The Message To Smyrna
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What if… you could know what tomorrow held for you? Would you want to know? Would it offer you HOPE?
A man was hiking through the woods and saw a old genie lamp… normally found on a beach it was no surprise that when he rubbed the lamp, the genie came out and could offer him only one wish since the others had been used up. Thinking hard, the man asked for a copy of the stock page of the local newspaper dated one year later! POOF! the genie was gone and in his lap floated down the next years stock page… as he looked it over anticipating all he could do knowing this he glanced at the back of the page. There he found the obituary column and under it saw a name that caught his attention… IT WAS HIS!
Knowing what tomorrow holds may not be exactly what we want to hear or know!
Our message we look at today is to a city (a large city) called Smyrna...
Another crucial sea port city
It had famous golden street that wound up Mount Pagus was studded like a crown with various public edifices and temples of notable architectural achievement.
Therefore, for Smyrnans used to speak of the city itself as “the crown”
Evidence shows that Smyrna had become the center for Caesar worship
Romans here did not treat those who did not worship Caesar very well
There was a large populace of Jews there as well… those who deny that Jesus was the Christ… the Messiah they had been waiting for!
These Jews would not treat those who followed Jesus Christ well at all… the term “christian” was not a term of affection here in Smyrna
The Romans and the Jews both made life difficult for these Christians in Smyrna
IMAGINE: You are the church in Smyrna and you receive this letter from the dear brother John…
You gather together to read and hear what is said...
You hear of the vision John had of Jesus Christ
You know Jesus has a message for you!
You hear about what God says to Ephesus just about 35 miles down the road… and now you're next! Revelation 2:8-11 and this is what Jesus wants you to know...
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: 9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’
As John penned Jesus’ message to Smyrna… I wonder how it affected how he prayed for them?
They are going through a difficult time, and God reveals to them what tomorrow holds for them.
Truth is… there is some suffering, tribulations, difficulties that will not go away in this life...
I wonder if these believers reflected and remembered something else John had written about Jesus when He said in John 16:33
33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
We can have peace because of Jesus! Remember as we go through this book of Revelation we are discovering and KNOWING more about HIM!!!
Greeting...
Greeting...
From a Savior who understands...
Each of these messages were sent to the “angel/messenger” of the church… JOHN probably knew each one and possibly the pastor of Smyrna even closer...
A well know early church father, Polycarp, was a disciple of and mentored by the Apostle John
PATTERSON states this about him: Polycarp was probably the angel of the church at Smyrna, the pastor to whom this circular letter of the Apocalypse came. Since his martyrdom is thought to have been in AD 155 and the Apocalypse delivered possibly as early as AD 95, a difference of sixty years, this conclusion at first blush may seem unlikely. However, it is not so unlikely when Polycarp’s words are cited. At the time of his execution, Polycarp spoke of serving Christ for 86 years. Even if Polycarp meant that he was 86 years old at that point, his birth would have been about AD 69 or 70. Therefore, he conceivably could have been pastor of Smyrna at age 25 or 26. If, on the other hand, the 86 years to which Polycarp refers is counted from his conversion to Christ, then he may have been a centenarian; and, if so, he probably was pastor of the Smyrnan church when the Apocalypse was delivered.
60 years later and we still see Suffering and Persecution in this city for believers… BUT the church continues on!
The prediction of coming suffering is acurate
WHY THEN? is the church still there???
It has been said that “The church has always been the purest and the most fragrant when it was going through times of suffering.”
Consider this… verse 9 Jesus says to them “I know”
The description Jesus uses here is one that meets the need of this faithful, suffering church...
Jesus describes Himself:
“The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life,”
He is GOD! (first and last)
Not just King, Savior, Redeemer, and Lord…BUT he is creator, eternal, equal in power and majesty to God the Father!
Time is not a hindrance for God, He created it after all (HE KNOWS!)
Assurance through suffering
He was man (who was dead)
He knew suffering, He knew wrongful accusations, He knew tribulation, He knew abandonment, He knew Blasphemy
Comfort through suffering (it is comforting when someone comes along side of you who has been through what you are going through)
Hebrews 4:14-16 depicts this well...
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
He is Victor! (come to life)
This understanding of the incarnation of Jesus Christ forms the very bedrock of our salvation!
Without His resurrection… He would have been just another good man who was martyred BUT He conquered Death, He rose from the grave that ALL who place their faith in His finished work might live eternally!
You can almost hear the compassion in the voice of Jesus as He speaks to this church...
He Commends The Church
He Commends The Church
Their Riches in Christ... In Hardship
Hardship is an understatement… they were facing great suffering (tribulation)
This was even impacting their income level…
Blasphemy… lies, hurtful words, slander!
The Jews here claim to be God’s people by birth… but are really of Satan! they had compromised even with their Jewish religion to avoid persecution.
The Romans demanding worship to the ruler and the Jews blasphemy the Christians to put themselves in a better light
Even in the midst of this tribulation and poverty Jesus commends them for being RICH! Wealthy beyond measure!!!!
Their physical poverty was greatly outweighed by their spiritual wealth!
They knew this… This is why they pressed on!
2 Corinthians 8:9 and James 2:5
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
The church in Smyrna is commended for having an eternal perspective in this life… Regardless!
Hardship, suffering, poverty, lies and slander… can naturally bring fear and uncertainty
No Correction, But Danger is Present!
No Correction, But Danger is Present!
“DO NOT FEAR” why because fear can cause you to:
Compromise
Seek riches
Escape persecution
Not be an overcomer
Jesus lets them know more suffering is to come
“SOME” into prison
“SOME” tested
Tribulation for 10 days… brief especially in light of eternity…
Possibly the time waiting before one was sent to the gladiator arena
A short time of suffering
This is the work of the Devil, this is his domain for now, but GOD is still the one in control!
Being in control and all knowing, all powerful, He gives them and us
Instruction with an Eternal Mindset
Instruction with an Eternal Mindset
Be faithful… How long? Until death!
Death for the believer is not the end… it is just the beginning!
Sometimes we will be called to suffer, go through tribulations in this life until we die.
in His instruction Jesus offers two promises for the faithful overcomer...
1) Crown of life (in a city called the “crown city” Jesus offers a greater crown
A victors crown
don’t see yourselves as lowly, suffering, losers
See yourself as a victor in Christ desire the eternal over the temporal!
2) Promise of HOPE… “will not be hurt by the second death”
The lake of fire, final judgement!
The first death is separation of soul and body (all face this) the second death is the soul’s separation from God for eternity in Hell.
HOPE!!!
HOPE!!!
I started with this question...What if… you could know what tomorrow held for you? Would you want to know? Would it offer you HOPE?
For the believer it should… we have eternity with Jesus Christ! Oh church how wealthy we are because of our Savior Jesus Christ!
The enemy may kill the body, but the saint need never fear the second death… Those who are born twice will die only once. Those born only once will die twice.
Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 802). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.