Man's Whitsuntide and God's Whitsuntide
by Henry Dyer
Notes of an Address at Leominster Conference by the late Henry Dyer.
"WHITSUNTIDE means white raiment." Man, in his self-will, has substituted outward form for inward reality—substituting a religion of his own, thus setting aside that ordained by God, like Cain. True, there was an altar, but that which he offered thereon was his own from first to last, in contrast to Abel, who brought that which God had appointed.
White raiment was substituted by man as a figure of the Holy Spirit who was given at Pentecost. So the observance of Whitsuntide now in the putting on of white raiment by those who know nothing of the purity and power or the indwelling Spirit of God, is a solemn mockery, a religion hateful in God's sight. This is man's Whitsuntide—an empty form.
God's Whitsuntide is the spotless purity of immortality, beginning with eternal life. There is no cleanness in death—no purity there! A corpse dressed in white raiment soon goes to corruption.
Those who have entered into God's Whitsuntide should have their garments always white (Eccles. ix. 8)—a Whitsuntide all the year round. We shall be clothed in the white raiment of immortality by-and-by, but now we are exhorted to "walk in white'' with Christ. See Rev. iii. 4, 5. The one verse refers to present walking in white in the midst of this Sardis life around us; the other verse refers to future walking in white raiment, whose whiteness shall nevermore be spotted by sin. Let us seek to keep our garments undefiled now. Garments, i.e. our character which clothes us, our thoughts, our words, our actions of everyday, go to make up our character, which clothes our lives as truly as our earthly garments cover our bodies.
Entrance into God's Whitsuntide. Read Isa. i. 16-18. Our natural dress as sinners, scarlet and crimson, two glaring colours; our glaring sins of scarlet; and our crimson sin of unbelief. The soldier put on Christ the scarlet robe, mocking the Son of God. This was the scarlet sin of their foolish merry-making and mockery of the Son of God, whom they did not know, neither desired to know; this was their crimson sin of unbelief, which led on to their glaring sin of scarlet—the hatred and enmity which led to the soldier piercing His side by the sword which was covered with the crimson blood of Christ.
There were two sides to that spear—the enmity of man and the love and forgiveness of Christ. If we take our place at the wounded side of Christ, owning our hatred and unbelief in piercing His side, He then makes us white as snow in the crimson blood that He shed for us, and we thus enter into God's Whitsuntide.
Turn now to Rev. i. 14: "His head and His hair were white like wool, white as snow"—perfect spotlessness and purity. Christ is the first one mentioned in this book (of Revelation) as being white; afterward come the saints "clothed in white," like unto their Lord. This is the eternal Whitsuntide of the children of God, a multitude no man can number. No end to our companionship there, and—glorious thought!—no stain on our robes to mar our fellowship. Perfect delight in pure companionship and love. No companionship in hell, because no love no purity.
In Rev. xiv. 14 we get a "white cloud"—the perfect power of resurrection. In chapter i., we see Christ as the white One—"white as snow." With the white cloud of resurrection power He raises us and changes us into His own glorious image. A white cloud to receive us, then we must be stainless, or we should stain the white cloud!
In Rev. xix. 7, 8 we get " Fine linen, clean and white. " The Bride, the Lamb's wife, is made meet for her husband in the white raiment of immortality. Just as when God led up Eve to Adam's side and their eyes met they became one, so will the Lamb and His Bride be married with a glance, and the "honeymoon" will be all eternity! Rev. xix. 11-14: A white horse for Christ, and also white horses for the saints. "Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world?" We shall be one with Christ when He comes to set up His kingdom on earth. But no sin will stain that conquest. There will be no act of injustice or unrighteousness. The kingdoms of this world have been built up on bloodshed and injustice. But the white horses of heaven tell of the holiness and justice of that war, and the subsequent reign will be a righteous one.
