And to the Angel of the Church in Smyrna, write:
These things says the first and the last, who died and came to life
I know your tribulation (stresses) and poverty, but abudance
And the blasphemy of those who claim themselves to be Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan.
Do not fear what you will suffer.
Look, the devil is about to throw some of you in prison, in order to test you, and you will have tribulation ten days.
Be faithful to death, and I will give to you a (victor’s) crown of life.
The one having an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The overcomer will not be injured by the second death.
v 8 Smyrna From the root word, Myrrh, an ancient fragrance made by the crushing of the myrrh plant, is modern Ismir, Turkey. It is still prosperous today as a seaport city with 200,000 inhabitants. It was the first city to build a temple to the dea Roma, or Caesar, in 195 BC. In 23 AD they built a temple to Tiberius Caesar. Smyrna was a center for the Caesar cult. They would burn incense and require the citizens to say, “Caesar is Lord”. The Christians would not. The city also had a large Jewish population that was particularly hostile toward Christians, and encouraged the Roman persecution of believers. The pastor of the church was Polycarp, an intern of John. He lived over 100 yrs. and was killed by the Romans February 22, 166 AD.
v 9 Tribulation means Pressure from outside oneself (1:9; Mat. 5:10-11). poverty is destitution, abject poverty. This speaks of such penury that one does not even have enough to buy daily bread. Those who would not worship Caesar had all their belongings confiscated. Vendors would not sell them food. Yet they were rich. Scripture promises spiritual wealth, and worldly tribulation (Rom 8:16-18; II Tim. 2:12, 3:12; I Pet. 3:17, 4:19; Rev. 2:10; Matt. 6:19-21).
v 10 II Tim. 1:5-8. The devil is given credit for putting believers in jail, yet Jesus speaks of a value in this persecution. Ten Days may refer to one of the following: 1) the ten general Roman persecutions, 2) The final of the Roman persecutions, which was the worst, from 303-313 (10 years). 3) A Hebrew expression for a short time. unto death--there were over six million (sixty lakh) Christians killed during the Roman persecutions between 100 and 313 AD (Rev. 6:9). This was at a time when the entire world population is estimated to have been only about 100 million. the crown stephanos, or wreath. It was the standard prize for the first place winner of an athletic competition.
v 11 Second death 20:13-15; 21:6,8.
Martyrdom
Francis of Assisi traveled to the Middle East to meet sultans and share the Good News of Jesus with them. He hoped that in the process he would be martyred. That’s how he wanted to die. Unfortunately for Francis’ plans, the sultans loved him. Can you relate at all to his perspective?
Browse briefly any few pages of Fox’s book of Martyrs and you’ll be brought face-to-face with people who gave up and suffered much more than you have. Even starting with a few of the 12 Disciples is instructive.
Paul’s head was chopped off.
James lost his head too
John the Baptist too.
Peter was hanged on a cross upside-down (he requested this, as he felt he was not worthy to die the same way as his Lord)
John was boiled in oil, but it didn’t work.
And Thomas was pierced through with spears right here in India.
Most of them had time in prison.
All of them went to their death knowing all they had to do was turn their back on their faith and profess they had preached things that were not really true. Yet no one broke ranks. How could they? They knew God had only blessed them. And they served One who gave His life willingly. They were only following the example of their LORD. They were walking in His footsteps.
What’s your perspective?
When things go wrong, how do you respond?
Do you say “why me?” do you contemplate giving up the whole “let’s follow God wherever He leads us!” scenario?
If that’s how you respond, you’re normal & it’s ok, and, maybe we can all acknowledge there may be a better way.
We have a temporal, short-term perspective in all things. We see what’s in front of us. In fact, for me, I often don’t even see that much. Our current distress is the only world we know. We can’t see the future.
But God is outside of time, and inside it. He can see and feel our current sufferings, yet He is more concerned with the long-term blessings of everyone under His care. His concerns are always much bigger and wider and deeper and higher than we are able to comprehend. And that means there are times that the outcome of our eventual blessings outweighs and supersedes the negative impact of our current circumstances. Paul said it this way, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us”.
So,
What are you prepared to do?
As people of faith we love the promises of blessings and abundance and victory. We may not like the promises of suffering quite so much. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews had a different perspective:
I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. . .
Ahh!!! That’s the preaching we all want to hear! But the narrative goes on.
Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--
the world was not worthy of them. Hebrews 11
Maybe rather than asking “why me?” we should be simply, honestly, innocently, thanking God for using all circumstances to mold us into the person He wants us to be for eternity. CS Lewis wrote of this “weight of glory” in a beautiful sermon. I recommend you read the whole thing (http://www.verber.com/mark/xian/weight-of-glory.pdf) :
“And that is enough to raise our thoughts to what may happen when the redeemed soul, beyond all hope and nearly beyond belief, learns at last that she has pleased Him whom she was created to please . . . . The promise of glory is the promise, almost incredible and only possible by the work of Christ, that some of us, that any of us who really chooses, shall actually survive that examination, shall find approval, shall please God. To please God...to be a real ingredient in the divine happiness...to be loved by God, not merely pitied, but delighted in as an artist delights in his work or a father in a son—it seems impossible, a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain. But so it is”.
God is interested in this eternal weight of glory, worked into the very form and fabric of our lives. He wants to make a masterpiece, and for that, molding and chipping and cutting away is required. But the final product will make all the poking and prodding and anguish more than worth it. This may seem like small consolation when you are in the midst of tribulation/pressures/stresses/strains/pains/weeping/sorrows/losses. But this is the consolation Jesus offers to the saints in Smyrna, and, I think, if we meditate on this for long, we may see Jesus is right.
A few lessons from this. If you’re suffering for following Jesus
1. you are in REALLY good company
2. you can bank on His promises that He will turn these temporary afflictions to your glory and good. He has promised. He never lies.
Prayer for Today
Father,
God of all comfort
Comfort me today, with the vision of who You are designing me to be. Teach me to be soft putty in Your hands, so the stretching and reshaping are not so painful. Soften my heart. Then mold me. Use the worst in my life to reveal the best in me. Show me Your glory. Reveal, in time and beyond, Your glory in me.
In the name of Jesus, the One who revealed Your glory to humanity in this life, and fit us, and fits us, for heaven
Amen
