031206 To the Church in Smyrna
Faithful Chapter 2:8-11
Jesus is the First and the Last in Death and in Life
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that 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 throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto 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. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
Today we look at the revelation of Jesus Christ to Smyrna, the second of the Asian churches. Today, it is known by its Turkish and Islamic name, Izmir. Smyrna was, and still is, a rich city as far as Asian trade is concerned. This ancient city is known for its temples of worship to Greek Gods and Roman Emperors. At the time John records the letter, it is inhabited by several Jewish merchants. The ministry of the Smyrnan church had to cope with tremendous persecutions that were aided by rapidly changing provincial boundaries and governments. Jewish merchants were appreciated for their trade expertise, and enjoyed much favor with all the governments that ruled the city over the centuries. But that made life miserable for those who became Christians. The Jews saw them as a Jewish sect that had left the teachings of Moses. Therefore, they were much disfavored, and became easy targets for persecution.
I. The pastor at Smyrna is given a note of hope and encouragement in this revelation of Jesus Christ. It is important to note how the Lord Jesus identifies himself to these poor people whose properties were often taken over by the unscrupulous politics of the day, and their lives threatened for their acceptance of the name of Jesus Christ. He it is who is, the first and the last, he that was dead and is alive.
(1.) By him, all things were made. He was before all things with God and was God. He is also the last, for whom all things are made, and by whom all things will be judged. For the Christians at Smyrna, Jesus is most assuredly God from everlasting and to everlasting. The First and the Last is the title of one that is an unchangeable Mediator between God and man. That mediator has no end, but always makes intercession and prayers for the saints.
(2.) This one, who, was dead and is alive, brings hope to those who suffer for His name’s sake, because He, who died for our sins, is alive, never to die again. His sacrifice pleased God who credits all believers with His perfect righteousness, that is, justification, through His Son who lives forevermore. St Paul says this: if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled by his death, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. What a treasure this Jesus was to the Christians at Smyrna.
II. He is what makes these poor believers rich. “I know” He says to His people. “I know where you are and what you are facing.” No matter what the tribulation—that irritating conflict that just never seems to go away—God knows. We might be tempted to wonder why God doesn’t do something about our hardship if He knows. But when He says to us, “I know” He is indicating His suffering with us. He is pointing to His life in us. And remember, He can never die again.
1. Yes, no matter what the irritation of life we face; no matter what loss of wealth we might have to endure, the Lord is very emphatic: But thou art rich (v. 10). Poor with respect to temporal things, perhaps! But rich with respect to spiritual things, absolutely! What more than the guarantee of eternal life with God do we need? How good to be so rich in hope, rich in life. What makes such life rich? Judgment has passed by. The eternal Judge has spoken life into our weary souls, not death. We are reminded again of the riches we possess when the Lord comes to us in the Body and Blood of His Sacrament. Sin forgiven, life strengthened, hope enriched by the power in His name. What tremendous treasure!
2. Yes, Jesus Christ takes particular notice of all our troubles. He knows the wickedness and the falsehood of our enemies: I know the blasphemy of those that say they are Jews, but are not; that is, of those who demand God’s recognition, because they are of the bloodline of Abraham. Those who don’t see their poverty before God yet claim all His favor only for their self. They don’t see that they are rejected because they do not receive His blessings with faith. Instead, they make their demands on His grace and favor as if they had somehow earned it. They do not see their poverty of life. Jesus, the true Jew calls them what they are: they are the synagogue of Satan. Because of their worldly riches, they consider themselves the favored of God. But God has chosen the poor of this world to make them rich.
(1.) I’m sure we all realize that as Christ has a church in the world, the spiritual Israel of God, so also, Satan has his synagogue. Those assemblies which are set up in opposition to the truths of the gospel; those assemblies that promote and propagate erroneous and damnable teachings; those assemblies which are set up in opposition to the purity of spiritual worship; those assemblies that promote and propagate the vain inventions of men whose rites and ceremonies never entered into the thoughts of God; these are all synagogues of Satan!
(2.) Those who are disguised by Satan and make themselves out to be the true Church—the Israel of God, do nothing less than blaspheme the one who died, but is alive forevermore. Their claims to God notwithstanding, they only promote and patronize the interests of Satan. These are the very ones who bring death and destruction upon the saints of God.
4. The irony of all of this is that God will use their foul deeds to prove His people genuine. Like Job, God might allow the unrighteous to have their way over the righteous. Like Christ, God might allow his people to suffer many things, even death. But he will not allow Satan to have the victory.
(1.) Yes, The devil shall cast some of you into prison, and you shall have tribulation, v. 10. But, God’s people need not fear any of these things. Why not? It is because they are already the victors in Jesus Christ. The great spiritual battle has already been won on the cross of Calvary. The empty tomb guarantees it! So, no matter what the suffering, no matter if it even leads to physical death, the spiritual Israel of God will never die.
The use of the term “ten days” means that the suffering will be complete, but it will prove the genuineness of faith in Christ. It will not last forever, it is but few days. Can you imagine what some of God’s people have suffered at the hands of Satanic assault? Women and children, brothers and sisters, wives and husbands subjected to every kind of torment imaginable to man is still being visited upon the righteous people of God all over the world. But Satan’s time is short. Listen to the life stories that some of our own people have experienced and you will see. You will see their life crowned with fidelity and the favor of God. But this is only a foretaste of the real thing. God be praised.
III. The conclusion of this message is an invitation for our attention. From Smyrna to Lansing, and all points in between, Christ commends his people for their faithfulness, and comforts them. Yes, He reproves their failures, but He also rewards their fidelity. You see, our faith is our victory over all these things. Thus it is, that, The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’ What is this second death and the promise to not be hurt by it?
The second death is the death that comes after the body has died. It is the death that keeps a person separated from God for all eternity. It is the kind of death that knows the truth and knows there is no way to change the judgment God has made in Christ Jesus.
Bonnie and I attended her uncle Grants funeral on Friday. The pastor spoke to us of what it means to be ready for death. He said there is more to being ready than having our earthly affairs prepared. And then he spoke of the readiness we possess in Jesus Christ. How comforting his message of hope was. How comforting the message of Christ always is to those grieved by the assaults of Satan! Comforted in the knowledge that He is not dead but alive and that He is manifest in the lives of the faithful. Amen.
The letter to the church in Smyrna (2:8-11).
1. destination (2:8).
2:8. The second letter was addressed to Smyrna, a large and wealthy city 35 miles north of Ephesus. Like Ephesus, it was a seaport. In contrast to Ephesus, which today is a deserted ruin, Smyrna is still a large seaport with a present population of about 200,000. Christ described Himself as the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. Christ is portrayed as the eternal One (cf. 1:8, 17; 21:6; 22:13) who suffered death at the hands of His persecutors and then was resurrected from the grave (cf. 1:5). These aspects of Christ were especially relevant to the Christians at Smyrna who, like Christ in His death, were experiencing severe persecution.
The name of the city, Smyrna, means “myrrh,” an ordinary perfume. It was also used in the anointing oil of the tabernacle, and in embalming dead bodies (cf. Ex. 30:23; Ps. 45:8; Song 3:6; Matt. 2:11; Mark 15:23; John 19:39). While the Christians of the church at Smyrna were experiencing the bitterness of suffering, their faithful testimony was like myrrh or sweet perfume to God.
2. commendation (2:9).
2:9. What a comfort it was to the Christians in Smyrna to know that Christ knew all about their sufferings: I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! Besides suffering persecution, they were also enduring extreme poverty (ptōcheian in contrast with penia, the ordinary word for “poverty”). Though extremely poor, they were rich in the wonderful promises Christ had given them (cf. 2 Cor. 6:10; James 2:5). They were being persecuted not only by pagan Gentiles but also by hostile Jews and by Satan himself. Apparently the local Jewish synagogue was called the synagogue of Satan (cf. Rev. 3:9). (Satan is mentioned in four of the seven letters: 2:9, 13, 24; 3:9.) In the history of the church the most severe persecution has come from religionists.
3. rebuke.
Notable is the fact that there was no rebuke whatever for these faithful, suffering Christians. This is in striking contrast with Christ’s evaluations of five of the other six churches, which He rebuked. Smyrna’s sufferings, though extremely difficult, had helped keep them pure in faith and life.
4. exhortation (2:10a).
2:10a. The word of Christ to these suffering Christians was an exhortation to have courage: Do not be afraid (lit., stop being afraid) of what you are about to suffer. Their severe trials were to continue. They would receive further persecution by imprisonment and additional suffering for 10 days. Some have taken these words “for 10 days” as a symbolic representation of the entire persecution of the church; others think it refers to 10 persecutions under Roman rulers. The most probable meaning is that it anticipated a limited period of time for suffering (cf. Walvoord, Revelation, pp. 61-2). Scott finds precedence in Scripture that 10 days means a limited period of time (Walter Scott, Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, p. 69). He cites Genesis 24:55; Nehemiah 5:18; Jeremiah 42:7; Daniel 1:12; Acts 25:6. Alford holds the same position, citing Numbers 11:19; 14:22; 1 Samuel 1:8; Job 19:3 (The Greek Testament, 4:567).
The problem of human suffering, even for a limited time, has always perplexed faithful Christians. Suffering can be expected for the ungodly, but why should the godly suffer? The Scriptures give a number of reasons. Suffering may be (1) disciplinary (1 Cor. 11:30-32; Heb. 12:3-13), (2) preventive (as Paul’s thorn in the flesh, 2 Cor. 12:7), (3) the learning of obedience (as Christ’s suffering, Heb. 5:8; cf. Rom. 5:3-5), or (4) the providing of a better testimony for Christ (as in Acts 9:16).
5. promise (2:10b-11).
2:10b-11. In their suffering the believers at Smyrna were exhorted, Be faithful, even to the point of death. While their persecutors could take their physical lives, it would only result in their receiving the crown of life. Apparently up to this time none had died, but this could be expected. Later Polycarp, having become the bishop of the church in Smyrna, was martyred, and undoubtedly others were also killed (cf. Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, A Commentary Critical, Experimental and Practical on the Old and New Testaments. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1945. 6:662). “The crown of life” is one of several crowns promised to Christians (cf. 1 Cor. 9:25; 1 Thes. 2:19; 2 Tim. 4:6-8; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev. 4:4). The crown of life is also mentioned in James 1:12. Believers are encouraged to be faithful by contemplating what awaits them after death, namely, eternal life.
As in all the letters, an exhortation is given to the individuals who will listen. The promise is given to overcomers, referring in general to all believers, assuring them that they will not be hurt at all by the second death (cf. Rev. 20:15).
The reassuring word of Christ to Smyrna is the word to all suffering and persecuted Christians. As stated in Hebrews 12:11, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”[1]
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[1]Walvoord, John F., Roy B. Zuck, and Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985.