The Seven, part 8
Smyrna: Comfort for the Persecuted
Revelation 2:8-11
July 7, 2013
Review:
We have seen that the Revelation was written to address specific issues with seven churches in Asia Minor at the end of the first century. We saw in chapter one that John describes a portrait of the Lord of the church to encourage the churches under attack that Christ is coming to vindicate his church and judge his enemies. As we look at these seven churches we see a pattern emerge in each letter – an introduction; an evaluation; an exhortation; and a benediction. Last week we saw that Ephesus was theologically astute but had lost their devotion or passion for Christ. Life and ministry had become mere duty, even religious obligation without a desire for Jesus so his word to them was to renew your devotion to me. Today we look at the letter to the church in Smyrna who was suffering persecution. This letter is different than the letter to Ephesus, there is no rebuke and no call for repentance.
Introduction (2:8)
The two most common interpretations for what John means by 'the angel of the church' is that the angel is the pastor of the church or that the angel is the personification of the church. Jesus commands John to write because the bible is the primary way God communicates to his people. These seven letters are prophetic letters. I have said before that in the Old Testament, the prophets spoke the very words of God to the people of God. Their words were accepted as inspired by God so were written down as Old Testament scripture. In the New Testament apostles replaced the Old Testament prophets as those who spoke the very words of God to the people of God. Their words were accepted as inspired by God so were written as New Testament scripture. But there is also prophecy in the New Testament where men and women spoke merely human words to describe something God brought to their mind for the encouragement and edification of the church but because this form of prophecy is fallible we are told to “test everything, hold fast what is good.”
He is writing to the church. I have said much about how the bible understands the corporate nature of the church. The New Testament describes Christians as part of a local church; it knows nothing of Christians who are not part of a local church.
Smyrna is located about thirty five miles north of Ephesus. It was the most sophisticated of the seven with tremendous wealth and beauty. It had two harbors, a library of 200,000 volumes, a stadium, a gymnasium. The streets were paved, the main road going from one end of the city to the other end, connecting two temples. The city was destroyed in 400 BC and rebuilt or raised back to life in about 190 BC. It had a strong alliance with Rome and therefore Emperor worship. It also had a large Jewish population that we will see was antagonistic toward the church.
Jesus describes himself in two ways, as the first and the last and who died and came to life. Every letter gives a description that comes from the vision in chapter one which relates directly to the situation of that particular church. The first and the last is similar to 'the Alpha and Omega ,' meaning I was before all things and after all things; the beginning and the end and everything in between. He died and came to life to demonstrate that in death he defeated death. Death could not contain him; it could not hold him.
Evaluation (2:9)
'I know' points to the fact that he not only knows but understands like someone who knows something of the pain you are experiencing. The tribulation is described as both poverty and slander. Jesus does not promise to alleviate the suffering but promises to see them through it. This poverty is not just being tight or having a hard time like scraping to get by. It describes abject poverty, beggarly. Every citizen had to demonstrate loyalty to Rome by burning a yearly sacrifice to Caesar and getting a certificate of loyalty. In addition, most individuals were part of trade guilds, much like modern trade unions. Every trade was associated with a god and if a Christian did not demonstrate loyalty to that god they would be expelled from the guild and not able to get work. So Christians were seen as disloyal to both Rome and the trade guilds and as a result they could have their property confiscated, looted by others, and the general public be antagonistic, creating economic hardship. Yet Jesus says they are rich, showing that although they were lacking in the eyes of the culture, in God's eyes, they had everything.
But this is not all, they were also being slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Jews were in a precarious relationship with Rome and wanted to be seen as loyal to the Empire. So they were acting as informants, saying that “we are the true Israel and these guys are not; they are mostly Gentiles anyways and not part of us.” But Jesus says they are not Jews and in fact are a synagogue of Satan! This is not the only time he makes this kind of statement! He can say this because a true Jew is a spiritual Jew, an inward Jew with a circumcision of the heart by the Spirit. A true Jew is one who believes in Jesus as the Messiah who was sent by the Father. The people of God under the New Covenant are not identified by a land or by an ethnicity, but those who believe in Christ. They may be ethnic Jews but from Jesus' perspective they are a synagogue of Satan because they reject Jesus as the Messiah and are now persecuting God's people.
Exhortation (2:10)
The exhortation is 'not to fear what you are about to suffer because the devil is about to throw some of you into prison. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.' The real enemy is not Rome or the Jews but the devil. There is strength in knowing that you will face suffering and possible death. It gave them time to prepare their hearts and minds for what is coming. They are being thrown into prison to be tested. Prison was not a comfortable place as it is today. You went to prison for three reasons – for coercion, trial, or execution. The devil is going to throw them into prison and threaten them with death to tempt them to deny Christ but God says he is allowing this to test them, that is, purify and strengthen their faith.
God is sovereign and Satan is real. Satan is to be opposed or endured but not ignored. To strengthen their faith he says this tribulation will be limited to ten days and encourages them to be faithful to death with the reward of the crown of life, eternal life. Faithfulness here is being faithful in their witness under persecution and the threat of death. Death has lost its sting and becomes the very means by which they are victorious over Satan. It is in faithfulness to Christ to the point of death that they are victorious because 'they loved not their lives unto death.' Eternal life was more satisfying than this life.
Benediction (2:11)
John is not talking about a mechanical process of literal hearing. He is calling us to be spiritually sensitive to the Spirit of God when this letter is read. Hearing is a spiritual exercise that requires deliberate and focused attention. He has now moved from speaking to the church in Smyrna to speaking to all churches and individuals who make up those churches. Then he closes with a promise, 'the one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.' Conquering for the church in Smyrna is faithful witness under persecution and the threat of death. The first death is the death we all experience when we die; the second death is eternal damnation. If they conquer by faithful witness to Christ in the midst of persecution to the point of death they will inherit eternal life and will not by hurt by the second death.
Take aways:
• Live in light of potential persecution
• Those who are faithful receive eternal life.
