If I Were Told the Future - Lesson 23

Letter to the Church of Smyrna

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Let's pray before beginning this lesson:

Lord God,

We wish to continue studying the letters to the seven churches, not simply to satisfy our curiosity, but rather to learn to better love and serve You.

Today, we will focus our attention on the second letter, addressed to the church of Smyrna.

We humbly ask You to guide us, so that our understanding may be in harmony with the message You want to give us. In Jesus Christ our Savior we pray.

Amen.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 1:9-11

Comments

I, John, both your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, (...)

ŤWhat you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna (...).ť

Now, let's study the second letter, addressed to the church of Smyrna.

The name ŤSmyrnať comes from the Greek word Ťmyrrhať, meaning: Ťwhich gives off a good smell when crushedť.

Besides, this same Greek word also designates myrrh, an aromatic gum coming from the balsam tree, used as incense and for embalming human remains.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:8	Comments
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ŤThese things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life.ť	Once again, the letter begins with a portrait of Jesus, taken from the initial vision of John. Let's carefully look at this portrait.
Revelation 1:17,18
I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 1:17,18	Comments
I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.	Jesus' title, Ťthe First and the Lastť, corresponds with Ťthe Alpha and the Omegať of God, which are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet. So Jesus reaffirms here that He is God, just as the Father is.
Revelation 1:8
ŤI am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,ť says the Lord, Ťwho is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.ť

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 1:17,18	Comments
I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.	Furthermore, the Bible confirms that the expression Ťthe First and the Lastť applies to God and to God only. Yes, indeed, Jesus is God.
Isaiah 44:6
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ŤI am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.ť

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:8

Comments

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write,

ŤThese things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life.ť

The portrait of Jesus also carries a message of hope, especially well adapted to the local church of Smyrna.

Indeed, during the years following the writing of the letter, that is, during the second century, Smyrna was the scene of violent persecutions against the Christians.

One of its most famous martyrs was Polycarp, the head minister of the church of Smyrna for more than 40 years, who was condemned to the stake in A.D. 155.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:9

Comments

I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich).

Besides, the continuation of the letter brings out the hard times of this persecuted church.

Here is an interesting point: history tells us that after the Apostolic Church (from A.D. 31 to 100), symbolized by the church of Ephesus, the Christian Church actually went through intense persecution for about 200 years, more precisely from 100 to 313.

With the Edict of Milan, in 313, Roman emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Empire.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:9	Comments
I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich).	Between 100 and 313, the persecuted Church indeed seemed very poor. But Jesus sees beyond appearances: though poor in worldly goods, the Church is nevertheless rich in faith, the fruit of its many trials.
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?

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:9	Comments
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.	While being persecuted by the Roman Empire, the Church also had to suffer the attacks of the Jews. Historians of this time report that at the martyrdom of Polycarp, minister of the local church of Smyrna, the Jews of this city personally, and with great eagerness, gathered firewood to supply the stake, even though it was the Sabbath day.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

The Bible reports some of the attacks of the Jews against the Church:

ŤAnd the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.ť (ACTS 13:44,45)

ŤBut the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.ť (ACTS 14:2)

ŤBut when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds.ť (ACTS 17:13)

Ť[Paul] testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."ť (ACTS 18:5,6)

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:9	Comments
I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.	Jesus calls people from all nations to become Jews inwardly, not in the flesh, thus making up Ťthe Israel of Godť (Galatians 6:16), His Church.
Romans 2:28,29
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:9	Comments
I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.	Jesus also brings up the danger, for the false Jew, of becoming Ťa synagogue of Satanť rather than Ťthe temple of the Holy Spiritť.
1 Corinthians 6:19,20
Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:10

Comments

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.

The letter to Smyrna goes on, still on the theme of the persecution of the Church.

From 100 to 313, the persecution of Christians, whose religion was then illegal, was encouraged by many Roman emperors, among which were:

    - Trajan (98-117);
    - Hadrian (117-138);
    - Antonine (138-161);
    - Marcus Aurelius (161-180);
    - Septime Severius (193-211);
    - Decius (249-251);
    - Valerian (253-260);
    - Diocletian (284-305);
    - and Galerius (305-311).

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:10	Comments
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.	The letter to the church of Smyrna completes the dark picture by announcing that it Ťwill have tribulation ten daysť. What is that tribulation?

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Numbers 14:34	Comments
According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years.	In Bible prophecy, a day represents a year, as we have seen in the lesson ŤThe Four Mythical Beastsť. This principle is acknowledged and used by many Bible commentators.
Ezekiel 4:6
You shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:10

Comments

Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.

So the letter to the church of Smyrna ends its prophecy by announcing a persecution of ten years (one year for each day).

Indeed, history reports that the most severe persecution during this period was the one launched by the emperor Diocletian.

This persecution began in 303, and ended exactly ten years later, in 313, with the promulgation of the Edict of Milan by the emperor Constantine, which made Christianity the official religion of the Empire.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:10	Comments
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.	Just as myrrh spreads its fragance when crushed, the martyrs' blood, once spilled, becomes a seed of life for all those who witness their faithfulness. To all those martyrs, Jesus promises the crown of life.
James 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Our perseverance will be rewarded with the imperishable crown:

ŤAnd when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.ť (1 PETER 5:4)

ŤAnd everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.ť (1 CORINTHIANS 9:25)

ŤI have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.ť (2 TIMOTHY 4:7,8)

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 2:11	Comments
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ŤHe who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.ť	The letter to Smyrna ends with a very appropriate promise from Jesus: the believer who goes through the first death on this earth won't have to suffer the second death in the lake of fire, at the Day of the Judgment.
Revelation 20:14
Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 20:6	Comments
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.	Later in the book of Revelation John saw, in vision, the fulfillment of the promise made to the church of Smyrna. Indeed, Ťthe second death has no powerť over God's risen people. Rather, they inherit eternal life and reign with Him. We will come back to this subject in a future lesson about the Millennium.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Revelation 13:15-17	Comments
[He causes] as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark.	Now, what is the personal application of the letter to Smyrna? Prophecy announces that faithful believers will go through very difficult times just before Jesus' return. The advice, encouragements and promises to Smyrna, the Persecuted Church, will surely be of great help to us.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

John 16:33	Comments
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.	May we all remember, at the right time, these precious words from Jesus, so that, with the peace of our Lord and Savior in our hearts, we may have the courage and strength we need to go through the future tribulation. Let's end this lesson with a summary of the letter to Smyrna.

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

The five points of the pattern in the letter to the church of Smyrna:

1. Portrait of Jesus, according to the spiritual state of the church.
     ŤThese things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life.ť (REVELATION 2:8)

2. Praise, acknowledgement of the positive points.
     ŤI know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich).ť
(REVELATION 2:9)

3. Condemnation, identification of the negative points.
     No negative point.

4. Appropriate counsel.
     ŤDo not fear [what] you are about to suffer.ť (REVELATION 2:10)

5. Promise, encouragement to persevere.
     ŤBe faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (...) He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.ť (REVELATION 2:10,11)

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

Dear friends, let's pray together:

O Lord,

Your Son said: ŤHe who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.ť (Matthew 10:39) This message summarizes very well the letter to the church of Smyrna.

We sincerely ask You to give us this courage You gave to Your martyrs, so that we too may remain faithful until the end.

Please help us to remember these precious words from Jesus: ŤI am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.ť (John 11:25)

In His name we pray.

Amen.

Letter to the Church of Smyrna

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Letter to the Church of Smyrna

The test of Lesson 23 is waiting for you!

Click here to send us your questions or comments about our Web site and products. Copyright Š2002 Cyberspace Ministry

Click here to send us your questions or comments about our Web site and products.
Copyright Š2002 Cyberspace Ministry