The teaching that the seven churches of Rev. 2-3 chronicle Church history is man made, and is not specifically taught by the word of God. That being the case, why do so many people give Rev 3:10 as factual proof that the church will be taken out before the 70th week of Daniel?
I agree that interpreting Rev. 2-3 as a summary of Church history is man made, but a comparison of the two shows there is ample justification for doing so. It also fits the division of the Book of Revelation the Lord gave John in Rev. 1:19.
“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”
What John “has seen” is the visit from the Lord standing among seven golden lampstands (Rev. 1). What “is now” corresponds to the Church age ending with the rapture and translation of the Church to Heaven (Rev. 2-5), and what will take place later is Daniel’s 70th Week culminating in the 2nd Coming and the Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 6-22).
Also, in Rev. 3:10 Jesus said,
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”
There is only one time when an “hour of trial” will come upon the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth, and that’s during Daniel’s 70th Week.
Even so, if Rev. 3:10 was the only reference to a pre-tribulation rapture you might have a point. But in fact there are several others that are even clearer. Isaiah 26:19-21, Romans 5:9, Romans 11:25, Acts 15:13-18, 1 Thes. 1:10 and 1 Thes. 5:9 are examples. Together they build a strong case for the rapture taking place before Daniel’s 70th Week begins.