A Great Commission Church

The opposition God’s people face is often fierce and hostile, but it will not last forever. There is coming a day of judgment, a day of justice, a day of vindication. Graciously, some will come and bow, as they bow to King Jesus as their Messiah (Zech 12:10; Rom 11:25-32). John MacArthur observes, “This imagery derives from the Old Testament, which describes the yet future day when unbelieving Gentiles will bow down to the believing remnant of Israel (see 45:14; 49:23; 60:14)” (Revelation 1–11, 123). Here we see unbelieving Jews bowing to Messiah Jesus and His people. And the apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:9-11,

For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Bowing to King Jesus either in glad salvation or in bitter submission, they will bow with or to the people who follow Him as their Lord, Master, and Sovereign King. I wonder if, as he wrote, John thought of the conversion of a brother named Paul and his experience on the Damascus Road (Acts 9).

REVELATION 3:10-13

A Great Commission church is a church that pleases her Lord. She has, as it is often said, the smile of God upon her. How, then, does Christ specifically smile on a people who do good things for the right reason, keep His word, do not deny His name, and obediently walk through the open doors of evangelism and missions He has placed before them?

This is a much disputed verse as to its proper interpretation. Regardless of the position we take, we should hold our view with grace and humility. Good, godly Bible scholars disagree on the exact meaning, and this should give us pause in terms of a dogmatic position. Alan Johnson summarizes well the two hermeneutical challenges before us:

Related to the promise “I will also keep you from the hour of trial [HCSB, “testing”] that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” are two problems: (1) the identification of the “hour of trial” and (2) the precise sense of His phrase “keep you from the hour of trial.” Both involve the ongoing debate among evangelical eschatologists over the tribulation/rapture question. (“Revelation,” 2006, 632)

Though I have many dear friends who take different views from mine, here is how I understand what Jesus is saying to His churches in this verse:

When Jesus says, “You have kept my word of endurance” [HCSB marginal reading], he is referring to the “teachings about Christ’s endurance (e.g., 2 Thess 3:5; Heb 12:2-3; as well as the Gospel stories of the life of Christ) that became a model for the steadfastness of the Philadelphian church in the midst of their own trials” (Osborne, Revelation, 192). In response to their endurance, He promises a remarkable protection from an “hour of testing” that will test “the whole world” and “those who live on the earth.”

This last phrase is significant and is repeated several times in Revelation. In every instance it refers to unbelievers exclusively as the objects of God’s judgment and wrath (see 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 12:12; 13:8,12,14). Therefore, several truths should be noted. First, “the hour of testing” is focused on unbelievers. I think this is primarily a reference to the “tribulation” of chapters 6–19. Second, Christ promises deliverance or protection to His children not from trial or persecution in general but from a specific and definite testing that is aimed at rebellious humanity. Now the question arises as to how we best understand their deliverance, their being kept from the hour of testing. Dr. John MacArthur summarizes well the pretribulational view with which I am sympathetic:

Because the believers in Philadelphia had successfully passed so many tests, Jesus promised to spare them from the ultimate test. The sweeping nature of the promise extends far beyond the Philadelphia congregation to encompass all faithful churches throughout history. This verse promises that the church will be delivered from the Tribulation, thus supporting a pretribulation Rapture. The Rapture is the subject of three passages in the New Testament (John 14:1-4; 1 Cor 15:51-54; 1 Thess 4:13-17), none of which speak of judgment, but rather of the church being taken up to heaven. There are three views of the timing of the Rapture in relation to the Tribulation: that it comes at the end of the Tribulation (posttribulationism), in the middle of the Tribulation (midtribulationism), and the view that seems to be supported by this text, that the Rapture takes place before the Tribulation (pretribulationism). Several aspects of this wonderful promise may be noted. First, the test is yet future. Second, the test is for a definite, limited time; Jesus described it as the hour of testing. Third, it is a test or trial that will expose people for what they really are. Fourth, the test is worldwide in scope, since it will come upon the whole world. Finally, and most significantly, its purpose is to test those who dwell on the earth—a phrase used as a technical term in the book of Revelation for unbelievers (cf. 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 12, 14; 14:6; 17:2, 8). The hour of testing is Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Dan. 9:25-27), the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7), the seven-year tribulation period. The Lord promised to keep His church out of the future time of testing that will come on unbelievers. (Revelation 1–11, 124, emphases in original)

While I agree with MacArthur’s assessment, I do think hermeneutical restraint is wise at this point; I do not think alternative views are without merit. Mounce, for example, adds from a posttribulational perspective something we can all affirm, namely that ultimately the most important issue is not physical protection from temporal wrath but spiritual protection from eternal wrath. Our Lord protects us to the end and forever. We are safe from the wicked assaults of Satan and his demons now, in the future, and forever. Might this be the main focus of verse 10 (Mounce, Revelation, 103)? When all is said and done on this issue, I appreciate the tempered and reasoned perspective of Alan Johnson:

[Verse] 10 does not settle the question of the time of the rapture in relation to the tribulation. Rather, it remains ambiguous. One might be on the earth and yet be exempt from the “hour of trial” if (1) the “hour of trial” is an equivalent derived from the briefer term “trial,” and (2) this “trial” is directed only at the unbelievers in the world, while the believers are divinely immune not from trial or persecution in general but from a specific type of trial (God’s wrath) aimed at the rebellious on the earth. To this writer, the most natural way to understand the expression to be “kept from the hour” of something that is universal in the world is not to be preserved through it but to be kept from being present when it happens. In any event, we have here a marvelous promise of Christ’s protection (te¯reo¯, “keep”) for those who have protected (te¯reo¯) his word by their loving obedience. (“Revelation,” 2006, 633)

One of the glorious aspects of biblical eschatology is that we should live in the hope of the any-time, imminent return of Jesus. Titus 2:13 calls it the “the blessed hope.” The phrase or idea that “I am coming quickly” (see 2:5,17; 3:3; 22:7,12,20) is not a threat of judgment but a promise of deliverance fast on the heels of verse 10. Because His coming is imminent, any day, any time, they should hold on (see 2:25; 3:3) to what they have—His Word, His name, His promise of deliverance—that no one may take their crown. Loss of salvation is nowhere in view, for that could never be taken. But Satan or evil men could rob them of future reward if they get their eyes off Jesus or if they yield to temptation to deny His name or disobey His word. “Stay with it,” Jesus says. “There is a crown waiting at the finish line.”

Our King concludes this letter with a twofold promise to “the victor.” First, our Lord “will make him a pillar in the sanctuary [ESV, “temple”] of My God, and he will never go out again.” To a people continually threatened by earthquakes and the need to flee the city when they come, this word would speak powerfully to their hearts. Alan Johnson notes, “Often the only parts of a city left standing after a severe quake were the huge stone temple columns [pillars]” (Revelation, 1983, 61).

Revelation 21:22 tells us in the new Jerusalem “the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” To be a pillar of Christ puts the believer in a position of absolute and complete security. No disruption, disturbance, or disaster will ever separate us from our Savior. As Romans 8:38-39 beautifully testifies,

For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

The second promise is, “I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God—the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God—and My new name.” The church at Philadelphia had a good name, a wonderful reputation in heaven. Jesus promises them, “It will only get better.” Because they had not been ashamed to identify themselves with Jesus, our Lord is not ashamed to identify Himself with them. Three times Jesus promises them a new name of blessing and honor.

They receive the name of God, the God of Jesus, the one true God.

They receive the name of God’s city, the new Jerusalem (see 21:2; Heb 12:22). We discover at the end of this book that the new Jerusalem is both a place and a people. They will have a citizenship not on earth but in heaven, not earthly Philadelphia but heavenly Jerusalem.

They receive the new name of Jesus (see 19:12; 22:4; 2:17). The names signify identification, character, ownership, and recognition. The names signify who my God is, where my home is and who my Lord is! I belong to the Father, heaven is my home, and Jesus is my Lord. I bear the signature of my God!

David Platt rightly says,

This, we remember, is the great reward of the gospel: God himself. When we risk our lives to run after Christ, we discover the safety that is found only in his sovereignty, the security that is found only in his love, and the satisfaction that is found only in his presence. This is the eternally great reward, and we would be foolish to settle for anything less. (Newell, Mission Quotes, 241)

To these marvelous promises the Lord Jesus again gives the challenge, “Anyone [that’s you and me!] who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says [the word from God the Son applied by the Spirit of God] to the churches.” This was a word for Philadelphia in the first century and a word for us in the twenty-first century.