TO: Church at Smyrna
FROM: Him Who is the First and The Last, Who died and has
1. I know:
a. Your sufferings
b. Your poverty - but you are rich
c. The evil name given you by those who say that they
themselves are Jews, and are not, but are of the devil’s
synagogue
2. Dismiss your fears concerning all that you are about to suffer.
3. The devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you
may be put to the test, and for ten days you will have to
endure persecution.
4. Be faithful, even if you have to die for it, and then I will give you
5. Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to
6. The victor shall be in no way hurt by the second death.
Note: No rebuke for this church.
NOTES AND RELATING SCRIPTURES:
- The city of Smyrna was about 25 miles north of Ephesus. It was nicknamed “Port of Asia” because it had an
excellent harbor on the Aegean Sea. The church in this city struggled against two hostile forces: a Jewish
population strongly opposed to Christianity, and a non-Jewish population that was loyal to Rome and supported
emperor worship. Persecution and suffering were inevitable in an environment like this. (LB)
- Smyrna (meaning myrrh) yielded its sweet perfume in being bruised even to death. Myrrh was used in
embalming dead bodies and was an ingredient in the holy anointing oil; a perfume of the heavenly Bridegroom
and of the bride (JFB)
- Persecution; Strong in tribulation
- Afflicted but affluent; rich in faith and loyalty
- Days - series of events
- Commendation: you are rich in the knowledge of truth
- No censure for this church (DP - WNT)
- Command: do not be afraid (an encouragement) (DP)
- To be prepared and to face the future
- In their own strength they could not stand
- The power of darkness is under the absolute control of sovereignty of God
- Counsel: listen to Spirit (DP)
- be faithful until death
- don’t seek the things of this world
- Only two churches no rebuke: Smyrna and Philadelphia (DP)
- Both are small and of little strength
- Both are enduring persecution
- Both have the same enemies: the natural Jews of the day
- There one difference: Smyrna spends all her spiritual strength withstanding persecution; Philadelphia
still has opportunity to spread gospel
- Synagogue of satan - magic-based distortion of Judaism (DP)
2:8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last,
who became dead, and came to life:
- The First and The Last – He who is eternal (AC)
- Became dead – as death was to Him but the gate to life eternal, so it is to be to them (JFB)
References: Revelation 1:8, 17, 18
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.
- The improvement they had made in their spiritual state (MH)
- Say they are Jews - a corrupt sect of Judaizers who were zealous of the law but ignorant of the spirit of Christ
(WNT)
- The true Jew is one whose life is praiseworthy in God’s sight. The Jewish community in Smyrna because of its
slanderous attacks on the Christians, had shown itself unworthy of the name ‘Jew’; they were rather by virtue of
their opposition to the gospel, a synagogue of satan. (Zond)
- Magic-based distortion of Judaism
- Poverty – owing to the spoiling of their goods (JFB)
- Blasphemy – they applied a sacred name to an unholy thing (AC)
- Rich in: (TB)
- Knowledge of the truth
- Works and patience
- Bearing the cross
- Revealing a strong spiritual life in the midst of persecution
- The Jews blaspheme Christ as “the hanged one” (JFB)
- Jews – by national descent, but not spiritually of “the true circumcision” (JFB)
- Satan means adversary – as its Greek equivalent ‘diabolos’ means slanderer or false accuser. (Zond)
References: Luke 12:21 (So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God); Romans 2:17 (Indeed you are called a
Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God); Revelation 3:9; 2 Corinthians 6:10 (as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet
making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things); 8:9 (For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was
rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich); James 2:5 (Listen, my beloved brethren: did
not god choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love Him?); Matthew 4:
10
2:10 “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to
throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be
faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
- Do not fear – in their own strength they would never be able to stand this persecution, but by the grace of
God they will certainly endure. (TB)
- Jesus Christ takes particular notice of all their troubles (MH)
- He knows the wickedness and the falsehood of their enemies (MH)
- He foreknows the future trials of His people and forewarns them (MH)
- The devil about to cast - by his influence over men, leading them to do the work (WNT)
- The devil used the imperial authorities as his instruments. Imprisonment was not a punishment in itself, but a
prelude to trial and sentence (Zond)
- It would be some of them, not all (MH)
- Tested – tried – the same event is often both a temptation from the devil, and a trial from God – God sifting
and winnowing the man to separate his chaff from his wheat, the devil sifting him in the hope that nothing but
chaff will be found in him (JFB)
- It would not be perpetual, but a short time (MH)
- Ten days - a brief period (WNT) A prolonged but not unlimited period (Zond)
- Ten days – As the days in this book are what is commonly called “prophetic days”, each answering to a year,
the ten days of tribulation may denote, “ten years of persecution” (AC)
- Ten is the number of the world powers hostile to the church (JFB)
- Crown – the garland, the mark of a conqueror; but diadem is the mark of a king (JFB)
References: Matthew 10:22 (And you will be hated by all for My name‘s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved); 24:13 (But
he who endures to the end shall be saved); James 1:12 (Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved,
he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him); Daniel 1:12 (Please test your servants for ten days,
and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink), 14; 1 Corinthians 9:25 (And everyone who competes in the games
exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.)
2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes
shall not be hurt by the second death”’.
- A call to universal attention. It concerns all the inhabitants of the world to observe God’s dealings with His own
people (MH)
- Shall not be hurt – not by any means (or possibly) be hurt (JFB)
- Listen to the Spirit: be faithful until death. Don’t seek the things of this world, for they soon pass away and
behind them lurks the ‘second death’. (TB)
- There is not only a first, but a second death. This second death is unspeakably worse than the first death. It
is eternal death. (MH)
- Second death - the punishment of the wicked after the Millennium (WNT)
- Second death – the lake of fire. The death in life of the lost, as contrasted with the life in death of the saved.
(JFB)
- Second death – it seems that they who die that death shall be hurt by it; whereas, if it were annihilation and so
a conclusion of their torments, it would be no way hurtful, but highly beneficial to them. But the living torments
are the second death. (JFB)
- Second death – final judgment, the alternative to eternal life (Zond)
References: Revelation 13:9; 20:6, 14; 21:8; Matthew 11:15