2nd Letter to the Church of Smyrna

[Lafftur]

Hello everyone,

There are 7 Letters to 7 Churches in Chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation. Let’s read them one by one and share any understanding that the Holy Spirit gives us.

I’ll create a thread for each letter to each church so we can discuss them separately.

Try to stay away from commentaries…just read the scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to open them to you and give you understanding…then share with all of us what you heard the Spirit saying….

Here is the 2nd Letter to the angel/messenger of the church of Smyrna:

Revelation 2:8-11

8 “And to the angel/messenger of the church in Smyrna write,

Greeting:

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:

Evaluation:

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/congregation of Satan.

Correction:

None

Instruction:

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.

Consequence:

None

Commends them:

Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Exhorts them to hear the Spirit and overcome:

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.”’

Looking forward to reading all your posts!

 

[Lafftur]

Revelation 2:8-11

8 “And to the angel/messenger of the church in Smyrna write,

Greeting:

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:

In this 2nd Letter to the church of Smyrna, our Lord Jesus Christ is revealing and making Himself known to us as the First, Last, who was dead and came to life.

As FIRST, He is the Starting Point of everything concerning us - it all begins with Him. He FIRST loved us and gave Himself for us. He is the FIRSTborn of many brethren.

As LAST, He is the Ending Point of everything that concerns us - His Beloved. He is the One that gets to say, "It is FINISHED." Anything and everything He starts with us, does not end until He says, "It is Finished."

The First is death in Christ Jesus and the Last is eternal life in Christ Jesus. He is the First and the Last.

Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him. He knows the way of dying on the cross and He knows the way of rising from the dead victorious!

Smyrna is the second phase that the Holy Spirit will bring us through for us to become the Bride of Christ. We cannot overcome the death of our prideful flesh in Smyrna without establishing unshakable steadfast FIRST LOVE in the first phase which is Ephesus.

Each phase of becoming the Bride of Christ ready at the Lord's return builds on the foundation of the previous phase.

 

[Lafftur]

Now, I am pondering the Lord's evaluation of the Church of Smyrna...

Revelation 2:8-11

8 “And to the angel/messenger of the church in Smyrna write,

Evaluation:

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/congregation of Satan.

I am so thankful that Jesus keeps a watchful eye on us! Hallelujah! He knows our works...everything we think, say and do and also the motives of our heart....why we do what we do.

Great tribulation and poverty is for the killing of our prideful, lustful, and sinful flesh which will interfere with God's plan for us if our flesh is not dealt with. Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him. He leads us through trials, tribulations and poverty for the destruction of our flesh which is good for us.

When pride is broken off, then humility can flourish. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Pride cannot love God because it loves itself and exalts itself. It is very good for God to deal with our prideful, lustful, sinful flesh, amen!

Our Lord Jesus Christ knows those that are His....they willingly crucify their flesh with Christ. Also, Jesus knows those that say they are God's people but actually belong to Satan because they do not take up their cross and follow Jesus, they remain in their flesh and blaspheme every time they claim to be saved. These are the ones that persecute God's people within the church.

Yet, God uses all our tribulation and trials and persecutions for our good so....Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Amen.

 

[Lafftur]

After Jesus gives His evaluation of the Church of Smyrna...

Revelation 2:8-11

8 “And to the angel/messenger of the church in Smyrna write,

Correction:

None

He gives them no correction because there is nothing to correct. Their hearts are willing and obedient to take up their cross and follow Him...to die...to crucify their flesh...to suffer, even unto death.

Instruction:

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.

His instruction to them is simply to not fear what they are about to suffer. When we overcome in the Church of Ephesus and our First Love is solidified rock solid for Jesus Christ, then we are ready for our love for Him to be tested by Satan and our flesh/carnal nature dies.

The deliverance from our flesh is a ten stage process that we go through twice - the first ten are like the ten plagues of Egypt this is when God delivers us from Satan and the slave master of sin. The second ten are like the ten tests in the wilderness - this is when God is delivering us from dependency on ourselves and dependency on others as our masters.

When we come out of Smyrna by overcoming....it will be the Ten Commandments that will be established in our hearts and minds - our total dependency will be on God alone and we will not serve nor worship any other God.

There is a lot to say about the "tens" but, perhaps later...or you can ponder them and ask the Holy Spirit about them. They are designed to deliver us from Satan, our flesh and the flesh of others. The ten commandments will be fully established in us.

Consequence:

None

Jesus already knows we will persevere the suffering, even if we die. Thus, He gives us no consequence for not suffering because He knows we are steadfast and will not deny Him, even in death.

 

[Lafftur]

Jesus Christ is speaking to His Beloved that is laying her life down for Him....crucifying her flesh on the cross just like He did for her.


Revelation 2:8-11

8 “And to the angel/messenger of the church in Smyrna write,


Commends them:

Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

She is completely consecrating herself to Jesus Christ alone. We can only be faithful unto death if First Love is established in the first church or first phase of the work of the Holy Spirit making us ready as the Bride of Christ.

In this second church or phase that the Holy Spirit is bringing us through, our love for Jesus Christ is tested and we are proven to love Him and trust Him faithfully and completely just like Jesus trusted the Father with His life.

Jesus knew the death of the flesh was necessary and that the Father would raise Him up again....as the Bride of Christ, we know that Jesus Christ will raise us up from the dead....He is the Resurrection and will give us the crown of life which is authority to take our bodies back from the dead...just like the Father gave Jesus Christ authority to receive His Body back from the tomb.

Exhorts them to hear the Spirit and overcome:

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.”’

We hear the voice of the Holy Spirit with our spiritual ears and receive understanding of God's Word which gives us life, instructions, guidance, comfort, correction, counsel, teaching and power to be a true witness in the Earth of Jesus Christ as the only Savior.

Overcoming our flesh and walking by the Spirit being born again, the second death has no power over us because the Lake of Fire which is the second death is for all those that reject Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior and King.

At the Resurrection, we get our bodies back and they are changed in a twinkling of an eye becoming celestial just like the body Jesus Christ received when He rose from the dead....the second death/lake of fire has no power over our new body.