Revelation Study Series 3 - God's Mysterious Plan Fulfilled
10.17.21
Message…
Revelation 2:8-11
8 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:
9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to satan.
10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.
A young man said to his father at breakfast one morning, "Dad, I'm going to get married."
"How do you know you're ready to get married?" asked the father. "Are you in love?"
"I sure am," said the son.
"How do you know you're in love?" asked the father.
"Last night as I was kissing my girlfriend good-night, her dog bit me and I didn't feel the pain until I got home."
-Source Unknown
Last week we talked about our love for the Lord. How we don’t want to live life just going through the motions. That our Lord needs to be our first and greatest love.
Today, our focus is on how much we love Him. How far are we willing to go to love Him?!
This letter was addressed to the church in Smyrna...
During John’s day the citizens of Smyrna worshipped the emperor of Rome as a god.
The name “Smyrna” means “myrrh” which is a perfumed, anointing oil used to prepare a body for burial.
For the Christian, that name would be most prophetic because they would suffer much for the cause of Christ. Smyrna represents a persecuted church.
Revelation 2:9
9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to satan.
It’s been said of Smyrna’s, because of the intense hatred of Christians, if you took a stand for Jesus, your business was boycotted.
If you worked for someone and they found out you were a Christian you would have been fired.
Although the city was wealthy the church in Smyrna probably had little if any money.
“...the churches of the first three centuries were marked by material poverty and spiritual power, whereas the churches of our day are marked by material wealth and spiritual weakness.” -Revelation, Tim Lehaye, p. 32
God knows what you have and what you lack. God knows what you are going through or suffering through.
God saw their suffering and poverty and said, “You are rich!”
God assesses our lives differently than how the world does. The world is full of the “haves and the have nots”…
God says that those that have Him through Christ...have it all…
2 Corinthians 6:10
10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
The Lord not only knew of their persecution/suffering He knew the source of it.
There were many Jews who lived in this area. They were Jews by birth, but they were just pagan as the other people who lived there.
They were against Christians. They were against Jesus.
They did as much to stamp out Christianity as anyone did.
Revelation 2:10
10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
The Lord told the believers in Smyrna...some of you will suffer...some of you will be thrown into jail...some of you will die for your faith.
This letter to Smyrna is believed to represent a specific time period in history. “...you will suffer for ten days...”
This is thought to be from 100 A.D.- 312 A.D.
During this time ten rulers inflicted intense persecution on Christians...
Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified. John was exiled to Patmos. And, one of John's early disciples...a man by the name of Polycarp was persecuted.
Polycarp was a pastor of a church in Smyrna. At 86 years old, he was arrested and told to denounce Christ and he would be freed.
Polycarp's reply: "Eighty and six years have I now served Christ, and He has never done me the least wrong; how, then, can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?" -http://www.padfield.com/1999/smyrna.html
It is said that soldiers took him and attempted to nail him to a stake to be burned. His reply: “Leave me as I am. For He who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the [pile] unmoved, without the security you desire from nails.” -131 Christians Everyone Should Know, Christianity Today website
It has been estimated that over 5 million Christians were killed during this time. Many were crucified. Some of them were torn apart by lions, killed in public sporting events. Some were dipped in tar and set ablaze. Some boiled in oil.
One of the worst emperors, Diocletian tried to destroy all of the scriptures. His goal was to wipe God’s Word off of the planet. There were many public burnings of scripture. He ordered churches destroyed, and the assembling of Christians to worship outlawed. ?(Imagine such a thing!)
Revelation 2:10
10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
This is a wake up call to believers.
You say you love the Lord...How much do you love Him? How far are you willing to go to show that love?
At what cost are you willing to pay for this thing you say you believe?
There are churches all over the world right now, meeting in secret...believers, risking their lives...
They are meeting in homes, in basements, in caves, on boats.
No one here passed a checkpoint on your way to church today.
No one had to sneak out of your house looking over your shoulder to see if your travel was being monitored?
None of you had to sneak a Bible into this place? None of you have had to hide your Bible from authorities. ?(You might have had to find it, or blow the dust from it’s cover.)
None of you are here in fear of being beaten.
Revelation 2:10
10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
Let me add something interesting here…
In the book of Daniel, you remember Daniel and his three friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
They were exiled to Babylon. Remember how they refused to defile themselves by eating the King’s wine and meat. They instead ate vegetables and water for “ten days”. After those “ten days” of testing they fared better than anyone else. They served King Nebuchadnezzar, but a few short chapters later they were in trouble with the king. They had refused to bow down and worship a golden statue he had built.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tied up and thrown into a fiery furnace as their punishment and death.
They should have been consumed in that fiery furnace...
Daniel 3:27b
27b “...the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!”
And, if you remember, what the king witnessed while they were in the fire…
Daniel 3:25
25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” NKJV
They were tested for what they believed.
They were persecuted for what they believed.
They remained faithful when facing death and they were delivered from the fire and death!
Revelation 2:11
11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.
One of the crown’s which will be awarded in heaven is this “crown of life”. It is given to those who have been killed for the name of the Lord.
James 1:12
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
It is not a crown for personal glory but one which will be cast at the feet of the Lord for praise, and worship back to Him.
The second death mentioned here is that of everlasting spiritual death…
Revelation 20:14
14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.
God’s Word also clearly defines who is considered victorious…
1 John 5:5
And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
The letter to the church of Smyrna is the shortest letter of the seven.
Unlike Ephesus...who the Lord praised, but also condemned for losing it’s first love...the Lord had only praise the believers of Smyrna.
He had no rebuke for them, only encouragement...“remain faithful even when facing death.” And they were.
Unlike Ephesus that lies in ruins today...Smyrna still stands. It is called Izmir today. It’s the only city of the seven still standing.
There are many Christians who live there, and they are still being persecuted today.
What you are willing to die for...you truly love. (repeat)
So, what do we do with this message?
Revelation 2:11
11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.
You may be persecuted for your belief…
You may be ridiculed, mocked, criticized, suffer injustice, legal trouble, financial hardship, jail, torture, even death.
2 Timothy 3:12
Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Do not live in fear…
Matthew 10:28-33
28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 What is the price of two sparrows-one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.
30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.
31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
32 “Everyone who acknowledges Me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.
33 But everyone who denies Me here on earth, I will also deny before My Father in heaven.
Be Prepared…
Ephesians 6:10-14
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
Pray for others who are being persecuted…
Eph. 6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
