Be Not Afraid and Be Faithful

Transcript

GR 1987
12/11/2011
Not Afraid and Be Faithful
Revelation 2:8-11
Gil Rugh

We’re going to turn to the book of Revelation in your bibles in chapter 2. Rather fitting we look at this message to the churches because of what Jesus said He would be doing as a result of His death and resurrection. He said, “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” That fits well with the message to the church at Smyrna and through that message to us that Christ is building His church down to today and the gates of Hades, a reference probably to death itself; His death and the death of many who would follow Him testify for Him. Nothing will prevent the work that Christ is doing in ultimately building the church as a testimony for Himself and as His bride for all eternity.

We have looked at the church at Ephesus. Seven churches selected by Christ from the region of modern day Turkey in Asia, in biblical times Asia Minor. These seven were selected, not because they’re the only churches in existence or the only churches in this region. They’ve been selected by Christ because not only are they specific historical churches of the time but they also will reflect things that are important for His churches to know and understand down through history. He addresses each of these churches and tells them what He approves and commends and if there are things that He does not approve of, He tells them how they must correct it. We saw that with the church at Ephesus, a great church commendable in a number of areas but it is rebuked for having lost its first love.

We come to the second church the church at Smyrna. It’s about thirty-five miles north of Ephesus along the seacoast of the Aegean Sea. A prosperous city, a beautiful city, one of the more beautiful cities of the day. It was probably the most beautiful city of these seven cities mentioned where the churches are. It’s a coastal city. It had the prosperity that came from having a good seaport and also trade route that ran through it. A very wealthy city and we know having the experience of living in a wealthy country, we benefit from that and everybody does. The city of Smyrna was a wealthy city and the people shared in the benefits that came with that prosperity.

It was a religious city, built on a hill in a setting which drew attention, and winding around that hill there was a street named the “Golden Street.” It was a street that was characterized by different temples to different gods and goddesses so a very religious city that will have some problems as we’ll see. It enjoyed a special relationship with Rome, which is ruling the world at this time. Early in Rome’s development, Smyrna had stood in support of Rome. Rome didn’t forget that, and in 23 A.D., which would be before Christ’s public ministry began, the Romans selected Smyrna to be the city where they would build a temple in honor of Tiberius Caesar. That tells us something of the value put on this city by the Romans and its importance.

Now that created problems. It was a city honored by the Romans so it became a city where emperor worship became a focal point and the Roman Emperor of this time from 81 to 96 A.D. remember John is writing about ninety-five A.D. is a man named Domitian. Domitian required everyone in the empire to acknowledge him as a god. You understand the Romans are polytheistic; they have many gods. They are comfortable incorporating the gods of different people into their pantheon of gods. What they are concerned about is, you recognize and honor the Roman rule.

Now with Domitian, for example, when he required worship of himself as a god to refuse to do that meant you were in rebellion. You had a political problem if you were not willing to acknowledge the authority and rule of Rome. You say, “well I’d be willing to do that I just don’t want to have to say that the emperor is god” but you couldn’t disassociate it. What they required is that once a year you would come and you would burn a little bit of incense on the altar and declare that Caesar is god he is lord and then they would give you a certificate and that certificate then you could keep with you. When we were in a foreign country I noticed a number of the men carrying pouch bags and I asked the person we were with, “why does everybody carry a bag?” He said, “well, you have to carry your papers because if they stop you and ask for your papers you have to show your papers.” It would be that way, similar I guess, in the time of John. You had to be able to show you were a loyal faithful Roman citizen and you had acknowledged Caesar as lord. Now the penalty for not doing that could be severe. It could be death because you’re guilty of a seditious act; you are in rebellion against Rome. That’s a little bit of the situation.

There is a well know Christian martyr who would be about fifty or so years after John a man named Polycarp. He was a Christian leader in Smyrna, his hometown, and when he was eighty-six years of age, he was brought before the Roman authorities and part of the instigation was the Jews. You understand the Romans could be flexible to a degree. They were concerned about peace in the empire so the Jews, for example, got a pass from Rome and they recognized Judaism as an official religion so they could carry on.

Christianity was not officially recognized so Polycarp was brought before the Roman authorities because he had not burned incense to the Emperor and declared that Caesar was lord. They gave him the option-- if you will simply burn the incense, declare Caesar as lord you can go free and do whatever you want. They didn’t care if you practiced your own religion, what they’re concerned about is your allegiance to Rome and that required you’re acknowledging Caesar as god. The Jews were the instigator, and fifty years later, it’s a problem at Smyrna in John’s day when this letter is written. They pushed for Polycarp’s execution and he had the option of either be torn apart by wild beasts or be burned. At eighty-six years of age he was burned at the stake and the Jews brought the wood and the lumber so this could be carried out. You get something of the environment. Polycarp who is going to die fifty to sixty years later would have been a young man when John writes this letter to Smyrna. In fact, the writer of one commentary said he believes that Polycarp was probably the messenger of the church because verse 8 in Revelation 2 says, “And to the” messenger or “angel of the church in Smyrna write.” There is no evidence of that. He later will become the leading figure in the church at Smyrna and culminate with his death.

A little bit of the background… Smyrna, a great church, is unique. The church at Ephesus was a great church but it had a serious flaw that had to be corrected. When Christ addresses the church at Smyrna He commends them, He encourages them but He has no rebuke for them. Well that’s special but that doesn’t mean it’s a perfect church but there’s nothing of such a serious nature that Christ says must be corrected as will be true in most of the other churches. We’ll talk about the church at Philadelphia when we get there. This is a special church it is a suffering church.

Now remember what is written to these churches has special application to that specific church but it is recorded for us because it is a message intended for all churches so we will learn and find what the Lord of the church says, He commends in the church and what is unacceptable to Him in the church. So each of the letters will conclude as the letter to the church at Smyrna does in verse 11 when he says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” [Plural]. It’s addressed in verse 8 to the messenger representing the church at Smyrna [singular] but it is a message to be taken in and we are to learn from it for all the churches. The church at Smyrna is a suffering church. In fact Smyrna comes from the word we translate in the bible, myrrh; gold, frankincense and myrrh used in connection with anointing a body and things like that. It is the suffering church and so we pick up with what Christ writes. “To the angel” or messenger “of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:”

He begins as He does with each of the churches by picking up a characteristic or characteristics that were revealed concerning Christ in chapter 1. He says I am “the first and the last who was dead and has come to life,” back up to chapter 1 verse 17. “When I saw Him,” [John saw Christ] “I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last…” So you see He’s picked up that expression in addressing the church at Smyrna. Furthermore, “and the living One;” and that’s key. He’s the living One. “I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and have the keys of death and Hades.” He picks that up in chapter 2 verse 8. “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life ...” This is crucial for the encouragement of the church at Smyrna because Christ is going to tell them, “some of you are going to give your life as a testimony for Me.” How encouraging it is to be reminded He is the eternal sovereign God, He experienced death, He is alive, and He’s promised life to those who are faithful to Him.

The “first and the last,” we looked at this when we looked at the expression in chapter 1; it expresses eternality and it is used of God in the Old Testament. He is the first; He is the last. In other words, there is no one before Him; there is no one after Him. We’ll go back and remind ourselves with two verses in Isaiah chapter 41. verse 4. “Who has performed and accomplished it, calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‘I am the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am He.’ ” You see His sovereignty there. He’s the One who brought into existence everything. He will be the One at the end of all things. There is none before Him, none after Him.

Come over to Isaiah chapter 48 look at verse 11. “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; for how can My name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another. Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.” Could you have a mere mortal human being declare I am the first and the last? It would be sacrilege. He alone is God. “Surely My right hand founded the earth, My right hand spread out the heavens; when I call to them they stand together.” The creation exists because the God who is the Creator brought it into existence; He is the first and the last. These kinds of things are clear statements of the deity of Jesus Christ so we talk about the deity of Christ. It permeates the Scripture giving Him these kinds of names and titles.

So come back to Revelation chapter 2. In verse 8, He says, that He is “the first and the last,” He has also said that He “was dead, and has come to life,” and this was also expressed in chapter 1. It is important to note you have a little number 1 probably in your bible if you’re using the same translation as I am, the New American Standard and you’ll note in the margins by verse 8 it says “literally became.” It’s not the normal verb for was the verb to be. The word means to become so literally what He says here and in the tense, “He is the first and the last who became dead and then was alive.” He came to life. He became dead. This is an amazing thing we just made this statement of His deity. I am the first I am the last and I became dead and the awesome truth in that. That the God who is eternal and can never cease to be became dead, which is obviously a statement of His becoming a man, being born into the human race so he never ceased to be God but He took to His deity humanity and that awesome truth that the depths of which we could never exhaust is the God-Man.

He became dead and this was alluded to in chapter 1 verse 5. This letter “from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead …” the first to be resurrected from the dead in a glorified body “the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by his blood—“ His death. He is reminding them that He is the eternal God who became dead and alive. Now this is encouraging to this church because He is going to tell them in this brief letter (this is the shortest letter of the seven letters) some of them are going to die but that’s ok because the Lord that we love and serve He became dead but He’s alive. You know what He is going to promise by the end of this. Down at the end of verse 10. You die for Me I give you the crown which is life so you don’t have to fear death because you’ll live. So this is a solemn letter, serious material. but very encouraging. The same kind of reasoning Paul used to the Corinthians in chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians on the resurrection. Christ was raised from the dead, He’s alive! That means you believers when you die, you will be raised from the dead. That example is a pattern we will follow so He’s introduced Himself, made that connection.

Now He is ready to tell them His evaluation of the church. It begins with, I know and that’s all that really matters. He knows the condition of our church He knows it’s true condition. He is telling this church, “I know your tribulation, your poverty, the blasphemy …” you are experiencing.

Three things that He says about the church at Smyrna that He knows, their tribulation, their poverty and the blasphemy directed against them. Tribulation we’ve talked about this word a number of times in our studies of Scripture; a word that means pressure. One of the commentators said, “That it was used in classical Greek. As a way of execution they would lower a very huge bolder on a person and crush them to death.” He’d used this word a word that means pressure. You know just squeeze the life out of them the pressure just crushed the life out of them. Then it comes to mean you know metaphorically pressure, trials, tribulation because these difficulties bring pressure on us so there is a connection. There going through pressure.

We’ve looked at the word; we’ve traced it at different times. Christ said, “In the world you have tribulation …” using this word “but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Very pertinent to what He is going to be saying here. That was John 16:33. In Acts chapter 14 on one of Paul’s first missionary journey’s he told the new believers it’s “Through many tribulations you must enter the kingdom …” and we don’t have time to go through the various references. Tribulation, pressure, the trials are characteristic.

We are as a result of God’s saving grace as expressed in chapter 1 verse 5. The love of Christ where “God so loved world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” He’s the One loving us who “released us from our sins …” but you see now we don’t fit in this world. We don’t belong here. “We are strangers and pilgrims” as the Scripture identifies us. “Our citizenship is” ultimately not here but it’s “in heaven” so now we have constant tension and “the whole world,” this world system “lies in the power of the evil one,” the devil. He’s the god (small g) of this world so he is constantly moving his followers to oppose the children of God so it’s not surprising that the church at Smyrna has tribulation but they’re having it to a greater degree. That’s true in the world by God’s grace and in His plan, the tribulations we have are minor.

I was reading an email this week about some believers in another part of the world, another country and hundreds of them have been slaughtered, men, women and children, pastors, churches destroyed. We don’t face anything like that kind of tribulation. We have a certain kind but you know God moves according to His will. He could protect and preserve those people just as He has us but in His sovereign plan, He’s not. That doesn’t mean things might not get much worse but the recognition, tribulation this church is undergoing, the severity, they ought to know that Christ knows. I know your tribulation because sometimes on those occasions; Lord what is going on? I don’t see any purpose, I don’t understand, why is this happening and those kinds of questions. Well we can be encouraged.

Revelation 2:9, “I know your tribulation and your poverty …” Poverty, now the Greeks had two words they used for poverty. One meant you’re just scraping by, you’re just getting by. We would use an expression like we’re living hand to mouth. I mean you’ve barely enough to get along. That’s not the word that is used here; this is the word that is used of abject poverty; you have nothing. You are destitute you don’t know where your next meal is coming from. I know your tribulation and your absolute poverty, that you are destitute. You know it’s happened through church history and it happened here in the New Testament times. It could cost you everything. You know what happens when they won’t honor the emperor and the Jews are against him. [Polycarp]. Well we’re going to execute you for that and all your possessions then become the property of the state.

What about the family, the children? We’ve seen this down through history. Some of you have studied the times of the reformation, the radical reformation and all that went on there, and they arrest somebody and put them in prison. What do they have? You know they take away their livelihood and all their possessions. What do you do; you have nothing so you beg. John Bunyan an early Baptist, we identify him as a Puritan said, “The worst thing about being in prison was watching his blind daughter begging.” The authorities didn’t care about that. It’s your fault you’re in prison. You profess a faith and you deny—those kinds of things, this is what they are going through—they’re reduced to poverty. They have nothing. That’s the second thing.

Come back to Hebrews 10. These Jews had come to trust Christ. We’re going to talk about the distinction between Jews who had become believers in Christ and those who had not shortly but these believing Jews had suffered greatly. Look what he says in verse 32 of Hebrews 10. “But remember the former days, when after being enlightened …,” after the light of the glory of the gospel had shone into their hearts and minds “you endured a great conflict of sufferings” … involving what … “partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated.” So here, you have a fellow believer who is being mistreated. You come along side of them to encourage them and to help them. Some of them get imprisoned so you would visit them in prison but that marked you out as a follower of Christ also. “You showed sympathy to the prisoners accepted joyfully the seizure of your property knowing you have … a better possession ...” We’ll make mention of that again, “and a lasting one.”

Now the danger is, you know God in His sovereign plan—sometimes persecution comes and it can be extensive but it doesn’t always come with unending endurance. Otherwise, the believers would be totally wiped out, which has sometimes happened in areas but fifty years later Polycarp is going to be executed for His faith in Smyrna. The persecution could come in waves, as we’re familiar with; times of difficulty come, times when we as a church experience greater difficulty and then there seems times when it’s not so difficult.

There aren’t the same kind of battles and conflicts so here a similar thing had happened to these believers. Early in their Christian life, they had suffered such persecution. They had lost their homes they had lost their possessions, some had been in prison but evidently these things had eased off enough. You know what happens then when you get comfortable. I wouldn’t want to have to go through those days again. So then, you begin to look for ways that maybe you could live with the system and within the system. I don’t want to suffer like that again. I don’t want to have to go through that again so He has to tell them in verse 35, “Do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. You have need of endurance” but note verse 38 and this is going to come out at the end of the letter to the church at Smyrna. “MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; (now note) IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. We are not of those who shrink back to destruction but those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

One thing that the trials and tribulations do is they sift out and Christ will bring this out with the promise to the overcomer at the end of every church, which indicates that not everyone in that church may be truly a believer. So the warning here those who are going back; if you follow them back it’s an indication you never understood because it’s what we call the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints and it’s by the grace of God that we draw upon His provision to endure. Come back to Revelation chapter 2. ‘I know … your poverty” a reminder “but you are rich…” Well you don’t look like it. It looks like you are absolutely destitute, you’re in rags you have no home of your own, you’re begging, you’re reduced to whatever people will give you to survive but you’re rich, spiritually rich. This is the thing that must be kept in mind. As soon as you start to lose your grip on that, it’s as we just read to the letter to the Hebrews. I’m looking for a way not to have to suffer. I’m looking for a way to alleviate the pressure; we don’t court pressure. Some of those in the history of the church were carried away and almost sought the honor of being a martyr. We don’t go out of our way but there is no compromise here. Like Polycarp, eight-six years of age, but the Lord has been faithful to me. I could not deny Him. Light the fire. There is no compromise here.

So the church at Smyrna, they have been faithful back in Revelation 2:9. Your tribulation your poverty (but you are rich), spiritual riches. We should come back to Matthew 6. I should have taken you there instead of telling you to come back to Revelations. Matthew 6, the Sermon on the Mount, verse 25, “do not be worried about your life, what you will eat what you will drink; your body what you will put on. Is not life more food, the body more than clothing?” God takes care and then you have the examples from the birds and the lilies of the field and so on. Verse 31, “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? The Gentiles seek for these things …’” He is talking to Jews here now and the Gentiles obviously at this point outside the general program of God’s salvation. This is the unbelievers they seek these things. “Your … Father knows … seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all these things will be added to you.” What if they don’t come? What if I die of starvation? What if I’m martyred? Well that’s fine, the Lord is sovereign.

Come over to Luke chapter 12. Here’s a rich man and Christ is giving an example, verse 15 “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not only when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” These are externals. Look down in verse 20. He is talking about a man who had great wealth he stored up plenty so he could relax and have a great retirement but verse 20, “God said to him, ‘you fool! This very night your soul is required of you; now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Then he goes on with similar material that we have in Matthew 6. The key is to be rich toward God. Whatever you have you understand someday will be gone. Big house little house big bank account no bank account it will someday be gone but the inheritance you have in heaven will be there. It is eternal. That’s what He is saying when He tells these believers in Smyrna, “you’re destitute (physically speaking) but you are rich spiritually. You have treasure in heaven that will be there for you.”

Come back to Revelation 2. The third thing He knows, first their tribulation second their poverty and third the blasphemy they are enduring. The word blasphemy, we often use it in connection with speaking against God but it’s a general word also used of speaking against other people, evil speaking, lies, and accusations. This blasphemy comes from “… those who say they are Jews but are not… they have a synagogue of Satan.” You know one of the things the devil does is he uses lies. Remember John chapter 8 verse 44. Jesus told the Jews of His day during His earthly ministry “You are of your father the devil,” so that’s their spiritual lineage. Their physical lineage was as descendants of Abraham but their spiritual lineage goes back to the devil, they’re children of the devil and what about him? ‘…he is a liar and the father of lies.’ And you realize you reveal that you are his children because you lie so here He is putting into context what is going on. This is “… the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews but are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” Satan is behind them so this puts it into perspective because sometimes we get caught up in the physical moment. Oh, the Jews they are the cause of all the problems. They are instruments in the devil’s hands but they are not the cause of the problem, the devil is. That doesn’t mean the unbelieving Jews aren’t accountable to God for what they do but remember Ephesians chapter six. “We wrestle not we battle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers … the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Christ is drawing their attention to this down in verse 10 of Revelation chapter 2. He will talk about “… the devil is about to cast some of you into prison” … this is a synagogue of Satan. He is the driving energy behind this opposition to God’s people. This opposition here in Smyrna comes from a strong contingent of Jews in Smyrna ... “the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not…” now some get confused when they read passages like this so be careful.

A physical Jew is a physical descendant of Abraham, through Isaac, through Jacob, through the twelve sons of Jacob. That’s the physical descendant but not everyone who was a physical descendant of Abraham also was going to be a spiritual recipient of the promises given to Abraham. Most of you have been through this enough. The spiritual promises come to those who are descendants of Abraham through Isaac, through Jacob, through the twelve sons of Jacob, who also have the same faith as Abraham had. This is the argument of Romans chapter 4. The Jews thought that because they had a physical connection to Abraham therefore they were assured of heaven and glory of being part of the kingdom that God would establish someday. God constantly reminded them through the Old Testament, He makes clear, you have to have your heart circumcised. The evil of your heart must be removed. Until that happens, you are the enemies of God. This doesn’t mean He’s not talking about physical Jews but He is talking about physical Jews here who are not believers.

Come back to Romans chapter two. We’re not going to trace all this down but we’ll take this passage. Look at verse 28. “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” That doesn’t mean that now Gentiles are called Jews. He’s making a clarifying thing here because in chapter 2 He’s been making a point. In chapter 1 He made the point, the Gentiles are lost in their sin but in chapter 2, He deals with those who pride themselves in knowing the law; the Jews, but they have no spiritual connection. It’s just drawing a fact they’re not now calling Gentiles Jews. Pretty soon, language is all messed up. No, He’s just saying it’s not enough to be an outward Jew. You are not a Jew in the full sense of the word; the one who will inherit the covenant promises to father Abraham. You can claim him as your physical father but only a Jew who has Abraham as his physical father and who is characterized by the faith of Abraham can claim the promises given to Abraham. When you come to chapter four of Romans, he’ll quote from Genesis 15:6 “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” The Jews passed over that so that’s what we’re talking about here.

We have back in Revelation 2 verse 9 “…those who say they are Jews but they are not …” in the true sense, because Jews that had a spiritual relationship with God were Jews like John who writes this letter, Paul, Peter and others. All that these Jews do is form a synagogue a worship center for unbelieving Jews; that’s a synagogue of Satan. That’s serious but it’s no different from what Isaiah wrote in chapter 1 telling the Jews don’t bring your sacrifices any longer, I can’t stand it, it is trampling My courts. It’s an act of sacrilege that you would come, and go through the motions of your worship yet not really have your faith in Me and have been cleansed by Me.

Come back to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. This is true of all false worship. We’re talking about Jews here in Romans 2 but understand this is true of all worship that is not based on the finished work of Christ in genuine faith in Him. Look at 1 Corinthians 10 verse 20, “No, but I say that the things, which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to be sharers” or fellow shippers with “demons.” Believers can’t dabble in false worship, that’s the worship of demons, true of all false worship and the Jews going through their worship activities even reading the Old Testament and so on; that was the worship of the devil. You know what Gentiles do with their worship; they worship the devil and demons also. The point is the same in Revelation 2, He is addressing a Jewish situation that was impacting the church but false worship is the same. That doesn’t mean we have to run out and grab somebody coming out of a church and say, “You know you’re worshipping the devil.” We had better be clear in our mind so we don’t think it’s all right and play down the differences with the Jews.

Come back to Revelation 2, you remember what happened with the Judaizers, Jews that professed faith in Christ. They claimed to believe He was the Messiah, that He died on the cross, that He was raised from the dead but that was not enough. You know what Paul wrote to the Galatian churches, “anybody who teaches that is condemned to hell.” We get confused and we say, “Well they claim to believe in Christ, they claim to believe He died and was raised; that must mean they’re believers. No, it must not. You must believe that but you must believe that alone. That’s why Revelation will end, “you cannot add anything to this you cannot take away anything from it.” It’s a synagogue of Satan and the danger comes, they claim to be Jews. Now what about Jews who have trusted Christ and then you have the Gentiles but these people are adamantly opposed to genuine believers. They’re blaspheming, they speak against you, the lies. All of that comes and creates pressure resulting in poverty for them.

Command given in verse 10, ‘Do not fear …” a present tense command here, stop fearing, don’t be fearing and a second command in the present tense at the end of verse 10, continue being “faithful …” two commands; don’t be afraid be faithful, stop being afraid continue to be faithful. Stop fearing do not fear “what you are about to suffer.” Well I was hoping for an encouraging word. You know the health and wealth preachers; “you may be going through a difficult time now, things may be hard now but that’s all right, God has something just around the corner for you.” Lie! You don’t know that He doesn’t tell them there is anything around the corner for them but trouble; stop fearing what you are about to suffer.

Now keep in mind, what if this letter was written to us and we were warned about tribulation, poverty and blasphemy, those who tell lies about us? Do not fear what you are about to suffer. All of a sudden everyone’s ears would perk up; what we’re about to suffer. You mean it could get worse? Remember He’s already told them, “I know you’re destitute.” “Behold … listen, that word behold, listen pay attention the devil is about to cast some of you into prison …” so here we have behind here. We have the unbelieving Jews that form a synagogue of Satan that are spreading lies, attacking, blaspheming speaking against these Christians but what’s behind it. They are simply the servants of the devil. You do the will of your father the devil as he told the Jews in John 8. The devil is about to cast some of you into prison, “so that you will be tested …” the word here is just the devil attacking. It is a trial sort of like Job’s trials. The devil was testing him trying to move him away from his faithfulness to the God that he claimed to serve. That’s the test, we will be tested; will we pass it “… you will have tribulation for ten days.” Evidently, and I take the ten days literally, there are a variety of views, ten emperors, ten periods of persecution. I just take it ten days is ten days. Think about it, they say the city of Smyrna at this time was estimated to be about 200,000, maybe a little bit smaller than the city of Lincoln where our church is. If the governing authorities had the power and there were those who oppose us religiously and they said in ten days we’re going to do everything we can to arrest or execute every believer in the city … they could do a lot of damage in ten days. So, what He is telling them evidently is that with all the persecution, with all the suffering there is going to come now ten days where it’s going to be as it hasn’t been before. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be the end of it because fifty years later Polycarp is going to be burned at the stake because of his faith in Christ but as I talked about, God in his plan sometimes brings it in waves. We go through those trials and they always include attacks and accusations that may lead to other things. For us we are blessed that we don’t live in a situation where we are actually physically arrested and imprisoned or executed but in parts of the world, they do live in such situations. We have to live where we are and we have our times of trials that come.

They’re going to have ten days and it’s going to be bad because He says to them with His second command in this verse, He told them don’t be fearing or stop fearing continue being faithful; this will pass. That’s not what He says, “Be continuing, faithful until death …” Whoa! Now you’re sitting here and you’re hearing this; as bad as it’s been I didn’t expect it could get any worse. Now He’s telling us it’s going to get worse and it’s going to be of such severity I have to remember I have to be willing to die for my faith. That’s what He’s saying and that church sitting there, you think this isn’t weighing on them. They had family they had husband’s wives children, what’s going to happen?

Well they have something simple, they really just have to remember two things, stop being afraid and continue to be faithful. But what about…? Stop being afraid, be faithful. You know we are like little kids sometimes. We have to be drawn back, what did I tell you? Stop being afraid. Yes, but He said we’re going to suffer and evidently some are going to die. Yes, so be faithful but remember He’s the first and the last, He’s the sovereign God so everything is fine. It doesn’t mean I want to die, it doesn’t mean I want to suffer more but I am ready to; part of it is, am I ready to? He is getting them ready. It helps clear the air. You know the devil comes in and all of a sudden, all the lies, all the confusion, the difficulties, the trials and pretty soon our minds are spinning. Don’t let your mind spin; that’s what He is saying. Stop being afraid, continue being faithful until death. Whew, but what’s the promise?

“I will give you the crown which is life.” You see what He promised. He’s the One who became dead, He experienced death and He’s alive. That’s it! It’s not the end of everything. I have to stand for my faith to the point of dying. That’s not the end of my life. Then I enter into that new phase of my life, which goes on eternally, no physical death in my future. “I will give you the crown of life.” You see the connection He started with, I’m the first and the last, I became dead but I became alive; now you be faithful unto death. Remember what Jesus said; it is enough for the servant to be like his master. They spoke evil of Me, they will speak evil of you. They believe Me, they will believe you. They kill me, they will kill many of you.

Ok we’re ready. “He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches …” every church. This is it because of the recognition that some people in the churches will not pay attention. Some people in the church at Smyrna may not even be believers. Think of the things they’ll go through, things like the Jews suffered and yet they weren’t really believers. It’s amazing what people will do, what they’ll die for but here ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes …” He doesn’t say everyone in the church at Smyrna, “will not be hurt by the second death.” He says He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death. The overcomer is the believer. The second death is the lake of fire. We get to that at the end of Revelation chapter 20. The unbelievers are cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death, hell for eternity. The smoke of their torment ascends into the ages of the ages, as we’ll see when we get to Revelation chapter 14. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death. Why? He gives him the crown which is life but a reminder not everyone who is sitting in the church at Smyrna is necessarily a believer. Well they’ve suffered with us. That’s good but are you really listening. Remember the letter to the Hebrews chapter 10? Some of you suffered the loss of your houses and your possessions and you were in prison but He warns them. Now this wave of persecution will be further sifting. If you turn back, God has no pleasure in you. You turn back to destruction. Every one of these trials that come is sifting; He is refining and is revealing so here this precious church at Smyrna. Christ has no rebuke to give to them but it ends with the same warning. Did you really hear the spiritual message? Are you an overcomer; is your faith genuinely truly in Jesus Christ? Here in a church that has no rebuke for failures He still has to say the promises I give are only to those who have placed their faith in Me alone and so remain faithful.

We have the opportunity to learn from this letter. We don’t have the same kind of persecutions. We don’t have the same kind of trials. It’s easy for me to look and say, “Oh I if I’d been in that country at that time I would have let them kill me, I wouldn’t have waivered.” Well that’s nice. I can always stand somewhere else. My faithfulness is tested where I am in the situation where God puts me and that’s true for our church and our fellowship in serving Him. We have to be faithful in our situation and in our circumstances. We don’t have to be afraid, and we just have to continue to be faithful.

Let us pray together. Thank You Lord for the riches of Your word. Everything is founded and based upon the greatness of Your love and grace in having Your Son come to experience death, to pay our penalty, bear our sins in His body on the cross so that through true faith in Him we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Lord, we want the truths of the messages of these churches to grip our hearts and minds. Thank You for the church at Smyrna. Lord what a blessing it is to read of their faithfulness, to read of the encouragement to them to persevere, the promises to them and Lord they are encouragements to us and promises to us as well. We pray that we might be a testimony by our faithfulness in Christ’s name. Amen



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