Revelation 2:8-11

(Revelation 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;  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.  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 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.

Smyrna, located in the Gulf of Helmean, west of Asia Minor, was the center of emperor worship and the site of a temple for the Roman goddess. At that time, Smyrna was a transportation hub, and due to geographical conditions, trade with the inland was active, and science, medicine, and architecture developed. In particular, Smyrna was also famous as a wealthy commercial port city along with Ephesus and Pergamum during Roman times.

Smyrna Church was right here. It is not known by whom this church was founded, but it is presumed that Paul, who had stayed in Ephesus, stopped here to preach, and that the church was founded (Acts 19:9-10). Smyrna Church was really poor. Moreover, in the light of summer or the wealth of the city, it was shabby. However, Jesus praised them as really wealthy people because they were those who refused to worship the emperor and kept the purity of the faith, and were richer than anyone else in faith.

Therefore, it became the only church that was not reproved along with the Philadelphia Church among the seven churches to which John wrote. To these Smyrna churches, Jesus says two things. The first is not to be afraid of the sufferings to come. And secondly, you will suffer. However, nevertheless, it is to be loyal to die. Suffering is the most difficult valley of life that everyone wants to avoid.

When Jesus speaks of the crucifixion, suffering is so difficult that he often borrows the word suffering to express suffering, which involves mental and physical suffering. Jesus is telling you not to be afraid of such suffering. Moreover, it is not a one-time hardship that suddenly comes right now, but the hardships that will come in the future, and hardships that continue after hardships are like not to be afraid of hardships that are like an endless wave. “You will face tribulation, but some people will be put in prison and tortured for a long time. But be loyal to death.” It means to be faithful and keep your faith until you die.

After the fall of Jerusalem, the Smyrna Church faced all kinds of blasphemy and persecution by the Jews who lived there, and there were even people who were killed and martyred for refusing to worship the emperor. Polygap, a disciple of the apostle John and the first bishop of the server or the church, was also one who was burned and martyred for refusing to worship the emperor at the time. In this context, for the Smyrna churches, death was a reality, not a distant past. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 』

The first is that if you are loyal to death, it gives you the crown of life, and the second is that you are not harmed by the second death. 『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. 』Jesus knew about the tribulation and poverty that Smyrna Church was facing at the time.

 

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