Today we will be looking at the second of the 7 churches that Jesus examines in chapters two and three of Revelation, the church at Smyrna, which is referred to as the martyr church or the suffering church. As we study this passage, we will use the same 5 point study guide that was fully explained in yesterday’s study of the church at Ephesus. (If you missed it the study is titled, Revelation 2, Part 1 - Ephesus)
It’s an interesting side note that the order in which Jesus addresses the 7 churches is not random. If you look at a map, He addresses the churches in a very specific geographical order, similar to a clock-wise postal route. Ephesus sits closest to Patmos, the island where John was exiled and penned the book of Revelation. (v 1:9) Ephesus sits right on the coast of the Aegean Sea and it is the first church Jesus judges. Due north of Ephesus is Smyrna and due north of Smyrna is Pergamum (which we will look at in Chapter 2, part 3 tomorrow) From Pergamum you head East to find Thyatira and then you continue making a big rough loop to continue the circuit. I mention this because I think it continues the amazing level of order and structure within the book of Revelation. This entire book screams of order and structure, which should not surprise us as we serve a God that created order and structure.
Let’s now look at the passage on Jesus’ judgement of the church in Smyrna:
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” Rev 2:8-11
This is the shortest of all 7 church judgements and one of only two that have no condemnation or concern from Jesus. The church at Smyrna loves the Lord deeply and it showed in their long-suffering of persecution for Him, even to death. Let’s use our 5 study points to explore this church.
Jesus’ description of himself. “These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.” You’ll want to notice that throughout the seven judgments Jesus custom tailors the description of himself to fit the church He is addressing. Here he refers back to v. 1:17-18. He is the first and the last (the Alpha and Omega) Folks, there is no point in time where Jesus was not. You can hop in a DeLorean time machine and go back as far as you can imagine and when you open the door, Jesus will be there to give you a high five. You can hop back in your Delorean and go as far as you can think into the future and when you come to a stop, Jesus will be there waving at you. He is the beginning and He is the ending. He next specifically mentions that “He is who has died and came to life again.” This is very meaningful to the church at Smyrna, who we will see is going through great persecution, even unto their deaths. And Jesus will challenge them by telling them that even more persecution is coming. Throughout scripture you will notice that we cannot experience anything that Jesus has not already experienced. We might think we are persecuted at times, but folks, Jesus has already suffered and endured it all.
Commendation. “I know your afflictions.” Affliction is "something that causes pain or suffering" and notice that Jeuss uses the plural here, the church at Smyrna had many. The church at Smyrna was a hotbed of Roman control and Rome at this time was under Emperor Domitian who did not like Christians at all. It is estimated that approximately 5 million Christians were murdered during his reign. Jesus knew of their suffering and the fact that it was caused due to their professed faith in Him. How comforting to know that the God that has always been and will always be is aware of our personal pain and suffering. He next says “you are poor, yet you are rich!” (I love the exclamation point. Can’t you just feel the emphasis from Jesus here?) So what exactly does this mean? How can you be poor but also be rich? Many of the early Christian were destitute. They were beyond poor as many were simple slaves. They had nothing. But even if you had money, if it was found out that you were a Christian, all of your money and possessions were taken by the Roman government. Ouch. So you see, the church in Smyrna was indeed very poor. So where is their wealth? In their love for the Lord. You see, they were physically poor, but spiritually rich in Jesus. This is in direct contrast to the church at Laodicea, which is the 7th church Jesus examines in Revelation chapter 3. He says of Laodicea, ‘you are physically rich but spiritually bankrupt.’ Two churches of God, 2 completely different results. Next, Jesus tells them that He also knows about the slander from those that say they are Jews. This statement affirms that there were Jews that hated and rejected Jesus Christ in Smyrna. Jesus describes them as being “a synagogue of satan.” Ouch, not the side of Jesus you want to be on.
Concern or condemnation. Jesus has none for the church as Smyrna. There are only 2 churches that receive no condemnation, Smyrna and Philadelphia.
Command. Normally here the command for the church would be a command to correct the concern or condemnation Jesus had issued, but for Smyrna it is rather more of a warning. “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.” The command from Jesus here is Do Not Be Afraid. Jesus, after giving them this command gives them a heads up that some of them are going to be thrown in jail soon where more suffering will occur. Jesus says this suffering is directly from the devil and it will endure for 10 days. I’ve read commentaries that say the ten days is ten periods of suffering under Roman rule, but I see no offering from God’s Word other than it means 10 normal Earth days.
Promise. Jesus has 2 promises here for the church at Smyrna. As they were suffering greatly, our loving Lord sees it fit to offer them great consolation as a result in these 2 promises. “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” Jesus reminds them that their suffering on this Earth is only temporary. He has eternal life and a crown of victory reserved for them in heaven. What a beautiful reminder to stir up their faithful endurance. He says, 'No matter what you are suffering right now, just wait, Heaven and eternity with me is worth it!' We next see the second promise. “The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” What does the second death mean? The great preacher D.L. Moody was quoted as saying, “he who is born once will die twice, but he who is born twice will only die once.” What a great quote. You see we are all physically born once. And as we all just simply live this life, we will all eventaully die a physical death. But here is where everything depends on what you do with Jesus. Those that reject the eternal life Jesus offers will also suffer a spiritual death, being sent to Hell and eternal separation from God in heaven. One birth, two deaths. But if after that physical birth we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are born again in Him and will be with Him spiritually for eternity. We will be born twice and only suffer a physical death, not a spiritual one. This is the promise that Jesus is making here. We will not be hurt by the second death. What a beautiful promise that all believers in Christ should get on their knees and praise God for today.
What a great study today. It is an amazing privilege to be offered a view of these churches through the eyes of Jesus. Remember that this is not just a historical look at a few churches from a distant past, every church that proclaims Christ and teaches His Word today can and will fit into one of these 7 models. The conclusion might be hard to admit, but where is your church? We’ve already studied two and we’ve seen two that are completely different in the way they serve and love the Lord. Ephesus had lost it’s zeal for Jesus, but were still going through the motions of serving and worshipping Him. They were still doing much good, but at times they must have been asking themselves ‘why’ they were still doing it. And of course, today we see the church at Smyrna that was continuing to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus no matter the cost, even to the point of death.
But more importantly than asking ‘where is my church?’, we should be asking ‘where am I?’ You see the church is not a building. Its not brick, wood, carpet, and glass. The church is the body of Christ and that body is made up of individual believers and followers of Jesus Christ. The church is you and me. The real question I have to ask today is “Dan are you an Ephesus or are you a Smyrna?” Tough question, but Jesus already knows the answer. I pray today that I can serve Jesus in a way that receives His commendation and not His condemnation.
God bless you, and if you’re reading this you are being prayed for.
photo ~ "on campus", Southern Methodist Univeristy, Dallas, Texas, USA
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