―To the angel of the church in

Smyrna write…‖

The persecuted church

―And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:

‗I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ‗Do not fear

what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested,

and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ‗He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He

who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.‘ ‖ (Revelation 2:8–11)

The Letter to Smyrna

Interesting Fact…

Smyrna is one of two churches addressed by Christ where there is no condemnation; no discussion of sin or

punishment coming from the Lord. Why? Perhaps it has been purged of sin through its suffering.

General Background on Smyrna

• Name derived from ―myrrh‖. Myrrh was used for perfume and also used for dead bodies; became a symbol for death and may be a picture of suffering for this church

• Destroyed, but re-founded by Alexander the Great in 334 B.C.

• Built a temple to honor the Roman emperor in A.D. 26; became a seat of the imperial cult

• Had about 3,000 people around the time of Christ

• Never discussed in Scripture how church was founded

• The city (about 300K people) and a church is still there

Spiritual Condition of Smyrna

• One of the centers of emperor worship

• Each year, a family had to burn incense on Caesar‘s alter and then they were issued a certificate; being without a certificate meant to risk death

• Also a center of worship for a number of false deities such as Aphrodite, Apollo, and Zeus – all had temples in the city

The Caesar at the Time – Domitian

• Reigned from 81-96 A.D.• Demanded to be addressed as

Dominus et Deus (Lord and God), basing the legitimacy of his reign on the emperor's divinity

• Under Domitian, there arose for the first time the persecution of Christians by the state on religious grounds. In 96 in Rome members of the imperial household were called to account for the charge of violating the state religion. And in the Christian tradition Domitian is unanimously regarded as the first persecutor of Christians after Nero.

Brief Review of Emperor Worship

Egyptian kings regarded as sons of gods

Alexander the Great encounters divine kingship; worshipped

Emperor worship begins in 29 B.C. in Ephesus with Julius Caesar

Caligula (A.D. 37) first to allow veneration of living Roman Caesar

Those coming after (e.g. Domitian) saw political value from being deified

Polycarp was born in A.D. 70, was a disciple of John, and the pastor of the Smyrna church for a while. He was put to death around 50 years after Revelation was written for refusing to proclaim ― Kaiser kyrios‖, or ―Caesar is Lord‖. Some have said he was the 12th martyr in Smyrna. When put forward in the stadium, he

was asked to make the statement ―away with the atheists‖ meaning the Christians, who Rome referred to as atheists because they would not recognize the gods of Rome or the emperor as a god. Instead, he looked to the crowd and motioned,

saying ―away with the atheists‖ meaning the Romans who worshipped false gods. Polycarp was then, at 86 years of age, burned and then run through with a sword.

―The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this‖

The Opening of the Letter

• ―Who has performed and accomplished it, Calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‗I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.‘ ‖ (Isaiah 41:4)

• ―Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‗I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. ‖ (Isaiah 44:6)

• ―Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. ‖ (Isaiah 48:12)

• ―You are My witnesses,‖ declares the Lord, ―And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. ‖ (Isaiah 43:10)

―The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this‖

The Opening of the Letter

• Christ‘s resurrection stands unique from all other founders of world religions

• It was the central message of the apostles‘ teaching

• ―who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord‖ (Romans 1:4)

• Here, it likely is included to give comfort to the suffering church that, even if they are martyred, they will live because Christ conquered death

―For what remains if Christ has been swallowed up by death — if he has become extinct — if he has been

overwhelmed by the curse of sin — if, in fact, he has been overcome by Satan?

In short, if that fundamental article is subverted, all that remains will be of no

moment. For the same reason he [Paul] adds, that their faith will be vain, for what solidity of faith will there be, where no hope of life is to be seen?

But in the death of Christ, considered in itself, there is seen

nothing but ground of despair, for he cannot be the author of salvation to

others, who has been altogether vanquished by death.‖

- John Calvin

Bridging the Gap Between History & Faith

HistoricalInformation

The Gospel

Resurrection of Jesus Christ from

the Dead

How do you get from this world to the world of faith?

“I know your Tribulation…”

• Smyrna is the suffering church. Likely persecuted by those of the Imperial / Emperor cult

• "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution‖ (2 Timothy 3:12)

• ―If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. ‖ (John 15:18)

• ―Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. ‖ (1 John 3:13)

“I know your Tribulation…”

• 2011 in Egypt was rung in with the bombing of a Coptic church in Alexandria that left 23 dead

• ―About 90 percent of the population here believes that slitting our throats is their way to heaven.‖ – Maged, anonymous blogger in Egypt

―Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith

produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in

nothing. ‖ (James 1:2–4)

“And your Poverty (but you are rich)…”

• ―poverty‖ – ptocheia – state of being deficient in means of support (different than the ordinary word for poverty in the New Testament)

• Jesus reminds them to look behind the physical here to their treasure that awaits them in His kingdom. Contrast with the ‗rich‘ church of Laodicea

―…and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ‖

(Revelation 2:9)

Blasphemy of the False Jews

• Smyrna was being persecuted by the Gentiles (Romans) on the one hand, and the Jews on the other

• Jesus identifies the blasphemy of the Jews as showing their true identity apart from their national identity

• ―For ―the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,‖ just as it is written. ‖ (Romans 2:24)

• "He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, he is a Jew who is one inwardly‖ (Romans 2:28)

• ―You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.‖ (John 8:44)

“Do Not Fear What you are about to suffer…”

• ―Do not fear‖ – most often repeated command in the New Testament

• Notice that God knows the suffering is coming, and yet is allowing it to happen

• ―Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. ‖ (1 Peter 4:19)

―Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have

tribulation for ten days. . .‖ (Revelation 2:10)

The True Source of Persecution

• ―Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! ‖ (2 Corinthians 12:7)

• ―For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us. ‖ (1 Thess. 2:18)

• ―Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. ‖ (1 Peter 5:8)

Word Study - Tested

peirazo ① make an effort to do something② discover the nature of something by testing③ an attempt to entrap through inquiry

Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature.

Greek Meaning

Interpretation & Application

Perhaps the reason Smyrna receives no rebuke is the church has been and continues to be purified by testing. What do the ten days refer to? Some say the 10 reigns of the Roman

Caesars, others say it refers to the 10 horns of the beast, and various commentators say it means just 10 literal days. No one is sure. What is sure, however, is that the statement communicates that there are limits to the devil‘s power and the trials he puts the saints

under. The time limits for our testing are controlled by God.

―Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you

will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days‖

(Revelation 2:10)

―Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.‖ (Revelation 2:10)

The Goal

How long/far into a Christian‘s life must they remain faithful to God before they are proven worthy to obtain eternal life? Can someone

abandon their faith part way through, walk away from God, and still be saved? According to this verse, it is those who are faithful until the

end who receive eternal life.

The Goal

―I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the

crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but

also to all who have loved His appearing. ‖ (2 Timothy 4:7–8)

Faithful under pressure

―Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown

of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. ‖

(James 1:12)

A command to Hear

―‗He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.‖ (Revelation 2:7)

This phrase is repeated each time in Christ‘s address to the seven churches of Revelation. In

the gospels (it is never used in John), it is always used to highlight radical truths, great

principles, and promises.

Note that Jesus says it is the Spirit speaking to the churches, even though He is the actual one talking: ―All Scripture is inspired by God

and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness‖

(2 Timothy 3:16)

A Promise to Obtain

―He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death ‖ (Revelation 2:11)

―Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ‖

(1 John 5:5)

The Second Death

―Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. ‖ (Revelation 20:14)

―But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their

part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.‖ (Revelation 21:8)

Conclusions

• Trials and testing quickly separates the wheat from the chaff. False believers don‘t stick around for persecution, which is one way you can know who is real and who is not.

• Trials and persecution from the world will come our way. Suffering does happen and can actually be God‘s will for us. However, Peter reminds us to always trust ourselves to a faithful Creator who always does what is right.

• Those who persevere to the end show that they have saving faith.

―To the angel of the church in

Smyrna write…‖