I Will Keep Thee

The Promise of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture

Revelation 3:10 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

The truth of the Pre-tribulation rapture is under severe and vicious attack at the present time. The list of YouTube “theologians” who make it their pet activity to attack and ridicule the Pre-Trib doctrine is increasing rapidly. Sadly, even men of God who used to be strong believers and defenders of this doctrine are falling prey to the ever-increasing volume of poisonous, anti-Pre-Trib error that abounds on the internet. Whilst sad, this should not come as a great surprise to us. The hour is late, time is short, and Christ’s return draws nearer every day so the devil is working overtime to try and undermine and discredit the truth of the rapture at a time when it is needed most.

It is also the author’s view that some Pre-Trib authors and teachers do the Pre-Tribulation rapture cause a disservice when they make unhelpful comments such as “there isn’t any one verse on its own that teaches a Pre-Trib rapture.” There is no need to be apologetic or timid in defending the truth of the Pre-Tribulation rapture! It is so plainly taught in Scripture! While it is true that a Bible doctrine does not stand on one verse alone and must be supported by all the verses in the Bible on that particular subject, there are very clear, “stand alone” verses that teach the truth of the Pre-Tribulation rapture.

Revelation 3:10 is one such verse. The purpose of this article will be to provide a brief exposition of this wonderful verse in the hope that your faith will be re-affirmed and strengthened in the blessed hope of the Pre-tribulation Rapture.

Firstly, observe the temptation we are delivered from – “I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation”. The word ‘temptation’ means testing and comes from the same root word as the word ‘try’ in the same verse. The “hour of temptation” is another Bible description for the tribulation period also referred to in Scripture as the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble, the 70^th week of Daniel and the Day of the Lord. It is the time described in detail in Revelation chapters 6-18. Christ promises that His church will be “kept from” this terrible time of tribulation. Interestingly, the word ‘from’ is from the Greek word ‘ek’ which means “out of.” So, the promise is that the church will be kept out of this time of tribulation. That powerfully refutes the idea pushed by other rapture theorists who argue the church must go partially or all the way through the tribulation period (e.g. the Mid-Trib, Pre-wrath & Post-Trib rapture views). Another clear promise found in 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” The context is the day of the Lord (See Vs. 1-4). Some also try and argue that the promise of Rev. 3:10 was only for the historical church of Philadelphia and doesn’t apply to the rest of us. But verse 13 makes it clear that this promise is applicable to all faithful “Philadelphian” churches in the church age – “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” John Walvoord makes a helpful comment, “If the church at Philadelphia foreshadows a future period of church history just as other churches seem to do, the promises given to this church can be taken as given to all churches bearing a true witness for Christ even down to the present day.”¹

Secondly, observe the time we are delivered from – “I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Now if Christ had only promised “I will keep thee from temptation” then it might be a little easier to argue that the verse is teaching the believer will be “preserved in” the tribulation period. But the verse is far more specific than that. It promises exemption not from tribulation in a general sense but from the whole time period of the Great Tribulation, “the hour of temptation”. John Walvoord writes, “It should be noted that this deliverance is not only from trial but from a period of time in which the trial exists, “the hour of temptation.” If the expression had been simply “deliverance from trial,” conceivably it could have meant only partial deliverance. The expression seems as strong as possible that the Philadelphian church would be delivered from this period, which is the great tribulation, Daniels seventieth week (cf. Dan. 9:25-27).”² Further, the purpose of the tribulation period is stated as being “to try them that dwell upon the earth”. The tribulation period is a time for God’s wrath to be poured out on an unbelieving and wicked world, not a time of wrath for church age saints who have been “delivered from the wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10).

Finally, the exhortation of verse 11 strengthens the view that verse 10 promises a rapture before the tribulation. “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take they crown.” How will Christ fulfill His promise to His church to keep them from the tribulation period? Revelation 3:11 provides the answer. Christ will keep us from the hour of temptation by coming to rescue us at the rapture! “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18). Bible expositor John Phillips notes, “It (Rev. 3:11) is an assurance to the church at large that it will be kept from that hour by the Lord’s coming in the sky.”³ As far as the church of Philadelphia was concerned, they were to be ready for Christ to come at any moment (immanency) prior to the outpouring of God’s wrath in the Great Tribulation. Our expectancy is to be the same. Christ will keep His church from the tribulation by coming for it at the rapture!

So dear believer be encouraged and remember…

We’re not looking for the hour of temptation but the moment of translation!

We’re not looking for preservation through but deliverance from!

We’re not going through, we’re going up!

We’re not going to be caught in, we’re going to be caught up!

We’re not going to be overtaken, we’re going to overcome!

We’re not looking for signs, we’re listening for sounds!

We’re not anticipating the seals, we’re awaiting the Saviour!

We’re not looking for the sounding of the trumpets, we’re listening for the trumpet sound!

We’re not looking for the vials, we’re listening for the voice of the Archangel!

We’re not watching for judgment; we’re watching for Jesus!

We’re not looking for the Great Tribulation but for the Great God & Saviour!

We’re not looking for Jacob’s trouble, we’re looking for Jesus’ triumph!

We’re not looking for the man of sin, we’re looking for the Son of Man!

We’re not looking for the deceiver, but for the Deliverer!

We’re not looking for the Antichrist, but for the Appearing!

We’re not looking for the little horn, but for the Lord of glory!

We’re not looking for the beast, but for the blessed hope and the Bridegroom!

We’re not looking for the son of perdition but for the Son of God!

We’re not looking for that Wicked, but for the living Word!

We’re not looking for wrath, we’re looking for the rapture!

We’re not looking for the tribulation, but for the Translation!

We’re not looking for the Antichrist, we’re looking for JESUS CHRIST!

What a blessed hope we have!