Revelation part 6…Chapter 2:8-17
Sept. 2nd 2012.
Of all the people that dearly loved Jesus one clearly made his love known and that was John.
John’s life was filled with not only dedication to his position…
His life was also filled with adoration to the One who positioned him.
To me that is one of the reasons that Jesus gave John not only the revelation of Himself…
But He also gave him the responsibility to write what we know as the book of Revelation.
John was instructed to write what he saw in a book and send it to the seven churches in Asia.
The letter to the seven churches consists of Jesus the Lord of the church being the judge of the church.
Jesus looks into the internals of the church and as a doctor looks at an x ray and explains what he sees…
Jesus looks at the x ray of each church, and then explains what He sees that needs correcting, improving and offers
encouragement.
Last week we looked at the church at Ephesus.
When Jesus looked internally into the church at Ephesus He saw they had left their first love…
Left means they had abandoned or forsaken their inner devotion to Jesus Christ.
They were told to remember, repent and return to that inner devotion and when they or if they would do it…
They would be granted the right to the Tree of Life which refers to a deeper intimacy with Jesus Christ.
Today we will look at the second church…
The second church Jesus looked into was the church at Smyrna.
Smyrna was a church that was located 40 miles north of Ephesus.
Smyrna was one of the most beautiful cities in Asia…
Today the city us no longer called Smyrna it now has a Turkish name Izmir.
Because of its beauty it was called a flower, an ornament and was called the crown city of all Asia.
It was called the crown city because the acropolis or the fortified upper part of the city was encircled with flowers, a hedge
and myrtle trees.
The city was adorned with noble buildings and beautiful temples.
Smyrna also had a stadium as well as a theatre and was the home of music.
And it was also the center of science and medicine.
Smyrna had a very intense loyalty to Rome and it resulted in a strong emperor worship cult.
The temples were also built upon an acropolis and they produced a very dramatic visual effect and were also referred to as
the crown of Smyrna.
But that was not all that was in Smyrna there was also the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and those who loved and
served Him.
Verse 1 says to the angel or the Pastor of the church at Smyrna write…
These things says… the First and the Last these are capitalized showing this is a title for Jesus Christ.
The First and the Last means there was nothing before Him and there will nothing to follow Him.
It He is the One in charge and control regardless of the presence of evil.
Verse 1 continues on and says who was dead and came to life.
He was dead…by His dying He purchased salvation for us…
He is alive…by His life He applies salvation to us.
It is important to point out that the name Smyrna means myrrh which carries the meaning of suffering.
So by saying He was dead and came to life means to the readers of this letter…
By His experience with suffering and death He identifies with those that were killed because of what they believed, suffered
and stood for.
Verse 2 says…I know your works, tribulation and poverty.
The speaker’s knowledge of the church is threefold…
He knows what they do, what they face and what they have.
The word tribulation refers to crushing pressure or trouble.
The words tribulation and poverty tell us the church was not having an easy time.
Jesus is saying to them I know your effort, your crushing pressures and your troubles.
The members were persecuted probably because they refused to compromise and say Caesar is Lord.
By failing to acknowledge Caesar as Lord it would result in being excluded from the unions.
That exclusion would then result in unemployment and poverty.
The word poverty here means possessing absolutely nothing.
This meant the church at Smyrna was made up of largely the poorer classes of people.
The reason they were poor was not due to the economy or bad money management…
They had been wealthy.
The poverty was due to their belief in Jesus Christ and calling Him Lord.
When the wealthy believed in Jesus Christ their property was confiscated.
But Jesus says they were rich.
They were rich in faith…
They were rich in good works…
They were rich in privileges…
They were rich in hope...
They were rich in things that money could not obtain…
They were rich in things that could never be taken away.
The more they suffered for Christ the richer they became.
They were blessed with all spiritual blessings.
Everyone who is faithful to Jesus Christ must expect to go through many tribulations…
But we must also understand that Jesus knows and notices all of our troubles.
In our afflictions He is afflicted and He will give tribulation to all who trouble us.
We then see the third thing Jesus knows about them…
I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of satan.
This means Jesus also knows the wickedness and falsehood of their enemies.
I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not.
This refers to those who pretend to be the covenant people of God.
A large Jewish community thrived in Smyrna.
But they did not have to patronize the imperial cult since their religion was accepted by Rome.
Although they were Jews physically they were not true Jews they were actually spiritual pagans…
Who allied with other pagans in putting Christians to death as they attempted stamp out the Christian faith.
They did not have faith in Christ the seed of Abraham.
Blasphemy refers to applying a sacred name to an unholy thing.
Jesus called the Jewish synagogue in Smyrna a synagogue of satan.
Just as Jesus Christ has a church in the world so does the devil.
Any assembly of people that are set up in opposition to the truth of the Gospel…
Any assembly that that promotes and unbiblical and unholy standards…
Any assembly that is set up in opposition to the purity and worship of the Lord Jesus Christ…
Any assembly that tries to make the Bible fit them instead of them fitting the Bible…
Are all synagogues of satan.
Satan presides over them and works in them and is honored by them.
Verse 10 Jesus says do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.
Here we see that Jesus not only knows about the present situation the church is in…
He foreknows the future trial of His people and forewarns them of things they will face.
But Jesus says to them do not fear.
Jesus assures them that He knows the devils plans and was in complete control of the situation.
We should be encouraged today to know that in the midst of our trial and tribulations that Jesus is in the midst with those
who love and serve Him not a million miles away.
Do not fear…
Jesus here addresses the number one tool of the devil.
Fear…fear is a dictator that dictates a person’s life.
The devil has worked to fill the world and the people of the world with fear.
We as people have gone from no locks on the door to many locks on the door.
In the lives of people there is…
Fear of tomorrow, fear of the unknown, as well as fear of the known.
The ads for the upcoming presidential election to me all work to cause fear and panic.
Fear of what happens if this president is re-elected…
Fear of what happens if another is elected.
We as American’s have the right and the privilege to vote.
A vote is more than a ballot or pushing a button…
A vote is really a voice a chance to speak up.
We should vote or use our voice but we should do it properly.
I have spent many hours in prayer over how and what to say about this.
I ask God what I should say and this is what I feel I was told and how to address the matter.
The word of God says the Lord will instruct us and teach us the way we should go and that He will direct us.
The Word also says to study to show yourself approved.
We need to quit listening to all the junk and people’s party affiliation and go to God and ask Him for direction as to how to
vote.
The reason why we need God to instruct us is because…
Voting is not so much about a man
it is about a plan.
When we voice support for the man we at the same time voice support for the man’s plan.
Do not be swayed by the color of the man…
Be swayed by the color of the plan.
I am not here and we do not come here to talk about or promote the DNC or GOP…
We come here to talk about and promote GOD.
Remember regardless of the outcome of the election as a child of God do not be afraid…
Do not let fear be a dictator…
God is control!
Jesus says to the church do not be afraid of any of those things which you are about to suffer.
Jesus goes on to say…Indeed the devil is about to throw some of you into prison.
Here Jesus labels the devil as being responsible for the suffering of the saints.
It is the devil that stirs up people to persecute the people of God.
Jesus told them do not fear this actually means stop being afraid.
The message of upcoming persecution does not come as just a warning…
It comes with encouragement…
Jesus said…You will have tribulation 10 days.
The number 10 represents in the Bible testing.
But here it not only means testing but it refers to the testing not being permanent but being brief and for a designated period
of time.
The testing would be to try them not destroy them.
We need to get this… when Jesus allows satan to try us Jesus knows the exact time the testing will start and end.
The devil has power but there are limits to his power.
The reason for testing is so that our faith may be proved and improved and found to bring honor and glory to God.
All testing has a purpose here the testing would show where their true loyalty was.
Jesus said in verse 9 be faithful unto death.
The important thing about the testing here was faithfulness.
Would they stand true to Jesus no matter what the government might threaten to do?
Then Jesus said to them I will give you…
There is a lot of stuff we are given and a lot of stuff we have to take in this world…
But Jesus here promises them He will give them something for their faithfulness.
I will give you the crown of life.
Remember the city of Smyrna was known as the crown city so Jesus speaks of a crown.
Jesus is also referring to James 1:12
Blessed is the man that endures temptation for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to
them that love Him.
Jesus used the crown of life because the people at the church in Smyrna were used to and familiar the crown of Smyrna
where the winners were crowned or awarded at the annual athletic games.
That crown was made up of flowers that eventually faded away.
But Jesus said all the winners of the persecution would be crowned with the crown of life.
The crown of life is not a physical crown that is on the head…
The crown of life refers to a crown of life or being crowned with life.
It means a blessed and happy eternal existence.
Not a crown that is filled with temporary things.
Verse 11 says…He who has an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
It is important to understand that there is not only a first death but a second death.
Or a death after the body is dead.
The second death will be much worse than the first death both in the dying pain and the agony of it.
The agony of the first death is physical or the agony of the body.
The agony of the second death is the agony of the soul.
One death is death physically…
The second is death eternally…
The second death is eternal separation from God and being cast in the lake of fire.
In this life the person born once will die twice…
But the person born twice will only die once.
When a person accepts Jesus Christ they are born again.
Meaning we have been born twice and so we will only die once.
And of the rapture happens we will not die at all.
For all who have been born again we will not face the second death.
The first death will not hurt the believer…
And the second has no power over the believer.