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Cleansed White as Snow  

livingmyfaith
10/31/2009 1:33 pm

Last Read:
11/3/2009 7:33 pm

 Daniel 7:9

"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire." KJB

This vision of Daniel's, of the everlasting God who is sitting on His great judgment throne, uses the phrase "white as snow", which occurs six times in our Bible, is rather fascinating wouldn't you say so? This phrase is simply a visual picture of God's righteousness or pureness because when you picture pure white snow in a pristine environment. I think that there is nothing which can give us a better visual reference that pure white snow when it comes to the righteousness of God. Have you ever looked on a fresh snow field in a wilderness and thought about how marvelous it looks, even though in your mind you cannot help but feel the cold? I do not know about you but I love to see a fresh, white snow that has been lain down and think of how pure it is.

Now, the phrase "white as snow" is used twice to picture the Lord's cleaning of our souls from iniquity, which is most often pictured as being dark and evil. David confessed his own sin to the Lord by saying: "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin...Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." (Psalm 51:1-2, 7) KJB. And then Isaiah said: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:1 KJB. Now, Isaiah is picturing actually what the cleansing blood of our Lord Jesus and is the only substance which can be blood-red and still cleanse as "white as snow." Wow, what a great picture of what the Lord does to our sins. Now, it is not the "actual" blood which does the cleansing but it is what that shed blood from the Lamb of God did on the cross as Jesus died for us and it is His sacrifice of His own blood on that altar which the Father sees and not our sins and because of that we are passed over and seen as clean by Him. Now, no one can come unto the Father except under the blood of Jesus Christ and it being applied to the door posts of your heart. Just as God saw only the blood applied to the door posts of the Israelites during the time when God was judging the Egyptians and the Pharaoh's hard heart.

Then when Christ ascended at the Mount of Transfiguration we read this: "And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them." (Mark 9:3) KJB. Now, the disciples were looking on the Lord and was once again given confirmation that Jesus is the Son of God, even as the booming voice from heaven said. We read this in the Gospel of Matthew, we read: "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." (Matthew 17:5) KJB.

Also at the tomb we something of this "white as snow" raiment, for we read: "And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:" (Matthew 28:2-3) KJB. Now, the last thing that I want to bring out is the vision of John the Revelator and we read: "And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." (Revelation 1:12-16) KJB. Notice that verse fourteen once again, gives us the picture of the pureness of God, being Jesus in His purified Holy Body, by using the phrase "white as snow", this being a picture of the Lord as He comes to judge the seven churches.

It is fantastic to think that as the Lord's raiment (clothing) and the raiment of the angels is the very same pureness that one day we too will show forth. Praise the Lord for His marvelous pictures of righteousness that He gives us in His word. We see the angels of God, the transfigured Lord and both are in the raiment which was white as snow letting us know that they are pure in righteousness. We actually have the phrase "white as snow" being used eight times in our Scriptures, five from the Old Testament, and three from the New Testament. Two of the times in which this phrase is used does not speak of pureness of only of color, because both times it tells us the color of one being leprous. Being leprous has always been used to visualize sin and unrighteousness. (Numbers 12:10; 2 Kings 5:27) KJB. The rest of the six times gives us what righteousness looks like, being pure and holy.

What about you, are you cleansed "white as snow" by the blood from the Lamb of God? Or is your soul still dark and evil, being not saved? Let the blood cleanse you from that and turn your soul as "white as snow".

By Dr. Terry Cleaveland, Pastor (retired), Preacher, Teacher of God's Holy Word, Grand Junction, Co.

Used with permission
Assured Salvation and God's forgiveness are all that matters.
Foraseason
155 posts 

11/1/2009 5:23 pm

 An uplifting, encouraging reminder. Thanks.
GBU

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