NO PAIN, NO GAIN (REVELATION 2:8-11)
A farmer said to God, "For 50 years I have not stopped praying..." The Lord replied, "5o years you have been praying, what did you actually pray for?" The farmer said, "I always pray that the winds and rains be smooth, pray that there would be no rain or wind this year, no snow, no earthquake, no drought, no hail, no pests, but no matter how I pray, nothing turns out according to my requests."
The Lord replied, "I created the earth, the winds and the rains, the droughts, the pests and the birds. What I created is not to man’s wish." The farmer knelt and kissed the feet of God, "Almighty Lord. Can You grant my wish concerning next year? Just for one year, no wind no rain, no hot sun and disaster. Other people’s land I don’t care. Can you give me just one year?" The Lord replied, "OK, just as you wish for next year."
The next year, the fields of the man in fact produced lots of stalks due to the absence of any strong wind and rain, hot sun and disaster. The grain doubled its usual; the farmer was beside himself. By harvest time, an unusual thing happened. The stalks did not produce even a grain. The farmer sought God and asked, "Merciful God, how can this be, are you mistaken in this matter?" God said, "I did not make nay mistake. Once a plant avoid all the tests, the grains are powerless. To a grain, persistent struggling is unavoidable. Wind and rain are necessary, hot sun is necessary, pests are necessary, they awaken the inner spirit of the grain. A man’s spirit and a grain’s spirit are alike; without tests, man is but a husk."
Notable in the passage is the fact that there is no rebuke whatever for the faithful, suffering Christians of Smyrna. 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 persistent in life. The irony of the Smyrna church’s poverty is that it was a large and wealthy city, a seaport 35 miles north of Ephesus. Smyrna is still a large seaport with a present population of about 200,000.
Be Trustworthy in Character
8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty -- yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. (Rev 2:8-9)
Carly Fiorina, otherwise known as the first woman CEO and former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, was once asked who her favorite composer was. Without hesitation she replied, "Beethoven," remembering her preference for Beethoven’s music whenever she was troubled.
The follow-up question was "Why not Mozart?" Fiorina wrote in her book "Tough Choices": "I had to think. It was a good question. Mozart’s music was angelic and otherworldly in its beauty. I could imagine divine inspiration, but I couldn’t hear human struggle. I could hear angst and fear in Beethoven. His music was sublime, and ultimately triumphant in its suffering and humanity." (Carly Fiorina, Tough Choices, 5-6)
A church without suffering is a church without substance and strength. The church in Smyrna faced three tests of character: afflictions, poverty and slander.
First of all, let me clarify that, grammatically, "afflictions" (v 9) is actually singular in Greek, not plural. Traditionally, KJV, RSV and NASB translate it as "tribulation." I am not playing down Smyrna’s suffering but God promised them the strength to overcome their present affliction/tribulation, but not the oncoming "great tribulation" (Rev 7:14), which nobody can withstand, so God will spare us of that in the future. Tribulation (singular) is bearable, but the great tribulation is unbearable, more than anyone can handle. The great tribulation, which is recorded four times in the Bible, is mentioned twice in Revelation (Rev 2:22, 7:14), once in Jesus’ prophesy and once in Acts. Jesus foretold its fury: "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be." (Matt 24:21). The closest thing to the great tribulation is recorded in Acts, when great affliction came in the form of a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan (Acts 7:11) -- not merely a recession -- which is finance-related, but a famine that is food-related.
Also, while affliction is trying, this singular noun form in verse 9 is nothing like the plural noun describing Christ’s "afflictions" for us (Col 1:24), Joseph’s "troubles" in Egypt (Acts 7:10), and Paul’s "hardships" (Acts 20:23) -- all plural usage of the same singular Greek noun "tribulation." God, in His wisdom, has given us strength to suffer and but also to survive and surpass some form of opposition, obstruction and offense.
Poverty (noun) is not a dead end or a lost cause, but a turnaround, an about face and a reversal of fortune in the Bible. It is an opportunity in giving, generosity and growth, not an occasion of gloom, grief or grumbling. This Greek noun "poverty" occurs merely three times in the Bible, all ending in contradiction, challenge and cross-examination. In the first instance, the church in Corinth gave offerings and provided relief when they themselves were in extreme poverty (2 Cor 8:2), not merely poverty. Another verse reveals that though Christ became poor for our sake, so that we through His poverty might become rich (2 Cor 8:9). Poverty is not a shame, a sentence or a sin. Out of poverty, people rise to the occasion, reach out to others and realize their full potential.
Unlike the other six churches in Revelation, the church in Smyrna alone underwent slander, or the more popular "blasphemy" (blasphemia) in Greek, translated once as "malicious talk" (1 Tim 6:4). I have no answer for this! The only consolation is that, unlike Christ, we are merely charged with slander or blasphemy -- singular and not plural. Christ was charged with speaking blasphemies -- plural (Mark 2:7, Luke 5:21). Revelation, where the Greek word for blasphemy is most found, records that blasphemy is the beast’s name (Rev 13:1), and he opens his mouth saying great things and blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven (Rev 13:5-6).
Be Triumphant with Courage
10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. (Rev 2:10a)
Artist Auguste Renoir suffered so from rheumatism that just holding a brush in his hand was enough to make him wince.
"Why do you keep painting?" a friend once asked.
"The pain passes," replied Renoir, "but the beauty remains." (Bits and Pieces)
"Do not" in verse 10 is not the regular "not" that occurs 18 times in Revelation, but the irregular, emphatic "never" that occurs the first time and only one other time in the book, which is "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that ’no one’ will take your crown." (Rev 3:11) Even the first "do not" admonition in the book, Revelation 1:17’s "do not be afraid," uses the regular "not" and not this prohibition. This is the only "fear not" equation in the Bible using the emphatic "never" and not the regular "do not." The advice on fear is The only rightful fear should be offered to God (Rev 14:7), not Satan or things (Rev 2:10). Why?
Because God alone is holy (Rev 15:4) has the power to judge (Rev 14:7). Even death is not to be feared because God i\judges the dead (Rev 11:18).
The kind of suffering Smyrna faced is worth our study and scrutiny. Verse 10 has all the five W’s and 1 H, a journalist’s favorite questions:
"Who": The source of suffering is the devil, whose favorite and familiar weapons are doubt, deception, dishonesty, distrust and distortion. While he is not fair nor fiction, he is finite, fearful and flawed. The Bible tells us he is destined to fail, to fall and to fry. The last record of him in the Bible: "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Rev 20:10).
"What": "Put" is the verb "throw" or "ballo" (ballistic) in Greek. Don’t get thrown off by the word "throw" that occurs an astounding 28 times in Revelation. The first "throw" verb in Revelation is actually in verse 10, where the devil, true to his nature, is the heavyweight who throws people around, throws them into jail, throws them to lions historically. The devil’s literal name is "thorough thrower" (dia-bolos); he will not only be thrown out of the game in the end, he will be thrown into the lake of fire. In Rev. 12:9 alone, three throw’s are recorded: "The great dragon was hurled down (throw) -- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled (thrown) to the earth, and his angels (were thrown) with him."
"Where": Many people in the Bible have been in prison: Joseph, Daniel, Peter and John (Acts 5:21, 23), Paul and Silas (Acts 16:26). Even today, people like Charles Colson, Nelson Mandela and Alexander Solzhenitsyn did not let prison chain them, compromise or consume them, but challenge them, clarify and complete them.
"How": Suffer persecution. Note that "some" and not all will be imprisoned and suffer persecution for 10 days. Let me tell you more about the "persecution" of verse 10. It is same in Greek with "afflictions" in verse 9, both singular. Also, the church in Symrna is the only one of the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 that will experience persecution/afflictions/tribulation, the word is not mentioned at all for the other six churches. Why does God allow the faithful and not the faithless to suffer tribulation? Because the faithful will suffer tribulation, but the faithless will suffer the GREAT tribulation, which we will escape but the faithless will endure.
"When": 10 days. 10 days, while not 10 minutes or 10 hours, are not 10 months or 10 years. The days, while not harmless, are not hopeless and helpless. God will promised us His strength, salvation, shelter, steadfastness and sufficiency in the midst of our suffering and shame.
"Why": To test you. In seminary, we are very good at tests, specifically at testing students in dead languages. Some see tests as a way to gauge if students pass or fail. I see it as another way to increase and intensify their learning. I never fear for my students when they take the mid-term or the final examination. I have prepared them well; they should pass with flying colors, at least get a B! No one has taken a marginal C in my class, not even in my Greek or Hebrew class. They always do well, not great, but good nevertheless. Why? Because I have prepared them well. I give them enough time, practice and information. The goal of testing is not to pain the students, but to progress, to pass and prove the students.
Be True Unto Death
Be faithful, even to the point of 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 at all by the second death. (Rev 2:10b-11)
Our modern society is desensitized by the continual and common display of violence and death that is offered on books, television, videogames and movies.
US Airways’ plunge into the Hudson River in 2009 made me think more about people’s response to death and dying, even though no one actually died. The plane that ingested a flock of birds, landed in the Hudson three minutes after takeoff. Within an hour, the terrified passengers were rescued from the cold 18 degrees air and 35 degrees water.
Passenger Jeff Kolodjay, who saw the engine blow up, said: "There were fire and flames coming out of it (the engine) and I was looking right into it. We hit the water pretty hard -- hard enough for some people to hit their heads on the ceiling." Dave Sanderson also gave an eyewitness report: "It was controlled chaos. People started running up the aisle. People were getting shoved out of the way." Passenger Alberto Panero revealed, "There was a mixed emotion of yelling and crying." Another traveler, Bill Zuhoski, confessed, "For a second, I thought I was just going to die right there in the plane. I was going to drown of death." ("Pilot Hailed ’Hero of the Hudson,’" South China Morning Post, Jan 17, 2009)
64-years old Elizabeth McHugh testified, "I prayed and prayed and prayed. Believe me, I prayed. As soon as we hit, we all jolted frontward and sideways, and then the water started coming in around my feet." Vallie Smith Collins, shaken but grateful to be reunited with her three children, said, "You realize all the things you would have missed out on if it hadn’t been a perfect landing." ("Pilot Is Hailed After Jetliner’s Icy Plunge," The New York Times, January 15, 2009)
Fred Berretta described the landing: "We knew there wasn’t a lot of time because we were quite close to the ground, and it felt as though the descent was somewhat rapid. People started praying, and there was a lot of silence, and the realization that we were going in was really hard to take in at that moment. I think that [it] certainly went through my mind that this probably very much could be it. It seemed like it lasted an eternity."
"$5,000 to Each Passenger on Crashed Jet for Lost Bags," CNN.com January 19, 2009)
An elderly lady decided to take a short railroad trip through an especially beautiful section of the country. It was to be her first experience of this kind, so she looked forward to it with great anticipation. After boarding the train, however, it took her quite a while to get settled. First she couldn’t find the right seat, then she spent a long time arranging and rearranging her baskets and parcels on the rack overhead. After they were finally in place, she took great pains to adjust the shade on the window until it was just right. When at last she was ready to sit back and enjoy the scenery, the conductor called out the name of her station and she had to get off the train. "Oh, my!" she lamented, "If I’d only known we would be here so soon, I wouldn’t have wasted all my time fussing about those little things that really weren’t important."
Concerning faithfulness, it is really a surprise, almost a shock, for me to discover that God commanded ("to be" faithful - imperative) something from the church in Smyrna not demanded of others: to be faithful. "To be faithful" is a charge applied only to Smyrna and not to the other six churches. Why? For the same reason it is the only church to suffer persecution/tribulation. Trials are bested by faith, not fear; by trust, not timidity.
"Be faithful even to the point of death" is not lightly given. Faithfulness and death are linked for the first time in the Bible, because desperate and difficult times call for defiant and die-hard tenacity.
The word "crown" (stephanos) makes its debut in the New Testament in the gospels, with a disastrous ending in the account of Jesus, who wore a crown of thorns. In fact, all four occurrences of the word in the gospels tell the same story - Jesus wearing a crown of thorns (Matt 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:2, 19:5). If the gospels are the tragic and heartbreaking side of crowns, Revelation is the triumphant and heartwarming side of crowns. There are more crowns mentioned in the book of Revelation than any New Testament book in the Bible -- more than its mention in all the Gospels put together, or all the Epistles recorded. Included in the mention is the crown of life for the Smyrna faithful (Rev 2:10), the crowns of gold on the twenty elders (Rev 4:4, 10), a woman (nation of Israel) with a crown of twelve stars on her head (Rev 12:1) and, saving the best for the last record, a crown in the Bible -- Christ with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. (Rev 14:14).
More than any other book in the Bible, Revelation tells us more about the meaning of the phrase "second death," which occurs three other times in the book. In fact, Revelation is the only book with that information, with a difference in each occasion. Revelation 20:6 tells us who will escape the second death: "Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years." Then Revelation 20:14 is what is expected: "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death." Finally, Revelation 21:8 mentions who will encounter the second death: "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars -- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Death (v 10) is not most fearful thing in life; the second death is the most scary. There is no suffering like the second death, and there is no shelter, solace or sympathy from the second death. Death destroys the body, but the second death burns the soul. One ends, but the other is endless. The only lake in Revelation (Rev 19:20, 20:10, 14, 15, 21:8) is not picturesque and peaceful by any stretch of imagination. Hell is not only a place no one can endure, possible to enter but impossible to escape and no one can extinguish. Death is not the end of all things; it may be the end of living but certainly not the end of life. More horrifying than death is dying, which is being thrown into the lake of fire that burns but never burns out, consumes but never consummated, and flaming but not fanning out.
Everybody wants to die in peace, with eyes closed in peace. Most people can tell you they do not fear death but they fear dying at death, the very definition of hell and the lake of fire. Furthermore, it is a lake of burning sulfur (Rev 19:20). Sulfur
supposedly burns at 450-550 degrees Fahrenheit, which is more than two to two and a half times the temperature of boiling water, which is 212 ¢XF or 100 ¢XC.
Overcoming (v 11) is the one true expectation expected of all seven churches (Rev 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:26, 3:5, 3:12, 3:21). Overcoming, in Greek, is nikao, derived from the popular commercialized noun "nike," or conquest in English. In Christ, we are overcomers, not overwhelmed or underachievers. The church in Smyrna, however, is the only church that receives all commendation and no condemnation, all approval and no disapproval, all acclamation and no disclaimer.
Conclusion: Do you have Christ for your Savior? 1 John 5:11-12 says, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." Christians should not overrule, overvalue or overstate suffering. We suffer not because God arranges it, but because God allows it. God understands and promises us strength for the journey. His presence goes with us. Finally, God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Cor 10:13)
