Does Revelation 3:10 Promise a Pre-Trib Rapture?

Some believe Revelation 3:10 provides evidence of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. The verse talks about how the church of Philadelphia will be kept from the hour of testing. Some interpret this as a promise to remove the Church before the start of the tribulation.

Are Pre-Tribulation Rapture supporters right to draw support from Revelation 3:10? I will provide my thoughts in this article.

Revelation 3:10 Video

Revelation 3:10 Analysis

Does Revelation 3:10 promise the removal of the Church in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture? I believe it does not. Let’s take a look at verse 10:

“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Revelation 3:10)

The Greek word for “kept” in verse 10 means to “guard from loss by keeping an eye upon”.

This definition implies the church of Philadelphia will be protected during a time of difficulty and conveys nothing about the church being physically removed from the time of difficulty.

The hour of temptation or testing mentioned in Revelation 3:10 refers to the great tribulation when people must decide if they will follow Christ or follow the Antichrist. The persecution that Christians will endure throughout the great tribulation represents the “wrath of Satan”. It is not the wrath of God.

Also, not everyone will be a member of the church of Philadelphia at the time of testing. Revelation 2 and Revelation 3 describe 7 churches. I believe these seven churches reflect 7 types of churches that existed throughout history and will exist during the end times. Not everyone will attend a church as good as the Church of Philadelphia at that time.

The Promise of Revelation 3:10

Overall, Revelation 3:10 promises faithful believers of the church of Philadelphia a degree of protection from the testing that others will endure. These believers receive protection because they’ve already proven themselves. We have seen throughout the Bible how God can protect His people as chaos takes place around them.

• For instance, God protected the Israelites as the plagues of Egypt took place around them. A similar thing may happen during the tribulation.

Revelation 3:10 is not a verse that I would use to defend the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position because it does not promise the physical removal of any believers.