Revelation 2:8-11

Pray with me

If you are able - please stand for the reading of God’s word. We are reading from Revelation 2:8-11

Revelation 2:8–11 (CSB)

“Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life: I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days. Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.

This is the word of the Lord - please be seated.

The events at the beginning of World War II were dramatic and ramped up rather quickly with different events acting like dominoes causing a cascading effect with catastrophic consequences. A turning point, scholars even counting it as the official beginning of the war, was when Germany invaded Poland in 1939.

This lead to Great Britain declaring war on Nazi Germany, and the tensions which were already at a fever pitch began to boil over. Soon after Nazi bombers from the Luftwaffe began to systematically bomb London, and other important town on the British Isle.

There were periods where the bombers would bomb London almost every night for months on end. Causing terror, and destruction, and death. Hitlers idea was to beat the english civilians into submission and to weaken Britain to the point of importance so that Germany could concentrate more on his plans for the east, like invading the Soviet union.

Historians write that one of the first waves of bombs hit the East End of London particularly hard, which was where many of the poorer people lived. The Prime Minister Winston Church went to visit the East End to see the damage, but also to talk to the people and show support.

Somehow word spread ahead of his arrival amongst the ruined homes, and when he arrived he was surprised by the strong spirit of the peoples who apparently greeted him with sayings like: “Don’t worry sir, we can take it.” The Germans had vastly underestimated the persevering spirit of the citizens of London. That same spirit would galvanize the allied forces as they endured and overcame many things on the path towards eventual victory in europe and later in the pacific theater.

These attacks and these sayings eventually was popularized in the now infamous saying: “Keep Calm and Carry On.”

Today we are looking at the second of the seven churches to which John the exiled apostle was called by God to write. This city is Smyrna. Let’s do a brief tour of Smyrna like we did in Ephesus last week.

*map of all the cities* As you can see on the map, Smyrna was also a city in Asia minor, north of Ephesus, but also a port town. It also vied with Ephesus to be considered the crown of Asia in the eyes of the romans.

While we don’t have a picture of the site, from roman history we know that it was home to a temple worshipping the Emperor Tiberius, so there was prolific influence from the imperial cult. Roman influence was very heavy handed here.

Also, there was a citadel *citadel picture* up on a hill, and it was sometimes called the crown of smyrna. which perhaps is why there is a reference to the crown of life.

Another interesting historical note, there is historical evidence that after Smyrna was initially founded, some time later it was sacked and destroyed, and then was rebuilt. So imagery of a town coming back like a phoenix from the ashes was appropriate.

Let’s work through the passage verse by verse, Revelation 2:8

Revelation 2:8 (CSB)

“Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life:

The message to the Smyrnans starts with an image of Christ found from Johns initial vision from chapter one. He is the first and the last.

There is something immensely powerful in demonstrated love and leadership. First implies qualitative and quantitative. To be the first is to be the greatest, the inheritor of all things, the supreme - but also means he was here before anything - the alpha, the progenitor of all things.

And he will be the consummate one - the end of history (or the beginning of eternity). He is the last one out the door to make sure all the sheep of Christ are found and rescued.

And he was the one who was dead and came to life. Jesus was actually physically dead. Was buried, and overcame the grave to new life in his glory- and is now the physical proof of the new age to come. Smyrna may have been ruined and been rebuilt. But Jesus was alive, fully died, and rose to walk in new life and greater life then we can contemplate in the here and now.

Friends, the last few months have been marked by a lot of people and friends close to us experiencing death and cancer and heartache. And frankly, while death is genuinely awful - the most amazing thing that i am deeply grateful for is they have been the deaths of wonderful believing people. So while we mourn, we can have great hope that we will see them again, because JEsus was the firstborn of the dead.

To me, one of reasons Christianity is such a compelling worldview, outside of what i think is demonstrable evidence of the resurrection, is that fact that we can truly and objectively say that death is evil and wasn’t supposed to be part of the story - and that death has an expiration date. Where from a purely naturalistic point of view, death is needed and expected.

No, we believe as followers of JEsus as God and Christ and Spirit as the progenitors of all things, life, and the defeaters of death. This gives me great hope when i see close friends get sick, when I read the news and can get overwhelmed, that JEsus is the beginning and the end. He is the resurrection and the life. And I can have hope, and my children can have hope. and hope and faith leads not just to life after death - but everlasting life now.

And when i think about this I am deeply amazed by Jesus. When we see his descriptions - his power, his wisdom, his authority - the first and the last, the all powerful one - AND he came and was humble and full of compassion. He laughed and cried. He knows my name. And your name. He is infinite in his loving kindness and his holiness. I am amazed by God.

Let’s Look at verse 9:

Revelation 2:9 (CSB)

I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Jesus says he knows the affliction (this is thlipsis also could be translated trial, or tribulation). He knows it. He’s not far, he’s there and knows their suffering, AND their poverty. The Church in Smyrna was going through hard times, tight times. Poverty is a serious deal and can be truly debilitating.

Especially as in a lot of cultures we tend elevate those with money and riches as the successful ones. Even in quote unquote christian circles today there are some who preach money and prosperity as God’s blessing for the believers. Meaning if you are not being blessed financially you are being punished by God. This has become known as the prosperity gospel and it is a major distortion of the Gospel.

Because the church in smyrna is poor, and troubled - and yet Jesus says they are rich. Rich in a spiritual sense. Rich in the joy of the lord perhaps. Rich in treasure stored for in heaven for them.

Why were they struggling? Well likely because they refused to compromise. The Imperial cult, in which they worshipped emperors as gods, was also highly influential with trade guilds. If Christians wanted to avoid idolatry it was very difficult to conduct business, and even to patronize businesses.

This can happen in our day too, where a Christian owned business refuses to over serve alcohol, or refuses to hang nasty art or promote certain things which can lead to harder business times. In fact I know it has happened even to the Seed Coffeehouse at times! I know Christiana has had to fend off some who have made comments pushing the seed to serve different things at times and even made some rude comments. Praise the Lord for incredible people like Christiana, who are strong in their Christ convictions and don’t cave! For even if it costs - God has immensely blessed us. Amen?

Notice - Jesus continues saying that he knows the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Shockingly strong language - that have honestly been abused and exploited in church history. Why would Jesus have John use such shocking language? What is being stated here?

First, we need to realize that in the view so far of Revelation, with the image of the lampstand being portrayed as Christians (ie the church) we need to see that the early church really saw their faith as JEwish. The fulfillment of the jewish faith with JEsus as the messiah, the anointed one, the king of the jews and the world.

Craig keener writes that the earliest christians were all JEwish, and the first gentile converts saw themselves most naturally as converts to the truest from of Judaism. And think about it - in the roman world, almost all people worshiped and venerated pagan gods and idols and sacrificed to them all and were overtly sexually promiscuous as a form of progress (sounds familiar). Jewish people, and Christians who worshiped the same God, and they were really the only ones who abstained from those practices.

So It’s really important to realize that Christians from the earliest time did not seem themselves as distinct from Judaism, but the fulfillment of Judaism as the messiah has come!

Second, and in line with that - the idea that these “false jews.” In the Roman empire their wasn’t a freedom of religion - citizens were required to offer sacrifices to Rome. New religions weren’t tolerated. Religions needed state approval.

Judaism had this legal standing - so they were not forced to worship Caesar of God, and when they were legally mandated to sacrifice to the emperors, they were allowed to make the offerings to rulers and not as gods. Christianity, as a jewish sect, enjoyed much of those same privileges. But in the late 60s ad, under the emperor Nero, things changed as Christianity was seen as distinct from traditional judaism.

So what is perhaps happening here is the jews in smyrna, upset at the inroads of the Christians and their success, were accusing the Christians and giving them up to the authorities. Telling on them as it were, that they were not jews, but were avoiding the worship of Caesar and not participating in the mandated emperor worship. This would have opened up the Christians to legal issues and prison and perhaps worse.

Where Christians view their faith as the fulfillment of the jewish faith, beale writes that Jews viewed Christians as distorting the Jewish law, and offered a perversely easy way to salvation. Also - the idea of Christians worshipping a crucified criminal as the anointed king was seen as blasphemous.

The non-messianic jews in Smyrna seemed to have hatred towards the Christians, and wanted them killed. And so for Church, which saw themselves as the fulfillment of Judaism - these stark words helped put things in perspective. Satan was using the jewish population to persecute the church.

It’s important to state that such language, this harsh language, should likely not be recycled in our vocabulary. Keener argues that in todays society we have a particularly unique historical opportunity in which different groups can dialogue and debate with mutual respect, without the fear of prison and death, and trust the holy spirit to transform hearts. Unfortunately, Christians throughout history have participated in antisemitism, and has caused some significant boundaries. We ought to look with love and appreciation for their heritage - for it is a significant part of the Christian heritage as well.

Let’s read on, look at the first part of verse 10.

Revelation 2:10a (CSB)

Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days.

In light of Jesus who is the first and last and holds all things together - the church at Symrna is told to not be afraid of the coming sufferings! It’s coming, and soon some are going to be thrown into prison.

Why do they not need to fear - because even if the worst should come, and beyond prison there is death - Jesus is the one who came to life - so we can trust in him, and trust that we will be raised too!

Also notice - the devil is about to throw some into prison TO or in order that, or so that you can be tested.

This is important to remember that even Satan’s most insidious work is used by God. Jesus will not waste any suffering, but will redeem it for his purposes which is our ultimate good.

Notice Jesus continues that they will experience affliction for 10 days. The word for affliction is that same as earlier, thilipsis. It’s a common word, trial or tribulation, and is often used by Paul in his letters. In between the resurrection/ascension of Christ and his return, Beale writes, that Christians can from time to time expect to undergo periods of Tribulation, where tribulation refers to the beginning of birth pangs of the end day events, which a regular feature of church life - consider church history how many believers have been killed and persecuted, and today, where more Christians are being martyred for their faith then ever before.

The 10 days is likely symbolic, as in not literal 10 days, but indicating a short amount of time - and it seems to link to Daniel 1:12-4 in which Daniel and his compatriots went on a different diet for 10 days as a test if their diet would make them healthy.

Verse 10 continues

Revelation 2:10b (CSB)

Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The Smyrnans are called to be faithful to Christ - even if it brings death - and should they be found faithful - they will be given the crown of life.

It can be easy at times for christians in safe countries like our own to read over such passages as they seem irrelevant to most of our day to day challenges. But a few things to keep in mind - We are ALL called to be faithful - whether under fear of death - or in the hum drum of “normal” life. Also - Christian persecution, which is thankfully rare in America - is an ever present reality globally speaking.

I had friends in college who grew up as Christians in majority muslim countries, and one who was a pastors kids told me that their house had been bombed and had windows smashed several times.

I had another friend whos parents were missionaries and some locals didn’t like the christian influence so they broke in one night and killed the childrens dogs.

Persecution which can seem foreign to us, is a lived reality for our brothers and sisters all around the world. and it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to consider what it would look like if it came closer to home.

The question comes regardless - have we counted the cost of following Jesus? Will we choose to be faithful to him? How much is Jesus worth to us? Are we willing to live for Christ? are we willing to die for him?

Revelation 2:11 (CSB)

“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.

Do you have ears? hear what God is telling the churches.

The one who conquers, who overcomes, who is faithful to the point of death - will NEVER be harmed by the second death.

This will find its home at the end of revelation - but the idea, in brief is this - if we are faithful to christ and follow him and conquer through faith - we will be resurrected in the last day, and we will never experience death again. We will live forever with Jesus in his kingdom.

What a beautiful promise. What a glorious hope we have.

The message to Smyrna is a shorter one, but powerful nonetheless, but that brings us to our question:

So What?

What do we in Centerville South Dakota have to glean from a church in Asia minor some 2000 or so years ago?

First, when we look at all seven churches written to in revelation 2-3, only 2 are given commendations without any condemnations - Smyrna and Philadelphia. These are the two churches we read are experiencing the most overt suffering, financial strain, and persecution.

Craig Keener writes: “Suffering has a way of reminding us which things in life really matter, forcing us to depend radically on God, and thus purifying our obedience to God’s will.”

When we are good - we need to be cognizant of keeping our eyes on JEsus. Recognizing the glory and grace of JEsus. We can’t forget in good times who is the one who is in control.

In our situation, where we experience, even in an economic downturn, just incredibly material and financial provision - we need to be awake to the ways in which we can become to comfortable with the ways of the world - rather than following the way of JEsus as people of love who lay down their lives for the sake of others.

Second, Jesus knows your suffering, be faithful, he will not waste the suffering. Here and now there are some of you who are going through some really desperate times. Whether it’s financially - making ends meet feeling impossible. Maybe relationally - where friendships and family is filled with hate and landmines and life has become complex. Health issues - bringing us face to face with suffering and our mortality. Emotionally and mentally - perhaps you are going through depression and anxiety, or bitterness and anger.

Whatever it is - we can take heart - Jesus knows your affliction. And as James 1 Says - James 1:2-4

James 1:2–4 (CSB)

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

And look at this James 1:12

James 1:12 (CSB)

Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

So take heart - and be faithful - in whatever your circumstance, be faithful to Jesus. Do not in your anger, sin. Seek peace and seek reconciliation.

Third and finally - know and put your hope in Jesus. Whether it’s persecution, or just mortality and sickness that finally batters down the hatches, because of our fallen world, all of us will die unless the Lord comes back.

Where do you put your hope? Where do you put your faith? There is no safer or more worthy place than Jesus Christ. For Jesus according to witnesses lived a perfect life, preached and taught with authority, died on the cross, but then proved his word by being resurrected on the third day. Saying that whoever would repent from their sin and put their faith in Christ will also inherit that same life won for us in Jesus Christ.

That means no fear in death! Just hope. Great hope. And life. And purpose.

That means that even if the worst should come - we can keep calm and carry on. Amen? Remember - our goal in overcoming, our way of conquering is not by subjecting Christianity on people. Heavens no - in stead we are to follow the way of Jesus - a person of love and truth for the sake of the world. So even when people are throwing stones at us, persecuting perhaps in the future - our mission remains the same, love God, love others, make disciples. Keep Calm and carry on.

I can think of no better way to demonstrate this faith in and through suffering then going to the table of communion.

*communion*