Under The Sign of Death
Revelation 2:8-11
The Persecuted Church – 100AD to 312AD
Previous parts of this series can be found in The Bride folder
In the Bible, clouds are always connected with God. Clouds are those sorrows or sufferings or providences without or within our personal lives which seem to dispute the empire of God. If there were no clouds we would not need faith. Seen apart from God, the clouds or difficulties are accidents, but by those very clouds the Spirit of God teaches us to walk by faith. Oswald Chambers
The city was set just 42 miles north of Ephesus along the old postal route. It was an original Greek colony founded in 1,000 BC, only to be destroyed 400 years later by the Lydians (inventors of the coin). Then roughly 100 years later 301 BC it was rebuilt by Alexander. Between 178 AD and 180 AD the city suffered a succession of earthquakes that reduced it to ruins. In 378 the city suffered another devastating earthquake and the citizens rebuilt it themselves. They referred to it as the “city that once died but was alive again.” Today it is the modern city of Izmir; Turkey’s third largest city with a population of 300,000. Then it was the city of Smyrna.
In the first century Smyrna was a very wealthy port city of some 200,000 citizens, one of Asia’s finest cities sitting on a major trade route from India to Persia to Rome. Located in the rich Hermus valley of modern Turkey it was known for its production of tobacco, grapes, figs, cotton, olives and olive oil.
It was a “free city” having cast its lot with Rome in 27 BC with the building of a temple to the goddess Roma in 195 BC Smyrna was celebrated for its schools of science and medicine, for its magnificent buildings and wide paved streets and boasted in the fact that tradition held it to be the birthplace of Homer (an honor claimed by others as well). It was variously called “the ornament of Asia” and “the flower of Asia.” Whatever the name it was a city where culture flourished; library, music and theater and it also held the honor of hosting the annual games in its famous stadium.
The citizens of Smyrna proudly worshiped idols in huge shrines on the golden street of the gods: Cybele (earth mother), Zeus (father of gods and men), Apollo (god of light; sun), Nemesis (goddess of retribution), Aphrodite (goddess of love and beauty) and Asclepios (god of medicine and healing) to mention but a few. Temples encircled Mount Pago resulting in the title of the Crown of Asia.” It was a city founded on the worldly success it enjoyed at the hand of Rome and it readily accepted Caesar worship, in some cases making it compulsory. Each year every Roman citizen had to burn a pinch of incense on the altar and acknowledge publicly that Caesar was the supreme Lord. In return they were given a certificate, which was very important politically. But it was a vital test for the Christians in Smyrna and many of those who did not partake in the practice were burned at the stake, boiled in oil or fed to the lions. It was truly the bleakest period in the history of the church as the Roman Empire sought all in its means to eradicate the faith of Jesus Christ from the face of the earth. It was intolerant of those who refused to “view the world” through their eyes. It was the home of a church that had been put Under the Sign of Death; the consistent theme throughout this letter.
Rev 2:8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
In His opening words, Jesus takes on the very thing that was underlying the treatment of His followers in Smyrna – pride. While those in the city believed that it was Smyrna that had once died and lived again Jesus boldly proclaimed to them in this letter that it was He, the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life. The Jews that were persecuting His church needed a reminder — as did His church — that it was He (God) alone to which that title belongs:
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
Jesus experienced the worst that the world could do to Him and the Christians in that city needed to remember that no matter what happened He had already been through it. Not only had He been through death but He conquered it. He triumphed over death in every form and is now alive forever, having led the way beyond death for His followers. No, it wasn’t the city that had conquered death, it was The First and the Last, and because He did He was able to promise the same protection from the second death to all those who follow Him. If they will but put their trust in Him they will have the assurance that they are beyond the reach of death; they “are” victorious” because He “is” alive.
Rev 2:9 I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Having comforted His Church by confirming that no matter the presence of evil He is in control and they belong to Him, Jesus immediately commends them for their “works” (huperperisseuo; overflowing, in great abundance, beyond measure) and their “tribulation” (thlipsin; anquish, persecution). The word thlipsin carries with it the concept of “constant pressure” like a heavy rock on a man’s chest; pushing until it crushes him.
Why the tribulation? Because they were seen as socially unacceptable and insignificant; the pagan Jews and Greeks were repulsed by the simplicity of their belief in Christ. They worshiped Jesus and refused to declare Caesar as Lord. As a result they were considered disloyal and because of that, persecution was almost more political than religious. Jesus wanted them to know that He understood. Understood what it meant to be tortured, killed, burned in oil, burned at the stake, crucified or thrown to the lions.
Added to this — in addition to their suffering — Jesus recognized their abject poverty. The word used here for “poverty” is ptoocheian, and in contrast to the word penia (poor) it means absolute poverty; beggarly or destitute. In the midst of this wealthy city they were penniless and belonged to the lowest class in society, continually subject to being mobbed, looted and robbed. But Jesus wanted them to know that poverty was no barrier to His favor and there are parts of suffering that are positive in the realm of the Spirit that cannot and never will be where there is great wealth. They need to remember that Jesus was poor and so were most of His devoted followers. Even today, being loyal to Jesus often entails economic loss.
Look at the parenthesis in verse 9. That says it all; a complete volume in one simple sentence. Jesus said that He knew their poverty and yet He saw them as “rich;” plousious – abounding with wealth, copiously. I wonder, can we identify with that?
Luke 6:20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.
2Cor 6:10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
The world considers wealth as true value but Jesus considers our spiritual wealth as “absolute worth.” We can even view spiritual wealth as inalienable (absolute; unchangeable) while worldly wealth is not. James put it well in the previous verse: God chose us to be rich in “faith,” the very faith that embodied the believers at Smyrna. They were rich toward God as contrasted to those who were persecuting them.
Luke 12:19-21 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
And in their works they viewed themselves as being prosperous.
1Tim 6:17-19 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
Those who invest in the kingdom are truly rich and have a promise (one already made) that will never be revoked; a promise that secures riches beyond their wildest dreams.
2Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Yes, Jesus acknowledged that they worked hard, suffered tribulation and were destitute, but equally important He acknowledged the source of their condition. He directed His words directly to those who were guilty of “blasphemy” (blasfeemian; railing and speaking evil). However, we don’t want to miss the fact that He is not accusing them of blaspheming against God but against the Christians in Smyrna. They were constantly being persecuted and had to endure the slander from the Jews, especially those who called themselves Jews but were Jews by national descent only; not by the true meaning of “circumcision of the heart.” They called themselves “the assembly of the Lord” and they would have no problem understanding exactly what Jesus was referring to; remember Korah? (Num 16:3). In the Greek the word synagogue (sunagoogee) means assembly or congregation and Jesus said that while they call themselves the Assembly of God they are really the assembly of the “devil.” Here for the first time in Revelation the ultimate source of persecution of Christians is revealed; Satan.
Chuck Missler, in his commentary on Revelation noted that there were three false doctrines sown in the early church that impacted the systems and forms of religion we still see today:
1. Legalism – Denying the “work” of Christ
2. Gnosticism – Denying the “humanity” of Christ
3. Caesar Worship – Denying the “Lordship” of Christ
In the words of Matthew Henry:
How dangerous are all systems and forms of religion which cherish and confirm the self-righteousness of human nature! How much worse than none at all! The weapons of religion are transferred, by these means, into the hands of its adversaries.
For us today those words still ring true and we need to recall that Jesus knows that we all — in a unique and individual way — suffer for Him. After all, He never promised us it would be easy.
John 15:20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
As a result we should remember that:
1. Suffering for Jesus also opens the door for us to ask for His help. We are but a “word” away from the throne of God; anytime day or night.
2. Suffering for Jesus should embolden us and give us courage to know that we are an army that has a leader who guards over it constantly.
3. Suffering for Jesus should make us extremely humble before Him. He may allow us to suffer but it is because of His love for us; a love that we won’t fully understand until we stand before Him.
I don’t remember where this quote came from but it is certainly sums up our suffering for Him:
Are you a sufferer? To thee Jesus says, “I know.” Is not that enough? The tear, indeed, falls downwards, but the sound of its falling flieth upward to the ear of God.
What that says to me is that we will never really know the power of God until we have been absolutely emptied of self-trust, have cast ourselves completely at His feet and fully understand that true riches are not found in anything we have attained or have become but are only found in Him. Until we lost everything we had, all that we “had attained” and were forced to turn to God for everything I had no idea how much He truly loved us and how truly faithful He is to those who love Him. It has changed my life forever and how I view the suffering I see around me in the body of Christ. Not one bit of it escapes His eye and each one of His who suffers is held tightly in His hand.
Next time we’ll look at how that when the pressure comes we have two options and the best one is not often chosen.