What is The Hour of Trial?

What is “the Hour of Trial”?

(It’s Not the Great Tribulation!)

Chapter 30 Preview: As explained in The Time After Jacob’s Trouble, Israel is the focal point of the Great Tribulation. The rest of the world will prosper under the supernatural power of the Beast, in part by thoroughly pillaging the Israelite nations. After this, God will punish those people who were involved in the end time holocaust against the “twelve tribes” [now nations] of Israel. So what could this “Hour of Trial” be that affects the “whole world”—that is everyone who dwells “on the earth”—at the same time?

There is only one reference to “the Hour of Trial” mentioned in the Bible. Many modern Bible versions render this phrase as it is done here in the New King James Version:

Revelation 3:10 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. NKJV

The King James uses the word “temptation”, instead of trial, which is generally considered to be an entirely different concept.

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. KJV

The World English Bible uses the word “testing”.

Revelation 3:10 Because you kept My command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. WEB

“Trial”, “temptation” and “testing” are all different aspects of what is to take place in this generation!

Knowing what time period this is should be of interest to the end time Assembly (usually referred to as “Church” (off site), because it is our ticket away from what is obviously a dreadful situation.

Almost everyone, atheists, agnostics, pagans and Christians is aware of the Biblical concept of the “Great Tribulation”. However, almost no one seems to know that there are two very distinct end time periods of great trauma described in the Biblical prophecies.

Actually, The Day of the Lord is probably the most elaborated upon topic in the entire Bible. It is all about the destruction of a modern multi national government much like Babylon of ancient times was.

The modern Babylon (a coalition of ten European kingdoms) is extensively described in Revelation chapters 16 thru 18. “She” will easily entice the nations to become a hammer against Israel. But in the end, God will “hammer” the “hammer of the whole earth”!

This chapter from Jeremiah is a succinct synopsis of the Book of Revelation! It briefly describes the captivity and Tribulation of “the children of ISRAEL AND the children of JUDAH” during the Great Tribulation as well as fully describing the time when God will say to Israel’s enemies “your day has come, the time that I will visit you”. The question is: What purpose will the Great Tribulation serve? We need a “great answer”!

Jeremiah 50:23-35 How is the hammer of the whole earth cut apart and broken! How is Babylon become a desolation among the nations! 24 I have laid a snare for you, and you are also taken, Babylon, and you werent aware: you are found, and also caught, because you have striven against [Yehovah’]. 25 [Yehovah] has opened His armory, and has brought forth the weapons of His indignation; for the Lord, [Yehovah] of Armies, has a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans. 26 Come against her from the utmost border; open her storehouses; cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly; let nothing of her be left. 27 Kill all her bulls; let them go down to the slaughter: woe to them! For their day is come, the time of their visitation [from God]. 28 The voice of those who flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of [Yehovah] our God, the vengeance of His temple [which they defiled]. 29 Call together the archers against Babylon, all those who bend the bow; encamp against her all around; let none of it escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she has done [to Israel], do to her ; for she has been proud against [Yehovah], against the Holy One of Israel. 30 Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, and all her men of war will be brought to silence in that day, says [Yehovah]. 31 Behold, I am against you, you proud one, says the Lord, [Yehovah] of Armies; for your day has come, the time that I will visit you. 32 The proud one shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all who are around him. 33 Thus says [Yehovah] of Armies: The children of ISRAEL AND the children of JUDAH are oppressed together; and ALL WHO TOOK THEM CAPTIVE hold them fast; they refuse to let them go. 34 Their Redeemer is strong; [Yehovah] of Armies is His name: He will thoroughly plead their cause, that He may give rest to the earth, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. 35 A sword is on the Chaldeans, [the final regime to rule Babylon] says [Yehovah], and on the inhabitants of Babylon, and on her princes, and on her wise men. WEB

The Great Tribulation is the test tube of “the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world ....” It is not the test itself. The “Great Experiment” being conducted is for the purpose of determining the character of the people involved, whether they are the tormented or are the tormentors and their supporters! Only Israel is being tormented during this time period, which for them is the Great Tribulation. However the occupants of the whole world are part of the great “experiment”! Let’s take a very close look at the phrase “hour of trial”. The word peirasmos, “trial”, is translated into English from four separate Greek words. Let’s look at the particular Greek word that is used in the comment to the Philadelphian Assembly: “I also will keep you from the hour of trial”. It is usually translated as “temptation”. This experiment serves the same exact purpose as did God’s first experiment with mankind in the Garden of Eden. The first experiment of this kind was to allow Satan to tempt Adam and Eve with forbidden fruit, to test their character. In this large scale experiment, some of the participants will pass. Hopefully you will!

Here is the complete definition of “temptation”:

The first meaning is “experiment”. Nothing of an apocalyptic nature is implied! During the Hour of Trial, God will be conducting an experiment to judge the character of both Israel AND Israel’s captors! The Bible calls this experiment “the Great Tribulation”. After the experiment, during “the Day of the Lord”, God must eliminate those who failed the test!

The word “test” continues in the vein of thought about the Great Experiment. This particular test is being conducted to ascertain the quality of the character of the inhabitants of the earth.

... the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to TEST those who dwell on the earth. NKJV

Here is the complete definition of the word “test”, a word of similar derivation to that of “experiment”:

The Book of Revelation was primarily written to tell the Seven end time Assemblies what is going to happen just prior to the end of the age. From the vantage point of John’s vision it will happen “soon”. However the literal translation for soon is “quickly” or “speedily”, which may refer to how quickly these events will take place once they begin to transpire. Hopefully, the Seven Assemblies will understand and benefit from the message at some point:

Revelation 1:1-2 This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to His SERVANTS the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John, 2 who testified to God’s word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw. WEB

Notice that it was not written to scare the “hell” out of non Believers.

John’s prophecy was sent to the concurrently existing Seven Assemblies of his age. Most assuredly, God kept secret the fact that many centuries would pass before the Saints (off site) would see the fulfillment of these prophecies and particularly the initiation of the Everlasting Kingdom. This way, the Saints of every century could have hope and pray “thy Kingdom come”.

The emphasis is on the Day of the Lord. The apostle John was told to write down “the things which you have [already] seen”, and “the things which will take place AFTER this”, as well as, of course, “the things which are” taking place during the central timeline of the Book of Revelation—The Day of the Lord. So we have additional information about the Tribulation preceding the Day of the Lord, as well as some inspiring information about the inception of the Everlasting Kingdom and the New Jerusalem, following the Day of the Lord.

Notice that the “prototypical” Seven Assemblies of the first generation of Christianity coexisted simultaneously in the first century. By the close of the final generation of Christianity of this age, the Seven “antitypes” of these Assemblies will have simultaneously fulfilled their own destinies. Are you in one of the Seven?

Revelation 1:10-11,19 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, [meaning the Day of the Lord] and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet 11 saying, “What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea .... Write therefore the things which you have [already] seen, and the things which are [currently taking place], and the things which will happen hereafter .... WEB

The Hour of Trial will soon test those who dwell on earth. Many will fail the test and die—forfeiting the opportunity to live on over into the age to come and witness The Restoration of All Things. Some few will have received God’s approval and will “be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen”:

Luke 21:35-36 For it will come like a snare on all those who dwell on the surface of all the earth. 36 Therefore be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man. WEB

As when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, He was really conducting a test of loyalty and faith. That test ultimately led to the greatest blessing a man could receive. Today, directly due to that test, Abraham’s descendants number “like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore”. Multiple millions of people in primarily the English speaking nations are unaware that they are Abraham’s descendants. And we, the British Commonwealth in the 19th century and the Americans in the 20th century, have possessed all of the strategic sea “gates” of our enemies:

Genesis 22:8-18 Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together. 9 They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 10 Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to kill his son. 11 The Angel of the Lord called to him out of the sky, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Dont lay your hand on the boy, neither do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 Abraham called the name of that place [Yehovah] Will Provide. As it is said to this day, “On [Yehovah]’s mountain, it will be provided.” 15 The angel of [Yehovah] called to Abraham a second time out of the sky, 16 and said, “I have sworn by myself, says [Yehovah], because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate[s] of his enemies. 18 In your seed will ALL the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” WEB

We are now nearing the time when “the stars of the heavens” and “the sand which is on the seashore” will be tested all over the earth. This is another test being conducted by God by which He will judge the character of Abraham’s descendants. Few of God’s people even know that they are descendants of Abraham. However, the time is coming when Israel’s false “gods” of materialism and ignorance will be exposed. This will happen when our military “power is gone”.

Deuteronomy 22:35-38 Vengeance is mine, and recompense, at the time when their foot slides; for the day of their calamity is at hand. The things that are to come on them shall make haste.” 36 For [Yehovah] will judge his people, and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone, there is none remaining, shut up or left at large. 37 He will say, “Where are their gods, the rock in which they took refuge; 38 which ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise up and help you! Let them be your protection. WEB

The Great Tribulation, will expose all cowards. The Tribulation will reveal our heroes. The Tribulation will focus everyone’s minds on the essential issues of good and evil. The time by which God judges the character of humanity, or lack of it, will be concentrated into a brief period of time. Those who choose evil will unknowingly be choosing “death”. This will happen before the “day of their [the rest of the world’s] calamity”.

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live .... WEB

Those who seek to preserve their own lives without regard to the fate of others will lose their lives. Those who would rather die than do evil will either be spared and continue to live or else receive a martyr’s reward:

Luke 17:33-36 Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. The one will be taken [to a place of safety?], and the other will be left [or left alone?]. 35 There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken, and the other will be left.” 36 Two will be in the field: the one taken, and the other left. WEB

However, some will not have to endure the trial taking place “on the earth”:

Revelation 3:7 To the angel of the Assembly in Philadelphia .... 10 Because you kept My command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. WEB

But the Mystery of the Seven Assemblies (Revelation 2-3) is another story, and the Mystery of “keep[ing]you from the hour of testing” in an “awesome” “place” is yet another story.

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