So the first thing is, I want you to do now in relation to this, I want you to just forget just thinking that: in eternity, you're going to walk around in white robes, and do nothing much. Play a harp, sing [Laughter] wander around, smell the flowers, that kind of stuff. It's just ridiculous, and yet that is the concept people have, because we don't have revelation or insight. The first thing you've got to understand is, why did God design you? He didn't design you just to be able to wander around in a white robe and smell the roses. Why did He design man? He designed man for an intimate relationship, and to advance His kingdom, and His interest. He raised up man. What is man, that you are mindful of Him; or the son of man, you visit Him; you have crowned Him with glory and honour, made him a little lower than the angels; crowned him with glory and honour and raised him to have dominion over the all the works of your hands. God has a work for you to do. It starts now. You're on your apprenticeship now. God is watching every day, every item, everything you do, how you do it, why you do it. Why? Because He's preparing something much greater, and if you're wallying around, passive, slack, not praying, why would you think you're going to inherit anything much?
It doesn't make any sense whatsoever; and not only that, it's highly de-motivating to think I can have a slack spiritual life, live in compromise the way I like, and yet I don't miss out on something. That just does not make reasonable sense to anyone, and it defies that God is a just God. The reality is, him that overcomes shall be arrayed in white linen; so we need to just explore this a little more. So the first thing is, don't just kind of get that idea of you're just wandering around in white robes. God is going to empower us with His nature, and his glory; and He wants to bestow great honour, great glory, great value on you; and He's designed clothing for you, for eternity. You will wear it for eternity. It'll be diverse; and one of the difficulties we have, when you try and explain spiritual things, it's hard to get natural language for it; so what they did was, they used the word linen.
Now the word linen, linen was the nicest, most expensive material you could get in the days these things were written, so when He writes the word linen, it doesn't mean in heaven you've got some nice linen garments on, or everyone's wandering around in a white t-shirt, and some white shorts, longs or whatever. Just think about that - doesn't make any sense at all, because God is incredibly creative. Heaven is a beautiful place. Earth just reflects the glory of what heaven is like; so earth is a diverse, beautiful place; and so heaven is a glorious place. It makes no sense that when it comes to creativity, God is left outside, when it comes to designing garments for you.
How could He be creative in everything, and then end up with you in a white t-shirt in heaven? Doesn't make any sense, does it? No, no, no, no. Everything God does is beautiful, and so He's designed for us garments of glory and beauty, so you're not going to wander around in a white t-shirt and a white robe. The linen was the only way, the only word available, to describe something that was extremely precious, and of fine quality; and we'll see some other things about it just in a moment.
Okay, now the thing to understand is, what does God clothe Himself in? That's a good thought to ask. Well fortunately the Bible tells us - I'm glad you asked - so here it is in Psalm 104, what does God wear, you know? what clothes does He wear? Interesting thought, isn't it? Come on, have a look in Psalm 104. You'll see it, and the Bible tells us very clearly: He clothes Himself in light. Very good, very good, so Psalm 104, let's have a look in Psalm 104 verse 1 and 2: The Lord, my God, you are great. You are clothed with honour and majesty. In other words, you're clothed with exceedingly great glory, and magnificence and majesty. We can't find the words, so we use the word glory and majesty; and it says: you clothe yourself, or cover yourself, with light; as if you were covering yourself with a garment. So in other words, God's clothing, or what He clothes Himself with, or wears around - it's His glory, it's His nature, and it shines and shimmers, and casts out tremendous light. Paul wrote to Timothy. He said: God dwells in light, which is unapproachable; so if God were to reveal Himself, your flesh could not take it. That's what the Bible's very clear about - you couldn't take it, if God showed all of Himself; so He covers Himself with light, so to come into the presence of God ,is to come into the presence of His glory; and it registers to you as great shining light. He can conceal it, make it look just like garments, and we'll see that in just a moment, but its glorious light, see?