2 □ The Church at Smyrna... we have the Persecuted (or martyr) church...
◇ Brief historical background...
▪︎ Smyrna means... "myrrh" and carries the meaning of suffering.
▪︎ Smyrna is still in existence today. It goes by the Turkish name, Izmir.
▪︎ It was a commercial city.
▪︎ The modern city today covers much of the ruins of ancient Smyrna.
▪︎ It has a very large and beautiful harbour.
▪︎ Smyrna was called a flower, an ornament, and it has been referred to as the crown of all Asia.
▪︎ Alexander the Great had a great deal to do with building it into the beautiful city that it became.
▪︎ The city was adorned with noble buildings and beautiful temples. Smyrna had a theatre and an odeum, that is, a music centre—it was the home of music.
It also it had a stadium.
▪︎ Jesus had no word of condemnation for Smyrna.
▪︎ Christians are persecuted even today in modern Turkey.
▪︎ Smyrna represents the martyr church which covers the period from about A.D. 100 to approximately A.D. 314.
■ Christ's letter to the Church...
☆ Revelation 2:8-11...
"And unto the angel (pastor) of the church in Smyrna write; These things says the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
I know your works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but you are 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 you shall suffer: behold, the Devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days: be you faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death."
• The Lord chooses from the vision of Himself back in chapter 1 that particular aspect which was specially fitting for each church.
• To the church in Smyrna, the Lord describes Himself as "the First and the Last, which was dead, and is alive,"
which means that there was nothing before Him and there will be nothing to follow Him. He has the final control of all things.
• The persecuted believers needed to know that He was the One in charge and that the persecution was in the planning and purpose of God.
"Who became dead, and lived" had a real message for martyrs. They would not have to fear death... "Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life."
• Christ [was and is] triumphant over death and can save to the uttermost those who are enduring persecution and martyrdom.
• There are seven things in this church which the Lord commended... He sees and knows their...
1. "Tribulation"... this is not the Great Tribulation; here it means simply troubles... trials... testings. The church in Smyrna endured much tribulation, and they suffered for the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. "Poverty"... means the lack of material possessions. The early Church was made up of poorer class people. A wealthy person who became a Christian would have their riches confiscated.
3. "But you are rich"... means spiritual riches... they were blessed with all spiritual blessings. They were poor in the things of this world but rich in the things of God. And that's what counts! The martyr church had in their congregation slaves, ex-slaves, runaway slaves, freed slaves, poor people.
4. "The blasphemy of them which say they are Jews... but are the synagogue of Satan"... Jesus knew the slander of those opposing the Christians at Smyrna, who said that they were Jews... the children of God... but weren't, because they supported the cause of Satan. The Jews in Smyrna who had come to Christ were Jews inwardly as well as outwardly. It is his religion that makes a Jew a real Jew. His religion is the "thing" that identifies him. Smyrna was a city of culture in which many Jews had discarded their belief in the Old Testament... hence much opposition from their fellow Jews.
5. "Fear none of those things"... is the encouragement of the Lord to His own in the midst of persecutions. History tells us that multitudes went to their death singing praises to God. They "knew Him Whom they had believed and were persuaded that He was able to keep that which they had committed unto him against that day."
6. "Satan shall cast some of you into prison." The Lord goes straight to the root cause of the troubles Christians face... Satan! Christ labels him as being responsible for the suffering of the saints in Smyrna.
7. "You shall have tribulation ten days..." This was another way of saying that there were ten intense periods of persecution by ten Roman emperors... which actually took place.
8. "Be you faithful unto death..." and the Smyrnian Christians were. They were martyrs for Him. Jesus promises them "a crown of life." These crowns will be eternal. God’s Word says, "Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him." That crown of life means that you are really going to live it up someday... in Heaven. Hallelujah!
• "He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches." The Holy Spirit continually speaks...
Have you heard Him speak to you today? Are you paying attention to what He is saying? Ignoring the Holy Spirit is to quench Him and grieve Him.
• The overcomer will not experience "the second death." Dwight L. Moody put it like this:
"Born once... die twice; born twice... die once."
The "second death" is the death which no believer will experience. The first death concerns the body. The second death concerns the soul and the spirit. It means eternal separation from God.
(The second birth is being born again by the Spirit of God).
Are you willing to put your life on the line for Jesus?