“Because you have kept My word to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Revelation 3:10
The Lord continues His commendation to the faithful church at Philadelphia. They are following the Lord’s command to evangelize the world and, as a result, they are being attacked by Satan. The Lord has no condemnation for this church – they are doing all He asks of them. But the Lord knows that the Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint, so He encourages them to endure in what they are doing. The path they are on is the right one and the rewards are great to those who persist.
Because you have kept My word to persevere Over and over in scripture we are urged to continue in Christ’s love. The Greek word for preserver is “hupomoné“. It can be defined endure, be patient or steadfast. The word means to hold up up under a heavy burden. The word persevere is in the past tense, indicating it is something that these believers had done before the hour of trial which has not yet (future) come upon the world. The Lord’s promise is a reward for past perseverance, not a promise to equip them to persevere through some coming period of difficulty in the future.
I also will keep you Because they keep themselves in the Lord’s love through their faithfulness the Lord promises to keep them from the hour of trial. The word keep means to guard, to observe, to watch over. To the word keep, the Lord adds the preposition “ek. It means “from, out of or away from”. This combination of words does not mean “keep through” but to “keep away from”.
The hour of trial The Lord is very specific about what He will keep this faithful church from.
First, He uses a specific word hour which refers to a specific time of the day. It can refer to a literal hour, a period of time, or a significant moment. Before the word hour is the definite article “the”. This refers to a very special and specific time of testing ordained by God.
Second, this specific time is a period of trial which can mean test or temptation depending on the context. Trial refers to a situation or process that determines a person’s character or faith. The endurance of Philadelphia has already been proven, they need no trial.
Which shall come upon the whole world Third, the Lord tells us this trial is worldwide. The word “whole” means all, entire or complete. Everyone is included. This trial comes on the entire earth. Again the word “world” is important. It refers to earth as the dwelling place of humanity with an emphasis on the civilized or politically organized world. The first time this word is used is in Matthew 24:14 where it refers to the Gospel being preached to the whole world – every living creature.
To test those who dwell on the earth Fourth, the Lord tells us the purpose of this worldwide trial. It tests (the same word used above) what men believe in. Satan will use it to force men to rebel against God.
Fifth, the group that is being tested is specified. It includes everyone whose settled dwelling place is on this earth – all the earth dwellers, not those who are pilgrims.
What can we learn? The Lord makes a commitment to His faithful church. He will keep them out of the coming great period of testing that every earth dweller will face.