As far back as I can remember Rev 3:10 is a verse which many pretribulational writers present as evidence for the pretrib rapture. Are they right?
Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie – I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 9 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. Rev 3:9-10
Robert Gundry has challenged this pretrib position in his two books opposing pretribulationism. He argued that the promise was for believers to be kept safe within the tribulation – not kept safe out of it. Marvin Rosenthal added that the verse promised a keeping from the temptation from within the Great Tribulation.
Much of what I’m writing here is a rehash of a previous article. Nevertheless, I think it’s worth revisiting. Some quick links from that article: Richard Mayhue’s response to Gundry HERE. See also Jeffery Townsend’s The Rapture in Revelation 3:10 and Tony Garland’s commentary.
A few years ago the general non-pretrib strategy was to affirm Rosenthal and Gundry’s positions. Since then there has been a shift in tactic. In 2012 a leading non-pretribber wrote a blog ominously titled Operation: Expose the Truth!
The focus of the article was to introduce his 30 page booklet Revelation 3:10 -A Bombshell. An expanded version was said by the publisher to be devastating to pretribulationism.
While I haven’t seen the latter version, I carefully read the original. It was far from content rich, presented no arguments for the author’s own position, and could have been written in half the pages. It consisted primarily of pretribulational authors saying what they always say (except for one).
The Bombshell author actually agreed with pretribulationist John Niemelä’s punctuation theory regarding Rev 3:9-10. Niemelä suggests that the first part of v 10 (the condition) belongs to v 9. On that basis there’s no condition for being kept out of the future hour of trial coming upon the world.
Ironically, the author further admitted that Rev 3:10 was, indeed, a rapture passage. He then abruptly claimed it supported his position. It was later followed up with a video on Rev 3:10 declaring the pretrib rapture to be dead. So, essentially on the assumption that his prewrath position was correct, pretrib was dead because Rev 3:10 could not be employed as support.
If there really was new devastating evidence against pretribulationism in the updated booklet, I haven’t seen it on the Bombshell author’s blog or his video.
Generally, though, most non-pretrib commentators would strongly disagree with Niemelä’s punctuation revision. They insist on the conditionality in v 10. Many argue that enduring the Great Tribulation is the conditionality for exemption from God’s wrath via the rapture of the church.
One blogger-author has attempted to adapt Rev 3:10 into his view by noting its use of perseverance-endurance (hupomone). He points out that this expression also occurs in Rev 13:10; 14:12. So the assertion is that these verses somehow correlate to Rev 3:10.
What seems to be missed is that the Philadelphian Church was promised exemption from the hour of trial before “Antichrist’s” Great Tribulation ever emerged. Furthermore, they’d also kept the Lord’s word of perseverance before the Great Tribulation. Let that sink in for a moment. The Philadelphians had already endured and qualified.
That this church died and was spared this period via natural death doesn’t preclude a future removal by rapture of a faithful church. Every Christian throughout history is called to daily endurance and perseverance regarding whatever circumstances they find themselves in. This isn’t restricted to “Antichrist’s Tribulation.” We see future believers enduring the entire Tribulation period because they come to faith after the rapture.
A large part of the debate is what constitutes this hour of testing. Many non-pretrib activists work overtime to find excuses for the church’s affliction by the Antichrist. Yet it seems obvious to me that in 2 Thess 2:8-12 Paul identified the Lawless One as God’s judgment on a rebellious world.
The consequence of aligning oneself with Antichrist is eternal damnation. This obviously constitutes a time of testing, and contradicts the notion that Antichrist’s Tribulation is designed to sift the Jews and the church.
For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 2 Th 2:11-12
What about the wrath of God? I won’t go into that here as we’ve discussed this in previous posts. But there are valid reasons for understanding that God’s wrath is present in all of the Seven Seals. Notably, in Theophany: A Biblical Theology of God’s Appearing, amillennial scholar Vern Poythress wrote:
The entire sequence of judgments in 6:1-8:1 resides within the framework of theophany, and the actions all issue from theophany. Moreover, the specific judgments with the first four seals take place in response to orders coming from the living creatures (6:1, 3, 5, 7). The living creatures, as we have seen, reflect the character of God. The passages describe judgments from God, not merely random instances of unaccountable suffering. They reflect the anger and justice of God. (p 140)
Poythress states that God’s judgment and anger are found throughout Rev 6 and beyond. So, does Revelation 3:10 really affirm Pretribulationism? I believe there’s compelling evidence that it does.
The Lord may be coming sooner than you expect. Are you ready?
Maranatha!
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