Smyrna – The Persecuted Church – Revelation 2

Revelation 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;

Jesus identifies Himself to the church in Smyrna as “the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive.” I think this is a special address of encouragement to this body of believers who need to be reminded that they will have victory over death and eternal life with Jesus because of Jesus’ victory over death through His resurrection.

Revelation 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.

Again, God knows their works/deeds/actions/behavior. He knows about the persecution they have suffered. He recognizes that they are materially poor, but spiritually rich. He is aware of the slander and vicious verbal abuse they have taken from those who claim to be Jews, followers of God, but they are really followers of Satan, the adversary of God.

Romans 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Obviously, these believers have no heart problem; they are serving and enduring out of deep gratitude, love and devotion to the Lord. They probably don’t even realize the treasures and rewards they have accumulated for themselves in heaven.

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.

He encourages the believers not to be afraid of the things they will suffer. He doesn’t tell them they won’t suffer—just not to be afraid of it. Other verses in the scripture support this thought.

Acts 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

2Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

1Peter 1:6-7 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

The Greek for the word suffer states “to experience a sensation or impression (usually painful), passion.” The Greek for persecution in 2Timothy 3:12 states, “to pursue, to persecute, follow (after), press forward.” It’s natural to think of this suffering in context of physical abuse and harassment. It would seem that context would only give partial understanding. You can experience pain and pressure from being surrounded by wickedness. You can experience pain, pressure and suffering from your own struggle with the flesh and the attacks of the enemy. I think that suffering in heart is probably the most common form of suffering in the believer’s life and that persecution as represented by the pressures of wickedness surrounding us is much more common than physical persecution in the life of a believer. It reminds me of the verses in Peter regarding Lot.

2Peter 2:7-8 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.)

Back to the believers in Smyrna--In fact, some of them will be put in prison as a test of their faith. Who puts them in prison? The devil—We often forget that he is the ruler in power at this time on planet earth.

2Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

In light of the persecution this church suffers, the meaning of the word Smyrna is significant. It comes from the word for myrrh, which is a plant that only yields its fragrance when it is crushed. Our faith is most on display when we are going through times of testing.