Study in Revelation:
Smyrna, The Persecuted Church
Rev. 2: 8-11
There have and will be times when the church is called on to suffer for Christ.
Smyrna was no different. The believers were under heavy attack from the community, as well as the city officials. According to verse 10, more was on the way. The church was standing fast for the truth and we will see that there is no condemnation in this passage. This is a church that love s the Lord enough to stand up for Him even when the community comes against them and attacks their witness.
We will look at 5 things in this passage.
1. The Recipients:
2. The Speaker:
3. The Commendation:
4. The Counsel:
5. The promise:
1. The recipients: v8
The letter is addressed to the Minister of the church.
We remember that the Greek word used here for angel is (angelos) and it means messenger. We also remember that it can mean an earthly messenger and in the case of the churches here that is the meaning.
This tells us that the minister is held responsible for the church. In Smyrna’s case the minister is to take the lead in standing against the persecution.
*The minister’s job is not standing behind the church encouraging them to stand firm, he is to be out front leading the people to stand.
* The minister can not buckle under the pressure and deny Christ, he is to lead the church in waiving the banner of Christ and never giving up; no matter how hard it gets.
Three facts about Smyrna:
1. Smyrna received the name from Myrrh. The name Smyrna means Bitter. , one of her chief commercial products. Myrrh is a gum-like resin, taken from a shrub and is very bitter.
It was used in making perfume. Ps. 45:8 * oil Ex. 30: 23 * for embalming Jn. 19: 39 * for purification of women Ester 2:12 * and for relieving dull pain Mk 15:23.
The church was experiencing just what the name meant, bitter sorrow, affliction and persecution.
2. Smyrna was proud of her culture, beauty, commercial wealth and social life. Everyone wanted to be in first place. They wanted to be one rung higher on the social ladder than their neighbor. They desired recognition. It was to these that Jesus said “I AM the FIRST and the LAST” (v8); “I am the one who has the crown of life” (v10).
3. Smyrna was persecuting the church severely. The city had a large number of Jews who knew and understood the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. Many of the first converts were Jews. Here in Smyrna the Jews had a great deal of influence in the politics of the city. Those who knew the truth were blinded to that truth and did everything they could to get rid of the church.
Because of a personal relationship with Christ, the believer could not participate in the festivals that held in honor of the god and goddesses of that day. Because of this the believer was a marked person and in some cases jobs were lost and they were all cut off from the social life within the city. To be a believer in Smyrna meant you would suffer abuse, scorn and persecution.
BUT when Jesus said that He was “the first and the last” He promised that He would be with the believer, from the start to the finish. (answers may vary)
Even when the threat of death comes to the believer, we can look to Jesus, He not only faced the threat of death but death itself. He did this for me.
2. The Speaker: v8
Jesus is the speaker here and He has a special message for the church. He says two things to the church that we need to look at.
1. Jesus calls Himself the First and the Last. In saying this He is claiming supreme authority over all.
Those who cause trouble for people, whether they are government officials or just regular citizens may believe that they have authority over all life, but they are in for a rude awakening.
They may claim that they have the final word but their day is coming. According to scripture Jesus will some day set in the seat of judgment. Not only will He be the Judge but He will be the Prosecutor and the chief witness.
Scripture proof: Jn. 8: 55 * Jn. 17: 24 * Rom. 8: 28 * Rom. 8: 35-39
2. Jesus said He was dead and is alive. The word was actually means became. Christ became dead. His death was just a passing thing. He experienced it, but only for a short time.
The word Alive, in the Greek is in the aorist tense; action word that means once for all. Once it was done it was completed and there was no changing it back. He rose from the dead and really is alive.
So the message to the church @ Smyrna was, no matter what happens to you it is just a passing episode. Even if you experience death. It has been conquered. Christ has been there and has won the victory over death, once for all.
Scripture: Jn 3: 16 * Jn 5: 24 * Jn 6: 40 * 1Cor. 10: 13 * 2Tim. 4: 18 * Heb. 2: 14-15 * 1Pet. 1: 3-4 *
2Pet. 2:9
3. The Commendation: v9
The church is commended for 4 things.
1. The stood under tribulation. The word tribulation, means affliction, and indicates that what the church was suffering was severe.
The believers@ Smyrna were holding up and refusing to deny Christ. Despite the ridicule, mockery, abuse, cursing, loss of property, imprisonment and martyrdom the believers remained faithful to Christ.
Scripture: Mt. 10: 17-18 * Mt. 24: 9 * Lk. 21: 12 * Jn. 15: 20-21 * Jn. 16:2 * Ph. 1: 29 * 2Tim. 3: 12 *
Heb 12: 3 * 1Pet. 4: 13-13
2. The church held up under poverty. This is the idea of having nothing, the church was broke. Apparently many of the members were being forced out of their jobs and even having their property seized, as law breakers.
Here’s what happened: Rome had put into place a law that said that the state had t become the first loyalty of a citizen. Once a year the citizens were to demonstrate their loyalty to Rome, by going before the local government officials and making this statement: Caesar is Lord. (notice the L)
True believers and followers of Christ couldn’t do this for one simple reason. There is only one Lord and he is Jesus Christ. It was for this reason the church was suffering so much.
Scripture: Mt. 8: 20 * 2Cor. 6: 10 * 2Cor. 8: 9
3. Even the church was physically poor they were spiritually rich.
They were rich in faith to the Lord * They were rich in love for Christ and for each other, even toward those who opposed them. * They were rich in ministry as they ministered to all who had need *
They were rich in the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5:22-23 They were filled with: love, joy, peace,
longsuffering which means patience gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control.
God filled and empowered the believer with His very presence because they refused to deny Him. Heb. 11:24-26
4.The church held up under all kinds of slander. The slander seems to have been coming, mostly, from the Jews in the city. There was a large number of Jews, living in Smyrna. We know from history that they were prosperous and made huge donations to the arts as well as the cultural development of the city. Because of this they had a lot of influence over the city officials and the local Roman government. According to our passage they stirred up a lot of trouble for the church by slandering the believers.
Let’s list several ways they could have slandered the church:
1.Ridicule… 2.Spread lies… 3.Spreading rumors… 4.falsely accusing the church… 5.gossip… 6.criticize… 7.discriminate… 8 divide the members…
Notice what Christ says about the slandering Jews.(v9) They say they are Jews but they are not. Christ says that these Jews the synagogue of Satan. How can this be? The Jews were God’s chosen people, the people that God had raised up as His witnesses.
*What happened to Jesus? He was killed by the Jews. The Jews at Smyrna claimed to be servants of God but they were not. They claimed to worship God most likely thought they were doing God a favor by trying to destroy the church. The very thing that God Himself, through Jesus, is building.
*Two important truths here to understand. 1 We either worship and serve God. 2. We belong to Satan.
There is a powerful message here for the church today. We have a choice as to who we serve and we must decide. We will either stand up for the true God even when the world is against us or we will join those who choose to water down the gospel and give in to political correctness. When we do this we are of the synagogue of Satan.
Scripture Proof: Mt. 10: 32-33 * Mk. 8: 38 * 2Tim. 2: 12 * 2Pet. 2: 1 * 1Jn. 2: 22-23 * 1Jn. 4: 1-3 *
1Jn. 4:15
4. The Counsel: v10
This is probably not what you would want to here in the midst of tribulation. Christ tells the church that more suffering is coming. He says that the devil is going to stir up the unbelievers of the world to attack the church for 10 days. The idea of 10 days is that it will be for a short time.
After all the church has been through already, why would God allow more persecution to come? God allowing them to be tried.
What does this mean? God allowed the church to be tried so that they would draw closer to Him and learn more from Him.
He allowed it in order to strengthen the believers so that they could become stronger witnesses for Him to the world.
There was a man, who was very sickly and weak, he could accomplish very little.
Then this man had a real vision from God, he never doubted the vision was God..
He lived in a cabin in the mountains. Out in front of his cabin was a huge boulder.
In his vision, God told him to go out and push on that boulder every day for eight hours a day.
The first week was exciting, the second week he noticed little real change, the third week he measured the rock’s distance from the cabin, and daily he checked to see how far he had moved the rock.
After 6 weeks of seemingly useless pushing, he questioned his vision. The man cried --- there has to be more, I am not what I should be, or I could move this boulder, especially since God said for me to push on this rock. One morning, as he went out to push the rock, he started crying as he saw how useless his work really was, he couldn’t handle one rock! There were many more all around.
As he sat down near the boulder, crying, angry, and bitter because he had failed.
Jesus walked up and put his arm around the man and asked, Why are you crying?
The man said I have pushed with everything in me and the rock is in the same place as when I began.
Jesus said, I never told you to move the rock, I told you to push the rock. Jesus let the man see himself, and Jesus said what do you see? The man looked at himself and said I am stronger today than ever, the pushing the boulder has made
my muscles grow, and I became a better man.
The message to the church is clear. Do not fear be faithful. Not fearing may seem like a hard thing to when you are under so much, but we have to remember who Christ is and that He has conquered it all for us.
He is the First and the Last. He was there in the beginning and He will be there in the end. This means, for the believer that Christ will be there at the start of trouble and He will stay with us to the end
Compared to eternity and what waits for us in Heaven our suffering here will be for a short time.
Knowing that God loves us and cares about us and what He has promised us, will help to make whatever we have to face here worth it.
Scripture: Mt 10: 30-31 * 2Cor. 4: 1 * Ph. 1: 28-29 * Dt. 31: 6
5. The Promise: v10-11
There are two parts to the promise.
1. The overcomer will receive the crown of life. This means the reward of eternal life. Those who persecute the believer may even take their life, but in the twinkle of an eye, which is faster than a blink, the believer will be with Christ in Heaven.
Scripture: Jn. 3: 14-15 * Jn. 3: 36 * Jn. 6: 27 * Jn. 10: 28 * Jn. 12: 25 * Jn. 17: 3
2. The one who overcomes will be delivered from the second death. What is the second death? Let’s look to scripture for our answer. Rev. 20: 14 * Rev. 21: 8
The second death is the lake of fire. It’s the judgment of eternity in hell being tortured, being separated from the presence of God.
Those who overcome will be spared the lake of fire, with all its torment and will immediately be transported into the presence of God.
Notice how Jesus finishes. He says for everyone who has an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches. It is the duty of every believer in every church to pay attention, to listen to this message. We must hold on, keep or footing, against the persecution of the world, against the ridicule, against the mockery and abuse, being overlooked, neglected, imprisoned and even killed for our belief. We must hang on no matter how bad it gets.
The promises of Jesus are too great to lose. We will be given the crown of life and we get to miss the lake of fire.
It may not be politically correct to talk about hell today, but we must realize that it is a real place and people really do go there. There is no question that there will be a second death and the only way to miss it is to be completely immersed in the blood of Christ, which is something else we’re not supposed to talk about (blood)
Scripture: Acts 5: 41 * Acts 16: 23-25 * Rom. 8: 16-17 * 2Cor. 4: 17 * 2Tim. 2: 10 * Heb. 10: 34 *
Heb. 11: 26
Study in Revelation:
Smyrna, The Persecuted Church
Rev. 2: 8-11
1. The recipients: v8
1. The letter is addressed to the ____________ of the church.
2. We remember that the Greek word used here for angel is (angelos) and it means . We also remember that it can mean an earthly messenger and in the case of the churches here that is the meaning.
3. The minister is held for the . In Smyrna’s case the minister is to take the lead in standing against the persecution.
4. The minister’s job is not standing the church encouraging them to stand firm, he is to be out ________ , the people to stand.
5. The minister can not buckle under the pressure and Christ, he is to lead the church in waiving the banner of Christ and never giving up; no matter how hard it gets.
Three facts about Smyrna:
1. Smyrna received the name from . The name Smyrna means .
Myrrh was used in __________ _________________. Ps. 45:8 * Making Ex. 30: 23 *
for Jn. 19: 39 * for purification of Ester 2:12 *
and for relieving dull Mk 15:23.
2. Smyrna was proud of her , , commercial and life.
3. The people of Smyrna, especially the Jews were the church severely.
2. The Speaker: v8
Who is speaking here? Abraham Isaac Jesus
1. Jesus calls Himself the and the ________. He is claiming supreme over Scripture proof: Jn. 8: 55 * Jn. 17: 24 * Rom. 8: 28 * Rom. 8: 35-39
2. Jesus said He was and is .
Scripture: Jn 3: 16 * Jn 5: 24 * Jn 6: 40 * 1Cor. 10: 13 * 2Tim. 4: 18 * Heb. 2: 14-15 * 1Pet. 1: 3-4 *
2Pet. 2:9
3. The Commendation: v9
The church is commended for 4 things.
1. The stood under . The word tribulation, means _____________.
Scripture: Mt. 10: 17-18 * Mt. 24: 9 * Lk. 21: 12 * Jn. 15: 20-21 * Jn. 16:2 * Ph. 1: 29 * 2Tim. 3: 12 *
Heb 12: 3 * 1Pet. 4: 13-13
2. The church held up under .
Scripture: Mt. 8: 20 * 2Cor. 6: 10 * 2Cor. 8: 9
3. Even the church was physically poor they were spiritually .
They were rich in the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5:22-23 They were filled with: , , ,
which means patience , , , , .
4.The church held up under all kinds of .
Let’s list several ways they could have slandered the church:
We will either stand up for the true God even when the world is against us or we will join those who choose to water down the gospel and give in to political correctness. When we do this we are of the synagogue of Satan.
Scripture Proof: Mt. 10: 32-33 * Mk. 8: 38 * 2Tim. 2: 12 * 2Pet. 2: 1 * 1Jn. 2: 22-23 * 1Jn. 4: 1-3 *
1Jn. 4:15
4. The Counsel: v10
Jesus says that the devil is going to stir up the unbelievers of the world to attack the church for days. The idea of 10 days is that it will be for a time.
God allowed the church to be tried so that they would draw to Him and learn more from .
He allowed it in order to the believers so that they could become stronger for Him to the world.
There was a man, who was very sickly and weak, he could accomplish very little.
Then this man had a real vision from God, he never doubted the vision was God..
He lived in a cabin in the mountains. Out in front of his cabin was a huge boulder.
In his vision, God told him to go out and push on that boulder every day for eight hours a day.
The first week was exciting, the second week he noticed little real change, the third week he measured the rock’s distance from the cabin, and daily he checked to see how far he had moved the rock.
After 6 weeks of seemingly useless pushing, he questioned his vision. The man cried --- there has to be more, I am not what I should be, or I could move this boulder, especially since God said for me to push on this rock. One morning, as he went out to push the rock, he started crying as he saw how useless his work really was, he couldn’t handle one rock! There were many more all around.
As he sat down near the boulder, crying, angry, and bitter because he had failed.
Jesus walked up and put his arm around the man and asked, Why are you crying?
The man said I have pushed with everything in me and the rock is in the same place as when I began.
Jesus said, I never told you to move the rock, I told you to push the rock. Jesus let the man see himself, and Jesus said what do you see? The man looked at himself and said I am stronger today than ever, the pushing the boulder has made
my muscles grow, and I became a better man.
*Compared to eternity and what waits for us in Heaven our suffering here will be for a short time.
Knowing that God loves us and cares about us and what He has promised us, will help to make whatever we have to face here worth it.
Scripture: Mt 10: 30-31 * 2Cor. 4: 1 * Ph. 1: 28-29 * Dt. 31: 6
5. The Promise: v10-11
There are parts to the promise.
1. The overcomer receive the of .
Scripture: Jn. 3: 14-15 * Jn. 3: 36 * Jn. 6: 27 * Jn. 10: 28 * Jn. 12: 25 * Jn. 17: 3
2. The one who overcomes be delivered from the death.
What is the second death? Rev. 20: 14 * Rev. 21: 8
The second death is the l of fi . It’s the judgment of eternity in h being , being from the presence of .
There is no question that there will be a second death and the only way to miss it is to be completely immersed in the blood of Christ, which is something else we’re not supposed to talk about (blood)
Scripture: Acts 5: 41 * Acts 16: 23-25 * Rom. 8: 16-17 * 2Cor. 4: 17 * 2Tim. 2: 10 * Heb. 10: 34 *
Heb. 11: 26
