THE HOUR OF FINAL TRIAL- WHEN?

"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. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown" (Revelation 3:10,11) 

Our article is based on the book of Revelation  today (3:7-12) and to the message of Jesus to the congregation of Philadelphia. The church of Philadelphia kept its faith alive. As the name suggests, [philos/φίλος (in greek) and adelphos/ αδελφός (in greek)=brotherly affection/ fraternal love] love is the main characteristic of true Christians (John 13:35,1 John 4:8, 5:3, Colossians 3:14, 1 Peter 4:8, Romans 12:10, Philippians 1:9) and thus it is rewarded by the Lord.  Jude very beautifully wrote that believers "...may keep [themselves] in the love of God, as they await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ with the prospect of eternal life" (Jude 21). This should be our aim. Although our energy can be little due to the pressure of the ungodly world, that message to Phliadelphia emphasizes the importance of patience (Matthew 24:13, Luke 21:19) which is connected with the "Word", that is, the words of the inspired Scriptures (Romans 15:4).

The divine protection of  anointed Christians is certain for for these who hold fast the truth. The time of trial (2 Thess 2:1, 3:3, Revelation 7:1-8) will not find these faithful ones on earth, as the Lord will take them into heaven by rapture, resurrecting them with the rest of their sleeping brethren before the Day of Wrath (1 Thess. 4:16, 1 Cor. 15: 51-53, Revelation 16:12-16, Psalms 149:7-9). How wonderful will be for a Christian to be with Jesus Christ when that last heavenly trumpet blows (Revelation 11:11-18)!

Interestingly, Charles Taze Russell wrote that the "hour of that trial" would be in the "end of the Gospel Age" (See WatchTower Reprints R5981:1, 5268:5, 2775:4, 2453:4), that is in the final part of this "system of things".Therefore that period of time could never be connected to  any "invisible" coming of the Lord Jesus of Christ "to judge" His spiritual temple, the Church . Quite the contrary- this hour of temptation is in  the end of this present evil world just before the battle of Armageddon. 

Why do we say this? Two reasons- 

1) John in Revelation 3:10  tells us that he will come upon the inhabitants of "the whole earth" and thus not only upon the "spiritual temple of anointed Christians". It will start from God's House and then this period will include everybody. 

2) the Philidelphians (who can easily picture all of the Church until the coming of the Lord) were admonished to continue keeping this which they had, that is their loyalty to God until  the Lord comes to  protect them as a reward for their faithfulness.

So if "the time of testing" was the years 1918, 1919 (as the Jehovah's Witness Organization suggests) then simply, the anointed should have already demonstrated patience and thus they would have already taken their reward (which they didn't!). As a result they would end their patience for the Lord's Coming there (which they also didn't do!)

So, the  view which is expressed in the Watchtower publication, Revelation—Its Grand Climax At Hand! in chapter 12, pages 62-64 provides absolutely no biblical basis to "calculate" in advance the testing period .It is also interesting that the New Greek Translation of the Bible (TGV) renders the phrase "hour of trial" as the "time of final temptation" (TGV). It's called final, because simply, there is no other! 

Unfortunately, the the same previously mentioned chronological error is made by Watchtower 1/12/99 page 16  which both support that the "the major “hour of test” occurs in “the Lord’s day” during “the time of the end,” where we now are. (Revelation 1:10; Daniel 12:4) Spirit-anointed Christians went through a particular time of testing during and immediately following World War I. Yet, “the hour of test” is still on." The same Watchtower applied John's words in Revelation 3:10 concerning "the whole inhabitant earth" to the "great multitude" of Jehovah's Witness believers (!) This is totally wrong. The "great multitude" class appears after the beginning of great tribulation when the saints will have already taken their final seal as a sign of approval from God-that is AFTER their testing (Revelation 7:9-17).There is no earthly class of Christians which is in trial now or after 1919. There is nothing in the Scriptures to say so. There is no call for someone to be a Christian with an earthly hope too, as we are going to see in following articles.

 Watchtower's use of Revelation and Daniel to prove that the testing of God's House has already taken place is with no biblical support. You can't find the so called "testing period" of 1914/1919 anywhere in the Scriptures. In fact, Jehovah's Organization has recently associated Daniel 12:4 to the principle of restoration of biblical truths (see Enjoy Life Forever! Lesson 19/point 4, Watchtower 7/2022 p.7, par.17) and not with some time of "testing".

It still seems though to be a confusion in the understanding of some Christians who stick to chronological calculations - e.g., Charles Russell, who was mentioned earlier as placing this test toward the end of the ages, wrote in another WatchTower that for the saints that time had already arrived (WatchTower Reprints R5678:4, R5981:1, 5184:4) and these tests were  to do with the period of the Harvest (!) . He implied also that Christians were tested in their patience because of the  unholy teachings of the world such as  the theory of evolution or higher criticism of the Bible, i.e. things that put one's faith to the test (WatchTower Reprints R5098:2, 5718:3, 4264:1, 3909:5, 3760:5, 2836:1, 2792:6). 

This idea is reproduced unfortunately by other "russellist" writers such as the late Russell Collins (of the Free Bible Student Movement) who wrote in his Revelation Commentary book ,"The Few and the Many"  that “we who  find ourselves in these times that begun in Philadelphia  are indeed in the hour of trial”  (page 100)

The point is that these are not the final temptation or the final test. Indeed many Christians unfortunately they fall from their faith because of such worldly theories, so there can be no reward of protection from God "due to their keeping their patience" in that  "present" trial period! Quite the contrary our theme text emphasizes that the final period of testing associates with the coming of the Lord  (see Revelation 3:11), not with an "invisible" presence (which is a different story). 

Why did these Christian brothers make that mistake which the Watchtower today hasn't changed it yet?

The above chronological error into which faithful anointed and others fell, was because it was considered that 1914 -1916 started  the period of tribulation for the church , which would eventually result in the great tribulation described by Jesus in Matthew 24:20,21 and  also in Revelation 7:14 (See WatchTower Reprints R5864:4). The Bible doesn't support such an interpretation and thus the Watchtower rejected it in w13 15/7 pages 3-8 . However, it still holds that the time of testing was the 1919 period in order to prove that the faithful slave was chosen back then and was found worthy of Jesus' rewarding His saints' patience. But that never occured since the Bible supports that the hour of trial is still coming!

WHAT'S THE REAL POINT

There was not an ''elite'' group  of Christians  which was rewarded  or appointed to give the absolute truth to the rest of Jesus' Household. The Scriptures support that the Christians have to endure until the end of the age and then, if found worthy, they will be rewarded (Matthew 24:13). The same includes these who take the lead among God's people today. They have not prioven yet what they really are . They will prove what they do only if they are patiently waiting for their Lord to come, while serving His spiritual food to the rest of His Household and this task will be until Jesus' coming to reward them (Matthew 24:45-51). It hasn't taken place yet! This should be an illustration for those who think they have already taken their reward and ''govern'' by their own will God's Church. The hour of trial is yet to come and will start from God's House and then unto all the inhabitant earth as the great tribulation will be about to take place after Jesus' Coming to His spiritual Temple(1 Peter 4:17)!Let us all who confess Him, be found worthy by Him and be able to stand before the Son of Man in His Coming(Luke 21:36)