I don't know that I expect to bypass the tribulation, but I believe that I will not be here when God pours out His wrath on the whole earth. I'm curious about what you think this verse means.
Rev 3:10--Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
In Context:
Revelations Begins by notifying the reader, From Whose Authority and Through Whom, these Revelations are declared and revealed.
Rev 1:1
The First addressed are the Seven Churches.
Remember:
God taught ancient men, He IS God, Believe that, Trust what He says, Do What He says and AND His Offering is He will provide All things a man Needs Forever.
Remember:
Men Agreed: broadly Men Failed: God destroyed the Earth. Flood.
Again Men Agreed: broadly Men Failed: God put them in Bondage.
Again Men Agreed: broadly Men Failed: God ignored them for 400 years.
Remember:
God SENT His "Word" To Earth in the Likeness "as" a Man...To talk, Teach, Preach ... God to men...In their Ear..."and" Face to Face.
I believe this is Gods Last Offering - to "all" men, Accept /Reject...
This Offering is Unlike any previous Offering:
1) Face to Face
2) To All of mankind
3) The success (non-Failure) is By the Power of God.
The Seven Churches - simply called by the names of the cities where they were located and the people thereof...
They are an early model of worship places that were opening their Ears to the Gospel of Jesus' Teaching.
( I believe they are a forerunner to any Church Today. )
Meaning:
1) there Will BE Some attending that are faithfully Committed to the Lord God Almighty
2) Some will not.
A HIGHLIGHT: Notice John's instruction was To Write....TO THE ANGELS over each Church!
Each Angel was to be Told what God Approved and Disapproved in Each Church!
Rev 3:7 - Rev 3:13 was to the Church at Philadelphia.
(And all the notices to all the Churches that Commends them Are models to Follow)...
Rev 3:10 is a particular Highlight that reveals Verification from earlier teaching.
Rev 3:10--
Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
What is this Hour?
What is a man Kept From?
What is necessary to Keep a man From that Hour?
The Hour is when the Tribulation Begins.
(We were foretold it would Effect the Whole World and be like nothing mankind has ever experienced or will again).
* we were foretold...a man converted IN Christ is not subject to Wrath.
* we were foretold...Gods Anger for rejection by men...is His Wrath.
* we were foretold...God destroyed man Before with the Earth.
* we were foretold...ends of Days for man will be similar (but different and Greater) as in Noah's Day.
* we were foretold...Noah was Faithful; lifted UP above the Earth; Saved from destruction, and Gods Wrath.
* we were foretold a Converted man is NOT "OF" this World.
Who is ON this Earth When the Hour of Tribulation Begins?
(Hour is not the duration of Tribulation, it's the "unknown" Hour the Tribulation Begins )
IF a man IS Saved/Quickened (Born Again)...
What TEST does he Required?
He is already Converted.
Who IS Faithful TO God...but Rejects Jesus Christ? Gods People...ISRAEL...and today...all calling themselves JEWS.
( and NOT to pretend...everything applies to all Jews or All Gentile's. There ARE Messanic Jews who believe in and are committed to Christ the Lord Jesus).
Immediately after Rev speaks to the Chuches...Gods People ARE the Central Focus.
Jesus has "collected" / Lifted Up "His" People ..."His" Church.
God Sends...Witnesses, Preachers, Teachers, specifically TO: Israel...the Place, Jerusalem, TO ISRAEL, Gods People...144,000...12,000 from each Tribe of Israel....
WHY?
To Save them.
How are THEY being TESTED?
In addition to Gods Wrath...
God has Set a Timeframe in which Satan Shall have Power over Nations and people "OF" the world.
Their Testing, will be...Hear the Word of God...Trust it (full well knowing your Body Shall BE killed BY Satan, for Trusting God)...or Trust Satan...who Shall Promise World Peace and Safety.
Either way...the man Shall Bodily Die.
With Gods WAY...a man Shall Be MADE Living Forever With God.
With Satan's way...a man Shall Be MADE Condemned and Destroyed and Forgotten Forever.
Right after the Letters to the Seven Churches:
The Tribulation Begins with the OPENING of the Seven SEALS.
Who Opens Them? The Lamb.
What does Each Seal Reveal?
(Rev.- Power to conquer, kill, destroy, etc. the Anti-Christ, Beast, False Prophet, Death, Major disturbances upon the Earth, etc.)
And when these things come upon men "Great and small" "OF" the World...
What Do "they" recognize is happening?
Rev 6: tells us:
[
16] And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the
wrath of the Lamb:
[
17] For the great day of
His Wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Why is the Lamb of God...exacting HIS wrath upon the World?
Remember:
There ARE many Who REJECT the Lamb of God, Him coming to Earth, as a man, Called the Word of God, called Jesus, "Offering" His Body for the Life of the world?
He is the First and the Last.
His Wrath is First when the Tribulation Begins.
Upon those WHO Rejected Him and Did Not
Relent and Accept Him when the Anti-Christ was Given power to rule the world and people "OF" the world.
Why would a man Converted IN Christ Jesus...who is Not OF this world...be subject to the Wrath of the Lamb?
Ponder...
Glory to God,
Taken