And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
As we continue in our series on “What Kind of Church Does Jesus Want?” we come to the second church found in Revelation. It is the church of Smyrna. There are many things about this church, as with the other churches in Revelation, that relate to us today. It is necessary that we take a close look at this particular church so that we may learn more about what kind of church this one needs to be.
It is a blessing to study about this particular church. There are many things about it that really have the ability to touch my heart and cause me to stop. There are things about it that make me examine myself. You say, preacher, just how is that a blessing? Any time that you are confronted with the word of the living God, and it points out those areas where you are lacking, it serves as a blessing. When we can see that the very reason that God points things out in our lives is for the purpose of correcting those things, it should bless you and give you a real joy in your heart just to know that the God, creator of the universe, desires to be close and personal with you.
As we begin looking at the church at Smyrna, look at Revelation 2:8. “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write.” If you remember our time looking at the church of Ephesus, then you would realize that the angel is not the pastor of the church, nor is it the guardian angel. By angel the reference is to the “essential spirit” or the “projected message” of the church. The Lord is addressing the conduct of this particular church.
There is much to learn just from the place of Smyrna. This city as far as culture and history is concerned was among the largest of the cities in the Mediterranean. It was a port city, which was beautiful in its appearance. The city was among the wealthiest of all the cities in Asia at this time, and the estimated population during the time of this letter was approaching 100,000 people.
The name Smyrna actually means myrrh. When you think about the Magi as they bore gifts to Jesus, they brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Myrrh is a perfume that was used in the embalming process. That is an attractive name for a city isn’t it? How would you like to live in a place called formaldehyde?
Myrrh, as we have mentioned was a perfume that only gave off its fragrance when it was crushed. History tell us that the city of Smyrna endured earthquakes, attacks and raids, numerous oppressions, if it was a possibility that it could happen, they saw it. No matter how many times they were oppressed, they always seemed to rebound better than they were before economically. They fit their name well. Crushed, but sweeter for it.
Idol worship was prevalent throughout Smyrna, as it was in the majority of the larger cities of that time. Archeology has shown us several of the idol temples that were constructed during that day, and they were sights to behold. The expense and beauty was unbelievable.
Then there was this church. It was the church of Smyrna. It had the same name as the city in which it was founded. It endured the same sufferings as the city in which it existed. It suffered hardships just like every one else. But, there was something different about this church. This was one of two churches found in these seven letters where there was no rebuke offered. Jesus had nothing bad to say about this church, but He did have a message for them.
Notice how Jesus addressed this church. In verse 8 He said, “These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive.” The reference is not of the same weight as we find in chapter one and verse 8. There Jesus said that He is the Alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. Here, He is giving much more weight than that to His message. It is the strongest sense of assurance that can be expressed in the Greek language. Jesus is affirming who he is to this church, and it is for a reason.
Just as this church had suffered many things, persecutions, shattering events, raids from enemies, etc, Jesus is affirming to them that He is the one who suffered as well. He is the one that was dead, and sprang back to life.
There were numerous times that this city was completely devastated by either natural disasters, or enemy attacks. Every time they endured what appeared to be the final blow, they came back to life. Jesus here relates to this church by demonstrating how that He has that very same thing in common with them. Just like you have suffered, I have suffered. Just as you were dead, and came back to life as a church, I was also dead, and came back to life. Jesus is simply saying that I can relate.
In addressing the church in this manner, Jesus was emphasizing the victory that is found in the act of resurrection. He above all is the one who knows the most about resurrection power. Just as He told Martha at the tomb of Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life” Jesus is the one that holds the very life giving power. Without Him, no life can exist.
But notice what He said in verse 9. “I know thy works.” Actually, the word works is not found in the oldest of the existing manuscripts, but it is found in several manuscripts as a marginal note included by the scribe that copied the writings. The word works does not make for a bad reading. There is absolutely no doubt that this church was engaged in numerous good works. However, the emphasis of this letter is not on the works of this church. Nowhere in the passage is works mentioned in their activities of service. Jesus does not mention their care for the lost. He says nothing about their zeal for the word of God. He doesn’t mention anything about visitation programs, children’s workers, building projects, training unions, no mention of any kind of work. What He does mention is their steadfastness in the numerous trials and persecutions that they have endured.
There is one key word that you need to see. Notice the word “know.” He said, “I know.” I know all about it. I know what you are going through. I know the things you are suffering. I know the persecution you have seen. I know the trials that you have faced. I know the hardships you endure. I have seen everything that you have been put through, and nothing has escaped me.
It should bless you and bring you comfort to realize that Jesus knows all about it. He knows everything this church has suffered. He knows everything that you have suffered. He has not missed a thing. He knows! But, not only does He know, but He also can relate to them. He knows about it, and He has already gone through it, raised again, victorious.
What does Jesus know? Notice in verse 9, “I know thy tribulation.” The word tribulation used here comes from the Greek word “thlipsis.” It is a relative word to two Greek words “thlibo” and “treebos.” Thlibo means to crowd, and treebos means a rut worn in the ground. Just as traffic wears a rut in the dirt, the tribulation that Smyrna endured was continual, one thing right after another, but in a stronger sense. The word used here, thlipsis, is the strongest relative word to these other two. While it holds the same meaning as continual wearing and forming of a rut, it holds the stronger meaning of crowding. Literally, it is the pressure that crushes.
Jesus is saying to this church, “I know that you have been continually crushed. I realize that you have suffered extraordinarily above and beyond the other churches. I know all about it. I can relate to that. You see, I have suffered it already. I know, I know.”
Listen! In your Christian walk there are going to be times that the trials and burdens, the pressures and sufferings, just seem to come one after the other. There will be times that is seems as if you may not be able to bear the troubles you are faced with. There will be times that it would seem the easiest to just throw up your hands and quit. But, realize this very fact. Jesus knows all about it. None of your sufferings have gone unnoticed. Nothing has escaped His watchful eye. He knows, He knows! And what’s more, He has already gone through it. “I know, and I can relate.”
Church, there are times that seem difficult. There are sufferings that we endure. There are things that overwhelm us. There are problems that seem too big for us to handle. He knows! He realizes everything that this church goes through. He understands perfectly the troubles and trials we are faced with. He knows, because He has already gone through the suffering. He can relate in that special way because of His own experience with suffering. He knows!
Notice also in verse 8, “I know your tribulation, and poverty.” The word for poverty here is the Greek word “ptochos.” It means having nothing at all. But wait a minute preacher. I thought you said this city was rich. I thought you said that every time this city experienced troubles and attacks and devastation that it just got richer. The city did, but the church didn’t. This church suffered in poverty.
One of the most well known pastors of this church was a man by the name of Polycarp. Polycarp was a disciple of Jesus under the Apostle John. John taught him in the Scriptures and doctrines. He watched Polycarp grow. He knew him well.
I can just imagine how that Polycarp walked outside of his church, and looked down the streets at the pagan temples and places of idol worship. I can imagine how that he saw how wealthy these other places were, and then realized how little his church had. I can picture in my mind, and almost feel in my heart how Polycarp must have felt. Can you imagine what it was like? Can you think of how he must have felt to see ungodly places prosper, and the church have nothing? The Lord and Savior could. He said, “I know. I know all about it. There is not one need that you suffer that has escaped my attention. There is nothing lacking that I am not aware of. I realize all that you do not have, and the nothing that you do have. I know. And what’s more than that, I can relate.”
My mind, when I think about this church in its poverty goes to the gospel according to Matthew 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Jesus knows about it, and He can relate to it, because He has already been through the same things we suffer.
I know your poverty, but notice this, “but you are rich.” You may not have the things that hold value to this world, but you have those things that count for God. This church had a spiritual richness. They were rich in grace and mercy towards others. They were rich in the supporting of ministry needs by their labors. They didn’t have large bank accounts. They didn’t have fancy buildings. They didn’t have elegant chandeliers and pews. There were not paved parking lots, and air-conditioned buildings. They couldn’t afford to buy expensive things for the church. But they were rich.
This very church of Smyrna can be contrasted with another of the seven churches. Look in chapter 3 and verse 17. This is an address to the church of Laodicea. Notice what Jesus says to them. “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” Notice what He told this church. “You have all of these possessions, and they mean nothing to me. Riches of this world are not what indicate your wealth. These are all perishable things. You need your eyes healed so that you can see what I count as important.”
There is a valuable lesson for us today. Wealth and the riches of this world are not the important things to God. He is not interested with how much you or this church has in the bank account. He would rather a church work on faith, trusting Him for the provisions, than to be so fixed on money that we loose dependency upon Him. I am not saying that the church ought to be irresponsible with God’s money. We are commanded to be good stewards of it. The thing that I am saying is that we should not let money cripple our faith and involvement in the ministry of His church. Money issues should never stop us from taking the gospel to a lost world. Money issues should never keep us from saying that we believe God for the provisions, and we are going to support the ministry of the church. Listen; if you make a commitment to God to support the ministry of a church, then the needs will be met as you fulfill your commitment. Why? It is because He has already promised to supply our needs. Every need that we have, He already knows about it. Every need that we have, He has the provision to meet it. Our needs are supplied according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus.
Notice in verse 9, He knows your tribulation, He knows your poverty, and he knows your opposition. “And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” This was a group of people who were opposed to the very ministry of the church, and to the man of God. Jesus knew all about it.
The best reference we have to give us an indication of these people can be found in Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. This group of people was envious of the real church. They were envious of the people that worked in the church. The Jews to which this refers to was a group that was legalistic in the way they approached worship. It had to be a certain way, and anything else needed to be opposed. They refused the word of God, and opposed the man of God. Why? Part of the problem was envy. Envy wants to gain what another person has. When you are envious, you desire to obtain what another has, so that they do not have it. But wait preacher; you said this church was poor. They were poor in material goods, but they had a drive about them. They had a joy about them. They were steadfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord. And so this group wanted to oppose it, because they didn’t have it. They didn’t have that drive like this church. They were not engaged in a ministry work with the same joy and ferver as those in this church. They were not on fire for God like those in this church, and so they became envious. It just didn’t match what they had, and they desired to take it away from the church.
How familiar does that sound today? You have one group of believers wanting to serve the Lord, and there is another group that are mainly just talk, and do nothing but oppose the very principles of the word of God, and the workers in the church. Notice that Jesus said that they claimed to be Jews, but were not. Paul tells us in Romans 2:28-29 what the true qualifications were for being a Jew. You see, these people were Jews only by race, but not by heart. Why? They contradicted the word of God. According to Paul, a Jew was not a Jew because of his race, but because of the circumcision of the heart. They were Jews because of salvation. They were God’s chosen if they were saved. Salvation was not in the law, but in Christ, of whom they opposed. It reminds me of another passage where Jesus taught that there was tares among the wheat. You remember that one. Listen! If someone constantly opposes the word of God, and refuses to operate in the church according to Godly principles, I question that person’s relationship with the Savior. Something is wrong with the heart that continually refuses the instruction of Scripture, and continues in disobedience, without any sign of repentance.
Jesus knew what they were going through. He knew their tribulation. He knew their poverty. He knew their opposition. But Jesus also knew what faced them. Notice in verse 10. “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days.”
The first thing He told them concerning the things they were going to face was to not fear. That is a command in the negative sense. A command like this is designed to override the negative that is involved. Looking at the passage, you would see that prison was a definite, not an option. The devil IS going to cast some of you into prison. This group of Jews that opposed the church, as history records, made numerous accusations against the church at Smyrna, in reference to Rome. As a result, many were persecuted, and cast into prison. It was the timing. The persecution of the Christians had begun under Nero. It carried on for the next 250 years. The church suffered as a body, and the individual Christians suffered as well.
Notice what else Jesus said, “that ye may be tried.” Jesus gave a purpose clause for the suffering. You are going to suffer, and it is for the purpose of trying you. The word for tried is the Greek word “peradzo.” Literally it means to test, to scrutinize. The sufferings were intended to test and scrutinize the church. They served the purpose of purification. But, it was for a time. Notice that Jesus said, “ye shall have tribulation for ten days.”
This is not a literal length of time. But it is a prescribed length of time. “I know what you are suffering through. I know what you are going through. I know the things you must face. Don’t be afraid in facing these things, because it is for a period of time.” Listen! Jesus knows and realizes everything we must face, but it is only for a time. There is an end in sight. There is coming a time of peace. This thing will not be forever. The fact that God wants to ensure us of is simple. No matter what you suffer through, no matter how hard the troubles and trials, no matter how difficult the opposition, there is a very firm fact. It is not forever, and God will have the last word. Notice that He said for ten days. While that is prophetically an undeterminable time period for us, when God says the suffering is over, then it is over. When God says that Satan must stop, then Satan must stop. When God says that the time for peace has come, then you will have peace. Ultimately, we must never forget, God is still on the throne, and He is still in control.
He said also in verse 10, “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life. This is not a reference to salvation by works. It is not a reference to salvation by faithfulness. It is a reference to personal reward in the very act of faithfulness.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
We have something to strive for. Jesus was faithful unto death, and rose again in victory. What an encouragement to us. The very action of being faithful is the duty of actively participating in the victory of Christ, and for that, you will be rewarded.
The opposition that this church of Smyrna faced was intense. These Jews that opposed the church, on a Sabbath day in 155 A.D. gathered wood, breaking the very law they said to uphold. On a Sunday morning, as the believers gathered in the church to worship, the Jews entered into the building, and took Polycarp captive. They bound his hands and feet. They carried him to a stake upon which they tied him. They stacked the wood around him, and burnt him to death. Could there be any doubt that Polycarp reflected upon the very words of the Savior? Be faithful; be faithful, and fear not. History tells us that when the smoke and flames began to engulf Polycarp, he sang praises to God. Do you doubt that he remembered the words, fear not and be faithful unto death, there is a reward waiting you for it.
Could there be any doubt that this church at Smyrna remembered the words of Jesus? As they watched their pastor carried off by the ungodly opposing men, they knew what would happen. I wonder if they could still hear the words that Polycarp had read before the congregation from this letter. Be faithful; be faithful and fear not. There is no doubt in my mind that that they did remember. They remembered the words.
Listen! Tribulation is not the thing that causes a church to go under. Poverty is not the thing that causes a church to go under. Persecution and opposition are not the things that will cause the church to go under. The things that cause any church to fold can be found in verse 10. It is fear, and a lack of faithfulness.
This church at Smyrna remembered these words. Fear not, and be faithful. If you visit the areas of these churches today, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, you would find something in common with six of these churches. Or perhaps you would find something unique about one of these churches. In there is a port city in what we know today as Turkey. The name of that city is Smyrna. In the middle of that city is a church that can trace its roots all the way back to about 70 A.D., when the church of Smyrna was first formed. All of the other six churches have since died. But this church is still going strong. Why? They realized that fear and unfaithfulness are the very things that kill a church. They remembered the words of Jesus, “be faithful, and fear not.”
What kind of fears do you have concerning troubles and trials? What is it that has gripped your heart with fear? Just what area are you being unfaithful in? How are you lacking in faithful service to Jesus? He knows all about your troubles and trials. Nothing escapes Him, and He has already experienced them all. His very words to you tonight, “Be faithful, and fear not.” Are you unfaithful and fearing?
Notice verse 11. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Is the Spirit speaking to you tonight? Will you listen?
