Faithful unto Death

What is the significance of Jesus’ description in verse 8?

first & last - Eternality

died & came to life - Resurrection

The Church is undergoing tribulation at the time the letter was written

Why is this Church considered poor?

Jesus declares that they are actually rich (present tense statement)

In what way were the Jews slandering these Christians?

These Jews are unbelievers - Jesus labeled them as a synagogue of satan

The Adversary is mentioned twice: Satan (v. 9) and the devil (v. 10)

Satan does have some level of power - he is the agent responsible for some of the Church members being sent to prison

The persecution is a form of testing. The testing is spiritual, not physical (at least in the primary sense)

The Template of the Letter to the Church at Smyrna

Description of Jesus (Rev. 1:8)

Jesus is described as the first and the last. This addresses His Eternality.

He also declares that He is the One who died and came to life. A clear reference to His Atoning death on the Cross and His glorious Resurrection from the dead.

Commendation (Rev 1:9)

Jesus tells them He is aware of their persecution. He knows they are remaining faithful even though others are lying about them

Rebuke - NONE!

Exhortation / Reward (Rev 1:10-11)

Jesus prepares them for the increase in persecution and promises a crown of life to those who remain faithful.

Jesus encourages His followers by Revealing Himself (Rev 2:8)

Explanation: Jesus reminds them of His Eternality. As the Creator, Jesus is outside of time and can be at all points simultaneously - He is in the Eternal Now. As such, Jesus is telling these persecuted believers that He is fully aware of their situation. They have not been forgotten or abandoned.

Example from the OT: The Jews were at the point of despair thinking that God had left them. The prophet Isaiah reminded them otherwise (cf Isaiah 40:27-28)

He also refers to His own death and resurrection. Jesus went through His own time of persecution and suffering, but that was not the end of the story. His Resurrection is what guarantees our Resurrection (cf John 11:25)

Application: Our answer for discouragement / despair under hardship is the same - look to the Risen Christ. He is the One who overcame and He is the One who always remains with us!

Persecution purifies the Church (Rev 2:9)

Explanation: The first 250 years of the Church were turbulent and trying. The Empire had little love for Christians and at several periods engaged in all-out efforts to wipe out all Christians. Some of these periods of persecution were localized, some were Empire wide. Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96) instituted the first systematic persecution of Christians throughout the Empire. He was in power at the writing of Revelation and was the one responsible for John’s exile to Patmos.

Persecution generally has an economic aspect as well as a physical. The Jews in 1930’s Germany were not allowed to own businesses after a certain point and were forced to live in ghettos before they started being exterminated by the Nazis.

Also, many Christians in the first centuries of the Church came from the lower class. The elites looked down on the idea of following the teachings of a common criminal who had been executed by the State. As a group, these Christians did not have much in the way of material goods. The evaluation of the Lord, however, was that they were actually rich. Jesus is referring to the purity of their faith.

Argument: Moderns love comfort, at least moderns in the West. We like having our stuff and not having it rough. When the persecution levels increase, we will probably see a mass exodus from the Church. Heat purifies elements and the dross is removed; persecution will remove the dross in terms of false believers.

Persecution is for a season (Rev. 2:10)

Explanation: Jesus is preparing this group of believers for a season of persecution which would soon be upon them. The Risen Christ who knows all things, relates that this season of intense tribulation would have a duration of 10 days.

Dependent upon the interpretation system for the entire book, one will arrive at different outcomes for the 10 days. Some see the 10 days representing 10 Caesars from Nero until Diocletian, some view the number 10 as symbolizing completeness, while the literal system views it as an intense persecution lasting 10 days.

The take away for us is that persecution against the Church of Christ is not a new circumstance and that it does not last forever. Jesus told us that “in the world ye shall have tribulation,” but He added the exhortation, “but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Application: When, not if, persecution comes, the Church will be strengthened by the power and presence of Christ. He will not necessarily act to stop it, even though it lies within His power to do so. [He could have stopped it from taking place in Smyrna in the 1st century, but He did not].

Persecution is never to be sought, because it is not fun, it leads to economic hardship, loss of freedom, and physical hardship, even death.

Jesus promises Eternal rewards to those who overcome (Rev. 2:10b - 11)

Explanation: The Risen Christ makes a promise to the members at Smyrna. He exhorts them to be “faithful unto death,” and that He will reward them with a crown of life. He also reminds them that even though they may die a martyr’s death physically, they will not be “hurt of the second death” (Rev. 2:11)

Illustrate: quote from martyred missionary to the Auca Indians: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose” - Jim Elliot

Argument: Too many of us are too heavily anchored in this world to consider the wealth of the one to come. We are so comfortable that we cannot begin to conceive of how God could be with us if we lose our stuff.