THE ORIGINATION OF THE MULTITUDE

The Origination of the Multitude

"And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?" "And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

The Question Addressed to John

"...what are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?"

This question has to do with moral origin.

Whence came they?

This question has to do with temporal origin.

The Answer Addressed to John

"...these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Wisely John refers the question back to the interrogator.

The Answer as to Temporal Origin

These come out of the tribulation the great one, as it reads in the original. This is the one spoken of as the time of Jacob's trouble (Jer. 30:7).
"Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it."

This is referred to by Daniel 12:1, and Christ (Matt. 24:21-22). It is the last 3¹/₂ years of the 7-year period. Cf. Rev. 11:2-3.
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."

The Answer as to Moral Origin

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This means that they are saved.