Revelation 3:10 Revelation 3:10 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. Here followeth another word of encouragement to this Angel and Church, amplified, First, By a promise of preservation. Secondly, by a ground or reason of Christ’ s great favour to them. By the word of Christ’ s patience is meant the Gospel of Christ; so called, First, Because persecutions do attend both the preachers and professors of the gospel, which ought to be endured with patience, Colossians 1:11 as the Churches of saints did, 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14. Secondly, because Christ Himself did patiently suffer after He had preached the gospel, and therefore it is so called the word of His patience Kept the Word, signifies, First, to receive the gospel or Word of God, 1 Thessalonians 1:6 and 1 Thessalonians 2:13-14, though accompanied with much affliction and persecution. Secondly, To lay it up for ourselves by faith, and so to keep it as in a treasure, Psalms 119:11 and Lu 1:66. Thirdly, To obey the gospel, and keep the ordinances of Christ in our practice, Romans 6:1-23; Romans 16:27. and 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 And, Fourthly, To hold fast the faithful Word, whatsoever tribulations and persecutions we endure for the name and gospel of Christ, 2 Timothy 1:13 and Revelation 2:13-25. I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation. That is, from the evil of that hour, and of those temptations. By temptation here we may understand any kind of trial; viz. of affliction, of persecution, of tribulation, and of temptation, which the Churches, the ministers and saints should suffer in those days, (especially that hour, Matthew 24:21-30) that were to come shortly after John’ s writing of this book, James 1:2. And by the hour of temptation is meant an indefinite time; and also a certain time, though secret and unknown to men, yet limited and appointed by the Lord, when it shall come, and how long it shall last, called an hour, to signify, that it should be but a short time, our times are in thy hand, O Lord, Psalms 31:15. The time when the Churches, their ministers and members tribulation shall begin; the time how long their trials and troubles shall last; an the time when their sorrows and sufferings shall end, is all in God’ s hand; that is, at the Lords appointment. Which shall come upon all the world. By the world, we are to understand here Caesar’ s world, Lu 2:1 throughout all the kingdoms, nations, and countries under the Roman Pagan emperors in every city and village, where any of the Churches of Christ were planted; God would suffer a general persecution to fall upon the Churches of saints in all parts of the world, wheresoever they were, but especially in Asia; and that whilst this Church in Philadelphia was in being: Which hour of temptation came upon the Churches and saints in the following bloody persecutions raised against them by the pagan emperors, from the evil of which temptations, this Church, ministers and members were preserved and kept. To try them that dwell upon the earth. By earth is meant, the saints and churches of saints that then were militant upon earth: Earth is not put here in opposition unto heaven, nor can it be so understood in this place; for the men of the world and inhabiters of the earth, were not the object of this hour or temptation, but were instruments in the persecutions of the Churches and saints that inhabited in the earth: So then, earth being contradistinguished to the Church triumphant in heaven, doth signify the Church militant here on earth, who was the object of this hour of temptation, Daniel 12:10. Many shall be purified and made white and tried, 1 Peter 4:12-14; 1 Peter 4:17 and 1 Thessalonians 2:13-15.