The Church in Smyrna – Revelation 2:8-11
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;
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 of 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 overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Situated about thirty-five miles north of Ephesus on the Aegean Sea, Smyrna enjoyed the descriptive title “The Ornament of Asia.” Even today Smyrna – or Izmir, as it is presently known – continues to serve as a major port for the modern nation of Turkey. Ancient Smyrna had several heathen temples as well as a substantial Jewish colony located within the city. Thus pagans, Jews and Christians existed side by side in Smyrna, but they did not do so without strife, or at times even bloodshed.
The message Jesus addressed to the church at Smyrna was the briefest of all the seven letters. His remarks were, however all positive. He spoke no rebuke for those faithful saints – only words of comfort and assurance. Opposition to the work of the church at Smyrna was so fierce that persecution of its membership was a definite reality and martyrdom was a distinct possibility.
Severe afflictions and adversities characterize the Smyrnean church period. What made that persecution significant was that it was a continuation of officially sanctioned campaigns against the churches. However, the apostle John foresaw the consummation of those sufferings, as was indicated by the prophecy, “…ye shall have tribulation ten days…” That was possibly an allusion to the ten official programs against the early churches. Moreover, the tenth and final campaign lasted ten years from 303 to 313.
The First and the Last (Revelation 2:8)
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;
In the introductory vision that John received he heard the risen and glorified Lord use the titles by which He introduced Himself to the church at Smyrna (recall Revelation 1:8, 11, 17, 18). In those expressions Jesus referred to both His divine and human attributes. Only the eternal God can claim to be “the first and the last,” and death is a matter with which all mankind is acquainted. Those introductory words were undoubtedly a marvelous source of comfort, assurance and strength to the distressed hearts of the sorely persecuted Smyrnean saints. There were some whose courage nearly faltered as many of their number were called upon to seal their testimony with their own blood, but whatever assurances one might have needed, they could be met by the same Christ who had given salvation. Since He was “the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive,” He would surely be with His people, even to the very end of physical existence.
Four cardinal principles are implicated in the titles Jesus invoked in the message to the church at Smyrna. Those vital principles are creation, redemption, death and life, all of which have an integral relationship with the eternal Son of God.
“The First” Speaks of Creation
In referring to Himself as “the first,” Jesus attested His creative participation. Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:9 that God “…created all things by Jesus Christ.” This statement takes on added importance when one recalls that Christ, being the “express image” of God described Hebrews 1:3, provided the pattern for the creation of man, a creation that was made in the image and after the likeness of God Himself as found in Genesis 1:26: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” We see “the first” Jesus Christ before anyone and everyone, anything and everything in time; we see Him above all personages and all things in priority.
“The Last” Speaks of Redemption
The role of the Son in the divine redemptive plan for humanity was underscored by Jesus Christ Himself when He stated that He is “the last.” According to the eternal purpose decreed by God the ultimate redemption of each believer in his or her entirety (that is, the body and mind as well as the spirit) will mark the consummation of this present world order. The “first Adam” caused sin to be a working principle in the human race; the “last Adam” will deal fully and finally with all the consequences of sin, as we find in 1 Corinthians 15:45-49: And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
Jesus Christ is Alive
His death on the cross notwithstanding, Jesus is alive today. Because of His victory over death He is the very personification of life. In fact, God is the source of all life, whether plant or animal, physical or spiritual. Of all these expressions of life it is clearly evident that spiritual life, which is also eternal life, is by far the most important. But that life is given only to those who experience the new birth. Christ, the life, offers eternal life to everyone. Such life is a gift that is offered freely and unconditionally to every believer.
To the church at Smyrna Jesus presented Himself as the living Savior who had triumphed over death in all its forms and is alive forever. He could, therefore, assure His saints that they too would be beyond the reach of the second death of Revelation 20:14 – “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” In one way or another physical death will claim everyone, but spiritual death can be avoided only though faith in Jesus Christ.
Works, Tribulation and Poverty (Revelation 2:9)
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 of the synagogue of Satan.
Although much is known about ancient Smyrna nothing of substance is known of the church there except what we find recorded in Revelation 2:8-11. Three words – works, tribulation, and poverty – summarize the manner in which that congregation served the Lord and the circumstances under which their service was rendered.
Works
‘I know thy works’ is the phrase that marks the beginning of each of the messages to the seven Asian churches of Revelation. That declaration by Jesus implies without equivocation that He had an intimate awareness of all that pertained to those churches be it good or bad, and that consequently He was fully qualified to dispense rewards or administer chastisement according to truth and justice. The word ‘works’ speaks of what one does, the tasks and duties that are accomplished. In the case of the church at Smyrna the works of those saints received nothing but commendation.
Tribulation
The Greek word from which ‘tribulation’ was translated literally meant “pressure,” and it spoke essentially of pressure which is exerted from without. That same term was rendered ‘affliction’ in several instances. The tribulation to which the church at Smyrna was subjected was from the outside in the form of antagonism of the people who were opposed to God and His followers. It was not easy to live in Smyrna and be a faithful Christian, especially in view of the fact that the city of Smyrna was astronghold of emperor worship. Consequently, much of the pressure (or at least the threat of such pressure) that was exerted on the Smyrnean saints came from governmental officials. This is seen frequently today in many countries including our own, and faithful Christians in those places, like those in Smyrna, who do not bow the knee to human authority are subject to persecution. Constant tension between those two relationships is the result. As believers we are asked to submit to authorities who may be unbelievers, but we are not to obey that which violates the clearly-revealed will of God. This principle is clearly taught by Jesus: Matthew 22:21: “…Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17 and Luke 20:25 also recount the recorded incident.
Poverty
This word speaks of a beggar, someone who is totally destitute. In Bible terms beggars and others who were poor were poor indeed, as there were no governmental programs or charitable agencies to assist those who were in need. That is why it was so important for churches to help any of their own who were genuinely poor. The poverty of the Smyrnean saints, as with other believers in that day, was basically due to two situations: First, most of the early Christians belonged to the socially and economically lower classes of society. Many, in fact, were slaves. Another reason for the poverty of the early Christians was because their goods and possessions were often spoiled – raided by those who persecuted them and thus confiscated or destroyed.
Jesus viewed the poverty of the Smyrnean saints from a different perspective. While He did acknowledge that they were materially poor He added, “but ye are rich.” Material wealth is no indicator of spiritual riches. Even the poorest believer can have eternal “treasures in heaven” as Jesus admonished in Matthew 6:20.
Blasphemous, pseudo-Jews (Revelation 2:9)
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 of the synagogue of Satan.
The church at Smyrna had to endure much tribulation and poverty. A significant factor in the tribulation that beset those saints was the blasphemy of pseudo-Jews. Jesus described those enemies of the Smyrnean congregation as “them which say they are Jews, and are not.” The identity of those who troubled the church at Smyrna has been widely discussed and debated throughout the years. Three matters – blasphemy, false Jews and the synagogue of Satan – need to be considered here in order to understand what Jesus meant by His reference to those pseudo-Jews
Blasphemy
To ‘blaspheme’ basically means “to speak against someone or something in an insulting or disparaging manner.” This term is usually associated with negative or critical statements that someone makes against God, and while that is certainly blasphemy there are other aspects of blasphemy. Apart from legal technicalities, the term ‘slander’ is more or less synonymous with ‘blasphemy,’ and the false Jews of Smyrna directed their blasphemous remarks to and about the membership of the church in that city. What they said was not specified; however, a common accusation against all early Christians was that they were politically disloyal citizens and potential revolutionaries because they would not acknowledge the reigning Caesar as a god. The early churches were also accused of dividing families because when people accepted Christ’s salvation they often felt more welcome among the family of God than among their own families, especially if the other members of their family were unsaved. Whatever the substance of the blasphemy might have been, the Smyrnean saints were victims of character assassination, a tactic that Satan continues to use frequently and effectively today. As a matter of fact, the Smyrnean pseudo-Jews actually demonstrated the spirit of Satan in their slanderous accusations against the saints of God. The word ‘Satan’ basically means “accuser.” In a subsequent article we will consider Revelation 12:10, where the devil was called “the accuser of our brethren.”
False Jews
In order to understand what is meant by this phrase one needs to study Romans 2:17-25. In that passage the apostle Paul straightforwardly underscored the inconsistency and hypocrisy of the Jews of his time, pointing out their profession without practice in that they claimed to respect and uphold the Law of Moses but in fact felt no obligation to obey or follow it. Many such Jews (and others) liked to consider themselves teachers of others, but they were unwilling to learn or apply what they sought to teach. They proclaimed the commandments of God but routinely broke them with impunity, boasting of being the descendants of Abraham (Jews by heritage) but refusing to “…do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39) that would make them Jews spiritually. Jesus condemned the scribes and Pharisees for extortion, immorality and other gross sins. For all their boasting about the Law, the Jews dishonored God by their flagrant disobedience of the commandments, so it is probable that what Paul and Jesus had to say about the Jews also applied to the pseudo-Jews in Smyrna. They may have been physical descendants of Abraham but were not “the Israel of God” (spiritual Jews) of which Paul wrote in Galatians 6:16. Instead of being the people of God they were a source of constant harassment and even danger to those who indeed were the people of God.
Synagogue of Satan
A Synagogue is an assembly of Jews for religious study and worship. Synagogues developed during the Babylonian exile of the Jews when they did not have a Temple as their focal point for worship. Even though the Jews rebuilt their Temple when they returned to their homeland they also continued using synagogues. When used properly, a synagogue was an opportunity for learning about the Law and the true God. Jesus, the apostles and most, if not all, of the early Christians attended a synagogue to worship and most students of church history believe that the basic form of worship in the early churches was adapted from the synagogue. However, in many synagogues teachings which were not true about the Law and the Lord became advocated. Consequently, Jesus called such assemblies “a synagogue of Satan.” Such a synagogue was the one in Thessalonica. Those Jews drove Paul and Silas from Thessalonica and then pursued them to Berea and “stirred up the people” as found in Acts 17:13. Because of the blasphemous attitudes and actions of the rebellious, renegade Jews in Smyrna they were doing the work of Satan himself, so it certainly was appropriate for the Lord to describe their synagogue in the most negative terms possible. “A synagogue of Satan” was not where Satan was worshiped; rather, it was where the will of Satan prevailed and where his work was done.
This refers to Jews and Judaizers who were opposed to Jesus and His teachings. The book of Acts reveals the hostility of the Jews toward Christians. History records that their enmity was especially directed against the church at Smyrna. A document sent by the Smyrnean church relates that the Jews joined the pagans in demanding that Polycarp be either cast to the lions or burned at the stake. They brought logs for the pyre and even tried to prevent the remains from being given to Polycarp’s friends for proper burial. Here the text indicates that the unsaved Jews were doing the work of Satan rather than the Lord by opposing His churches.
You Will Suffer (Revelation 2:10
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.
Jesus knew the works of the church at Smyrna. He knew what those believers had done and what their motives and intentions were and He also knew what the future held for those faithful, devoted saints. The tribulation and harassment they had already endured would continue – and perhaps even become more intense.
The Certainty of Suffering
These days believers are often caught in a cross-fire, so to speak, in the constant ongoing warfare between God and Satan. In the case of the Lord’s people in Smyrna it was as if Satan had taken a bead on those saints and, having lined them up in his sights, was ready to squeeze the trigger. The devil would use whatever was available to him – governmental officials, the hypocritical Jews, and so on – in order to accomplish his goal of hindering the testimony and ministry of the church in Smyrna. Suffering was a certainty for those believers but the persecution they were to endure would put them in an elite company. In Matthew 5:10-12 Jesus in His sermon preached that the persecuted would receive the “kingdom of heaven,” be happy when “falsely” accused for His sake, and even be joyful and “exceedingly glad” because they would enjoy a great reward in heaven. He even points out that such persecution isn’t new or even unique to that period of human history but that God’s prophets have always in some way or by some means been denounced or worse.
Imprisoned by the Devil
Physical imprisonment was a threat that loomed over the heads of the Smyrnean saints. Although any imprisonments that occurred would be at the hands of men, the one who was ultimately responsible for such persecutions was, of course, Satan. He is the prime mover or instigator of all the wicked words and deeds that are employed in harassing the people of God and impeding the progress of His cause. The Lord allows such adversities to occur “that ye may be tried.” The purpose of such trials is not to prove anything to God but to demonstrate to all observers the value, validity and valor of one’s testimony as a Christian. Peter understood this when he wrote: “That the trial of your faith…..might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” in 1 Peter 1:7.
Tribulation for Ten Days
This reference has a figurative application to the Smyrnean church period as well as an immediate application to the congregation in that city. There is a scriptural precedent for considering ten days as a time of testing. When the youthful Daniel wanted to change the Babylonian emperor’s dietary regimen for him and his three companions he requested a ten-day test (see the story in Daniel 1:11-16). Jesus’ statement that the church at Smyrna would experience tribulation for ten days was the silver lining within their dark cloud. Despite the persecution those saints would have to endure, their sufferings would be of limited duration. They were to allow that thought to sustain and encourage them in their time of testing. Their sorrows might be many and intense but they would also be comparatively brief.
A Crown of Life (Revelation 2:10)
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 en days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
In recognition of the fidelity of the members of the church at Smyrna in the face of dire persecution the Lord promised to reward them with “a crown of life.” The subject of crowns has aroused much speculation among many people. What are they? Who receives them? Why are they given? Let’s briefly consider the matter with special emphasis given to the crown of life.
The significance of the Reward
Crowns are not synonymous with salvation nor do they contribute to one’s salvation. Salvation is a gift that is received during our earthly life at the moment we trust Jesus as Christ and Savior. Crowns are, however, always referred to in the Scriptures in the future tense. There are several crowns, and they are awarded for the service we render to the Lord after we have been saved. In other words, salvation is a gift; crowns are compensation. Salvation is received freely; crowns must be earned. Salvation is a matter of grace; crowns result from faithful service. On the other hand, while our salvation can never be lost or called into question, we are cautioned about losing rewards in 2 John 8 where John writes “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” The Apostle Paul had a little more to say to the members of the church at Corinth with these words: “If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:14, 15).
Several crowns are mentioned in the Bible. The crown of life is mentioned in two places, James 1:12 (Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him), and here in Revelation 2:10. In both of these settings this crown is promised for faithful service for the Lord that is performed under difficult or adverse circumstances. The promise of the crown of life encourages believers who are threatened with harassment, adversity or persecution because of their testimony for Jesus.
The ancient manuscripts include the definite article with the “crown.” The crown is a garland awarded to the victor in the public games. The “crown of life” is not eternal life itself; rather, the text indicates that it is the reward or recognition given for faithfulness in service under severe persecution. Paul suffered severe persecution and endured, and rested upon the assurance he shared with Timothy in his second letter to his co-laborer: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
The Source of the Reward
Jesus Christ is the source of the crown of life and all other rewards as well. In some instances the awarding of crowns is associated with the return of Christ. “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12). The awarding of crowns and all other rewards will be done at the Judgment Seat of Christ – which is a judgment for believers only – for the service and deeds done after their salvation. Conduct toward fellow believers will be scrutinized; labors in the name of the Lord will be tested; motives for service will be examined and appropriate rewards will be awarded.
Romans 14:10: But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15: Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1 Corinthians 4:5: Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God.
2 Corinthians 5:9,10: Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Regarding the crown of life then, the “righteous judge” in 2 Timothy 4:8 will undoubtedly make special recognition of and give commendation for sufferings that were endured for the cause of Christ.
The Suitability of the Reward
It is certainly fitting that a crown of life has been promised to those who are likely to lose their physical lives for the cause of Christ. Again, it should be noted that this crown or reward is not eternal life – that is received when one trusts Christ as Savior. A crown of life is over and above or in addition to salvation. Thus, one might ask: What is a crown of life, and of what does it consist?
Remember God is the source of any and every kind of life. In John 10:10 Jesus declared that He had come not only to give “life (that is, spiritual or eternal life), but also to give “…life…..more abundantly.” The Greek term from which ‘abundantly’ was translated basically meant ‘overflowing’ or ‘superfluity.’ A “more abundant” life is characterized by faithful service to Christ, and for some people that could involve the possibility of persecution and even martyrdom. The members of the church at Smyrna were forewarned of tribulation that would include suffering and imprisonment. In those days imprisonment was frequently a prelude to execution; so it was that some of them would be called upon to seal their faith with their own blood. In any case prison was a harsh environment characterized not only by physical restraint and restriction of free movement but death by extremes of either heat or cold, starvation and deprivation of hygienic needs, physical abuse by guards, or disease.
The promise of a crown of life in the event they lost their physical lives was certain to encourage Christians in the face of such intense suffering and persecution. What a beautiful picture is depicted in the divine promise regarding the crown of life! The victorious Christ, who triumphed gloriously over suffering, death, hell and the grave, will award the crown of life to all His faithful followers who also suffer, in many instances in the past and perhaps at some time in the future, even to the point of martyrdom. Such recognition and commendation will more than offset the shame and reproach to which persecuted believers were, are, or will be subjected on earth.
In verse 9 Jesus declared that He knew about the poverty of the Smyrnean saints. What a contrast this suggests when one recalls the promise of a crown to the members of that congregation. A crown speaks of authority, power, prominence, wealth and so on, all of which are in vivid contrast with the idea of poverty. It is little wonder therefore that the Lord added the comment “but thou art rich.”
Escaping the Second Death (Revelation 2:11)
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Since the specter of physical death haunted the Smyrnean saints constantly, how reassuring it must have been for them to have been told by the One who had been dead and was alive that “the second death” would not hurt them! Without doubt Jesus’ guarantee of immunity from the second death met a welcome reception from the members of the Smyrenean congregation. So, what is the “second death?” How can one escape it? These are pertinent question that need to be considered carefully.
What is the Second Death?
In order to understand the second death one needs to understand the concept of death itself. The first Biblical reference to death is found in Genesis 2:17 where God warned the first man, Adam, that disobedience to the divine commandment would result in death when He said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Any student of the Bible knows all too well that Adam sinned and that his sin resulted in a depraved nature that has been passed from generation to generation.
When Adam sinned he died spiritually. He did not cease to physically exist but his sin severed the relationship he had previously enjoyed with God, who is the source of all life. The separating aspect of death was vividly exemplified by the fact that when Adam and Eve “heard the voice of the Lord God” they attempted to hide themselves from His “presence,” thus demonstrating that there was no longer harmony, fellowship or peace between them and God (Genesis 3:8-10). As a consequence of the sin of Adam all his descendants (which carries down to you and me) have been born with a sinful nature as Paul makes plain in Romans 5:12 where he writes: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. The fruit (result) of sin is death, as is taught in James 1:15: “And sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” An additional insight into the nature of death is given in James 2:26: “For as the body without the spirit is dead…” It should be evident that the essence of death is separation, and the first death is physical death.
The second death is described in Revelation 20:11-15 as the logical consequence of the Great White Throne Judgment. The second death is also a separation – an eternal separation of the unsaved from God and His saints. To experience the second death is to be cast body and spirit (“death and hell”) into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20: 11-15: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
How Does One Escape the Second Death?
In order to escape the second death one must receive the gift of eternal salvation. Salvation is experienced when one is born again, and in being born again we pass from death to life. See John 5:24 where Jesus says: “Verily, verily (most assuredly), I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” This means that believers no longer are spiritually separated from God; instead, believers have eternal life within them. That life will never end nor can it be taken from them. Physical death is inevitable for everyone, as Hebrews 9:27 indicates, “…it is appointed unto men once to die…” Both saved people and unsaved die physically. Spiritual death, however, can be escaped and is made possible through salvation. All believers will be part of the first resurrection, the “resurrection of life” of which Jesus spoke in John 5:29.
In future articles we’ll explore more deeply what John wrote in Revelation 20: 4-6 where he puts it this way: And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Unbelievers will not be raised until the “resurrection of damnation,” which is the resurrection John described in Revelation 20:13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. This means that unbelievers are the only ones who will experience the second death. Revelation 20:15 underscores that by stipulating, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Our names are written in the book of life when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, and we become the “fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life” of whom Paul wrote in Philippians 4:3, a fact that gives us absolute assurance that we will not be subjected to the second death.
Summary – The Church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11
The Smyrnean Congregation
The message that the risen Lord sent to that group of believers was one of commendation, as there was no rebuke at all for them. The adversity under which those saints served and worshiped their God was exemplified in the meaning of the name Smyrna, deriving from myrrh, an aromatic, resinous substance that in biblical times was used primarily for incense, perfume and embalming. Myrrh was one of the offerings presented to the Christ child by the Magi, prophetically symbolic of his future sacrifice on our behalf (Matthew 2:11), and one of the ingredients Nicodemus provided in order to prepare the body of Jesus for burial as is recorded in the nineteenth chapter of John. Thus the name Smyrna is readily associated with suffering and death, and the church in that city knew that by bitter experience.
The Smyrnean Church Period
The Roman authorities began the official oppression of Christianity during the Ephesian era and brought it to a conclusion in the Smyrnean period. On ten occasions the official wrath of Rome fell upon the saints of God, and John foresaw the consummation of those sufferings. Despite the intense torture to which the early believers were subjected they rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer for His name. Like Paul, those Spirit-filled Christians regarded their own lives as nothing and gladly gave themselves to and for the cause of Christ. It is little wonder, therefore, that Jesus had nothing but commendation for the Smyrnean saints and those who they prophetically portrayed.
But there are five more churches to which the Revelation is addressed. In the next article we will consider the church of Pergamos and learn what Christ had to say to them.