Jesus will keep them spiritually safe.138
This final trial is also mentioned in Daniel 12:2; Mark 13:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12; and Revelation 13:5–10. It is the three and a half years of trial that the church must endure.139 In other words, it is a limited time of persecution under the sovereign rule of Christ. “Although the church will be on earth in these final terrible days and will suffer fierce persecution and martyrdom at the hands of the beast, she will be kept from the hour of trial which is coming upon the pagan world. God’s wrath, poured out on the kingdom of Antichrist, will not afflict his people.”140
Jesus promised the church that he was coming soon. The “soon” here is the apocalyptic “soon,” not necessarily a chronological reference. Because the coming of Christ will take place “without delay,”141 the church is encouraged to hold on to what they have: their teaching, their faith, their holiness as a congregation, and their ministry. If they do so, no one would be able to take their crown. The crown is the same word used in chapter 2, the reward for faithfulness and the wreath of the Olympic games.
Not only would the crown be permanent, the faithful would become pillars in the house of God. In an area that is accustomed to earthquakes, this is an image that would have much meaning. Often, when an earthquake shook a city, the buildings would fall down, except for the pillars of the temple. The image is real here. Jesus promised to make them pillars, so that even in the midst of the earthquakes of suffering and persecution, they would not fall, but would be fixed in God’s presence. This is where Jesus exceeds the promises made to Eliakim, the palace administrator, in Isaiah 22. Eliakim would hold the keys, but after he was fastened like a peg in a sure place to bear the weight of his father’s house, in time it would give way. Pillars planted by Jesus would not give way.
Conclusion
Three names are written on this pillar, the one who is faithful to the end, even in the middle of persecution. First, the name of God, or the seal of God. He will belong to God forever. Exodus 28:36–38 says of the priests, “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.”
Secondly, is the name of the New Jerusalem, God’s city. The name of New Jerusalem brings to mind also the authority of the keys of David, and the assured promise of the presence of the faithful in the new kingdom, although they had been put out of the synagogue. Philippians 3:20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” A suitcase that is traveling overseas has a baggage tag on it. This shows where the suitcase is going. We have a tag or a stamp on us. The claim tag reads “New Jerusalem” because that is where we are going.
Thirdly, the pillar has on it the name of the Son, Jesus. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”142 God is preparing us as pillars. his name is on us. He is sustaining us for a place of honor at his table. We need to hold on.
131. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 115.
132. Osborne, Revelation, 185.
133. For the title “Holy One”, see Revelation 4:8 and 6:10. Also see in reference to Jesus: Mark 1:24, Luke 4:34, John 6:68, and 1 John 2:20.
134. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 283.
135. See Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 117 as well as Osborne, Revelation, 188. Aune (Aune, Revelation 1–5, 244) sees the open door as referring to the “reserved seats” in the heavenly kingdom.
136. Johnson, Hebrews through Revelation, 453, sees this as retribution on Christ’s enemies, not that they will repent. It could also be that the bowing down at the feet is an allusion to Isaiah 45:14, 49:23, and 60:14. Isaiah 45:14 reads: “Thus says the Lord, ‘The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and the Sabeans, men of sature, shall come over to you and be yours; they shall follow you; they shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you, saying, “Surely God is in you, and there is no other, no god besides him.”’” Beale, The Book of Revelation, 287.
137. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 290.
138. For other verses in the New Testament that speak about the reality of believers going through physical suffering or persecution, see Romans 8:35–39; 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10; 6:4–10; Philippians 3:10–11; Colossians 1:24, as well as the rest of Revelation, particularly 7:14. This sounds a death-knell on the dispensational view of the rapture of the church out of persecution. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 119, writes, “It is precisely because the church was faithful to Christ in time of trial that he in turn will be faithful to them in the time of their great trial.”
139. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 119.
140. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, 62. See also Osborne, Revelation, 194 who views this protection as protection from the wrath of God, not protection from persecution.
141. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 120.
142. John 10:27.
Revelation 3:14–22
Jesus’ Message to the Church in Laodicea
Introduction
Lora and I have a good relationship of mutual trust. But sometimes she just does not seem to trust me as well as she trusts others. For example, if she is wondering about some decision—either a dress or a product to try out, or whether something will work well in the garden—she will often ask me my opinion. A lot of times I have good opinions. And so, I will give her my opinion. But then I can see the doubt in her face. She is not quite sure I know what I’m talking about. I do not blame her if that happens to refer to clothes because many times, I do not know what I’m talking about.
The funniest thing is when I hear that later she had a conversation with a friend, a doctor, or her mother. And she comes to me and gives me their opinion on her dilemma which convinces her of that course to take. And you know what? Many times, that opinion is the exact opinion I had given her days before. It could be an important issue to me. I could think, “Am I not sufficient enough?” “Doesn’t she trust me? Are my opinions not good enough? Do they not rank with those people?” In matters where my opinion really is not that important, I realize that she
