To the angel of the church in Smyrna Write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Smyrna, along with Philidelphia, are the only two churches that received no rebuke from the Lord. In addition, there is not much information in the letter to Symrna, so here is what I do have.
“These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.”
As with 1:17-18, Jesus identifies Himself as the “First and the Last and who died and came to life again,” which also links Him with being the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning of end, which as we have previously seen, is in reference to His eternal state, which He shares with the Father as the Lord our God is One God.
“I know your affliction and your poverty—yet you are rich!”
The mention of their poverty of course is in reference to what they lacked in material wealth, yet the Lord says that they were spiritually rich, something that no one could take away from them.
“I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”
The Lord uses the same reference of these Jews being “a synagogue of Satan” in the letter to Philadelphia. Regarding this, below is an excerpt from GotQuestions:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As for the identity of the “synagogue of Satan,” there are a couple of views. One is that this was a group of Gentiles who called themselves “Jews” (i.e., the chosen people of God). Instead of following Judaism, however, these self-proclaimed “people of God” worshiped the Roman emperor and spoke out against the Christians in Smyrna.
Another view is that the “synagogue of Satan” was a group of physical Jews who followed tradition and the Mosaic Law yet in reality did not know God. They were “not” Jews in the sense that they did not have the faith of their father Abraham (Luke 3:8; John 8:40), and they were “of Satan” in that they had rejected Jesus Christ (John 8:44). Jesus dealt with many such religious leaders, as did the apostle Paul (Matthew 23; Acts 18:6). In fact, Paul differentiates “true” (spiritual) Jews from those who can only claim a physical connection to Abraham: “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code” (Romans 2:28-29).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In short, the synagogue of Satan was a group of unbelieving Jews who were persecuting Christians. These groups were guilty of slandering the church in Smyrna and opposing the church in Philadelphia in the same way.
“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.”
Though for the most part, the letters to the churches are to be applied to every believer throughout the entire church period, the reference to some of them being put into prison to be tested and to suffer persecution ten days, I believe was specifically referring to the believers within the church of Smyrna of that time.
“Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life”
The above however, is to be applied to every believer throughout the church period. For as believers in Christ, we should be prepared and pray that God would give us the spiritual strength to go through whatever persecution that we must endure for Christ’s name sake and for the word of God, even unto death, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. And for those who die is the promise of the Victor’s crown, the crown of life, also mentioned in James 1:12 –
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.”
As previously mentioned here is the reference to “He who has ears” which reocurres at the end of each letter. The “second death” is also mentioned in 20:6, 20:14 and 21:8. Both 20:14 and 21:8 identify the second death has representing the lake of fire.
“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” – Rev.20:6
Oops! There’s that pesky imaginary thousand years rearing its head again, so say the preterists.
“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Rev.20:14
“But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.” – Rev.21:8
On to Pergamum ………..
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Smyrna, along with Philidelphia, are the only two churches that received no rebuke from the Lord. In addition, there is not much information in the letter to Symrna, so here is what I do have.
“These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.”
As with 1:17-18, Jesus identifies Himself as the “First and the Last and who died and came to life again,” which also links Him with being the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning of end, which as we have previously seen, is in reference to His eternal state, which He shares with the Father as the Lord our God is One God.
“I know your affliction and your poverty—yet you are rich!”
The mention of their poverty of course is in reference to what they lacked in material wealth, yet the Lord says that they were spiritually rich, something that no one could take away from them.
“I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”
The Lord uses the same reference of these Jews being “a synagogue of Satan” in the letter to Philadelphia. Regarding this, below is an excerpt from GotQuestions:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As for the identity of the “synagogue of Satan,” there are a couple of views. One is that this was a group of Gentiles who called themselves “Jews” (i.e., the chosen people of God). Instead of following Judaism, however, these self-proclaimed “people of God” worshiped the Roman emperor and spoke out against the Christians in Smyrna.
Another view is that the “synagogue of Satan” was a group of physical Jews who followed tradition and the Mosaic Law yet in reality did not know God. They were “not” Jews in the sense that they did not have the faith of their father Abraham (Luke 3:8; John 8:40), and they were “of Satan” in that they had rejected Jesus Christ (John 8:44). Jesus dealt with many such religious leaders, as did the apostle Paul (Matthew 23; Acts 18:6). In fact, Paul differentiates “true” (spiritual) Jews from those who can only claim a physical connection to Abraham: “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code” (Romans 2:28-29).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In short, the synagogue of Satan was a group of unbelieving Jews who were persecuting Christians. These groups were guilty of slandering the church in Smyrna and opposing the church in Philadelphia in the same way.
“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.”
Though for the most part, the letters to the churches are to be applied to every believer throughout the entire church period, the reference to some of them being put into prison to be tested and to suffer persecution ten days, I believe was specifically referring to the believers within the church of Smyrna of that time.
“Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life”
The above however, is to be applied to every believer throughout the church period. For as believers in Christ, we should be prepared and pray that God would give us the spiritual strength to go through whatever persecution that we must endure for Christ’s name sake and for the word of God, even unto death, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. And for those who die is the promise of the Victor’s crown, the crown of life, also mentioned in James 1:12 –
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.”
As previously mentioned here is the reference to “He who has ears” which reocurres at the end of each letter. The “second death” is also mentioned in 20:6, 20:14 and 21:8. Both 20:14 and 21:8 identify the second death has representing the lake of fire.
“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” – Rev.20:6
Oops! There’s that pesky imaginary thousand years rearing its head again, so say the preterists.
“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Rev.20:14
“But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.” – Rev.21:8
On to Pergamum ………..