Resuming our study of the Book of Revelation, we’ll focus on Chapter 2, verses 8-11, examining the Church of Smyrna( undoubtedly facing persecution) and the message it received.
Revelation 2: 8-11 ( ESV)
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[a] 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.’
Verse 8: How Christ Introduces Himself
In the commentary I was using for this study, it was mentioned that the term ‘Smyrna’ translates to ‘bitter’, and is closely associated with ‘myrrh’. The congregation we are about to delve into, as depicted in verses 9-11, was enduring persecution because of their unwavering faith. This is why the LORD presented Himself as the First and the Last, the one who died and came to life.
Firstly, by doing so, He empathizes and identifies with their affliction, having Himself been persecuted on a far more intense scale, even though He was without sin. To a congregation grappling with persecution, receiving this fresh, divine message or ‘rhema’ from the LORD is undoubtedly comforting.
The title ‘First and Last’ refers to the fact that all of history is initiated and culminated by Him. Meanwhile, ‘the one who died and came back to life’ alludes to His death and subsequent resurrection. In essence, He signifies that He holds the chronicles of the universe and the entirety of humanity in His hands and that death cannot hold Him hostage.
For a church dealing with persecution and distress, these words serve as an immensely reassuring and uplifting starting point.
Verse 9: Approval
The Lord tells the church that HE is well aware of their tribulation, and the question we must ask ourselves is what tribulation He is referring to. The good news is that HE already tells them that HE is not oblivious to their tribulation. We should recall our introduction of the Book of Revelation, specifically the topic of emperor worship. It’s highly likely that the Church in Smyrna declined to recognize Caesar as Lord.
Smyrna was a crucial hub for the Roman imperial cult, and anyone who dared deny Caesar’s lordship was bound to be excluded from the guilds, leading to unemployment and extreme poverty. This is likely the predicament the Church in Smyrna faced.
Yet, the Lord offers another remarkable insight. Their trials had indeed led to their poverty (a lack of material wealth), but despite their earthly impoverishment, they were rich in eternal values. To be ‘rich’ in this context means to possess an abundance of divine blessings and eternal values. They were considered ‘rich’ because they chose not to forfeit their souls for worldly gain. They were prepared to endure severe poverty to uphold the authenticity of their testimony, which, in the eyes of the Lord, signified true richness. This concept defies worldly norms, where comfort, sustenance, and material possessions often tempt individuals to compromise their faith.
In addition to enduring persecution and extreme poverty, the church was also subjected to slander from a specific group. Jesus refers to this group as those who profess to be Jews but are in fact a ‘synagogue of Satan’. But how should we interpret this?
To understand why Jesus referred to the Jews in verse 9 as not true Jews, we need some historical context. In the Roman Empire, everyone was usually expected to worship the emperor, but the Jews( traditional Judaizers of Jewish descent) were given a special exemption because they strongly objected to this practice. They agreed to pray for and offer sacrifices for the emperor, which let them live somewhat peacefully with Rome.
At first, early Christians also benefited from this exemption because Romans saw Christianity as a branch of Judaism. But over time, especially after Christians didn’t join the Jews9traditional Judaizers of Jewish descent) in rebelling against Rome in AD 70, the two groups became distinctly separate.
In some areas, Jews reported Christians to Roman authorities if they didn’t worship the emperor. This seems to be what happened to Polycarp, a bishop in Smyrna during the second century, who was killed for only worshiping Christ. The Jews (traditional Judaizers of Jewish descent) in Smyrna slandered the Christians by revealing their refusal to worship the emperor.
They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 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. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Verses 10-11: The Admonition
It’s interesting to note that no words of accusation were directed at the church in Smyrna. Often, believers flourish spiritually during times of hardship. Although they were rejected by people, they were accepted by God. But, the Lord did warn them that they would face more suffering. The key phrase was -Do not fear what you’re about to suffer.
By saying that, Jesus is already informing them about His sovereignty, He is in control and knows the end from the beginning, remember He already told them in His opening message that He was the first and the last ( meaning all history is in His hands). Some of them would be thrown in prison and tested; and the ten days mentioned were symbolic, they meant that the testing was going to be brief. Remembering His opening message also provides important context for this verse. He stated that He was the one who died and came back to life.
Some of the Smyrna believers were going to die for their faith and were probably fearful but He reassured them that they were not going to be hurt by the second death. How are we to understand this? The first death refers to their physical death or departure from this world, while the second death means eternal separation from God and enduring His eternal wrath. They would be awarded the crown of life, eternal life with God, due to their faithfulness. Even if they were martyred, they would enter heaven wearing crowns and hearing the words, “well done my faithful servant.”
PS: I started Tayibs.com for the sole purpose of exploring difficult questions about the Christian faith that most of us shy away from. All the content generated on this website is thoroughly analyzed prior to being shared. And the site is run solely by myself, your generous support is very much appreciated
My name is Tayib Salami and I started Tayibs.com for the sole purpose of exploring difficult questions about the Christian faith that most of us shy away from. In 2017, I entered a very dark time in my life and it’s only by the grace of the Living God that I’m still alive today. It led me to really go deeper in my faith and consider a myriad of questions that I never thought about asking myself or others before. Welcome and enjoy the ride with me.