Apocalypse Revealed # 814
814. 19:8 And it was granted her to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. This symbolically means that those who will belong to the Lord's New Church are being instructed through the Word by the Lord in truths that are genuine and pure.
Being granted to her means to the wife, who symbolizes the Lord's New Church, namely, the New Jerusalem, as in no. 813 just above. To be arrayed means, symbolically, to be instructed in truths, inasmuch as garments symbolize truths (no. 166), and white garments genuine truths (no. 212). Fine linen, clean and bright, symbolically means glistening as a result of goodness, and pure as a result of truths. And because there is no pure truth from any other source than from the Lord through the Word, therefore this, too, is symbolically meant.
The fine linen is said to be clean and bright because cleanliness symbolizes something that is free of evil, thus something that glistens as a result of goodness, and brightness symbolizes something that is free of falsity, thus something pure as a result of truth.
Fine linen, or something made of fine linen, symbolizes genuine truth also in the following passages:
I clothed you (O Jerusalem) in embroidered cloth..., I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk... Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk... (Ezekiel 16:10, 13)
Fine linen with embroidery from Egypt was your sail. (Ezekiel 27:7)
The latter is said of Tyre, which symbolizes the church in respect to concepts of truth and goodness.
The hosts in heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Revelation 19:14)
Pharaoh's clothing Joseph "in garments of fine linen" (Genesis 41:42) has the same symbolic meaning.
Truth from the Word in their possession, though not internalized by them, is symbolized by the fine linen in Babylon in Revelation 18:12, 16, and by that possessed by the rich man in Luke 16:19.
Fine linen is also called cotton, so that this, too, symbolizes genuine truth, in the following:
You shall make (for Aaron) a checkered tunic of cotton, and you shall make the turban of cotton... (Exodus 28:39)
They made tunics of cotton... for Aaron and his sons... (Exodus 39:27)
You shall make the tabernacle... cotton interwoven with blue, purple, and scarlet double-dyed. (Exodus 26:1, cf. 36:8)
You shall make... hangings for the court of woven cotton... (Exodus 27:9, cf. 27:18; 38:9)
Also the screen... of the court...(with) woven cotton. (Exodus 38:18)
以賽亞書 55
1
你們一切乾渴的都當就近水來;沒有銀錢的也可以來。你們都來,買了吃;不用銀錢,不用價值,也來買酒和奶。
2
你們為何花錢(原文是平銀)買那不足為食物的?用勞碌得來的買那不使人飽足的呢?你們要留意聽我的話就能吃那美物,得享肥甘,心中喜樂。
3
你們當就近我來;側耳而聽,就必得活。我必與你們立永約,就是應許大衛那可靠的恩典。
4
我已立他作萬民的見證,為萬民的君王和司令。
5
你素不認識的國民,你也必召來;素不認識你的國民也必向你奔跑,都因耶和華─你的神以色列的聖者,因為他已經榮耀你。
7
惡人當離棄自己的道路;不義的人當除掉自己的意念。歸向耶和華,耶和華就必憐恤他;當歸向我們的神,因為神必廣行赦免。
8
耶和華說:我的意念非同你們的意念;我的道路非同你們的道路。
9
天怎樣高過地,照樣,我的道路高過你們的道路;我的意念高過你們的意念。
10
雨雪從天而降,並不返回,卻滋潤地土,使地上發芽結實,使撒種的有種,使要吃的有糧。
11
我口所出的話也必如此,決不徒然返回,卻要成就我所喜悅的,在我發他去成就(發他去成就:或譯所命定)的事上必然亨通。