it says salvation to our god which sits upon the throne and to the lamb.

And all the angels round about this throne. And the elders and the four living creatures they fall before the throne on their faces. They worshiped god. That's what happens when you see him. When you really see him.

When the spirit of god shows you who you're dealing with and what what extent the blessings are going to be. And here's what they said. Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our god forever and ever.

Amen. Now john is blown away when he sees this and the elders whoever it is there could see in him the absolute awe and question. Who are these people. Who are these beings from every tribe and tongue and trade and territory that are in front of the throne.

And he comes and he answers this. And he says who. What are these that are clothed in white robes. And where do they come from. Who are this vast throng of beings in white robes. What does it mean. And john says to him sir he didn't have all the answers.

He said you know you know. And he says to me these are those which came out of great trouble or tribulation. And they have washed their robes. And here it is. They made them white in the blood of the lamb.

It's the blood of the lamb that is a giving of the righteousness that is the criteria for anyone and whosoever of every nation and tribe and territory and tongue. And they will have an abundant entrance into that feast that's coming the marriage feast of the lamb that is coming sooner than you think and graciously given.

And therefore verse 15 they are before the throne of god and they serve him day and night in his holy temple. And he that sits on the throne literally will spread his robe over them like boaz spread his over ruth to show that's his new wife for the lamb that's in the middle of the throne will feed them and will lead them to living fountains of waters and all tears god will wipe away from their eyes.

All the tears that are there for a million reasons god will wipe away. So you see they're praising god for the sacrifice of the blood and how he's given them these robes and they're worshiping him. You see from the very beginning god has sought to show men that he cannot walk before the lord in his own righteousness.

He must be given ingratiatedly the the righteousness of god. And the picture of this here is a white linen garment. It's called a kathanoth and it's an amazing thing. You see it's the same root word that goes for the priestly undergarment the the white linen robe.

It is like a woman's wedding garment that we see today in a certain sense it's white linen. It's called a ketan or a kathanoth and it comes from a root word that comes from the hebrew word kafar which means to atone to make a blood atonement for and here's a white robe that comes down to the wrists and down to the ankles and covered.

It's the wedding garment. I'm ready to go in because you've purchased me and washed me in your blood and i'm invited to come in and i say yes lord i come in. So god wants us to see pictured over and over in the whole bible.

The Lamb Foreshadowed Throughout Scripture

The whole book is about him. Every prophet that ever wrote every prophet that ever spoke. Peter says it in acts 3. They spoke about him all the scriptures psalm 40 and the volume of the book. It is written of me.

I am coming to do thy will my father your law. Your word is within my heart. Moses wrote about me said jesus. Abraham rejoiced to see my day. And he did see it and he was glad god preached the gospel to abraham.

It says in galatians 3 he said he knew the gospel better than you or me probably even though we've had history to say to us you see. So i want to go all the way back in our minds and show you the depth and the power of god's convincing you and me that we're to put on the lord jesus christ and make no provision for the flesh.

Our own religious inclinations to do what we think will help. Well if you go back and just to see these holy parables back in way back in genesis chapter 3 you don't have to turn there. I'll just tell you this is right after adam and eve have sinned.

And adam blames his wife and the wife blames the devil. Everybody's blaming the devil. And i heard about the devil standing outside a church crying. And he says those people in there blame me for everything.

Plenty of things of course are his fault that we respond to. But adam is they're condemned. They're under the curse. And god gives a curse over you remember in genesis 3 the curse that is the ground for that sake.

And he the whole trouble began. But then you see eve who's had never been named yet. God says i'm going to put enmity between your seed seed of woman and the seed of satan. And the day will come when that seed of satan will bruise the heel of your woman's seed.

Singular talking about jesus. But beneath that heel be crushed the head of the serpent. And adam says your name is eve which means mother of the living and god made for them. Coats. Plural of skin singular first death.

In the bible god took an innocent victim you could say or innocent sacrifice first time that death takes place. And he puts that thing to dead death. He makes the sacrifice. And he makes out of one offering two two coats.

And the word there for coat is the same word for katan or kafar the kathanas. It's a covering that god gives for a husband and wife in the sacrifice of the lamb. Only god can cover nakedness. Adam tried.

You ever want to wear a fig bush in a bonfire. Let me tell you something. It'll get your attention. Only god can can provide a covering. Adam tried and he couldn't do it. And we try in isaiah 64 all of our righteousness is like filthy rags.

And the word in the hebrew stands for leprous cloths that you wrap. But i'm just going to say it mistress cloth that are used as well. That's what it looks like when we dress up. And the best that we can do.

All of our righteousnesses are like that to god. He wants white linen because of the blood of the lamb. It takes the life of someone else laid down to cover our sin. But see adam told his his sons cain and abel because you see the day came when they came to a certain place it means prescribed place.

And they came to offer. And cain came with the best of the fruit of the ground. Because he loved the lord he thought and he offered the best that he could do. And he brought all these beautiful fruits and beautiful platters and things to god and god refused his offering.

But abel by faith it says in hebrews 11 he takes the word of god his father had told him he came and he offered the first sling of the flock. Genesis 4 which means he came by blood. And jude says that there's a religion of cain that comes by the best that you can do.

You keep trying harder. You keep doing all these things. But god says rejected. No wedding garment. But we come by the blood of the lamb like abel. And god sees by faith that they're looking forward to the lamb's blood and he gives forgiveness.

It's the first mention of the blood in the bible right there. And when you see it it's speaking it speaks to father god. It cries out abel's blood for vengeance pleaded to the skies. But the blood of jesus for our pardon cries.

And often as it's sprinkled on our guilty old hearts satan in confusion terror struck departs the blood of jesus. And so you see it going a few more years where for the religion of abel the the faith of the son of god believing looking forward it comes to time when noah the whole earth has become corrupt genetically even corrupted by fallen angels.

And the nephilim are there. But one man is uncontaminated and his family and noah says god says to noah make me an ark of gopher wood. It's wood covered with a a kind of pitchy substance and it comes from it's translated atonement 70 other times in the scriptures it's like painting this protective from the wrath to come.

He paints this ark with this substance that means atone inside and outside and makes an opening in the side. And god doesn't say go into the ark. Trouble's coming. He says come into the ark i'm not sending you in there.

When he says finally time to go he says go out of the ark and say come out of the ark. God is in there sheltering them and with them the whole way through and come into the ark. And when he gets out he dedicates the new heaven and earth there that they see by blood the same thing he's the one who knew the atonement.

So time passes by and you see in leviticus when god says in chapter 17 to them i have given you the blood on the altar to make an atonement for your soul. Same word to make an atonement for your soul.

And when i see the blood i will forgive you. Uh it's it's the life is in the blood. It makes an atonement later when david after after his uh crime has taken place and he he says blessed is the man to whom sin is forgiven to the to the lord his sin is covered.

The word is kafar which is the word for atonement that it's covered by the blood. And it's it's it's not going to be the same abraham. Remember abraham when he made that offering the lord said make a covenant with me.

And he cut those animals in half. And he walked that sacred figure eight and he saw the day of jesus and god gave him a promise for a seed that in this seed singular galatians says all the nations of the earth would be blessed.

They come out of egypt after years and years being 430 years there god told him you're going there when you leave i'm going to use you to judge egypt. Their iniquities are not yet full but i'm going to use you to judge them and i'm going to bring you out with a mighty hand.

And they come across. And they come across into the promised land. They come into the wilderness into the wilderness. And uh when they as they come out you know how they come out. When god said i want you to take this blood and put it on the door of your house on the 14th.

On the 17th you take a lamb into your house. On the 10th day of this seventh month it'll become a brand new thing in your calendar. Everything's going to become new. You splat you paint the blood above the door and on the two side pours and it'll spill in the basin.

Then you take hyssop which stands for repentance and you stick it in the blood and you you smear it on on the door the blood. And when i see the blood tonight when i come through i'll protect you against the judgment that's coming on.

All those who aren't under the blood the blood again is set forth and not any person who was under the blood failed to come out out of egypt that night. So when they come out they come over and they they're at sinai and they see god's presence on the top of sinai and they're terrified.

Moses is even terrified. And they come and god says don't let them come close. Because if they come close they'll be thrust through their life will be over. God is holy. He gives them the 10 commandments.

You can't come near. But then moses comes down and he takes an animal and offers it as a sacrifice. He makes two pillars two posts of stone sprinkles the blood on the people sprinkles the blood on the book that he's just written of the law and sprinkles the blood on the altar.

And then god says after the blood has been shed on the altar and they've been sprinkled. And the book's been sprinkled. Bring 70 of the elders of israel up into my presence. And it says in exodus 24 that they went up and they saw the god of israel twice.

It says it. And they ate in his presence. Because you see you who once were far off and couldn't come near now you've been invited in to the banquet by the blood of the lamb. Do you see this. Do you see god's invitation.

You're really looking at me weird. I want you to know that. Listen. You think i'm getting a little fervent. I'm holding back. I feel like getting this pulpit and running up and down the aisle swinging it around my head because i'm this is this is awesome stuff.

You see nakedness covered wrath kept away forgiveness bought with the price. Until you see over in isaiah 61 when he has clothed me with the garments of salvation he's given me the robe of righteousness.

That's what isaiah says. And uh it's not the filthy rags it's the robe. So the old testament foreshadows of him who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become in him the righteousness of god. See your consciousness of who god is in mind your concept what comes into your mind when you think about the word god is the most important thing about you.

Because a lot of people worship a god of their own imagination. They read some things and they do some. They get some thoughts and they put together this thing like like cain did of his own ideas about good deeds and all the rest.

And they do all these things. But let me tell you something. If you worship an imaginary god you're going to have to settle for an imaginary salvation. Because he has done it all we got to see him as he is.

And one of the great safeguards is to see him in the word like that the whole volume of the book is about him. He's he's wanting to show you and me how to trust him and who he is. You see the word is a safeguard against an imaginary god.

And god reveals himself and his covenant to those who trust him and fear him and want him. The corollary to saying lord thy kingdom come is to mean with that same call my kingdom go your kingdom's got to go your self-government.

You're running your own shot and calling your own ways because god has a better way for you. And you don't really realize it. And i don't realize it until we begin to taste and see that the lord is good and see how the banquet really is.

John the Baptist Identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God

So i'm asking the lord tonight in this next portion that was the introduction. This is going to be to possess us because you see you come all the way through the old testament you come right to where after 400 years of silence between the book of malachi and the book of matthew are between jesus.

It's just like being in egypt 400 years. And all of a sudden a lone figure comes out and says prepare the way of god. Make the low place high bring the high place down make the crooked place straight and take the rocks out of the road.

Make a way a highway for god because he's coming in. And so you see this happening. And so john is out. Who is. He's jesus is his cousin. Remember. And he saw that jesus was born where where lambs are born.

And so you see in john chapter 1 he's introducing his son the heavenly father. And in john chapter 1 verse 29 it's out in the wilderness. You know where it is. Do you know where. Beth abera what it says.

Right here is beth abera or beth abara which just means the house of passage. This is where joshua led the children of israel through the jordan river and where they set up those rocks and where they entered into the promised land.

Right at that point where jesus is and john is baptizing. It's so significant. We're ready for a new beginning after 400 years. We're going to enter in 430 years. Now the way into the promised life is here.

And so you see in john 1 29 the next day john sees jesus coming to him and says behold the lamb of god which takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom i said after me comes one who is preferred before me for he was before me.

But john was six months older. But he was before me this one. And i didn't know him even though he was his cousin. He didn't know him. You've been in church 40 years but you could be there sometimes and not know who jesus really is.

You have all these ideas. And john bore a record verse 32 saying i saw the spirit of god descending from heaven like a dove and it remained upon him. And i knew him not. But he that sent me to baptize with water.

He says to me upon whom you see the spirit descending and remaining on him. It is he who baptizes with the holy spirit. And i saw him bear record that this is the son of god. And again the next day john stood and two of his disciples and looking upon jesus as he walked he says again behold the lamb of god.

Take a long look. Behold and be astonished. This is the lamb of god. Now what did john mean. Was he just pulling a metaphor out of the air. Jesus said there wasn't a better preacher than john the baptist born of women.

But yet john is not just given a metaphor out of the air. You see lamb was this familiar term to all those people there. And they had wondered where's the messiah. Where's the lamb. They'd come out. Are you the messiah.

Is he coming. They were looking for a man on a white horse to come and deliver them like moses did from rome. And they had no idea that he would come where they needed him at the altar as the lamb and not a king coming to swipe down rome.

That's where we need him. Not where we think we want him but where we really need him is to wash away sin. So all the old testament was about this. And so you see that john says there he is. This is the one of whom all the prophets wrote and of whom everybody has been expecting.

And you see the old testament is the root of the flower and the new testament is the flower of the flower. And you have to take them together. Don't listen to any nonsense by any preacher that tells you the old testament is not important or valid or needed.

Because i'll tell you something that just shows me they don't have a clue who jesus really is. Because that's just what the early church used to preach the whole old testament. They preach like we discovered just now and with much more clarity even.

Of course. So so the pharisees had a wrong concept of who god would be when he came. And so having this wrong idea they missed him. Some of you might have come to these meetings thinking this is a way that god moves.

He may have something else in mind for you. And if you have an expectation that he does not meet exactly like you think you might not recognize what he's saying. But you see the lamb of god here he is the lamb of god.

All your questions if you understand who he is the lamb of god will be answered. You see he'll do it. You see where is the lamb of god. Here's the lamb of god. Behold the lamb of god. Right. Where we need him coming to take away sin.

So i just want to run you through this in your mind. Think about this. I'm going to run you through a quick to show you how big this is. Because when john stood and pointed like that you think back to genesis when the lamb is typified by abel the first thing i mentioned he's he's typified.

And he says it's by blood. We come. It is a necessity. So you see the lamb. You see it's a progressive revelation here a little there a little precept upon precept line upon line. God gives you more like you see the first mention of worship the first mention of the fear of the lord all in genesis the seed plot.

And to show you what it's going to be like you can't recognize an apple tree and a seed. But you can know that it's going to become that as it grows. And that's what god gives revelation of. So you see this genesis going on.