seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 2:8 “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.
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.
Smyrna: This was a large, beautiful, and proud city. It was a center of learning and culture, and was proud of its standing as a city. “Smyrna was an outstandingly beautiful city. It claimed to be the ‘Glory of Asia.’” (Barclay)
Smyrna: We also know from history that it was a city deeply committed to idolatry and the worship of the Roman Emperor. On one famous street in Smyrna, called the “Golden Street,” stood magnificent temples to Cybele, Apollo, Asklepios, Aphrodite, and a great temple to Zeus — but the worship of those pagan gods was dying out. The real focus was on the worship of the Roman Emperor.
In a.d. 23 Smyrna won the privilege (over 11 other cities) to build the first temple to worship the Emperor Tiberius Caesar. Smyrna was a leading city in the Roman cult of Emperor worship.
The Roman Emperor Domitian (a.d. 81-96) was the first to demand worship under the title “Lord” from the people of the Roman Empire as a test of political loyalty. According to ancient church history, it was under the reign of Domitian that John was banished to the Island of Patmos where he received this vision.
“All that the Christians had to do was to burn that pinch of incense, say, ‘Caesar is Lord,’ receive their certificate, and go away and worship as they pleased. But that is precisely what the Christians would not do. They would give no man the name of Lord; that name they would keep for Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. They would not even formally conform.” (Barclay)
I know your works: Jesus knew the works of the church in Ephesus also (Revelation 2:2). In Smyrna, Jesus also knew their works, tribulation, and poverty. He knows these hardships both in the sense that He saw what happened to them, and in the sense that He knew their hardships by His personal experience.
Poverty: According to history, Smyrna was a prosperous city. Yet the Christians there were poor. “The word used for ‘poverty’ is the word for abject poverty. They were not just poor.” (Walvoord)
The Christians of Smyrna knew poverty because they were robbed and fired from jobs in persecution for the gospel. Early Christians joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven (Hebrews 10:34). This kind of economic persecution was one important reason why Christians were poor in Smyrna. Even today, this is a common form of persecution against Christians.
I know the blasphemy: Jesus knew the abuse these Christians endured at the hands of “religious” men, those who say they are Jews and are not.
Rich: Every outward circumstance said that the Christians in Smyrna were poor, even destitute, but Jesus saw through the circumstances to see that they were really rich. “Sweet smelling Smyrna, the poorest but purest of the seven.” (Trapp)
Do not fear: Literally, this is better translated “stop being afraid.” The Christians in Smyrna suffered under persecution, and they were afraid. Sometimes we think that Christians who endure persecution are almost super-human, and we sometimes don’t appreciate the depths of fear they struggle with. There were things which they were about to suffer, and Jesus wanted them ready to stand against those things.
The devil is about to throw some of you into prison: Here, Jesus described the nature of the persecution that would come against the Christians in Smyrna. Apparently, they would be imprisoned, and for a specific period of time (you will have tribulation ten days).
According to Jesus, the persecution about to come against the Christians of Smyrna was from the devil. At the same time it was measured and limited by God. Surely, the devil wanted to imprison them for a longer time, but God limited the tribulation to ten days.
Being thrown into prison was severe persecution. In that day, prison was never used to rehabilitate someone, and rarely used to punish someone. Normally, you were thrown into prison as you awaited trial and execution.
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life: What Jesus said to this church is important, but what He didn’t say is also important. Jesus didn’t have a single word of rebuke or correction for the Christians in Smyrna. All He had was the promise of a crown — and the encouragement to be faithful until death, which is literally “become faithful until death.” (Walvoord)
There are two different words for crown in the ancient Greek language. One described the kind of crown a king would wear, a crown of royalty. The other kind of crown — the stephanos, used here — is given as a trophy to a winning athlete. Jesus looks at the Christians of Smyrna, and says to them: “You are My winners. You deserve a trophy.”
He who has an ear: Though the Spirit has something to say to us through every one of the churches, this letter to the Christians in Smyrna may apply least of all to modern, western Christians. To this point, we simply don’t face the kind of persecution the Christians in Smyrna experienced. Polycarp was a remarkable example of both the persecution and the courage of early Christians.
Nevertheless, the day of martyrs is definitely not past. All over the world, Christians face persecution, especially in Asia, Eastern Europe, and in the Muslim world. Some people estimate that more Christians have suffered and died for their faith in the 20th Century than in all previous centuries combined.
He who overcomes: This was a promise for overcomers. This promise is for those who overcome the threat of persecution, and the presence of persecution.
Shall not be hurt by the second death: Those who overcome in Jesus will never be hurt by the second death. The second death is hell, the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14 and 21:8). Though Satan threatened and attacked their life, Jesus promises His overcomers that death is conquered for them.
“The second death was a Jewish rabbinic expression for the total extinction of the utterly wicked.” (Barclay)
“All men died, but all are not killed with death… Oh, it is a woeful thing to be killed with death.” (Trapp)
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Please go to the commentary under verse 11 and read the story of Polycarp.
He was burned at the stake because he refused to burn incense and say "Ceasar is Lord".
Come on y'all. We all know politicians who are actually just Pew Warmers. That's the only way they can win the elections. They go to the churches, even different denominations, and they beg for a laying on of hands. Then the people in the church think "they must be Christian" and they vote for them because of that action. It happens in all churches and in all levels of politics. There are plenty of county commissioners, congressmen, senators, and even heads of state today who are just Pew Warmers for the vote!
Just because a man goes into the church and finds a favorite place to sit, we cannot assume the man is a Chrisian. Just because a man has convinced the leaders of the church to lay hands on him in a public display, we cannot assume the man is a Christian. They insist on our loyalty while lying about their Christian Witness.
The commentary uses the example of a Christan named Polycarp. God warned Polycarp, in a dream, he would be burned at the stake. All Polycarp had to do, to avoid being burned alive, was burn a little incense in a burner and say "Ceasar is Lord". Polycarp refused. He was old and frail and still the powers that be burned him alive!!!! Just because he wouldn't declare the political leader was "Lord".
The people of Smyrna were warned they would be imprisoned or even put to death. The people of Smyrna would be picked up from their homes and shipped to prisons where they would have to stay. It wouldn't be forever but it would be a long sentence.
Verse 10 states some of us will be imprisoned for being Christian. Christians will refuse to be loyal to anyone but Jesus and His Father. Christians will refuse to let the state tell us who we can worship.
We, like Polycarp, are called to stand our ground, even if it means we'll be burned alive. That's a pretty big ask!!!!
Jesus wants Christians to stand our ground. If we do, we will go to Heaven and our burns will be healed. We will be the ones who survived the martyrdom.
Later in this Book we will meet the martyrs. They will be the ones saying "How much longer?"
The Christians who lived in Smyrna were poor because of their faith. The Christians who lived in Smyrna were fired from their jobs because of their faith. The Christians who lived in Smyrna were jailed because of their faith. The Christians who lived in Smyrna were burned alive because of their faith. The Christians in Smyrna were put in prisons for 10 years!
Were those 10 years in human years or in Godly years?
Christians don't kowtow to Pew Warming Politicians.
Being a Christian in Smyrna could get you fired, burned out, imprisoned, or murdered!!!!
Jesus knew their pain. He told them to hang in there... He was coming back to avenge them.
Christians don't kowtow to Pew Warming Politicians.
