Smyrna: Persecuted, But Prosperous (Revelation 2:8-11)

Happy Ever After

Smyrna: Persecuted, But Prosperous
Revelation 2:8-11
(One Mission: Through Many Tribulations)
October 12th, 2014

I. Introduction

This morning we continue our study of the book of the Revelation by exploring the second of the seven short letters that make-up chapters 2 and 3 of the book. This second letter was written to Christians in the city of Smyrna, about 40 miles north and slightly northwest of Ephesus.

II. The Passage: “The Church in Smyrna” (2:8-11)

Of the seven introductory letter, this letter to the Smyrneans is the shortest. Let's listen to the words of Jesus as He speaks to this community of believers. Verse 8...

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. [9] “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. [10] Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. [11] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

So as you may recall from last week, we talked about the fact that every one of these seven mini-letters follows the same basic pattern: each letter begins with a description of Jesus, followed by a diagnosis of the believers being addressed, followed by a directive to action. After this there is a danger to consider, and finally, a declaration of reward for those who conquer or overcome.

Let's move one by one through each of these parts as we try to better understand what Jesus is communicating to this church, and ultimately, what God is saying to us this morning.

A. Description of Jesus (2:8)

Look first at the description of Jesus in verse 8. As we've talked about, in these introductory letters, the description Jesus gives of Himself to each church is not only unique, but is drawn from the imagery contained in chapter 1. For example, compare 2:8 to what we read in chapter 1, verses 17 and 18:

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, [18] and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Clearly 2:8 place more emphasis on the fact that Jesus “came to life” after He died, and therefore, as 1:18 puts, He is “alive forevermore”. And as we talked about when we studied chapter 1, the title “first and last” (3x in Isaiah) is connected with the title “Alpha and Omega” (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet), a title used of God the Father in chapter 1:8. How do we know these two titles are connected? Because Jesus himself says in chapter 22:13...“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Why does Jesus use this particular title or description with this particular church? Well, let's see how the rest of the letter helps us answer that question.

B. Diagnosis of Believers (2:9)

Take a look again at verse 9 and the diagnosis Jesus gives of the healthiness or unhealthiness of the church in Smyrna. He reassures them when He states, “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and [I know] the slander [lit. the blasphemy] of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

How are these believers doing? They are suffering. How are they suffering? They are being persecuted. If the whole sentence describes three aspects of the same situation, then I think the tribulation these Christians are enduring involved the other two elements listed here, as well as in Hebrews 10. Listen to what we read there...

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, [33] sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction [or tribulations], and sometimes being partners with those so treated. [34] For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. (10:32-34)

As with the audience of the letter to the Hebrews, the poverty of the Smyrnean Christians may be related to the seizure of their property, as they were slandered for their faith. And who was behind this persecution? Some of the Jews of Smyrna. Obviously, as we find throughout the gospels, the book of Acts, and in many of the New Testament letters, many Jews (including Paul before his conversion) were violently opposed to the followers of Jesus, who they viewed as corrupters of the Jewish faith.

But notice the stinging indictment of Jesus: their opponents are those who say that they are Jews and are not...Who are they then? They are, in fact, a synagogue of Satan.

Both Jesus and Paul made similar comments: Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. [44] You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. (John 8:43-44a)

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. [29] But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. (Romans 2:28-29)

So Jesus knows both the reality of this church's suffering and the reality of those who are behind the suffering.

C. Directive to Action (2:10)

And when we look at the directive to action given by Jesus in verse 10, it is directly connected to the struggle this church is experiencing. Two imperatives, two commands stand out in this verse: “Do not fear” AND “Be faithful”. Why might they be afraid? Because they are about to be thrown in prison.

It's important to know that even before the Roman Empire, Smyrna had a temple to the patron goddess of Rome, and they were one of the earliest cities to engage in Emperor worship, beginning with Tiberius. This meant Christians who were called out by Jews, and who enjoyed no religious recognition or protection, they would have experienced legal and civic consequences when they failed to worship the Emperor Domitian. This is how they might have ended up in prison.

Instead of being afraid, Jesus calls them to be faithful. To what extent? Faithful even to death, if necessary. Yes, their imprisonment would only last ten days, but it may have been that some would go home, and some would go to their deaths. We can't be sure.

But remember who is speaking here: Jesus is the (1:5) “faithful witness” (lit. the faithful martyr). He is “the first and the last”. That is, He has all history in His hand, including theirs. He is the one who “died and came to life”. And here's where we begin to understand why Christ described himself in this way. As the “first and last”, as the conquer of death, only Jesus can say, “and I will give you the crown of life.” (lit. in Greek the crown of THE life, that is, of eternal life).

D. Danger to Consider

Now if we move onto the “danger to consider”, we discover that, just like the letter to the church in Philadelphia in 3:7-13, this church is given no warning. Why? Because the diagnosis given by Jesus contains no mention of unhealthiness in the church.

E. Declaration of Reward (2:11)

All we know about this church, all that Christ is focused on here, is the suffering they are experiencing. And in light of that suffering Jesus makes, as He did in the first letter, He makes (v. 11) a declaration of reward for “the one who conquers”. What does it mean to conquer? According to the previous verse, conquering must mean not succumbing to fear, but remaining faithful, even to the point of dying for Jesus.

And what reward is promised to these conquerors? The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. Now at this point, we don't know what is meant by “the second death”. This is why [Foothold #4], the book must be taken as a whole. Not until we get to chapters 20 and 21 do we get an explanation of what this phrase means. Listen to these verses...

This is the second death, the lake of fire. (20:14) ...the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. (21:8)

The “second death” is the opposite of “eternal life”. One is an eternity in the presence of God enjoying His blessings.

The other is an eternity away from the presence of God, suffering under His judgment. But through faith in Christ, which empowers faithfulness to Christ, we can enter eternity without fear of the second death.

III. Reminders for a Suffering Church

So what have we seen in this very short letter to the church at Smyrna? Well, we've seen Jesus Christ, the head of the body, the great Shepherd of the sheep, the Lord among His lampstands, we've seen Him encouraging a suffering church. Remember, these seven churches are seven historical churches. But they also represent the whole church. They are a pictures of any and every church and the issues any and every church might face.

And so for us this morning, our Lord wants to encourage us in light of the suffering we also might experience. I think there are three ways Jesus does this in His words to the Smyrnean believers.

First of all, Jesus reminds us of the fact before the fight. Yes, Jesus speaks to them in light of the “tribulation” they are currently experiencing. But He also tells them beforehand about the suffering that is ahead of them. As “the first and the last”, Christ wants them to understand that He knows everything in between. Their struggle does not take Him by surprise, and Jesus' desire is that they have the same firm footing. This is constant theme in the NT:

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

[They were] strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22)

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (I Peter 4:12)

When you get in a car accident, you don't leave home or leave work knowing what is to come. But if you did, and you knew the accident was inevitable, you would prepare yourself, wouldn't you. The same is true of suffering. Furthermore, that verse from Peter also connects with the letter to Smyrna in another way.

Number two, Jesus reminds us of the purpose behind the pain. If our struggles are part of a plan, then they come with a purpose. They are not random. They are not meaningless. These believers needed to know God had not abandoned them. They need to know they were not being punished by God. No! The true nature of their suffering was spiritual in nature. The Enemy, the devil was on the rampage and these disciples were in his crosshairs. We already know that their opponents are part of a “synagogue of Satan”, right?

But again, Jesus is “the first and the last”. Therefore, even this spiritual attack is a part of His purpose. Notice what Jesus reveals in verse 10: Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation.

Let's be clear, this is not a test Jesus needs to figure out who the best Christians are. Not at all. The true nature of our suffering is meant to prove the true nature of our faith. As Peter wrote to his readers: In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, [7] so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (I Peter 1:6-7)

True faith endures. And God allows us to be tested in order to gain glory through the powerful work He has done inside us. And as we see in verse 10, God even knows the extent of our struggle. It is all part of His perfect timetable for us. But look again at what lies at the end of that timeline.

Number three, Jesus reminds us of the crown beyond the cross. I think it's helpful to know that the crown mentioned here is not the diadema (diadem), like a ruler would wear. This is a stephanos (where the name Stephen comes from), and a stephanos was, in most cases, the kind of crown placed on a athlete's head after his victory. It was a winner's wreath, usually made of olive or laurel branches.

Think about the imagery there in terms of receiving “the crown of life”. Paul fleshes out this imagery in I Corinthians 9:24, 25: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. [25] Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

Imagine you were stranded on a desert island with almost no water and food, but you knew you would be rescued in a week AND you knew when you were rescued, you would be taken to another tropical island where you would enjoy food and fun, surf and sand to your heart's content. That would make a difference, wouldn't it? It would make a difference, not only knowing the extent of your lack, but also the fullness you would receive at the end. It would help you push through and hold on, right? Jesus wants to encourage them in the same way.

When His bride, His flock, His brothers, His church suffers, Jesus wants them to hear His words, “I know...I know your tribulation”. But He also wants them to know, that even though suffering often tempts us to see ourselves as empty, we are in fact the wealthiest people on the planet. Did you see how Christ here reminded this church, and reminds us, of the gospel? It's there in verse 9. Do you see it? “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)...'” This is exactly how Paul encouraged the Corinthians:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (II Corinthians 8:9)

As a church family and as individuals, when we suffer, when we struggle, we need to fight those feelings of inner poverty and receive this reminder that we are in fact rich because of the peace, forgiveness, hope, promises, the life purchased for on the cross us by the suffering of Jesus. And only that kind of wealth will truly satisfy. Only that kind of wealthy will last beyond the grave. Have you accepted that treasure? Are you spiritual wealthy in Jesus?

Brothers and sisters, “Do not fear”. “Be faithful.” I was encouraged by a quote I saw on Twitter this week. I think it sums up the heart of what Jesus said to Smyrna, and what Jesus now says to us...If you have Christ then all your pain is temporary; if you don't, then all your pleasure is temporary. (Caleb Suko)