Jesus’ promise in
Rev 3:10 is about the future generation who will be alive when the 7-year Trib starts. The “hour of trial” / “hour of temptation” is the 7-year Trib, otherwise known as Daniel’s 70th week in
Daniel 9:27.
Jesus promised He would keep all believers from the Trib. That aligns perfectly with
1 Th 1:10 (ESV): and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
Let’s first define God’s wrath. It is well-defined in
Ezekiel 14:21 (NLT): “Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How terrible it will be when all four of these dreadful punishments fall upon Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease—destroying all her people and animals.
In the verse above, “war” is one of the most dreadful forms of God’s wrath. Here’s
Rev 6:4 (NLT): Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.
Rev 6:4 is about the 2nd seal. It will feature one of the four most dreadful forms of God’s wrath: wars. Wars in the 2nd seal will occur all over the world simultaneously. It will be Hell on Earth. Many inhabitants on Earth will be killed.
So, we know that God’s wrath will come in the 2nd seal. That satisfies the requirement for God’s wrath, at the beginning of the Trib, for the purposes of
1 Th 1:10.
“Delivers us” in
1 Th 1:10 relates to the second usage of “deliverance,” in the Bible. That second usage translates to “snatch away.” Therefore, that verse is about our being “snatched away” before God’s wrath will come in the Trib. We know from
Rev 6:4 that God’s wrath will come in the 2nd seal.
1 Th 1:10 is the first verse Apostle Paul wrote about the pre-Trib rapture. We will be raptured (snatched away) from Earth immediately prior to the Trib due to God’s wrath about to come in the 2nd seal.
That is what Jesus means in
Rev 3:10. He will keep us from “the hour of trial.” We believers will not enter the 7-year Trib.
1. Revelation 3:10 is written to the 1st century congregation at Philadelphia. It is certainly informative for all generations of believers afterwards, and even instructive as to how present day Christians should be patiently keeping God's word, but it is not speaking to a secret rapture of believers.
When Jesus said in Rev. 3:10 "I will also keep thee", John quotes Jesus using the same Greek word (tereso) that Jesus used in John 17:15 when Jesus prayed to the Father not to take His disciples out of the world but to "keep them" (tereso) from evil. The word "tereso" means: to guard against while present. When Jesus says "tereso" in Rev. 3:10 He is telling His faithful ekklesia that He will guard them against the "hour of temptation to come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth". The "them" in 3:10 are the unbelievers and is distinguishable from the faithful in Christ whom Christ will guard against while present in the world during the trial to come.
2. No where in scripture does it explicitly say that Daniel's 70th week is a period of 7 years of tribulation or great tribulation. Even if that the 70th week is a period of tribulation, there is nothing in scripture that explicitly says the ekklesia will be removed from the earth during it. The fact that the word "ekklesia" is absent after Rev. 3 means that the "ekklesia" is still on earth, and that John is not a type of ekklesia but is only given a vision of things to come.
3. Tribulation is not God's wrath. Great tribulation is not God's wrath. "Thlipsis", the Greek for tribulation means persecution. "Megale Thlipsis", the Greek for great tribulation means widespread and intense persecution. "Orge" is the Greek word that is usually used for wrath, and refers to the intense outpouring of God's anger. As you will see if you look at these two words, they apply to two distinct situations: Thlipsis is committed against the ekklesia by Satan and wicked men. Megale Thlipsis is committed against the ekklesia by Satan, antichrist, and evil men. Orge is God pouring out HIS wrath on unbelievers.
Nowhere in scripture does Jesus ever explicitly say he will keep Christians from tribulation. In fact, Jesus tells his disciples that we will go through tribulation. Matthew 13:21, 24:21, 29-31,40-41, 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Mark 13:19-20, 24; Luke 21:10-28; John 16:33. Paul repeatedly informs his readers that he is their brother in tribulation and that there will much tribulationfor the faithful. Acts 14:22; Rom. 5:3, 8:35, 12:12; 2 Corinthians 1:4, 7:4; 1 Thessalonians 3:4; 2 Thessalonians 1:6. John also writes of of the shared tribulation with saints. Revelation 1:9.
Scripture repeatedly informs us that we will suffer if we are in fact faithful children of God and faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. Because we are HIS, God will grant us grace and power to overcome every trial and tribulation.
4. Wars have been waging for millenia. The horses in Rev. 6 are symbolic of the death and destruction brought to bear on all people's of the earth (saints included) by antichrist.
Remember when God gave Satan power to inflict Job and to take all that he ha: his children, his great possessions, his status. Here in Revelation 6 God has given Satan power through antichrist to cause havoc on earth to do what Satan did with Job, namely: to test the faith of professing Christians in an effort to turn the some to rebel against God, apostacize. As we see in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, there will be a great apostasy when antichrist is revealed.
Furthermore, Paul writes that we are not gathered unto Christ until after that apostasy and the revealing of antichrist. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3. How long after will we be gathered unto the Lord? Suffice it to be that no matter how long after, our Lord Jesus Christ has promised that we will be guarded against antichrists evil ways while we are present during its reign of intense persecution. Even if we are killed during that time, we will go into the presence of the Lord and then be given resurrected glorified bodies at His second coming.
4. God's wrath is not poured out until after the 6th seal is opened, and after the prophesied cosmic disturbances take place. See Joel 2:31.
5. In 1 Thessalonians 1:10, the Greek word for "deliver" also means to "rescue or deliver out of." It does not mean that we will not be present during, but that we will be secure from it, just as Jesus said he would guard us against while we are in the world. See John 17:15 and Revelation 3:10.
The Bible is God's promise to us and is our greatest guide in understanding all of God's promises. Be a Berean and compare scripture with scripture and you'll hopefully see that God has one plan, one people, and one destiny for HIS people.
Christ returns:
Matt. 24:30
1 Thess. 4:16
From heaven:
Matt. 24:30
1 Thess. 4:16
With angels:
Matt. 24:31
1 Thess. 4:16
With the trump:
Matt. 24:31
1 Thess. 4:16
Believers are gathered to Christ:
Matt. 24:31, 40-41
1 Thess. 4:17
In the air/clouds:
Matt. 24:30
1 Thess. 4:17
At time unknown:
Matt. 24:30
1 Thess. 5:1-2
Jesus comes like a thief:
Matt. 24:43
1 Thess. 5:2, 4
Unbelievers are caught unaware:
Matt. 24:37-39
1 Thess. 5:3
Judgment like sudden birth pains:
Matt. 24:8
1 Thess. 5:3
Faithful believers will not be deceived:
Matt. 24:43
1 Thess. 5:4-5
The faithful will be watchful:
Matt. 24:37-39
1 Thess. 5:6
And will stay sober/alert:
Matt. 24:37-39
1 Thess. 5:7
May the Lord our God bless you and keep you and shine HIS face upon you. In Jesus's mighty holy holy holy and precious name. Amen amen.