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The promise made by the Lord Jesus to the church of Philadelphia has been often misunderstood.“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.” (Revelation 3:10)
This Greek word translated as “keep” is tereo, which means to watch over, guard, keep an eye on. It is the same word used in John 17 when Jesus prayed,
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should KEEP them from the evil one.” (John 17:15)
Notice how Jesus did not pray to “remove” them from the world but to “guard, watch over, preserve, protect, keep an eye on” them while in the world.
Also, when Peter was faced with certain “sifting by Satan”, Jesus did not pray for Peter to avoid this sifting, but that his faith would not fail him.
By correctly translating the Greek words, we see Jesus never promised any special or separate rapture for the church of Philadelphia. His promise to “keep” them does not denote the rapture, but a separation from what the wicked will face during this time of tribulation.
The world hated Christ first and it is a guarantee they will hate us as well. The word of God teaches us that everyone who walks in holiness will be persecuted, but this is not something we should seek to avoid, but rather to embrace. Throughout history, saints have suffered and died for their faith and as a result, attained a greater resurrection for it, just as Jesus promised.
Again and again, we see the righteous are consistenly KEPT and PROTECTED. The three Hebrew young men were not removed from the fiery trial but were KEPT and PROTECTED while in the midst of the fire (Daniel 3). Not even the heat of the fire was felt by them. God distinguished the children of Israel from the rest of Egypt after the third plague. The rest of the plagues never touched the land of Goshen where the children of Israel lived.
Fear is at the base of all false doctrine with Satan offering the easy way out above the one that brings suffering. We in the west are so fearful of suffering. We see it in the rest of the world, but have convinced ourselves that it will not come near us. Psalms 91 states that those who live (abide) under the shadow of the Almighty will be protected. They will not be removed, but will be protected. Their eyes will see the destruction of the wicked.
Author: Jerry Sundberg
Soon after he received the Lord in 1976, Jerry Sundberg started receiving prophetic visions and warnings about the future of the United States. He shares his visions on his Hidden Manna Blog. His free ebooks are also available for download from his blog.
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Oh! I forgot to say – the reason we know the sealed book is the new salvation is because of Revelation 5:8 – 9. When the Lamb takes the book, the 4 living creatures and 24 elders sing ‘a NEW song’ – why bother if it’s the same story they’ve heard for eons? It’s new because what’s in the book is new.
All anyone has to do is read Revelation. Just before the Seals are opened we hear about a book handed to John that is sealed with 7 seals. This book is the new salvation I mentioned in ‘Here Comes the Bride’, and the seals being opened are what is going to bring this salvation into reality on the earth. When all the seals are opened, then begins the trumpets – the preaching of the full gospel of this salvation. There’s no way any Bride is going to be ready before the new salvation gets here, and then people will need at least some time to incorporate it into their lives so that they’re ready for the rapture – at the 7th trumpet. There’s only room for one rapture then, and that’s it. It’s all about being worthy to be part of the bride – as Paul made very clear in Philippians 3, and that means more than just having ‘suffered’, because if that’s all it took, Paul shouldn’t have had a doubt in his mind that he was worthy! Instead, it must include certain experiences with God in which the realities of this new salvation are able to be incorporated. Salvation by faith had its experiences – which were very necessary to even claim to be saved, the same will be true of the new thing that’s coming.
I would only say that, I am a pre triber and do not hold this position as a way to escape tribulation. Facing tribulation has nothing to do with this position. I am not sure why those who are anti pre trib, seem to want to reduce the debate down to the ridiculous. Pre trib is not a fearful position as you seem to demean those who hold it as having. This is intellectual dishonesty. You disagree with it but you seem to want to belittle the position, and even those who hold it, as an inferior. This is almost proof in and of itself that it is a spirit of pride that motivates the dialogue. I am pre trib and mid trib. I sincerely believe there are 2 raptures. It is ok if you disagree, I do not feel the need to be right about everything concerning the timing of the Rapture of the Church.
2 over arching reasons why no matter how you want to try to put an end to the lively debate, the scriptures will never clearly give anyone the satisfaction of knowing with complete certainty based upon stacking scripture upon scripture to prove your paradigm. I believe that by staring at all the trees it is impossible to see the forest and God very likely designed it that way. He left just enough information out so that by analyzing every single scripture remotely related to it, the sacred conclusive proof so desperately sought would always be just out of reach. This is by design so as to keep the dark forces always in a state of perplexity as to the timing issue. We are to walk by faith so we don’t need to know everything about everything. This is just as when Jesus came the first time. When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son…..exactly so many Jubilees as prophesied in the OT. And Just as prophesied in the OT He will come again. We are at the 70’th Jubilee and He will come in a Jubilee year just as He did before. The type and shadow of the Jewish wedding and consummation is a pre trib analogy. The forest is so much simpler to see when you aren’t staring at all those trees. Jesus and the prophets weren’t trying to nail down an exact timeline for us. They were just giving us warning signs and things to look for. Everyone has turned it into a complicated debate. This is how the dark side gets us all concerned about the wrong things and defending our positions to the point of division in the Body. We are all looking for His return. We can all agree that He is Coming soon. I just happen to believe that He will come in a Jubilee year and fulfill the type and shadow of the Jewish Wedding. Albert Einstein spent the last 30 plus years of His life studying Eschatology and even He came to the conclusion that Jesus was returning on the Jubilee after Israel was reborn. The only thing He couldn’t see was that it was the year they took control of Jerusalem counted from the year of the Balfour declaration that fit the OT time table of Jubilees.
One thing is for sure. We will soon all know who’s paradigm is correct.
The reasons for this post are clearly stated in the post. Many pre-tribbers are hoping for an escape from the trouble ahead. I am glad to hear you are not looking at the rapture that way, but I have friends who are. The doctrine encourages that false hope, which is the reason why it must be debunked. The point is not to belittle anyone, but to open the eyes of the spiritually blind by explaining the scriptures.
Ok, but the only problem is that you are referring to them as spiritually blind which is a demeaning comment. Disagreeing about pre trib or mid trib or post trib does not make anyone spiritually blind. There is a reason that so many very intellectual and well researched people disagree on this issue and it is not because they are spiritually blind. IT is about the paradigm in which they have chosen to view it. It is far too common on the internet for Christians to call others blind or deceived or even apostate just because they disagree with something the other one believes. People do this with Charismatics, Word of Faith, Pentecostals, and now they have even added those who teach the Grace of God to the list. The propensity is to label those whom they disagree as somehow demonic, deceived, etc. This is extreme and not helpful to any discussion and makes Christians look foolish because they can’t even pretend like they like each other. My only hope is that people can disagree without the other parties having to be some how less then them in some way. Pride is ugly and it doesn’t unite but divide. We can all state our position without those who hold the opposite view being reduced in the conversation.
There is no substitute for the truth. If you want it watered down there are lots of other websites that will accomodate you. Spiritual blindness is the problem here and truth is the answer.
True. I was praying one day and I asked God the question. Why do we have to study the Word so much. Why can’t we just read it and get it and keep it. He told me this. ” It is because TRUTH does not originate with man. It originates with ME (God).” We leak so to speak and our beliefs are effected by what we see and hear everyday. After he told me this I understood at a much deeper level why it is futile to get into too much debating (as much as I love a good debate 🙂 ). Pride causes all men eventually to do something that is harmful. Instead of exalting truth we exalt our opinion of it. This is where strife comes from. If someone has attached their ego to a real truth then instead of defending the TRUTH itself, they end up defending the fact that they believe it that way. They are defending the same premise but for a different reason. It usually never ends in peace. You see this to extreme in the Muslim religion. It is not enough that they think that they have the truth but they must beat everyone else into submission and make them believe it as well. They are just personifying where pride always ends up. Unfortunately all humans are subject to this dynamic. This is why LOVE is the only cure. My only point really is that there is room in the Body for pre, mid and post. I for one am really interested to see how it all works out. The start of the Jubilee is just a couple of weeks away. Will we be raptured the Last trump of the Feast of Rash Hashanah which is the start of the feast of Atonement (this year is special) ? Maybe the end of it in 2016. If not, then we might have 50 more years to wait. He might come at the 71st Jubilee and We could all be in heaven talking about it from the grand stands. !! I don’t see it, but we could ALL be wrong in our paradigm. 🙂
According to many scriptures documented in my previous post, Ten Things the Must Happen Before the Rapture, I can already assure you there will be no rapture this year or next year. We have a ways to go yet because many of these things that happen first are big events that take years to unfold.
YOU SAID: “There is a reason that so many very intellectual and well researched people disagree on this issue and it is not because they are spiritually blind. IT is about the paradigm in which they have chosen to view it.”
Interesting choice of words Steve. The “level” of intellect and the “amount” of research is NOT the issue here. All scripture cannot be understood through the “intellect” or the amount of research. If this were true, then the pharisees of Jesus’ day should have gotten it right. They didn’t and they were the most educated and researched people alive at that time. Paul was also one of them and learned from the best. All of this was “renounced” by Paul as so much “filthy rags”. {But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “ who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 2:14-16 NKJV)}
Unless the person receives “revelation knowledge” about the word of God, they cannot spiritually discern the truth. Throughout the ages, men have tried to understand God’s word and the difference between those who CAN understand and those who CANNOT understand causes those who cannot understand to dismiss those who do. Steve, you make it sound as if being intellectual and fully researched trumps spiritual discernment. It does not. The fact these have chosen their “paradigm” in which to view the scriptures will determine what “truth” they gain from it. The very nature of the TRUTH according to the Spirit is its TRANSFORMATIVE nature. Does that truth draw one closer in their relationship with the Lord and aids them in putting to death the deeds of the flesh? If the answer to this is yes, they understand correctly. However, if this “paradigm view” you are speaking of only serves to put them in an elevated place of “being right”, then THIS is pride and does not reflect the working of God’s grace in their lives. The study of eschatology should never be a “right or wrong” study. Those who take this view are seeking a position of status and will argue day and night, almost ceaselessly, to prove their version of “truth” and once gained, they hold it out as a symbol of pride for all to see. Where is the GRACE of God in this. God’s grace is His power working in our lives where we have no power. It’s power is seen in lives that are made to look more and more like Christ and the Father. If I argue regarding pre-trib, it is because I DID ask the Spirit of the Lord to show me which version was true according to Him. I believed all three at one point or another in my walk and was thoroughly confused as a result. All 3 cannot be true. So I asked the Lord what was the truth and learned they all had elements of truth and all had elements of error. Those errors came as a result of a lack of reading God’s word themselves and listening only to what others have said. Much has been and is still being “parroted” and primarily because it is easier to repeat what others say rather than let the Holy Spirit guide you and teach you according to HIS PERSPECTIVE. I have “debated” many over the years who hold to various versions and not a single one could offer sound doctrine. It seems that once they’ve traveled down the path of error, they were never able to recover. So much of what I’ve encountered were those who constantly take portions of scripture out of their context OR have made their own context through very poor exegesis of the scripture. Eventually, they all reverted to marginalizing me as a method to reject the solid proofs I’ve offered. This is not a forum for this kind of in depth debate otherwise I would love to examine each and every doctrine, line by line, with you or anyone else. The purpose for this would not be to prove me right and everyone else wrong but rather to defend the intent of God’s Word in the hope of saving some, yet as through the fire.
In addition to my comments above about the church of Philadelphia not having to face the tribulation that is coming on the rest of the world is “why should they continue to have to face further trial and testing when they have already met with God’s “approval?”” When Jesus told those who were following Him that they are to leave their father and mother and families to follow Him, notice He was directing this at His disciples because they have already left behind their families. Similarly, God did not have to “test again” the faithfulness of Abraham after He required him to sacrifice his only son. Abraham “met” this requirement of God and never had to face that test again. So the church of Philadelphia apparently had already “satisfied” the requirements of God and no longer needed to be “tested again”. What most who have been taught the pre-tribulation rapture have misunderstood, tribulation is not the same as wrath. The purpose of tribulation is to try and test how you’ve built the kingdom of God in your own life. Did you build “without” the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit with the result being akin to “wood, hay and stubble” which will be burned up in the test or did you build “through” the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit which is akin to gold, silver and precious stones which is “refined” when going through the fire. Tribulation is that final test. It is not meant to “destroy” but intended to “refine”. That verse in Revelation says that the rest of the world will be “tested” or go through “tribulation”. Paul speaks of this fiery trial in 1 Corinthians:
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
(1 Corinthians 3:10-15 NKJV)
What a joy we have to look forward to as we’ve “passed the test” and will not require further testing of our faith as many others will have to face as they’ve refused to allow the Holy Spirit to guide them during their lives. Overcomers are those who have defeated sin in their lives because they’ve chosen to walk according to the Spirit of God rather than their own “wisdom”. This is where Psalms 91 comes into play. There is a remnant who will be “protected” and will see only with their eyes the reward of the wicked. The only “surprising” thing they will see are those who they “thought” were holy but were not because God sees the heart and cannot be fooled by the external observances.
I notice that reference is made to the three Hebrew young men in the furnace in Daniel. Over the past week I’ve been thinking about this and googling images of them. Interestingly a few months ago I was watching on TV a programme on the art in the Roman catacombs. One of the more popular images was that of the 3 young men in the furnace. If the ancient church found strength in that imagery then perhaps we, as the modern church, might also find similar strength over the next decade or so.