SMYRNA, SAVED TO SUFFER
#219 SMYRNA, SAVED TO SUFFER
Scripture Revelation 2:8-11 NIV Orig. Date 1/23/1966
Rewr. Dates 9/12/1986
Attached: 10/17/1999 for Alabama Baptist Church
Passage: 8 “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.
Purpose: Continuing a series from the Revelation letters, showing how a church under severe persecution was secure in the care of God.
Keywords: Church Faithfulness Suffering
Timeline/Series: Revelation Letters
Introduction
Smyrna is the only one of the cities listed among these seven that still survives. It is the modern Turkish city of Izmir. It was near to Ephesus, about 35 miles north on the Aegean coast. Documents survive that tell of Polycarp, an early pastor, and his martyrdom.
The following account of Polycarp’s death is recorded in Bettenson’s Documents of the Christian Church1:
Polycarp was brought before the proconsul in the stadium at Smyrna. At the time it was filled with a mob, itching for a blood-letting.
Proconsul: “Curse the Christ.”
Polycarp: “Eighty-six years have I served Him and He hath done me no wrong; how can I blaspheme my king who saved me?”
Proconsul: “Swear by the genius of Caesar.”
Polycarp: “I am a Christian.”
Proconsul: “I have wild beasts, repent or I will throw you to them.”
Polycarp: “Send for them, for repentance from better to worse is not a change permitted us.”
Proconsul: “I will make thee to be consumed by fire if thou repentest not.”
Polycarp: “Thou threatenest the fire that burns for an hour and in a little while is quenched; for thou knowest not the fire of judgment to come, and the fire of eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly.”1
I. The Text First Tells of Smyrna’s Saviour.
The church needed to know that this message was from the Lord. V8 “These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive.” To Ephesus—It had been the One walking “amidst . . . seven golden candlesticks.” Ephesus needed to remember sovereignty. Smyrna needed the message of hope in face of tribulation.
The message was with great clarity The One dead for their sin. The One alive to make intercession.
We need to be reminded about this church. The name Smyrna means myrrh. Myrrh had to be crushed to emit its fragrance. Not a church [in a] magnificent building but one gathering in caves and catacombs; hated, outlawed, persecuted.
The Lord reminds them of His positional sovereignty. He knows their works; tribulation, poverty, blasphemy of enemies. He knows how to counsel their struggles.
II. The Text Next Teaches of Smyrna’s Spirituality.
The spirituality of work: actually, the word “works” does not appear. The rendering is “I know you.” In the Christian faith, there is no difference between us and our works.
The spirituality of tribulation: literally, the pressure of crushing weight, used of woman in childbirth, city under siege. 2 Corinthians 1:6: “And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” See 2 Corinthians 11;24-30.
The spirituality of poverty: it is the term for one destitute of wealth. 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” Luke 6:20 “Blessed are ye poor.” They live in an antagonistic environment. Think of the Jews during World War II. Blacks in South Africa today. Believers in Russia.
Penia—one who has nothing extra. Ptocheia—one who has nothing. Christians were from lower classes, often were slaves.
III. The Text Goes on to Describe Smyrna’s Satanic Surroundings. V9 “I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan.”
There were ex-church members who became Jews to prevent losing their few possessions. Their problems were brought on by Jews. Antioch—Acts 13:50; Iconium—Acts 14:2,5; Lystra—Acts 14:19; Thessalonica—Acts 17:5. The Christian does not have the option of anti-semitism: Christ was a Jew.
These were, in reality, Jews who had sold out their religious heritage by worshiping the emperor. Romans 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly. . . . But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter. . . .”
IV. The Teaching Goes on to Include Smyrna’s Suffering. V10 “The devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days.”
Tribulation—same word as before.
The significance of “Ten.” Literal ten days; ten imperial persecutions—from Nero (64 AD to 312 AD) there were ten imperial persecutions; a brief period; extreme, complete persecution.
Remember significance of name—myrrh. They would be cast into prison. Prisons were to await execution. Matthew 10:28 “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.”
The futurists believe that Smyrna represented the church age between AD 170-312.
V. Finally, the Text Declares Smyrna’s Salvation. V10 “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Not the diadema (royal crown) but the stephanos (victor wreath).
Smyrna was famous for its games (Olympic). Location of Mt. Pagos—crown of Smyrna.
The promise to the overcomer. V11 “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” Shall not, never. “Second death”—Rabbinic term for death of wicked in next world. Death in the sense of physical demise. Romans 6:23 “Wages of sin is death.” Death in the sense of final punishment. Death in the sense of unpardonable sin.
Conclusion
Here having our first encounter with numbers we are required to deal with what we may expect. Later we will encounter 666, the number of the beast, the facilitation of evil. It is so because it comes short of the perfect number 777. When Nero Caesar was transposed into Hebrew from Greek, the number assignments totaled 666. The name Jesus, totaled 888. By contrast, we see the personification of evil in Nero; and the personification of good in Christ (888). We will have much to learn from these number evaluations as they appear in Revelation.
For Alabama Baptist Church on 10/17/1999: Revelation Letters
Superscription to the church—“To the angel of the church in Smyrna.”
2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14
Description of the divine author—“These are the words of Him who is the first and the last.”
2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14
Account of their spiritual conditions—“I know your afflictions and your poverty.”
2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15
Message of praise or censure—“Do not be afraid.”
2:2-4, 9-10, 13-14, 19-20; 3:1-2, 8, 15-16
Exhortation of some special need—“Do not be afraid.”
2:4, 10, 16, 20-22; 3:3, 9, 16
Promise to the one overcoming—“Be faithful . . . and I will give you the crown of life.”
2:7, 10, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 20
Attention commanded to the Spirit—“He who has an ear let him hear.”
2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22
1 Bettenson, H. (Ed.), (1967) Documents of the Christian Church (1st edition). Oxford: Oxford University.