A Deeper Dive Into the Book of Revelation - Part 19
In the book of Revelation, we see that some believers remain on earth through the time of the Great Tribulation, while others escape and are taken to Heaven before that time of Great Tribulation begins.
In Revelation chapter 3, Jesus seems to promise the Philadelphia church that they will be spared from the Great Tribulation.
“So I will keep you from the time of trouble that will come to the world—a time that will test everyone living on earth.”—Revelation 3:10 (ERV)
But in Revelation 2:22, Jesus seems to warn some of the people of the Thyatira church that they will experience great tribulation.
But why? Why do some escape while others go through the Great Tribulation?
When we look closely, we see that Jesus’ promises are conditional.
Some in the Philadelphia church met the conditions to escape the Great Tribulation, while some in the Thyatira church did not.
Jesus told us in Luke 21:36 that there was a possibility to escape the coming Tribulation period, but He made it clear that we must meet the conditions.
“Watch therefore, and pray always **that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things **that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”—Luke 21:36 (NKJV)
In order to escape the time of Great Tribulation, we must be found worthy. This is our responsibility. Salvation is a free gift, as we are told in Ephesians 2:8-9, but being counted worthy to escape the Great Tribulation requires more of us.
When we look at what Jesus said to the Thyatira church, we see that they had not dealt with the issues in their lives. Some of these believers were still living in sin. If they did not deal with the sin in their lives, that would disqualify them from being counted worthy to escape the time of Tribulation.
“But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,”—Revelation 2:20-22 (ESV)
On the other hand, when we look at the Philadelphia church, we see believers who met the conditions to be counted worthy to escape the Great Tribulation.
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”— Revelation 3:10 (NIV)
The Philadelphia church had already met the conditions that Jesus set forth in Matthew 24:13:
“But the one who remains faithful to the end will be saved.” (ERV)
They had already proven themselves faithful to the Lord in times of testing. There was no need for them to go through it again. They had passed the test.
These Philadelphia believers represent the “firstfruits” disciples that we see in Revelation 14:1-5 who escape the Great Tribulation. We see this group again in the first telling of the story in Revelation 7:9-12. (Remember that the book of Revelation is divided in half. We see this “firstfruits” group of Overcomers in both halves of the book.)
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ’Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.’”—Revelation 7:9-12 (ESV)
These disciples escape the Great Tribulation period, arriving in Heaven just before the seventh seal is opened in the next chapter which signals the start of the Great Tribulation.
Here is a timeline that you can use as a reference. This is a very basic framework of end-time events as detailed in the books of Daniel and Revelation:
We can tell that this group in Revelation 7:9-12 is the same group of firstfruits as the group in Revelation 14:1-5 by the way these disciples are described.
In Revelation 7:9, we are told that they are “standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” This matches Jesus’ description of those in Luke 21:36 who will be “counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Also in verse 15, we are told that these disciples “serve him day and night in his temple.” This seems to match the reward to the Overcomer in Revelation 3:12:
“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.” (NKJV)
Verse 15 tells us that “he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.” This seems to describe the “Holy of Holies” believers who qualify for God’s deliverance in Psalm 91:
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”—Psalm 91:1 (NKJV)
“Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you”—Psalm 91:9-10 (NKJV)
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.”—Psalm 91:14 (NKJV)
So these disciples who stand before the throne of God in Revelation 7:9-12 are the believers who received the word of God into hearts of “good soil” in Jesus’ parable of the Sower. These are the Overcomers of Revelation chapters 2 and 3. These are the firstfruits of God’s harvest who come to maturity before the rest. These are the believers who abide in the “Holy of Holies.”
One of the elders in Heaven confirms to John that these disciples are caught up to the throne of God before the Great Tribulation.
“Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”** **I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”—Revelation 7:13-17 (ESV)
In this description, the elder tells us why these disciples are counted worthy to escape while many others are left on earth to go through the “threshing floor” of the Great Tribulation.
The elder tells John in verse 14 that “They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
This group of believers have thoroughly dealt with the issues in their lives that God brought to their attention. They have dealt with the influences of sin, the world, and the devil, and they have overcome.
This is the same kind of language that is used to describe the bride of Christ in all her glory. She has done the work needed to prepare herself to meet the bridegroom, and when she is finally revealed, she is clothed in spotless white, just like the firstfruits group of Overcomers in Revelation 7.
“Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant]! Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come, and His bride has prepared herself.
“She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white—for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteousness (the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God’s holy people).”—Revelation 19:7-8 (AMPC)
This is the same kind of language that Paul uses in Ephesians chapter 5 to describe the preparation that is necessary for the Church to meet her Heavenly bridegroom.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”—Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)
“I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy because I have promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.”—2 Corinthians 11:2 (AMP)
If We Judge Ourselves, We Will Not Be Judged
The Thyatira church had not yet passed the test. They had not yet overcome the issues that Jesus brought to their attention, and so they needed to go through Great Tribulation as a last great test to bring them to maturity.
The Philadelphia church, on the other hand, had been faithful in all that God had given them. They overcame the influences of sin, the world, and the devil, to be obedient bond servants to the Lord. Jesus found no issues that needed correction in the Philadelphia church. Because of this, Jesus promised them that they would not experience the Great Tribulation.
Paul tells us that, “if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (1 Corinthians 11:31 NKJV).
This is what it comes down to.
In order to escape the time of judgment that will come upon the whole world, we must deal with our issues now. It is only the Overcomers who are counted worthy to escape the Great Tribulation. In order for us to be “counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man,” we must overcome the issues in our own lives that God brings to our attention for correction.
When that time comes, those who are ready will go up, and those who are not ready will go through, just like the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25.
Paul said, “Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people” (Acts 24:16 NLT).
If we are to have any hope of being counted worthy to join the ranks of the Overcomers who escape the Great Tribulation and stand before the Lord Jesus in Heaven, each of us must also strive to maintain a clear conscience toward God and people.
One way or another, God’s goal is to bring us to spiritual maturity so that we can enjoy the fullness of the blessings and rewards that He has for us.
“For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”—1 Corinthians 11:31-32 (NKJV)
