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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Kept by the Power of God
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 above promise is of outstanding importance today.
Several concepts are included:
The believers are obliged to keep (guard carefully, observing to obey) the Word of Christ.
The Word is the word of Christ's patience (endurance).
If we will guard carefully Christ's Word He will guard us carefully.
There is coming upon all the world an hour of temptation (trial; testing).
The hour of testing will examine those who dwell on the earth.
The noun temptation and the verb to try have the same meaning and are employed many times in the New Testament writings.
The primary meaning of the term temptation is not that of pain and harm, although pain and trouble certainly are included in our testing. Rather the meaning is that of the testing of our faith. It is temptation with the end in view of determining the quality and strength of our faith (Matthew 4:1; 6:13; 16:1; 22:18; Acts 5:9; 20:19; I Corinthians 7:5; 10:13).
The "hour of temptation" of Revelation 3:10 is not referring to the destructive wrath of God that is to be poured on the earth as judgment on sin and rebellion. Rather it is speaking of a severe and prolonged examination of the condition of the hearts of people as they are exposed to an exceedingly chaotic and seductive environment.
Only the Lion of Judah is worthy to open the scroll of the hearts of men and to loose the seven seals. The scroll was written "within and on the back." Everyone can see what is on the outside of the person. But only the claws of the Lion of Judah are able to tear open the personality and reveal what is written "within."
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (Revelation 5:5)
Many people are being examined today. Those who have guarded the word of Christ's patience will be kept by Him and delivered from destruction.
All men are examined by the Lord, saints and sinners alike. The difference between saint and sinner is not that the saint will not be tempted, will not be tried by fire, will not be tested and his responses examined. We know that the saints indeed are thoroughly tested by the Lord, sometimes by allowing Satan to entice them to sin or to cause trouble to come upon them, as happened to Job.
The difference between the saint and the sinner is that God provides "a way to escape" for the saint (I Corinthians 10:13). This does not indicate, as we have said, that the saint will not be tempted. It means that with each temptation the Lord presents a solution, a means of bringing the conflict to a successful conclusion so the saint may emerge more than a conqueror through Christ.
To be continued.