In our theme scripture the Lord Jesus sends a message to the Church in Philadelphia saying, "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." The hour of temptation that shall befall the whole earth is the great tribulation and He told them that they will be kept from it. That means an exemption. Isaiah gave a prophetic picture of this exemption in Isaiah 26:20, "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be over past". This depicts exemption of God's people from trouble. This exemption is through the rapture of the Church. This is a token of God's love for His Church.

You must understand that the Church of Jesus Christ is the restraining force of evil in the world. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 WEB states, "Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way". The Church is the restriction or withholding force for the manifestation of the anti-Christ to unleash his wickedness to the full. The taking away of that force of restriction will usher in the tribulation period. This means that the Church of Jesus Christ will not go through the great tribulation. The Church cannot coexist with the antichrist in office. The rapture of the Church is our exemption from that hour of temptation which will befall the earth. Hallelujah.