Revelation 3:10-Along with Matthew 24, Luke 21

An attachment to ‘The Day of the Lord Rapture, So Simply Biblical’ 

To best understand these important events, you may want to read the above article first.  Please pray for His direction as we seek understanding 🙂 .   Praise God we  have a Teacher that will guide us to all truth  John 14:26 . 

As mentioned earlier, if the ‘pre-tribulation’ rapture of the church is false, it will literally leave millions of Christians wondering what in the world is going on.  They will be totally unprepared for what they are facing.  I believe this is exactly what Jesus is teaching in Matthew.  The disciples asked about the end of the age…

Matt. 24:4-6. Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am the Christ, ‘ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.’

When the Lord says ‘many will come in My Name, saying I am the Christ’ and will deceive many’ –He is not saying false prophets will call themselves Christ.  He accurately describes ‘false prophets’ later in this chapter (twice in Mat. 24:11, 24).  The Lord is saying ‘The Organized Church’ using Christ as the banner, will deceive many.   Paraphrased…The traditional church proclaiming Christianity will deceive many.  

The line of reasoning is many will be deceived by those in the organized church.   You will hear (and experience Mat. 24: 7-9) the tribulation events,  so I am telling this to you in advance to  keep  you from being alarmed.   The same sermon in Luke the term terrified is used Lk. 21:9 KJV.  

If Jesus was trying to just calm the believers to trust and have faith, He would not mention the deception.  The deception will cause many to be terrified.

The deception is directly related to what Jesus is teaching, next verses

 7-9 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

Jesus is explaining what believers will have to go through, which  is exactly what   they have been deceived about.   Jesus is teaching many end time believers will be deceived about not having to go through the seals or tribulations (repeated also in Rev. 6, see chart at end of article).

Simply put, many believers at the end of the age will be deceived about the last days.  They have been taught they will not have to  experience these tribulation events.  They are unprepared and terrified.  Jesus is saying-You have been deceived!!   You will be handed over to be persecuted and  go through the seals (trials from earth).  My Word is still true.  It was a deceptive church that was wrong, NOT MY WORD!

Does this sound like the ‘pre-tribulation rapture’ teaching to you?  No worry, it won’t affect you!  Did you notice Jesus said ‘many’ will be deceived, not all.  Christians that fear the Lord and are ‘watching’ for His signs will not be deceived.

Some call this view the ‘great deception’.  At first, I thought the term too strong.   Later, realizing scripture teaches the  Lord will want millions to flee for safety before this time,  I now am inclined to agree.   See Prophecy.   If  Pre-Tribulation Rapture view is wrong, and I believe it is, millions of Christians will be totally unprepared to take strong, decisive, and PREVENTATIVE! action for the safety of their loved ones.  Potentially millions of believers will say, I don’t have to flee mystery Babylon, because I am going to be raptured ‘before’ these end-time events.  Because of this false teaching, they will jeopardize the lives of their entire families.    

Jeremiah 51:45 & 50   “Come out of her (mystery Babylon), my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the LORD.   You who have escaped the sword, leave and do not linger!

Luke 21:8

He (Jesus replied): “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. (next vs. 9-19 give signs of the tribulation period-wars, earthquakes, persecution etc.).

This is the same message given in Matt. 24 above, which includes the concern about the deception and also gives the explanation to the church about being prepared for tribulations vs. 8-19.   In this version however, Luke includes something incredibly interesting.  Jesus warns if they (the organized church with the false teaching) says the time is near, do not follow them (this is part of their deception).   

The Greek word for near is engizo (strongs #1448).  This is the exact Greek word Jesus uses in Luke 10: 9. 

Luke 10:9  (Jesus tells His disciples) Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near (engizo) you.’  

Let’s try and understand why the Lord believed it was important for His disciples to proclaim ‘the time is near’ in Luke 10, but not to follow those who teach the time is ‘near’ in Lk. 21:8-12.  We need to remember, those in the Lk. 21 are the ones deceiving the church about not having to go through the seals (tribulation events) as explained above. 

The English word ‘near’ is translated for two greek words.   They both have the same root but are different.  The above word in Lk. 10: 9 is engizo-which should be translated ‘approaching’.  

Lk. 10: 9 The kingdom of God is near (approaching) you.  

The other Greek word  is engys  strongs #1451, which should be translated ‘imminent‘.   See below

Matt. 24:33  Even so, when you SEE ALL these things, you know that it is near-imminent  (engys strongs #1451), right at the door.

Note: Approaching engizo can be compared to someone coming to visit you, and imminent engys would be similar to seeing someone driving down the road because you see the signs…you can see a car arriving.  

 If the translators would have used the correct terms, approaching and imminent, we could have understood what Jesus is teaching.   Let’s take a look.  

From the time the Lord ascended to heaven Lk. 24:50-51, Paul and others taught as each day passed, His return is approaching engizo.   We look forward to this day and there are several scriptures teaching how we hope for His approaching engizo return.   As mentioned above, Jesus disciples used the approaching concept  in Luke 10:9.   

Heb. 10:25  Let us not give up meeting together…. but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (engizo)   Matt. 3:2, Matt. 4:17, Phil. 4:5, James 5:8.   Now let’s apply the other near-immanent (engys)

Live by ‘Every Word’ of God   Matt. 4:4   

We will not be deceived if we teach the complete truth.  

1) From the day of the Lords ascension, His return is  approaching- (engizo) scriptures above.  This is important… we also  have to teach 

2) There will also be a day when His coming is –near-imminent (engys) because the church will one day need to prepare for the seals and tribulation events when they ‘see all these signs’.  

Matt. 24:33 Even so, when ‘YOU’ See All These Things-Signs know the time is near-imminent (engys). right at the door! 

In Luke 21:8-19, Jesus is explaining to us-there are going to be those who teach believers that  My coming back for the church  is going to arrive without the tribulations signs and events (the pre-tribulation rapture).   My correct instruction is this 

   they shall lay their hands on you (the believers), and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake vs. 12  
 

They are claiming  I could return for the church at any time, as long as it is ‘before the trials’.   They (the traditional church) is teaching My coming is always near.   They say that My return (or rapture) will be  ‘before’ or ‘without’ seeing all the end time signs–don’t follow them.     I am teaching that you the church will SEE ALL THESE THINGS Matt. 24:33.  

 Those following them will be terrified when the trials occur.   They will not be prepared, nor will they have heeded the warnings to find protection as taught in  Rev. 3:10 (mentioned below).   They and all who follow them have put their faith in man and not My Word!    

Summary of Deception 

If we combine  Matt. 24 and Lk.  21 of this end-time sermon,  Jesus is saying,  ‘There are going to be leaders in the organized church who are deceiving you.   They are saying the time is Near, or My Arrival (rapture) is ‘always Near’- without any imminent signs as I have explained to you in My word’ Matt. 24:33.       This false teaching is obviously the pre-tribulation theology- the deception… My coming is always near, anytime… you do not need to prepare as I have told you to, because you believe you will be raptured ‘before’ these events arrive.   Don’t follow them, because you will be terrified when the trials do arrive.    Lk. 21:8-9. 

Note:  See how to prepare below in Revelation 3:10. 

Brothers and sister, so many of us are familiar with the pre-tribulation rapture teachings.   It is the ‘easy way out’ -the American favorite.   It teaches-Jesus can come back for us at any time, that Matt. 24:33 is wrong, the church will never  see all these things happening.   I once believed this teaching, but now I want to call it what Jesus speaks it to be-a deception.    It is also one of the biggest barriers to advancing the Kingdom of God-His divine purpose.  

Matt. 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

For the most part, those who believe in this teaching inevitably think…why work to bring down the glory of God so we can be made complete in Christ Eph. 4:13, 5:27.   We don’t have to fulfill the Lord’s first commandment

Matt. 6:33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and these things shall be added unto you. 

I have personally witnessed this trap in the church-first hand.  Leaders and layman thinking…I don’t have to be diligent in pursuing the kingdom of God…cause we simply won’t be there.  There is nothing further from the truth, the church, as the Lords body, indeed finishes His purpose.  

 Matt. 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. Rev. 12: 7-12.   Please see 1st 4 articles on the Kingdom of God. 

 

Revelation 3:10
 Important to review because the pre-tribulation teachers use this verse as a ‘foundation’ scripture.

REV 3:10-12 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you (tereo-Greek) from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.  (11) I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (12) Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.

We shall see the correct interpretation of Revelation 3:10 is that Lord will have a protection for those who prepared for the end times. 

Unfortunately, many have mistaken the concept of protection for the early rapture of the church.  They say it is another verse for the literal rapture as in I Cor. 15:51-53.   If it is, this would indicate the rapture is before the trial or tribulation events.  Vs. 10-keep you (tereo-Greek) from the hour of trial.

The easiest way to see the difference between these two scriptures is not to believe me, or anyone else.   Invest a couple of minutes and look up I Cor. 15:52-53 online* Google-Bibl0s, or Blue Letter Bible

 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed– 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye,… the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality.

In a flash, is the Greek word atomos, or atom.  Twinkling of an eye is rhipe-the word for ‘jerk’ quick muscle movement.  Some say it can be translated slap or hit.  Bottom line, we will receive immorality in an atom of a second.  This rapture teaching is correct, but as seen below, does not relate to Revelation 3:10

Now, do the online search for Keep You in Revelation 3:10.  The Greek word is tereo.   From the Greek word- teros- a guard, it is translated -to watch over-to guard as over a prisoner-to protect over.  You are seeing the difference.  This is the exact Greek word Jesus uses in John 17: 12 & 15.

12 While I was with them, I protected them (tereo-gaurded over them) and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

15 My prayer is ‘not’ that you take them out of the world but that you protect them (tereo-gaurd over them) from the evil one.

Your two minute study reveals what Jesus teaches.  A protection from the evil one while persevering in this world.  This is the only way the next two verses Rev. 3:11-12 can be interpreted

(11) I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. (12) Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.

Many who hold to the ‘pre-trib’ view never seem to explain the next two verses.  We have to ‘hold on’ and ‘overcome’ because we are still in this world.  A general protection (as the Lord prayed in John 17) while in the world.  This is simply not a ‘rapture’ verse. 

While you still are on the Bible program, do a word search for watch and related words.  There are roughly 50 scriptures that teach we are supposed to be ready and watching for signs and events.  There are over 100 different signs and events in the one chapter of Matt. 24.  Jesus and the apostles tell us not to ‘sleep’ but be alert for the signs of the end time or His coming  1Thess. 5:6-8, Rm. 13:11-12.   That means studying, observing, praying and (because of false teachings) warning others.   We all are guilty of needing to be more devoted.  It is not about pointing fingers but joining together for the cause of Christ.  Revelation 12 teaches that the body of Christ-with His holy angels-will finally awake and  seize (extradite) the criminal satan-the illegitimate  ruler in the air Eph. 2:2.  When this happens, the Kingdom of God will be manifested in power.

Final Note

While Rev. 3:10 is not a rapture verse, it still is incredibly important.  This verse indicates there will be a gathering of believers for their protection during tribulation.  Verse 11-12 mention it will not be a trial free protection, but an important protection from the Lord.  Interestingly, in Rev. 3:8, the Lord talks about an open a door that no one can shut.  Is the Lord saying there will be an open door in the tribulation for those who have been listening to the true prophets (Amos 3:7)?    Will He keep (tereo) believers from getting the blunt of Satan’s wrath-those who were not deceived (Matt. 24, Luke 21) but ‘watching’ for signs and protection?     One thing however is clear from Scripture.  Those who fear the Lord and are ‘awake’ will not miss out on Gods plan for them, which indicates His divine protection.  The protection truly seems to come early, for those who are ready and have not been deceived (Matt. 25:1-13, Jeremiah 51:6, Rev.3:3).   God bless you as we look forward to His return.

 To view the harmony of the seals in Rev. 6 and the prophetic gospels, please see the chart below. 

 

Author of chart unknown.