The Daily Word of Righteousness

An Examination of Current Teaching, #44

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)

Revelation 3:10 means we will be caught up to Heaven in order to escape the great tribulation.

This verse is employed to prove all who profess faith in Christ will be caught up to Heaven in order to escape the Great Tribulation.

First of all, the passage is not referring to all who profess faith in Christ but those who endure patiently the rigors of the Christian discipleship.

Second, the word "keep" in the expression "I will also keep you" is the same Greek term used in "kept my command."

The Greek term means to guard or place under surveillance.

The idea is that if we will carefully guard the Words of Christ, being careful to obey them, Christ will carefully guard us during the hour of trial.

The hour of trial may be the Great Tribulation, or it may be the Great Wickedness mentioned in Matthew 24:12. Actually we have far more to fear from wickedness than we do from tribulation.

The same writer, John, in the seventeenth chapter of the Gospel of John, reveals what he means by keeping or guarding us.

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. (John 17:15)

The word protect (above) is the same as that used for "kept" and "keep" in Revelation 3:10. We see that in Revelation, John is not speaking of our being taken out of the world but being kept from the evil one.

Our problem seldom is that of suffering. Our problem is that of being tempted to sin. The problem of temptation and deception keeps increasing as our social environment becomes ever more wicked. Only the Lord Jesus can keep us from being deceived. He shall keep us from being deceived if we are willing to endure patiently the numerous challenges, tests, and prisons we are called on to endure.

To be continued.