No beginning, no end

 God is believed to have no beginning or no end.  How can something have no beginning or end?  

Richard Dawkins--famous author of "The Blind Watchmaker"--does not like the idea that "God was always there"--a belief he calls the "lazy way out." 

But he has to believe something has always existed or something came from nothing, as if nothing was something.  

Dawkins believes in a certain amount of luck-- "a very large amount of luck": his "cumulative selection" theory which can manufacturer complexity, "cannot work unless there is some minimal machinery of replication and replicator power, and the only machinery of replication that we know seems too complicated to have come into existence by means of anything less than many generations of cumulative selection!"

 So how does that work?  The one--machinery of replication-- needs the other--cumulative selection (and many generations of it), but cumulative selection needs the machinery of replication.  So, it seems, you can't have one without the other.

The odds of a DNA/ protein replicating machine coming into existence is the same as turning all matter in the universe into monkey flesh--and still it wouldn't be enough--and one of those monkeys typing on a typewriter "Methinks it is like a weasel."

 Dawkins says, "In order for a monkey to write ...[Methinks it is like a weasel] by chance, it needs a very large amount of luck, but it is still measurable.  We calculate the odds against it as about 10 thousand million million million million million million to 1 against." 

Something must have always existed. The idea of something having no beginning or end seems beyond comprehension, but it has to be.  

When God instructed Moses to take Israel out of Egypt, Moses asked what name he should give Israel when they ask, "what is his name?" God answered, "this you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Exodus 3.10-15

God exists, and he is that cause of all creation, and he has set the boundaries of the existence of mankind.

"The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer, but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets. ". Revelation 10.5-7

Worship and the purpose for the assembling together

Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. … But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.   God [is] Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
John 4:21-24 (Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well)

Jesus was saying that worship is not to be confined to a specific geographical location, and true worship has to be “in spirit and truth.”  This must be saying that the worship must line up with the truth God has revealed in his word and be properly motivated and not just a ritual to be performed, thinking incorrectly that it’s the ritual that pleases God.

If we understand worship as Jesus said, then worship can be done at anytime, anywhere. 

Some will make the point that Sunday morning worship is corporate worship, that it is worship in spirit and truth but corporately (worship as a body of people).   Obviously, corporate worship would have to be done corporately. 

I believe the word “worship” signifies that expression of recognition of who God is, being our Creator and the One we have a relationship with through what we call “salvation.”

Yet I can worship God without assembling together with other believers, but I can’t edify (build up) and exhort other believers without some sort of contact with them. How can I build up and exhort other believers, if I do not assemble with them? I know, we have the internet and other communication forms, but they are limited.  In Hebrews 10.24-25, there is a reference to assembling together that gives us its purpose: And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,   not forsaking the  assembling  of ourselves together, as [is] the manner of some, but exhorting [one] [another], and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. This text says the purpose of assembling is to stir up love and good works and exhorting one another.  I can’t do this if I do not assemble with others.

We also find the aim of the assembling of believers in Ephesians 4 and First Corinthians 14:  Eph4.11-13: And He Himself gave some [to] [be] apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,  12  for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,  13  till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…   1Cor14. 26  How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

The purpose of the assembling together is to edify (build up) and exhort the church using those unique gifts/ roles that the believer has.    The traditional, historical worship service does provide for this to some degree, but maybe more-so in smaller informal group settings. The traditional Sunday Morning service is limited, because other than the songs that are sung, the focus is on the sermon the vocational pastor delivers, making the church experience more like sitting in a lecture class.  Probably most people prefer it this way.  Maybe that is the best way to maintain order in the church and its morning service.

I’m not sure how the church could function, if it had a plurality of teaching elders, instead of the traditional vocational elder we call “the pastor,” unless they took turns, or maybe 2 or 3 could each have 10 or 15 minutes of teaching during the service, or they or others could just give a word of encouragement or exhortation to the assembly.  But could this work well in a large assembly of people?  

Since worship is not confined to a place and can be done anywhere and at any time, it seems the primary purpose of the assembling of believers (as a church) is for what Hebrews 10, Ephesians 4 or First Corinthians 14 says.  Because an individual cannot by himself, do what these Scriptures say. And though he may be able to have some interaction using social media, it’s still not able to satisfy what the assembling together can provide.  But if our assembling together is just a corporate worship-type-thing, I don’t think what the assembling together was meant to accomplish will happen very well.  And this may be why some Christians don’t get much out of the assembling together.  It may be why some go off on their own to start something new, or they want bible studies outside the church.  The Sunday Worship Service is not fulfilling the need and purpose of the assembling together.  

I have no expectation that the long-practiced tradition of the church will change. I suppose the traditional Sunday Morning Worship service is the best way to get the largest turnout, and maybe the smaller group meetings outside the Sunday service are where more of the interaction, edification and exhortation can occur.

Near and Far prophecy and “fulfilled”-Scripture-language

I admit I don’t like the idea of a dual fulfillment of prophecy.  

How would one know that a prophecy will be fulfilled a second time, if it has already been fulfilled?  How would one demonstrate that a prophecy is being fulfilled, if it has already been fulfilled? 

I think that it is more likely that a prophecy can have a near future fulfillment and a far future fulfillment.  

Part of a prophecy speaks of a near future fulfillment, and part can speak of a far future fulfillment, but the whole prophecy does not have two different fulfillments in time.  

There are some Scriptures that speak of past events that are said to be fulfilled at a future time, but not an exact fulfillment in every detail, but in certain details there are similarities between an Old Testament reference and a future event that qualify it for fulfillment language, such as “Rachel weeping [for] her children,  refusing to be comforted,  because they are no more.”  This Scripture was “fulfilled” during the time when Herod had the male children put to death.  The fulfillment was the degree of grief by comparison with the event it originally spoke concerning. 

There may be a prophecy that has application to a certain event that must precede the actual fulfillment of the prophecy, such as the prophecy of the Jews looking “on him whom they pierced”:  this has application at the time of the cross, and thus qualified for “fulfilled” language, but really looks to the Second Coming of Christ (the crucifixion had to happen for the other to be fulfilled).  

Near and far prophecies are contained in the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the virgin birth, prophecy concerning the near events in the lifetime of Isaiah concerning Judah and her enemies, and far events concerning Judah and the birth of the Messiah.

There were near and far prophecies contained in the prophecies concerning the coming of Christ: his first coming was near, and his second coming is far.   

There are prophecies in Daniel that looked to future nations and rulers in the near future and the far future, and finding where one ends and the other begins is not so easy.

When Jesus spoke of things to come to his disciples, some of those things were concerned about the immediate future, some near future, and some far future, with some parts having application to both near and far such as not coming down into your house for your goods when you see certain events take place.

In Luke 17.30, Jesus spoke of the day he is revealed--this would be the second coming--and he says not to come down from the roof to get your stuff, just like in Mat 24.17 concerning the Abomination of desolation and the subsequent great tribulation.

In Matthew 10 where Jesus speaks to his apostles of what's to come, he speaks of things in the immediate future, as they go out to proclaim the kingdom of God, and he speaks of things in the near future, after His departure, as to them becoming before government officials, but he seems to go to the far future when he speaks to them to keep moving because of time constraints, Matthew 10.23--unless this is speaking from the perspective that Christ will return in their lifetime.

The 8th Head of the 7-headed beast

Revelation 17.11 speaks of an 8^th head that is “of the seven.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Image (Daniel 2), the beasts (Dan7), horns, ram, goat (Dan8), and the heads and body of the beast/ dragon (Revelation 12; 13; 17) represent authority, because authority is primary: it is what makes a king a king or a kingdom (or realm) a kingdom—king and kingdom are secondary while authority is primary.  If a “horn” is “uprooted,” or “broken,” then the authority is moved or destroyed.

The 7 heads of the dragon/ beast (seen in Revelation 12; 13; 17) represent those authorities (Kings and kingdoms) that particularly had a Mediterranean-world-dominion and that afflicted the manifested people of God of that Mediterranean world (symbolized in the rising up out of the sea).  Those authorities represented in the 7 heads are also represented in the divisions of Nebuchadnezzar’s (Neb’s) image (Dan2) and the 4 beasts (Dan7)—though there may be a difference between the 4th part of Neb's image and the 4th beast.

 

The 7 authorities include those represented in Neb’s Image and the 4 beasts.   There would have to be two that preceded Neb., being Egypt and Assyria.  Those two predecessors along with Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece, are the 5 heads that “have fallen” (Rev17), while Rome, the fourth division of Neb’s Image, is the 6^th head, which was in Apostle John’s time in the revelation he received.

 

The 7^th head is a future authority in the same Mediterranean-world location who will particularly persecute the manifested people of God (and resistant Jews and others), but maybe that persecution will be primarily during the 8^th-head-phase. Revelation 17.11 speaks of an 8^th head that is “of the seven,” but the beast does not have an 8^th head, so it must be that the 7^th head has a two-phase existence.

 

The authorities of Dan2 (Neb’s image) and the authorities of Dan7 (the 4 beasts) can speak of the same authorities (Neb’s head is the 1^st beast, Neb’s chest and arms are the 2^nd beast, and so on), however, and maybe, the 4^th beast goes beyond the 4^th part of Neb’s image to represent the 7^th and 8^th head of Revelation.  The representation of authorities as kings and kingdoms in their future roles would be a complicated thing to symbolize in a vision. 

 

Seeing the 7^th and 8^th heads as 2 phases seems to make the most sense to me. 

I believe the last two-phased head as the AntiChrist and his kingdom—phase one could be prior to and during the first half of the 70th Week, and phase two the second half of the Week.   

If the 4^th division of Neb’s image is Rome then wouldn’t the 4^th beast be Rome?    Dan7 could be a repeat of the same authorities of Dan2/ Neb’s image, but the 4th beast may represent the past and the future--it depends if the toes and feet of Neb's image are of the past or are the future (the "revived Roman Empire" view). 

 

The 7^th head authority will be for a “short time” (Rev17.10), like a PHASE ONE type of authority, during the first half of the Week, and maybe some time before it—this requires that the 7^th head can’t be an authority like the Ottoman Empire during its 400 years reign, unless it is included in the 6th head as a continuation of the Roman Empire.

 

PHASE TWO would be the 8th head in which the “beast” is revealed (the authority represented in an individual) and starts “great tribulation.”  The beast is that authority who will subdue 3 other authorities (3 of 10 horns) maybe in the first half of the “Week” (maybe near the end of the first half), and that accomplishment plus surviving a mortal head wound and being empowered by satan (the dragon) becomes the phase 2 / 8^th head.

 

The 7 headed Beast represents all these authorities, because of their common role in history, as the satanic empowered authorities in the Mediterranean world to persecute the manifested people of God.

The Stone that destroys Neb’s image takes all 4 authorities down, but does this mean all were in authority when it happens? Or maybe they all exist in some sense when it happens, or it just represents that all authorities will be subdued.

Some think the 4^th part of the image is represented in the 7^th head as a revived Roman Empire, because if the legs, feet and toes are the Roman Empire, and the Stone strikes it, when does it strike it, since the Roman Empire is no longer in existence?  The revived Roman Empire view sees the feet and toes as that future empire.  The fourth beast of Dan 7 would be both Rome and Rome revived--probably particularly in the 10 horns on that beast.  

There is a kind of preterist-futurist view of the stone becoming a mountain in Dan 2, being that this is like the parable of leaven hidden in the meal in which the kingdom of God starts small with the first coming of Christ and will eventually fill the earth at the second coming. It began during the time of the Roman Empire and will grow slowly and have full authority at the second coming of Christ.  I question this view, but it would seem require that part of the fourth part of the image would have to be a Revived Roman Empire, since the fourth part of the image must exist when the stone finally becomes a mountain.  If the preterist-type view is correct, then the fourth beast in Dan 7 has to represent two stages of the Roman Empire as would the 4th part of Neb's image. The 4th beast has 10 horns that seem to correspond with the 10 horns of the beast in Revelation 13 and 17, but there is no direct correspondence with the fourth part of Neb's image, unless the toes and feet are it, but nothing is said about the number of the toes.  

 

The little horn of Dan7 subdues (uproots) 3 authorities of 10 (horns). That little horn is separate from the 10 horns, and the 10 join him in phase 2. 

 

That little horn could be foreshadowed by the little horn of Dan8:   Antiochus IV is in view primarily in Dan8, the revelation seems to go beyond him, and how exactly do we understand the reference that says the vision refers “to the time of the end?” Dan 8.17 makes reference to the “indignation.” Is this revelation concerning the time of the end of the last days or a particular “indignation?” God was “exceedingly angry with the nations at ease” during the Babylonian captivity, as Zech 1.15 refers.  Is the indignation concerning the activity of the little Horn, being Antiochus IV and his abomination of desolation activity?

 

  Dan8 reveals that the little horn is connected to a latter stage of the male goat authority (“Javan” as Greece, the 3^rd beast of Dan7), after he is defeated and 4 separate authorities (horns) spring from him—being 4 families/ authorities after Alexander the Great (this would seem to tie in with the 4 heads of the third beast of Dan7).  Could the revealed origin of this little horn (Antiochus IV) indicate the origins of the little horn of the 4^th beast of Dan7?  The prophecy seems to go beyond Antiochus IV, and he surely typifies the antichrist/ beast that will arise who will also commit the “abomination of desolation” and persecute the saints of God. 

 

So the 8^th head is phase two of the 7^th head of the beast, the 7^th head is a future Mediterranean-world authority, but it’s really  the 8^th  that takes on that role when it subdues the 3 horns.  

The 8^th head is the  individual that was foreshadowed in the exploits of Antiochus IV.   That individual will be the 7^th head that has a mortal head wound, but will rise again to be the 8^th head--the beast “who was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit.”

The 8^th head of the 7-headed beast in Revelation is phase two of the 7^th head.  The heads are Mediterranean-world authorities of particular significance, and all those authorities have come and went except the 7^th one.  When the 7^th one comes, it will be for a short while, for it will transition into a second phase, which makes it the 8^th head, though it is of the 7^th (Revelation 17.9-11).  This second phase (8^th head) is that authority that is manifested in the one who will be “the beast” (popularly called “The AntiChrist”) of Revelation chapter 13, and his kingdom will execute his laws to impose a very restrictive economic system and to persecute to the death those who oppose it, especially Christians, and Jews, and anyone in opposition. 

This 8^th head (authority) phase, I believe, is represented at least in the little horn and the ten horns of the fourth beast in Daniel 7.  

Daniel 7 presents 3 other beasts that have body parts seen in the beast of Revelation 13; this may be no different than that beast having heads which represent the authorities of the past--the body parts and heads are all part of this creature that represents the Mediterranean world authorities that persecuted the people of God. 

The 8^th head is after the transition from the 7^th head—a short lived authority of a lesser nature--after the “little horn” of Daniel 7 subdues 3 authorities of 10 (the 10 horns) and resurrects from a mortal head wound (Revelation 13.3-4; 17.8, 10-13).   The 8^th head is that authority which the “little horn” will have, and it will be the realm that executes his laws on the earth. 

The Hope of the Gospel

What is the hope of the Gospel?   There are two places in Chapter one of the book of Colossians that speak of a certain hope and this hope is contained in the message of the Gospel. 

 

The Apostle Paul gave thanks to God for the believers in Colossae because of their faith in Christ and love for other believers and “because  of   the   hope  which is laid up for you in heaven,  of  which you heard before in  the  word  of   the  truth  of   the   gospel” (1.5).

 

Paul also writes to the church in Colossae that they must continue in that “hope of the Gospel” to be presented before God as holy, blameless, and above reproach:  “to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight--  if indeed you continue in  the  faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from  the   hope   of   the   gospel  which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven,  of  which I, Paul, became a minister.” (1.22-23)

 

The Hope of the Gospel must be the promise of eternal life.  The Gospel is not a message without hope.  It contains the promise of eternal life, and this was the aim of why Christ came to die on the cross, and it is the promise of God for all who believe in Christ for it.  

 

The Apostle Paul speaks of this hope of eternal life in his letter to Titus.   “Paul, a bondservant  of  God and an apostle  of  Jesus Christ, according to the faith  of  God's elect and the acknowledgment  of  the truth which accords with godliness,   in  hope   of   eternal  life  which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,  but has in due time  manifested  His  word  through  preaching,  which was committed to me according to the commandment  of  God our Savior.” (1.1-3)   “But when the kindness and the love  of God our Savior toward man appeared,  not by works  of  righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing  of regeneration and renewing  of  the Holy Spirit,  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,  that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the  hope   of   eternal   life.” (3.4-7)

 

Jesus often spoke of this hope, especially in the Gospel of John.   Jesus said he came to give life:  “I have  come that they may have  life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly.” (John 10.10)  Jesus said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting  life , and shall not  come  into judgment, but has passed from death into  life.”  (John 5.24)  Jesus said to the Jews that eternal life was through Him alone:  “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal  life ; and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to  come  to Me that you may have  life .”  “I  am  the way, the truth, and the  life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14.6)  “"I  am  the resurrection and the  life . He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11.25, 26)

 

Jesus came to die so eternal life could be given: “I  lay   down  My  life for the sheep.” (John 10.15) To “lay down” your life speaks of death, and the death of Christ and His resurrection are part of the Gospel message.  It is the provision aspect of the gospel message, because His death paid for the “wages of sin” being death (Romans 6:23), and his resurrection is proof and guarantee of who he was and what he did and promised.  The hope or promise of the gospel is eternal life.  Both the provision and hope are there in the message of the Gospel.  Just as we see it in John 3.14-16:  "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up [death by crucifixion],  that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal  life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have  everlasting   life.”

 

Eternal life is the hope of the Gospel message that was proclaimed.  That hope is the promise of the provision of the message, the provision is that Christ died for your sins.  The Hope of the Gospel is eternal Life to those who believe in Christ, their sin-bearer on the cross.  Eternal life is “the   hope  which is laid up for you in heaven,  of  which you heard before in  the  word  of   the  truth  of   the   gospel.”  And we can take God at his word: “in  hope   of   eternal  life  which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.”

Eternal Life is conditional

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:23 that "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

When Adam sinned in the garden, it brought the consequence of death.  That death is the opposite of eternal life, which is a quality of life with God. After Adam and Eve sinned, something changed within them, for they saw things differently, hiding themselves from God.  That death was an alienation from the life of God.

Physical death was a further consequence in the curse God placed on the human race--mankind would have a limited time to escape the condition brought on by Adam's sin.

That death which is alienation from God was why Jesus came into the world to die.   Jesus came to bear what sinned had caused on the human race to make the way of escape. 

The Book of Hebrews says that Jesus became a little lower than the angels--he took on flesh and blood--so that he "by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2.9) 

The Apostle Peter said of Christ: “who himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree.” (1 Peter 2.14)  

Dr. James Denny writes, “His death, and his bearing of our sins are not two things, but one.” Denney refers to several Old Testament examples where the bearing of sin involved bearing the consequences of the them, such as the Jews wondering in the wilderness for 40 years for refusing (their sin) to go into the promised land—they had to bear their sin, that is, the consequences of them, being one year of wondering in the desert for every day (40 of them) that the spies spent spying out the land (Numbers 14.34).

Though Christ suffered for all on the cross that death caused by sin, it does not automatically release everyone from that death, resulting in everyone having eternal life.  

Numerous Scriptures reveal that receiving eternal life is conditional, being through believing in Jesus Christ for it.  People are still by nature (and actions) "alienated from the life of God" (Ephesians 4.18; Col 1.21). 

Because of the death of Christ for sin, God is free and just in giving eternal life to all. God promises eternal life to all who believe in Jesus for it, because Jesus bore the penalty of sin, being death, for all.

Romans 5:12-21 lays this all out pretty well.  This text speaks of how death came to all through Adam's sin, but through Christ, and through his grace--which was Christ becoming man and bearing the sin of the world--one can "receive" (that is, believe in Christ for) the "free gift" of justification (being declared righteous before God) which results in "life" (eternal life).

Jesus also spoke of the connection between his death and eternal life: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3.14-16)

Jesus in John 3.14-16 spoke of both the provision of the death he would die on the cross and the promise (the hope) of eternal life for those who believe in him for it. 

Concerning the provision, Jesus in John 3.14 makes reference to the Old Testament account in which Moses put a brass serpent on a pole.  The brass serpent was lifted up for those who were bitten by certain serpents (the bite brought certain death), with the promise that one would live, if they looked at that serpent on the pole (“when he looks at it, he shall live,” Numbers 21.8-9). 

The serpent on the pole lifted up is an analogy of the provision of Christ who would be “lifted up” (on the cross), with the promise of deliverance from death and the giving of eternal life to whoever believes in him.  This is how God "so Loved the world"; this was how God "gave His only son”; and he spoke of the promise, being that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (to “perish” is to continue in this death and be forever separated from God in Hell after this temporal life).

We see that Jesus bore the wages of sin which is death, so that conditionally, one can receive the promise of eternal life through believing in Jesus for it:  "The Wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

“Rejoice because your names are written in heaven”

Jesus said this to his 70 disciples after they had returned from their preaching ministry in the Jewish cities about the kingdom of God.  The disciples were amazed that the demons were subject to them.  Demon activity of oppression and possession was occasionally (if not frequently) encountered at that time among the Jewish people, and these disciples discovered that they could exercise authority over them:  “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’"  Luke 10:17

 

Jesus responded this way: "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you,

but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:19-20

 

Having one’s name written in heaven is presented as something greater than having authority over demons.  One should rejoice in that over the other.  The disciples could see their authority over demons, but how did they know their names were written in heaven?  It must be knowable, if Jesus said it was the preferable thing to rejoice over.

 

I believe having your name written in heaven is the same as having eternal life.  The opposite of eternal life is being separated from God in the “Lake of fire.” We are told in Revelation 20.15, that "anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."  The "Lake of Fire" is called the "second death," Rev 20.14.

 

When the Apostle Paul wrote the Church in Philippi, he said, "help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life." (Phil 4.3)

Paul states that the names of his companions in ministry were in the Book of Life.  How did he know this?  Did he get special revelation from God just for these folks, so he could say such a thing?  I really doubt it.

 

To have your name written in heaven or the Book of Life, I believe, are the same thing.  How did Paul know his companions’ names were written there, and how were the disciples to know their names were written in heaven?  I believe it is as simple as believing the provision and the promise of God in Jesus for salvation from sin or for eternal life.  God promises eternal life to those who believe in Jesus as Savior from sin and its consequences.

 

John 3.14-16 states the provision (God “gave” his Son: Jesus died for you, bearing the penalty of all sins) and the promise ("whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”).   If you believe this, then you have eternal life, and if you have eternal life, then your name is written in heaven, written in the book.   If you don't believe this, then you will perish, meaning you will be cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the "second death" because it is the final separation from God and that Life with him which is eternal life.  

 

Paul knew his companions believed this, and Jesus told his disciples that this knowledge should be the cause of their rejoicing.  The certainty of having your name written in the Book/ Heaven is in the assurance of the promise of God.  God, who cannot lie, promises eternal life to all those who believe in Jesus as their Savior from sin.

 

Eternal life is the ultimate thing to rejoice about, to give thanks about.

you have left your first love

These words that Jesus spoke to the Church in Ephesus (Revelation 2.4) are usually understood to mean that they have left their love for Christ.  I believe the words are referring to something else.  I believe Jesus is referring to a love that characterized them at the first, in their beginning as an assembly of believers. 

I believe Jesus is referring to that love that they had for one another when they were a new assembly. I believe He has this specifically in view.  They had left that love that first characterized them for one another.  We find this in that “new commandment” that Jesus gave to his disciples in the Gospel of John: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35

 

Someone might respond to this by saying that even if that is true, they have left their love for Christ by doing such.   But I believe Jesus is addressing the specific issue here.  For Jesus, the church as an assembly, that functions properly, is extremely important.  He addresses Churches in the book of Revelation, not individuals out on their own, doing their own thing.  When Jesus addresses the 7 Churches in Asia about things they are doing wrong, he doesn’t tell them to disband, go to the church in the next city, or go it alone.  No, he tells them to get right, repent.

Some of the Churches Jesus addresses in Revelation had some serious issues.  They were to get right.  Would Jesus accept excuses from people in those churches for what they were doing?  Yet those who have abandoned the assembly of believers have excuses.  Would Jesus accept your excuses today?  If the church is not good enough for you, well, it wasn’t always good enough for Jesus either.  What was his solution? 

To the Church in Ephesus, Jesus said, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.”

 

Fallen from Grace

These are words found in the book of Galatians, words written by the Apostle Paul concerning those who had received the spirit by the hearing of faith (3:2-3), but were being charmed (“bewitched” NKJ) into thinking justification was not by faith alone in Christ, but required the addition of keeping certain rituals of the law, especially the rite of circumcision.  

Some may argue the issue in Galatians is not justification but practical sanctification, but it’s both, because the error being promoted is that justification is not complete by faith alone, but requires the sanctification that comes through the Law to secure justification.

Paul reminds his readers that “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” and “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” (3.6-7)  Paul warns them that if they become circumcised, “Christ will profit you nothing” and “I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law…You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law: you have fallen from grace.” (5.2-4)  

If they believe their salvation is not complete by faith alone, but requiring fulfilling certain requirements of the Law, then they will not have the “profit” that comes from Christ for a righteous life-walk.  The shift of confidence will result in their unprofitableness in their testimony to Christ alone for salvation, as it will put the focus and confidence in one’s flesh.

 

The words “fallen from grace” seem to get used for those who fall away in the sense that they were once believers who have become agnostics or atheists.  I believe that is not an appropriate application of these words.  That is another issue not addressed here.  These words are used with reference to those who still believe in Jesus as the Christ, but they have fallen from grace in the sense that they have departed from ‘faith alone’ for justification before God.  It's not about believers losing their salvation or never having been saved because of some supposed false faith.  It’s about believers who have been charmed by teachers into believing salvation is not by faith alone in Christ alone. 

This same kind of issue is addressed in the book of Hebrews in Chapters 6 and 10 concerning believers who are being persuaded to go back to observing the Law of Moses for salvation, though they started out by believing in Christ alone for salvation.  Hebrews 6.4-6 speaks about these believers having been “enlightened,” tasting the “heavenly gift,” being “partakers of the “Holy Spirit” (compare with Galatians 3.2-3: having received the spirit by faith), and “have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.”  Then the author of Hebrews says, and ”they fall away…[then it is impossible] to renew them unto repentance.”  If they go this route, if they “cast away” their “confidence”(10.35) in Christ, then they have devalued the death of Christ for sins (6.6; 10.29), and the affect on their conscience will be such that a future change of mind will be impossible.  

It’s not speaking here about them becoming agnostics or atheists, but a change of mind about the value of the death of Christ alone for salvation.  If they do this, then they become unprofitable for Christ and can expect divine consequences:  “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?   For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The Lord will judge His people." (10:29-30)  To avoid this route, the author exhorts his readers to hold fast to their confession of hope without wavering, and this is helped by the assembling of believers to stir one-another up (10.23-25).  The author reminds these believers to “recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:   partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated;   for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.  Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.   For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”  (10:32-36)

 

It was maybe more of a struggle in the time of the early church period to continue in the teaching of faith alone in Christ alone for justification before God apart from keeping the law of Moses.  To depart from that belief would result in a legalistic life that would be unfruitful for God and bring one under Divine judgment.  To depart would be to fall from Grace.  The problem today is that justification by faith alone is not proclaimed or taught from the beginning.  Some, maybe undiscerningly, include things along with what they believe to be “faith alone.”  Some don’t discern the contradiction in what they are saying, if they say we are saved by faith alone, but they include other requirements for salvation.  They may not require circumcision, which seems totally out of the picture as a requirement, but they require other things that seem necessary for salvation to take place.  Maybe its water baptism, or maybe its some degree of moral reformation.  But these things can become the confidence of one’s salvation just like circumcision was for the early church. If they put these other things as necessary for salvation, they have departed from justification by faith alone.  If one comes to this view after they have believed in Christ for salvation, then they have “fallen from grace.” 

 

Salvation free Discipleship costly

 I believe it’s important to maintain the distinction that salvation (everlasting life) is free but discipleship is costly. 

Concerning salvation, Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God, who it is who says to you, ‘give me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. …the water I shall give to him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”   (John 4.10,14)

 Concerning discipleship, Jesus said,  "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.  And whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”  (Luke 14.26-27

I also think it gets confusing and creates doubt of salvation if the degree of commitment that discipleship requires is believed to be guaranteed by salvation. 

 

I would say that the resources or assets of salvation are necessary to meet the degree of commitment that discipleship requires, but it's not guaranteed one will fulfill it.  This is according to the terms Jesus required and not just in the general sense of being a pupil following a teacher, but that general sense was probably all it was for some or many who followed Jesus.

I believe Jesus put it at a level that one would need the assets of salvation to have the ability to fulfill it. 

Jesus had disciples who were not saved, but the requirements were such to weed out those who did not believe, because salvation really needs to precede the kind of disciple Jesus wanted.  

I don't seek to disciple unsaved people, because of what is required.  Salvation makes discipleship possible but not guaranteed. I would evangelize before I would disciple a person, because of what is required. 

"Apostasia" (the "falling away") is not the Rapture

"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day [Day of the Lord] will not come unless the falling away comes first..."  2 Thessalonians 2.3

The "falling away" in this verse is the Greek word "apostasia" which could also be translated "departure."  Our English word "apostasy" comes from this word.   

The "apostasia" will precede the Day of the Lord.  The Apostle is saying to these people that that "Day" has not come because the Apostasia must come first.  The concern is that if the Day of the Lord had come, then they missed the "gathering together" to Christ, if they understood that gathering as the "rapture" and the Day of the Lord as coming after that, being the time of God's wrath upon the earth.

The apostasia has been normally understood as it is translated in most translations as a "falling away" or “rebellion” in some spiritual sense, such as from the faith or sound doctrine.   Later in the chapter, the Apostle writes: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle."  This statement would support the idea of a falling away, if they did not "stand fast and hold the traditions" they were taught.   A falling away could be translated "departure," if understood as a departure from the faith or sound teaching.  

A few have tried to understand this apostasia as a physical (spatial) departure and not a spiritual one.  They have tried to promote the idea that this apostasia is the rapture itself.  By doing this, they can place the Day of the Lord at an earlier time in the scheme of things.  They can also place the rapture at or before the time when they think the revealing of the "son of perdition [destruction]" takes place, which is the other thing that must occur before the Day of the Lord.

I saw a poll taken in a discussion group recently where it was asked if the apostasia is the rapture, and quite a number believed it was.  Are they taking this view because it supports their view of end time events?

The word apostasia only appears twice in the New Testament.  The other time it is used is in Acts 21:21 "but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs."

The word "forsake" translates apostasia.  This is written concerning the Apostle Paul, being accused of teaching Jews among the Gentiles to forsake Moses.  This is about a departure from certain customs, just like the Thessalonians were exhorted to stand fast and hold the traditions, for a forsaking of them would be an apostasia.  It would be best to understand apostasia by how it is used elsewhere in Scripture.

The word apostasia appears in the Greek translation of the Old Testament and is used in the sense of a spiritual kind of departure.   Joshua 22.22b, 23 reads: "if we have transgressed before the Lord before by apostasy, let him not deliver us this day, and if we have built to ourselves an altar so as to apostatize from the Lord our God."  2 Chronicles 29.19: "and all the vessels which king Ahaz polluted in his reign; in his apostasy, we have prepared and purified."   Jeremiah 2.19: "Thine apostasy shall correct thee, and thy wickedness shall reprove thee and see, that thy forsaking me has been bitter to thee, saith the Lord thy God."  

Alan Kurschner, a prewrath rapturist, quotes pretribulation rapture scholar Paul Feinberg: “If one searches for the uses of the noun “apostasy” in the 355 occurrences over the 300-year period between the second century B.C. and the first century A.D., one will not find a single instance where this word refers to a physical departure.”  

Kurschner also points out, “The classical Greek Liddell and Scott lexicon lists the primary meaning of apostasia as “defection, revolt”; and “departure, disappearance” as a secondary meaning. The only example of this secondary meaning of spatial departure is found five centuries later after the New Testament. It is sloppy and simply fallacious to read back not only an obscure meaning but one that is five centuries after the New Testament!”

The uses of Apostasia in the scriptures is not for a physical departure but a defection or spiritual departure.  And there are all the occurrences between a period of 300 years of which the word is not used for a physical departure.  The overwhelming evidence is that apostasia in 2 Thessalonians 2 is a defection, a spiritual falling away. 

 A falling away is something the Scriptures warn about within the church and something the church has anticipated in the last days.  First Timothy 4.1:  “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will  depart   from  the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…”  Second Timothy 3.1-5:  “3:1  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:  2  For men will be lovers  of themselves,  lovers  of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  3  unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,  4  traitors, headstrong, haughty,  lovers  of pleasure rather than  lovers  of God,  5  having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

Mark of the Beast's Eternal Consequence

There are a number of speculations about what this “Mark” may be which will be implemented during the time that most (futurists) identify as the “Great Tribulation.” 

 

Probably most futurists—those who believe that most of the book of Revelation is yet future—anticipate the Mark will be possible because of modern technology.  

 

I hear many Christians seemingly fearful that they may take the Mark unknowingly.  They seem to think they could lose their salvation if the Mark is involved with an implanted chip or something in a vaccine.   

Whatever this Mark will be, I don’t see how it could work that way.  Whatever it is, or however it works the most troubling part of it all is the consequence associated with having it. The consequences associated with it is what I find to be the most disturbing.

 "He causes all… to receive a  mark  on their right hand or on their foreheads,  and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the  mark… And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the  mark of his name." 

(Revelation 13.16-17; 14.11 NKJV)

 

Revelation reveals that to have the Mark seals one’s eternal fate.  I have heard that Dr. John McArthur takes the view that one can still be saved after they take the Mark. (I’ve read this by others but haven’t heard him say it.)  He has received a lot of criticism for that claim, and rightfully so, according to Revelation 14.   

Whatever one may think the Mark may be or how one thinks it works, there’s something about it that if you have it on your forehead or right hand, your eternal fate is sealed.  

 

A friend suggests the number 666 can be used by those who are wise enough (computer software programming savvy?) to generate an encryption key to decipher the code to hack /break the Beast’s system, so they can buy and sell without coming under the eternal condemnation of having the Mark—ok, fine, but why does having the Mark seal one’s fate?

I can only conclude that whatever the Mark is, and however it actually works, it must involve a state of mind or conscience that has become so hardened to the truth of God’s way of salvation, which is through faith alone in Christ as Savior from sin, that they have reached a point of no return:  those with the Mark will be those kind of people.  

I do think there will be those who will not take the Mark who are not believers in Christ, just because it doesn’t get implemented worldwide or for other various reasons.  I believe there will be many who were not believers in Christ who do not take the Mark, who will become believers in Christ after the great tribulation and after the rapture of the church, and some of these will be Jews who come to Christ in faith at His coming.  

 

I think that to take the Mark of the Beast involves a state of mind or conscience that has become so hardened to the truth of God’s way of salvation, which is through faith alone in Christ as Savior from sin, that they have reached a point of no return in their consciences: those with the Mark will be those kind of people who will suffer the consequence of eternal torment from God.  Taking the Mark will be like reaching a point of no return.

Kept from the “hour of trial”

 "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the  hour   of   trial  which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Revelation 3:10 NKJV

 

The promise to keep this church of Philadelphia in Asia Minor from the “hour of trial” is believed by many, if not most futurists, as yet to be fulfilled with future believers in Christ, since that “hour of trial” has not yet come “upon the whole world.”  

Who is this promise for, and what is this “hour of trial” and what does “keep you from” mean?   

One’s views about end time events will influence the understanding of these things.  

If one believes the rapture is in view, and the "hour of trial" is the 70th week of Daniel, they may ignore the conditional part of the text that says: “Because you have kept my command to persevere," because what if a believer does not persevere?  This is more a problem for pretribulationists.  They must assume that all believers persevere.  Yet even those who are not pretrib rapturists, such as prewrath rapturists, and believe the hour of trial is the day of the Lord, they would have the same problem with conditional statement, because do all believers persevere?

Ithas been demonstrated by some to grammatically apply to the previous verse (verse 9) the conditional statement, and it should read: “…indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you, because you have kept My command to persevere.”   If one believes the “keep you from” is the rapture, then the conditional statement doesn’t become a problem as to whom the promise applies or what the promise is, in that the rapture requires one to persevere.   Of course, some may believe that believers have to persevere or they are not saved or lost their salvation.  But placing the condition on verse 9 solves that problem, whatever one's rapture view is.

I think many have just kind of ignored the implications of the condition, or they believe that if the church as a whole is in view, then they all meet this condition somehow—which could be problematic, depending on the understanding of perseverance.   I don’t have a problem with moving the conditional statement to verse 9, but I wonder if it fully removes the idea of condition from verse 10, since the promise was only stated to the Church of Philadelphia and not the other six churches addressed, and if Christ was doing something for them because of their conduct in verse 9, the promise in verse 10 could still be due to their conduct recognized in the conditional statement.  And if this “hour of trial” did not happen in their time period, and is yet future, then the application of this promise can be to a future church of similar conduct.

 

I tend to think this promise of “keep you from” is not talking about the rapture, and I tend to think the “hour of trial” is not the “Day of the Lord,” but “great tribulation” that Jesus spoke concerning in the Olivet Discourse (eg. Matthew 24.1), and Revelation 7.14 says a great multitude (of obviously saved people)  come out of it. 

If Pretribulational rapturists believe it is about the rapture of the Church (removal from the earth), they would say the “hour” is the 70^th Week of Daniel (Daniel 9.27) as the Day of the Lord (the 70^th Week being the last 7 years before the Second Coming of Christ being designated as “tribulation” and the Day of the Lord)—and removing the conditional statement would be a good thing, because the rapture is not just for the faithful Christians, unless you believe all Christians persevere and salvation guarantees such. 

Prewrath Rapturists may say the “hour” is the Day of the Lord, but they place it near the end of the 70^th Week of Daniel and this is consistent with their view that the rapture happens at the end of great tribulation but before the Day of the Lord—removing the conditional statement would be the same issue as to all believers must persevere. 

Posttribulational Rapturists (rapture comes at end of 70^th week and Great Tribulation) and some Prewrath Rapturists may see the “keep you from” as a kind of protection during the time of great tribulation and not a physical removal from the earth as in the rapture.

Though the conditional part of Revelation 3.10 may apply to verse 9, the promise of Verse 10, to be kept from the hour, is to a church of a certain approved character and conduct.  I don’t believe the rapture is conditional to the faithful only, and I don’t think salvation guarantees the faithfulness of believers.  But whether the conditional part of verse 10 belongs to verse 9 or not, it seems the promise of verse 10 is to those who have persevered.  

In Jesus’ prayer for his disciples in John 17.15, he says:  "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should  keep  them from the  evil  one.”   This prayer  seems to be about a kind of protection.  The words “Keep” and “from” are seen used by Jesus in Revelation 3.10.  The keeping from in John 17.15 are with reference to “the evil,” the word “one” is added.  It’s similar to the part in the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6.13: “And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil [one.]”  The prayer is for deliverance from the “evil.”  I tend to think that there is a promise of some sort of spiritual protection for the believer during the great tribulation. 

The Great Tribulation will be a very difficult time for believers, because of severe persecution and the degree of evil deception going on.  Revelation 13 speaks of the persecution of that time by the one called the “beast”:  “7  It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.  8  All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  9  If anyone has an ear, let him hear.  10  He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the  patience  and the faith of the saints.”   Notice the reference to “the patience and faith of the saints.”

 

The temptation and deception of that time will be very great, and the choices people make will be of eternal consequence (it’s the “hour of trial”), as Revelation 14 says: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives [his] mark on his forehead or on his hand,  10  "he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.  11  "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."  12  Here is the  patience  of the saints; here [are] those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”   Notice again the reference to the patience of the saints-those who have “the faith of Jesus.”

 

The following may more specifically apply to the time of the early Church, but it has application to the end times as well, because there are similarities between the persecution of the early church and the time of the end:  “16  "You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put [some] of you to death.  17  "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  18  "But  not   a   hair  of your head shall be lost.  19  "By your patience possess your souls.” (Luke 21)   Notice the possessing of your souls by patience—this patience is a trust in God, no matter how bad it gets.  And the proverbial saying about not losing a hair of your head is not speaking about physical loss, but it’s a figure of speech, that God has possession of you, and you need to trust and obey him.  God will give you the ability to stand during that evil time.  Jesus appears to be referencing the words of the book of Micah:  7:“6  For son dishonors father,  Daughter rises against her  mother ,  Daughter- in - law  against her  mother - in - law ;  A man's enemies [are] the men of his own household.  7  Therefore I will look to the Lord;  I will wait for the God of my salvation;  My God will hear me.”

 

So I tend to see the promise in Revelation 3:10 as that of a kind of spiritual keeping from during the great tribulation.  It’s not a promise of physical removal, but a kind of deliverance from the evil of that time.   I think there can be still some difficulties with this view when it comes to the unfaithful believer and the mark of the beast.  I don’t think there is a guarantee that a believer won’t fail, so I’m not sure about that situation.  Removing the conditional statement from verse 10 and applying it to verse 9 doesn’t fully solve the problem, because the promise to the Philadelphia Church as a representative church of the end times would indicate it is for those of a certain character, not the whole church automatically.  However all this works out, it still seems the promise is not about the rapture but a spiritual kind of keeping from/ deliverance during great tribulation. 

If the keeping from is from the "Day of the Lord" according to the "prewrath" view, then it would be a keeping from the trumpets and bowls.  This then would support the view it is the rapture, because the prewrath view has the rapture before thoses things.  It could be said that the Church of Philadephia was kept from the trumpets and bowls because it is in heaven now, but so are all the other churches who didn't get this specific promise.

From a more post-trib view, the rapture would not be required, even if the "hour of trial" is specifically the trumpet and bowls, since the believer would still be on earth during those things, if those things are the more specific "test" to come upon the world.  probably a more common view of post-trib is that the second half of the 70th Week is both great tribulation and the trumpets and bowls (which I would still place near the end of the Week).

Of course there is some variations about the trumpets and bowls as to where they appear in the 70th Week.  I think it is common to place the bowls in the extra days (found at the end of Daniel chapter 12) after the 70th Week in the Prewrath view.   There may be some who have a view that places the rapture after the trumpets but before the bowls--this may be a hybrid prewrath, post-trib view.  I don't know if any prewrathers place the bowls within the 70th Week.

Actually, I'm more post-trib in my views, so even if the "hour" is the trumpets and bowls,  I can see this keeping from as referring to them, even in a physical sense, because there will be protection for those who don't have the mark of the beast.  In a post-trib rapture view, the Day of the Lord is mainly the second coming of Christ and not the trumpet and bowls.

Another concern is the words of Christ as in Luke 21 about being watchful concerning the "day" that is coming, so as to be "worthy" to "escape" what is to come and to "stand" before the Lord:  "³⁴ "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. ³⁵ For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ 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 21:34-36

This text looks like it could be about the same thing in Revelation 3.10.  The "snare" on the "whole earth" sounds close to "the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."   

The requirement to be worthy is troublesome, since if the rapture is in view, then it would seem one must qualify for it, unless the conduct and watchfulness is just used to identify believers by what should be characteristic of them.  What about believers who are not being watchful, and living as they should?  In First Thessalonians 5, the Apostle Paul does talk about how the Day of the Lord will come like a "thief" and the believer should not be asleep but awake, but even if he is asleep: "that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."  But Paul's words seem to connect with Luke 21 with reference to the unexpectedness of events and the need for the believer to be watchful.

Could a believer be unwatchful leading up to the trumpets and bowls, or is it more likely he is unwatchful leading up to the great tribulation?   

What is the "escape" the worthy believer is to experience?  Is it physical removal, as in the rapture?  Or is it some spiritual kind of deliverance in which they are kept from the evil?  And what exactly would that be?  He doesn't succumb but perseveres.?  Luke 21 does speak of  "stand before the son of man."  Could it be how one is spiritually going into the "trial" and "snare" will determine how they will persevere successfully and be able to stand before the Lord in approval?   Could it be the Philadelphian Church  was the kind of church that could persevere through the trial and snare that the great tribulation would bring?  And this is applicable to believers who may actually enter great tribulation?

But if the Day of the Lord is particularly in view, and from a prewrath understanding, then it would seem the rapture is what is in view.  But then there are prewrathers who believe the great tribulation is in view, and so a kind of protection would be in view.

Revelation 3.10 and Luke 21.34-36 will remain to be difficult to fully sort out.  And one will argue it according to their understanding of the rapture, whether pretrib, post-trib, or prewrath, and what the "hour of trial" is.