Rev.
2:8-11 - And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith
the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; [9] 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. [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: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. [11] He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that
overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.
SMYRNA is a city in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey) whose superb natural harbor made the city an important commercial center. In spite of keen competition from the neighboring cities of Ephesus and Pergamos, Smyrna called itself "the first city of Asia." As early as 195 B. C., Smyrna foresaw the rising power of Rome and built a temple for pagan Roman worship. In 23 B. C., Smyrna was given the honor of building a temple to the Emperor Tiberius because of its years of faithfulness to Rome. Thus, the city became a center for the cult of emperor worship-- a fanatical "religion" that later, under such emperors as Nero (ruled A. D. 54-68) and Domitian (ruled A. D. 81-96), brought on severe persecution for the early church. Smyrna, known today as Izmir, is the chief city of Anatolia and one of the strongest cities in modern Turkey. Excavations in the central part of Izmir have uncovered a Roman marketplace from the second century A. D. The church in Smyrna was a much-persecuted church in a wealthy city that had little time for Christians. The city itself, founded about 300 years before Christ, was a well-planned accomplishment of Alexander the Great. The commercial center of Asia Minor, it was on the direct trade route from India and Persia to Rome. The large variety of coins found by archaeologists in the city clearly indicates that it was a wealthy city. The Jewish segment of the population seems to have been more irreligious and neglectful of spiritual things. Few specific details are known of the history of the Smyrna church other than what is given here in Revelation. It can be safely deduced, however, that it was a most faithful church in the face of persecution. From this account, the known characteristics of the conditions in the church at Smyrna indicate that the judgment seat of Christ will reveal this church to be one of the most outstanding local bodies of believers in all of church history. The Smyrna period of church history is probably the greatest time of persecution the Church of the Lord Jesus has ever known other than what Tribulation saints will endure during the Tribulation. We here in the modern church may get a slight taste of it as well before Jesus comes. Many in the eastern parts of the world experience it today. Satan unleashed a violent attack on the church in an effort to obliterate it, for it became evident to him that the apostolic church, because of its faithful preaching of the gospel, had become a serious threat to his worldwide godless empire. That he was unsuccessful in this attempt is easily seen in a study of church history, for God overruled and Satan learned a valuable lesson. The more he persecuted the church during this period, the more the church overcame the one condemning characteristic of the apostolic age that of having left its first love. Not one word of condemnation was leveled at this church by Christ. From this, Satan learned a great secret; Persecution will not stamp out the Church of the Lord Jesus. Consequently, the age ended with the easing of persecution; then Satan used what turned out to be one of the most effective weapons to weaken the Church - indulgence and endorsement. Some Persecutions Of This Age As predicted by the Lord Himself in verse 10, "you will suffer persecution for ten days," this church saw eight of the ten periods of persecution under Roman Emperors:
Diocletian is considered the worst emperor in Rome's history and the greatest antagonist of the Christian faith. He led a violent attempt to destroy the Bible from the face of the earth. Under his leadership many Roman cities held public burnings of the sacred Scriptures. During the second and third centuries this persecution age saw hundreds of Christians brought into the amphitheater of Rome to be fed to angry lions while thousands of spectators cheered. Many were crucified; others were covered with animal skins and tortured to death by wild dogs. There were covered in tar and set on fire to serve as torches. They were boiled in oil and burned at the stake, as was Polycarp in the city of Smyrna itself in A.D. 156. One church historian has estimated that during this period, nearly five MILLION Christians were martyred for the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. A Thriving Church Evidence of the Supernatural nature of the church can be seen in the fact the Church reached its greatest numbers in proportion to world population during this time of persecution. In addition to the establishment of churches in many parts of the world, this church age distinguished itself by its production of many hand-copied scriptures and manuscripts of the sacred Scriptures and the translation of Scripture into many languages. Early in this period the Bible was translated into Syriac, in which in known as the Peshito manuscripts, which became the official Scriptures of the Eastern churches and from which translations were made into Arabic, Persian, and Armenian. In the second century the Bible was translated into Latin in what is called the Old Latin Version. This has become the Bible of the Western churches and has been translated into numerous other languages. The more the Word was disseminated and used by the people, even in the face of persecution, the more the Church advanced in numbers until it was such a dominant factor in the Roman Empire that Christianity was established as the state church by the Roman Emperor Constantine in A.D. 312. However, the cessation or persecution proved more deadly to the church than the stakes and the burnings. As we will see in Pergamos, indulgence and endorsement caused the Church to lose its fire and receive great condemnation from our Lord. The Message Of Christ To Smyrna Rev. 2:8 - And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; It is interesting to note that Christ introduces each message to the church by reaching back to the vision of Himself in chapter 1 and picking out one of the characteristics of His nature. To Ephesus He referred to Himself as the one who "holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands," emphasizing He faithfully provides for the churches. To Smyrna He emphasizes His eternal nature - "the FIRST and the LAST"; His death for their sins - "I was dead"; and His resurrection - "And behold I am alive for ever and ever." (1:18) The Commendation of Christ To Smyrna Rev. 2:9- 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. The message to the church of Smyrna is the shortest of all Christ's messages. However, one of the greatest commendations to this church is the fact that He does not condemn it. Christ's commendation highlights three characteristics of the church: tribulation, poverty and affliction. A Persecuted Church This was a severely persecuted church. Jesus said "I know your afflictions," instead of "I know your works," as He said to Ephesus. The word "works" does not appear in the best manuscripts. The emphasis here in Smyrna was not on how many works they did, even though they had done many, but the fact they had undergone intense and great persecution. A Poor Church The believers in Smyrna were poor and yet rich. In addition to the physical persecution, it would seem that this church went through a time of financial hardship and persecution as well. Smyrna was not only a trade city but also a city of guilds that closely regulated the craftsmen of the day much as unions do today. Because of the intense hatred for Christians, when a man took a stand for Jesus Christ, his shop was to be boycotted or his employment was severed or some other means was used to limit his economic opportunity. Those Christians who were rich in this world's goods went bankrupt. Consequently, the church enjoyed few worldly assets. This was not only true of the church at Smyrna, but also the other churches of the second and third centuries. It has been said that the churches of the first three centuries were marked by material poverty and spiritual power, whereas the church of our day seems to be marked by great material affluence and serious spiritual weakness. Christians are cursed with material things that are not conducive to their spiritual development. Christians living under economic impoverishment should praise God that during such as time He will prove Himself faithful and, if they let Him, will bring them much spiritual blessing. Jesus proclaimed to them, "yet you are RICH!," which highlights a divine principle. Regardless of what you may or may not own in this life, knowing Jesus and being in union with Him brings wealth in this life AND IN THE LIFE TO COME! Many who are poor today are rich in joy, contentment, and eternal accomplishment. The rich of this world usually tend to lack in those areas. It's not sinful to be poor no more than it is sinful to be rich. It's where our heart is and where we are investing our time and energies of this life - the Kingdom of God, our our own lives. Smyrna didn't have much but they were RICH where it counted. Laodicea would later be rebuked sharply for being so rich in this world's goods but being POOR in JESUS! This unseen wealth available to the child of God is seen in the statement of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:10:
2 Cor. 6:10
- As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. The church's problem has never been persecution. It's been acceptance. Our acceptance and indulgence have blinded us to our true spiritual condition. The message we proclaim today would not have been relevant to the church at Smyrna. But as far as JESUS was concerned, Smyrna was the strongest of the seven churches He addressed other than Philadelphia. The Apostle Paul had not one thing in this world materially, but he was able to impart riches and said of himself, "I possess everything." Only the Christian is truly rich in the things that are important. Riches can never be provided by this world. Smyrna understood that. Our oneness with Jesus Christ determines the realization of our wealth in this world. The closer we are to Jesus Christ today, the richer we are. The further we are from Him, the poorer we are - even if we have a million dollar bank account. An Afflicted Church The believers in Smyrna were an afflicted church, afflicted by false teachers who had claimed to be Jews but really were not. The New Testament definition of a Jew is one who is circumcised in "the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code" (Romans 2:29). It is never sufficient to obey the teachings of the Word legalistically. Submission of the heart to God, not adherence to a prescribed set of rules, is His desire for us. The Synagogue Of Satan Satan has his own religious faith. He also has his churches, called "synagogues of Satan." Any church that preaches a gospel other than the gospel of Jesus Christ is a synagogue of Satan, regardless of what it is called on its door! Many so-called "Christian" churches today are like the Jews at Smyrna - they are not Christians at all and are condemned by Christ because they preach a message other than the one laid down in the Word of God. In reality, they are the synagogue of Satan, NOT the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The two basic heresies that emanate from the synagogue of Satan under the guise of Christianity were apparent before the end of the second century. In fact, they existed at the time Christ gave His message to the churches at Ephesus and Smyrna. These heresies are a false doctrine of Christ and a mixing of law and grace. The latter was the work of the Judaizers, condemned by Jesus. Practically every false religious system and cult coming out of Christianity can be traced to these two origins. Either people are confused about the diety of the Lord Jesus, suggesting though He was a good man, He was not the virgin-born Son of God who lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, rose bodily from the grave, ascended physically into heaven, and promised to return physically to this earth some day. Or they have a faulty view of God's grace through which by faith we are all saved - Jew and Gentile alike. You cannot add to what Jesus has already done. You cannot say in addition to believing in Jesus you have to "keep the Sabbath, observe certain rites and ceremonies, eat or not eat certain kinds of food, etc." The church of the first three centuries withstood these teachings that are deceiving millions today in one cult or another and sadly even in some main-line Protestant faith churches. The Counsel Of Christ To Smyrna Rev. 2:10- - 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: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. The Christ of the churches counsels the church at Smyrna and the Smyrna age of the Church to two things - "Do not be afraid," and "Be faithful, even to the point of death." The Lord Jesus predicted the suffering would come to this church saying, "the devil shall cast some of you into prison to try you and you will suffer persecution for 10 days." These ten days are considered by man Bible teachers to be the ten periods of persecution referred to previously. Some Bible teachers suggest it refers to the last ten years of the age during which the Church suffered the most intense persecution under Diocletian. (303-312 A.D.) The counsel of our Lord to this church was the same advice He gives believers of every age who fall into tribulation: "Fear not!" Those who have Christ Jesus have enough, regardless of the intensity of the persecution! When grace is needed, grace is supplied; when courage is needed, courage is supplied; for we have the divine promise that our God is able to "meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19) "Be faithful even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of eternal life." Further riches are involved in this promise of our Lord. We will reign with him a thousand years according to Revelation 20:6 in direct proportion to our faithfulness in Christian service. Jesus says "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20). Only Christians are permitted to "store up" for eternity. A popular saying states, "You can't take it with you!" That is not entirely true for the Christian, because through the economy of God Christians can send their riches ahead of them by storing up "treasures in heaven." We will all stand before the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST as believers and be judged according to our faithfulness and integrity as Christians. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11; Luke 19:11-27). The Challenge Of Christ Rev. 2:11 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death. Again the challenge of Christ comes to those who "have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches." It is a challenge to OVERCOME. It is always dependent on FAITH IN CHRIST, not our efforts or our works. Jesus said the person who overcomes will not be hurt of the "second death." We have already seen that Christ holds in His hands the keys of death and of hell. God's children have Christ's personal promise that they will never be hurt by the second death, described in Revelation 20 as the time when Hades (the present abode of the unbelieving dead) and death are cast into the lake of fire. "The lake of fire IS THE SECOND DEATH." (Rev. 20:14)
One must understand what the Bible means about death. It is the Bible's term for
the complete ruin of a person's life so they can never fulfill God's plan for
their life, which is eternal. Death occurs when a person is forever separated
from God instead of united with Him, as was His intention. The second death is a
state when people who have died in unbelief are resurrected and cast alive into
an eternal state of separation from God in the place called "the lake of
fire." This second death need never cause the child of God to fear, it will
have NO POWER OVER THEM! This is granted to the OVERCOMER! The Story of Polycarp, A Martyr Of the Church At Smyrna (Now Izmar, Turkey) (From "Jesus Freaks,") The kindly, old bishop entered the arena under armed guard. The stands were filled with an angry mob; their shouts filled the air. Suddenly a voice from heaven spoke to the bishop, saying, "Be strong Polycarp and play the man!" Despite the noise of the crowd, many of those who stood nearby also heard the heavenly voice. Once inside the arena, the soldiers quickly brought Polycarp before the Roman proconsul. Polycarp, the well-known Bishop of Smyrna, was the last living link with the twelve apostles. He had studied under John. As soon as the crowd learned that this famous bishop had been arrested, a great cheer went up. The proconsul tried to get Polycarp to deny Jesus Christ: "take the oath and I will release you. Curse Christ!" The bishop stood firm. "Eighty-six years have I served the Lord Jesus Christ, and He never once wronged me. How can I blaspheme my King who has saved me?" The proconsul threatened "I have wild beasts ready, and I will throw you to them if you do not change your mind." "Let them come, for my purpose is unchangeable," replied Polycarp. "If the wild beasts don't scare you, then I will burn you with fire," said the proconsul. The words of Polycarp are etched in eternity: "You threaten me with a fire which will burn but for an hour and then will go out, but you are ignorant of the fire of the future judgment of God reserved for the everlasting torment of the ungodly. But why do you delay? Bring on the beasts, or the fire, or whatever you choose. You shall not move me to deny Christ, MY Lord and My Saviour." When the proconsul saw that Polycarp would not recant, he sent the herald to proclaim three times in the middle of the stadium, "Polycarp has professed himself a Christian." As soon as they heard these words, the whole multitude of Gentiles and Jews furiously demanded that he be burned alive. Immediately dry wood was brought out and heaped in the center of the arena for a bonfire. When they were about to nail him to the stake. Polycarp said, "Leave me as I am; He who gives me strength to endure the fire will enable me to remain still within the fire." They agreed to this and simply tied his hands behind his back with a rope. In his final prayer, he prayed, "O Father, I thank You, that You have called me to this day and hour and have counted me worthy to receive my place among the number of holy martyrs. Amen." As soon as he uttered the word, "Amen," the officers lit the fire. The flames rose high above his body, but miraculously, he was not burned. Those who watched said, "He was in the midst of the fire, not as burning flesh but as gold and silver refined in a furnace. And we smelled such a sweet aroma or some other precious spice." Since the fire did not burn him, the executioner was ordered to stab him with a sword. As soon as he did, so much blood flowed from the wound that it put out the fire. Jesus' words to Smyrna were fulfilled in part with the death of Polycarp: "the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days." Polycarp received a crown of life - he remained faithful unto death. A Band Of Roman Soldiers - 332 AD - Sebaste, Armenia (Turkey) The Roman governor stood resolutely before the 40 Roman solders of the Thundering Legion. "I command you to make an offering to the Roman gods. If you will not, you will be stripped of your military status." The 40 solders firmly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. They knew they must not deny Him or sacrifice to the Roman idols, no matter what the governor would do to them. Camdidus spoke for the legion, "Nothing is dearer or of greater honor to us than Christ our God." The governor offered money, threatened torture but nothing changed their minds. He became enraged and wanted the 40 to die a slow, painful death. They were stripped naked and herded to the middle of a frozen lake. He set soldiers to guard them to prevent any from coming to shore or escaping. The 40 encouraged one another as though they were going to battle. "How many of our companions in arms fell on the battle front, showing themselves loyal to an earthly king? Is it possible for us to fail to sacrifice our lives in faithfulness to the true King? Let us not turn aside, O warriors, let us not turn our backs in flight from the devil." To increase the torment of the Christians, baths of hot water were put around the lake. With these the governor hoped to weaken the firm resolve of the freezing men. "You may come ashore when you are ready to deny your faith." In the end, one of them did weaken, came off the ice, and got into a warm bath. When one of the guards on the shore saw him desert, he himself took the place of the traitor. Surprising everyone with the suddenness of his conversion, he threw off his clothes, ran to join the naked ones on the ice, crying loudly, "I am a Christian." Seeing 39 well-trained soldiers stand up for Jesus caused another high-trained soldier to declare his faith in Christ. This was the power of this era of Smyrna. This was the seeds of the brightest light among the seven Churches of Asia Minor. The Persecutions Of The Saints There are more Christian martyrs today than there were in 100 A.D. - in the days of the Roman Empire. According to a study done at Regent University there were close to 156,000 Christians martyred around the world in 1998. An estimated 164,000 were killed in 1999. The contemporary Christian group dcTalk along with The Voice of The Martyrs Organization a summary of these martyrs can be found in a wonderful book called "Jesus Freaks." There's a poem in the front of the book that states: What will people think when they hear I'm a Jesus Freak? What will people do when they find that it's true? I don't really care if they label me a Jesus Freak Cause there ain't no disguising the truth What will people think? What will people do? I don't really care, what else can I say, There aint's no disguising the truth (Toby McKeehan and Mark Heimermann, copyright, 1995, Up In The Mix Music) Real faith in Jesus makes people uncomfortable, said McKeehan, "I guess that's what the world calls a "freak" - someone who commits to something wholeheartedly, without apology and without compromise. When our days on this earth are done, what will be be remembered for? That we had a nice car? That we made lots of money or became famous" ....we must win the struggle to keep our eyes on the things of God rather than on the things of man. For some, standing up for Jesus actually means dying for Him. In John 15:13 Jesus says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." The Word Martyr The word martyr comes from the Greek word meaning "witness." It is defined as: one who chooses to suffer death rather than to deny Jesus Christ or his work; one who bears testimony to the truth of what he has seen or heard or knows, as in a witness in a court of justice; one who sacrifices something very important to further the kingdom of God; one who endures severe or constant suffering for their Christian witness; a JESUS FREAK! Martyrs do not defend themselves to their persecutors. Live or die, they never deny their faith. Jesus told Peter that he would die a martyrs death someday. When Peter saw John standing behind Jesus, he asked, "Master, what's going to happen to him?" Jesus said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you? YOU follow me." (John 21:22) There are some deaths that have seemed senseless through the ages but God sees things differently than we do. As Tertullian, a Christian historian once said, "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.' Some have been tortured because they refused to betray others. Some have stood firm knowing that if they gave in - even a little - it would undermine the faith of many. Some refused to be quiet because they realized their responsibility to tell the godless mean around them of God's love so they too could be saved. Some have simply been willing to lay down their lives for the One who laid down His life for them. Some Memorable Quotes: We shall not end our lives in the fire, but make a change for a better life. - Julius Palmer, burned at the stake in England, 1556 This is the end. For me, the beginning of life. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Hung in Germany, 1945 For to me, living is for Christ, and dying is even better. - Paul the Apostle, beheaded in Rome, 65 A.D. Hebrews 13:3 - Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Countries where most religious persecution exists today include: Yemen Libya Vietnam Laos Uzbekistan Kuwait United Arab Emigrates Iraq Turkmenistan Iran Turkey Indonesia Tunisia Cyprus Tibet Cuba Tajikistan Comoro Islands Syria Mainland China Sudan Brunei Sri Lanka Bhutan Somalia Bangladesh Saudi Arabia Azerbaijan Qatar Algeria Pakistan Afghanistan Oman North Korea Nigeria Myanmar (Burma) Morocco Mauritania Maldives Malaysia
The Martyrdom Of The Apostles Under The Roman Empire, 33-324 A.D.
Matthew 10:1
-4 - And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and
Andrew his brother; James the son of
Zebedee, and John his brother; [3]
Philip, and Bartholomew;
Thomas, and Matthew the
publican; James the son of
Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was
Thaddaeus; [4] Simon the
Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. Stephen, The First Martyr Stephen was the first to give his life for Jesus as recorded in the book of Acts. His sermon (Acts 6-7) stirred so much hatred and anger among the Jews they ran on him, dragged him out of the city and stoned him. He continued preaching all the way. The young man who had been in the audience, one Saul of Tarsus, followed after them. He stood a short distance away from the defendant, looking steadily at the sky as the mob grew larger. Their cries grew more heated now. A man handed Saul Stephen's coat, then stooped to pick up a stone as though waiting for a signal from Saul. Saul lowered his gaze, then looked directly into the man's eyes and nodded. It was time to silence the young preacher. The defendant continued despite the crowd's jeers because the MAN he was telling them about was so important to him. He couldn't stop talking about Jesus. Several more had now removed their coats, handed them to Saul, and began gathering rocks, many of them so large that the men had to lift them with two hands. Then the stones came. One hit him near his temple. Then there were too many to count. The blood started pouring. His clothes were torn by the blows and blood dripped freely from the tatters. He looks up and says, "I see Jesus sitting at the right hand of God." This infuriates the crowd even more, they throw more stones. He began to pray, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he scanned the crowd until his eyes locked with those of the young man who held a bundle of coats. "And Lord," he continued "do not hold this sin against them." When he said these words, Stephen died. Saul who was soon alone stood at the body of Stephen. The words of forgiveness fresh in his ears. He would never shake the young man's words nor how he fearlessly faced death and prayed for his tormentors and murderers. He stood facing the first martyr for this Jesus. The glow that had angered Saul was still on the young man's face. He had seen it as the smug pride of a heretic, but something inside him made him question whether the movement he was fighting was larger than life itself. Saul did not persecute martyrs like Stephen much longer. One day soon after, on his way to Damascus to imprison more believers, he saw Jesus. From that encounter he later became Paul, the first Christian missionary, who traveled everywhere proclaiming the name of Jesus and that Jesus was and is the CHRIST. He eventually wrote a large part of the New Testament. It started with a seed placed in his heart by a young man full of faith, grace and power - a JESUS FREAK who could not stop telling people about Jesus, even it meant his life. The Martyrdom Of the Twelve Apostles Of The Lamb (John was not martyred but was tortured and exiled for his faith) Click on each link to learn of each apostle's incredible story of faith and purpose as followers of the Lamb. Rev. 2:10-11 - 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. [11] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death.
Luke 12:4-8
- And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. [5] But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. [6] Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? [7] But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. [8] Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: |