Thursday, November 09, 2006
Revelation 2:8-11 ~ Jeff Ludington
Rev 2:8-11 - Smyrna
INTRO: letters to 7 churches
RECAP: Ephesus
Read Revelation 2:8-11
8 "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. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 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 the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
SHOW PICTURE 1
Smyrna:
· Modern-day Izmir in Turkey – ½ million people live there today
· This city sits on an ocean and that made it perfect for trade routes
· Smyrna was a place highly contended for in the 1000 years around Christ’s life
o 700BC – it had been destroyed and then rebuilt
o Second largest , and possibly the most beautiful province in Asia
o 195BC - First temple to Roma (spirit of Rome – emperor worship)
o During Jesus life Rome built a temple to Caesar in Smyrna
o In the years prior to 70AD, Smyrna had the largest population of Jews of any Asian city
Religious Setting:
· A very large concentration of Jews during this time
o 30 years after being the largest population of Jews on an Asian province
· And, a large population of Pagans that worship Caesar
o 26AD – Rome built the new temple here
o During the life of Christ
· This made it very hard to be a Christian here
o If you didn’t burn your pinch of incense as an offer to Caesar
o If you didn’t call him both Lord and God
o You were persecuted very much – you suffered
Letter to Smyrna:
· Short and sweet – to the point, no frills
· Only affirmation, no rebuke
· Only Smyrna and Philadelphia have this in common
Unlike Ephesus: Who has no Christian presence today
· Smyrna still has a strong Eastern Orthodox presence still here
Vs. 8
"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.
· Just like we said last week: Jesus reveals what is important
o I am the first and the last
o I am the one who died and came back to life
The first and the last:
· Only the one who is before the beginning and after the end can say with any authority how life will be for you, and how you should live!
o I am the first and the last
o If I say you will struggle, but perseverance is what is best
o THEN IT IS BEST!
o Because I not only know the beginning and the end
o I AM the beginning and the end
I am the one who died and came to life again.
· Remember in 700BC, Smyrna had been destroyed and “brought back to life”
o They rebuilt the entire city after a major desolation
· Now, Jesus speaks to the church in Smyrna saying He is even greater
o Man may be able to rebuild a dead city
o But, only God can rebuild a dead person
o I am the one who died and came to life again!
Jesus affirms Himself as the one who can take care of our specific needs.
· If you feel imprisoned by your life and your problems
o Jesus is the one who can set you free
· If you feel persecuted
o Jesus is the one who will get you through life
· If you feel pressed to the point of death
o Jesus is the one to tell you HE ALONE is eternal
Vs. 9
I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich!
· Two things that Jesus says He knows here
o Afflictions
o Poverty
“I know your afflictions”
· Thlipsis: is the word for affliction here – meaning pressure
o Jesus tells them, “I know the pressure you’re under”
o He too, was constantly under pressure to conform
o The Jews were constantly challenging Him
o They constantly wanted to kill him
· Eventually, he was killed for His faith
Matt 10:21-22
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
· Jesus tells them in this passage that it will be tough to follow Him
· Now, He just reminded them about His death
o So, they know that He shares in their struggle
· He says, “people will hate you because of me”
o But if you stand firm, you will be saved
How does this relate to us?
· We are not under threats of death, right?
How do you feel afflicted today by/for you faith???
· Jesus says He knows your afflictions
· He also says He knows the beginning from the end
· And He is able to get you through it
1 Corinthians 10:11-13
These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Jesus says, “I know your poverty”
· I think of the verse in Luke:
Luke 9:58
Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
· Jesus told them, I have nothing
· Will you still follow me?
· The people that are doing it for wealth are on the wrong track
Jesus offered them nothing special physically, but everything spiritually.
There are both types of people here tonight:
· Some have money, some do not
· Some have a beautiful home, some need to find a home
The point is this: Jesus tells them that they are rich!
· You can be wealthy – and still be poor (Laodicea will prove that)
· And, you can be broke, and Jesus says you are rich (Smyrna)
What does this mean?
· Where are your values?
· What matters to you?
Do you have wealth of character?
· Do you have a rich perspective on life?
· Are you filled with joy and peace, in the knowledge of Christ?
· If so, you will inherit the Kingdom
o You are heir to the entire fortune!
o And, you will be far richer than anyone who has ever lived.
Vs. 9b
I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
· Remember that there is a major Jewish presence here
· In 70AD Smyrna had the largest population of Jews of any Asian province
· So, they were surrounded by Jews
Now, what does this “Synagogue of Satan” comment mean?
· IF you are Jewish
· AND have rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah
· AND are persecuting the Christian Church
· You qualify here as the Synagogue of Satan.
· Simply put, the Jewish, anti-Christian presence in Smyrna
Vs. 10
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 the crown of life.
· First off, this is not the type of comment we like to hear
· We want to hear:
o You are not going to suffer
o Or: IF you suffer (that means we don’t expect to suffer)
· Here Jesus says, you are about to suffer!
· That doesn’t really fit in our American idea of Christianity
Luke 12:4-5
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear : Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
· I don’t think that this is supposed to be a fire and brimstone verse
o But instead it should be a perspective verse
· Don’t fear humanity that can only affect this mortal body
o But instead realize that God is eternal
o And following Him has eternal rewards
Throughout the New Testament Jesus said we would suffer, so it isn’t just Smyrna that will experience this!
Two things prophesied about here:
· You will go to prison
· You will suffer persecution 10 days
· Both are prophetic in nature
o One is pretty clear
o One is kind of vague
“You will suffer persecution 10 days”
· Jesus has told us we would all be persecuted for our faith
· But this prophesy seems to have a significant meaning to Smyrna
· What are the 10 days?
We are not told!
· I told you we would avoid endless arguments and we will
· I will give you two suggestions
· But, remember, we don’t know
Two ideas for answers:
· One is that it is a symbolic statement meaning a short time
o The problem is we don’t know of any 10 day period that existed
o No real significant 10 day persecution written about
· The other idea is that this 10 is significant
o One suggestion is the 10 Major persecuting Emperor’s
o Rome had 10 Emperors that persecuted Christians like no other
o Each was significant, and each was different
· We aren’t going to define each one
· But here are the emperors
10 Persecution waves in Rome:
· 1st wave under Nero 67AD
· 2nd wave under Domitian 81AD
· 3rd wave under Trajan 108 AD
· 4th wave under Marcus Aurelius Antonius 162AD
· 5th wave under Severus 192AD
· 6th wave under Maximus 235AD
· 7th wave under Decius 249AD
· 8th wave under Valerian 257AD
· 9th wave under Aurelian 274AD
· 10th wave under Diocletion 303AD
Christianity opposed Emperor Worship
· If you were someone of another religion who was polytheistic
o Rome didn’t care
o Neither did you, because you would just add Caesar to your list
· However, since Christianity called Jesus the ONLY Lord, ONLY God, ONLY King
o Rome saw it as opposition
· You were to call Caesar Lord and God
o Christians that refused were offensive to Rome
o And, during the reign of these 10 Caesars, were martyred for their faith
Diocletian was followed by Constantine the Great:
· Constantine instituted the Edict of Milan (313AD), which made Christianity fully legal.
· Constantine was said to be a Christian himself.
· This would have ended the 10 waves of persecutions on the church
Is this what it means?
· It doesn’t say.
· Does it fit neatly in our eschatology?
o Sure
o That still doesn’t mean that it is true
o We don’t know
· Since the statement “you will suffer 10 days” is completely prophetic in nature, this is a possible answer, but not the necessary solution
We don’t know!
· What do we know?
· ONE: we will suffer
· TWO: it won’t last forever
· THREE: it comes with a promise…
Vs. 10
Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life
· Be faithful even if you are going to be put to death
· And I will take care
· I will give you the Crown of Life
Reminds me of a comedian talking about a “do over”
· He was talking to people my age about “do-overs” as a kid
· He told the people a little older that it was like a Mulligan in Golf
· Then he said, “to you computer geeks, that’s CTL ALT DEL”
· He said it three ways, to catch three generations of people
Jesus does the same thing here:
· Jesus says, “if you are faithful, you will receive the Crown of Life”
· TALK ABOUT CROWN OF SMYRNA
SHOW PICTURE 2
Jesus speaks to us in our own language, so we know He understands
So what is the Crown of Life?
· James writes a very similar passage
James 1:9-12
The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 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.
· James also reminds us that life is short
· That means any trials we struggle with are short too
· And, if we stand strong, God has promised us the Crown of Life
Just like the promise to Ephesus:
Revelation 2:7
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Each promise is about Eternal Life
· Ephesus was promised the Tree of Life
o Eternal Life – like in Eden
· Smyrna is promised the Crown of Life
o Be made royalty in Heaven like we were intended to be in Creation
Vs. 11
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
· If you are able tonight
· Listen to what Jesus says to you, His church
Don’t give up!!!
· If you persevere
· If you see it through
· If you don’t give up
· You will not be affected by the second death
AN EXAMPLE FROM SMYRNA:
During the Fourth Persecution, under Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, 162AD (60 years after the letter had been written to Smyrna), Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, hearing that people were looking to kill him, escaped, but was discovered by a child. After the guards had apprehended him, he desired an hour in prayer, which they allowed. He prayed such a fervent prayer that his guards repented that they had been instrumental in taking him. He was, however, carried before the proconsul, condemned, and burned alive in the market place. The proconsul then urged him, saying, "Swear, and I will release you;--renounce Christ." Polycarp answered, "Eighty-six years have I served Jesus, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who has saved me?" He was only tied to a stake, not nailed as usual, because Polycarp assured them he should stand immovable. The flames encircled his body, but never touched him; and the executioner, upon seeing this, was ordered to pierce him with a sword. So great a quantity of blood flowed that it extinguished the fire.
- Foxes Book of Martyrs
How do you think Polycarp was received in Heaven?
· He was given the Tree of Life to eat from
· He was given the Crown of Life to wear
How much more should we, who won’t die for our faith, persevere?
INTRO: letters to 7 churches
RECAP: Ephesus
Read Revelation 2:8-11
8 "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. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 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 the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
SHOW PICTURE 1
Smyrna:
· Modern-day Izmir in Turkey – ½ million people live there today
· This city sits on an ocean and that made it perfect for trade routes
· Smyrna was a place highly contended for in the 1000 years around Christ’s life
o 700BC – it had been destroyed and then rebuilt
o Second largest , and possibly the most beautiful province in Asia
o 195BC - First temple to Roma (spirit of Rome – emperor worship)
o During Jesus life Rome built a temple to Caesar in Smyrna
o In the years prior to 70AD, Smyrna had the largest population of Jews of any Asian city
Religious Setting:
· A very large concentration of Jews during this time
o 30 years after being the largest population of Jews on an Asian province
· And, a large population of Pagans that worship Caesar
o 26AD – Rome built the new temple here
o During the life of Christ
· This made it very hard to be a Christian here
o If you didn’t burn your pinch of incense as an offer to Caesar
o If you didn’t call him both Lord and God
o You were persecuted very much – you suffered
Letter to Smyrna:
· Short and sweet – to the point, no frills
· Only affirmation, no rebuke
· Only Smyrna and Philadelphia have this in common
Unlike Ephesus: Who has no Christian presence today
· Smyrna still has a strong Eastern Orthodox presence still here
Vs. 8
"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.
· Just like we said last week: Jesus reveals what is important
o I am the first and the last
o I am the one who died and came back to life
The first and the last:
· Only the one who is before the beginning and after the end can say with any authority how life will be for you, and how you should live!
o I am the first and the last
o If I say you will struggle, but perseverance is what is best
o THEN IT IS BEST!
o Because I not only know the beginning and the end
o I AM the beginning and the end
I am the one who died and came to life again.
· Remember in 700BC, Smyrna had been destroyed and “brought back to life”
o They rebuilt the entire city after a major desolation
· Now, Jesus speaks to the church in Smyrna saying He is even greater
o Man may be able to rebuild a dead city
o But, only God can rebuild a dead person
o I am the one who died and came to life again!
Jesus affirms Himself as the one who can take care of our specific needs.
· If you feel imprisoned by your life and your problems
o Jesus is the one who can set you free
· If you feel persecuted
o Jesus is the one who will get you through life
· If you feel pressed to the point of death
o Jesus is the one to tell you HE ALONE is eternal
Vs. 9
I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich!
· Two things that Jesus says He knows here
o Afflictions
o Poverty
“I know your afflictions”
· Thlipsis: is the word for affliction here – meaning pressure
o Jesus tells them, “I know the pressure you’re under”
o He too, was constantly under pressure to conform
o The Jews were constantly challenging Him
o They constantly wanted to kill him
· Eventually, he was killed for His faith
Matt 10:21-22
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
· Jesus tells them in this passage that it will be tough to follow Him
· Now, He just reminded them about His death
o So, they know that He shares in their struggle
· He says, “people will hate you because of me”
o But if you stand firm, you will be saved
How does this relate to us?
· We are not under threats of death, right?
How do you feel afflicted today by/for you faith???
· Jesus says He knows your afflictions
· He also says He knows the beginning from the end
· And He is able to get you through it
1 Corinthians 10:11-13
These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Jesus says, “I know your poverty”
· I think of the verse in Luke:
Luke 9:58
Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
· Jesus told them, I have nothing
· Will you still follow me?
· The people that are doing it for wealth are on the wrong track
Jesus offered them nothing special physically, but everything spiritually.
There are both types of people here tonight:
· Some have money, some do not
· Some have a beautiful home, some need to find a home
The point is this: Jesus tells them that they are rich!
· You can be wealthy – and still be poor (Laodicea will prove that)
· And, you can be broke, and Jesus says you are rich (Smyrna)
What does this mean?
· Where are your values?
· What matters to you?
Do you have wealth of character?
· Do you have a rich perspective on life?
· Are you filled with joy and peace, in the knowledge of Christ?
· If so, you will inherit the Kingdom
o You are heir to the entire fortune!
o And, you will be far richer than anyone who has ever lived.
Vs. 9b
I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
· Remember that there is a major Jewish presence here
· In 70AD Smyrna had the largest population of Jews of any Asian province
· So, they were surrounded by Jews
Now, what does this “Synagogue of Satan” comment mean?
· IF you are Jewish
· AND have rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah
· AND are persecuting the Christian Church
· You qualify here as the Synagogue of Satan.
· Simply put, the Jewish, anti-Christian presence in Smyrna
Vs. 10
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 the crown of life.
· First off, this is not the type of comment we like to hear
· We want to hear:
o You are not going to suffer
o Or: IF you suffer (that means we don’t expect to suffer)
· Here Jesus says, you are about to suffer!
· That doesn’t really fit in our American idea of Christianity
Luke 12:4-5
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear : Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
· I don’t think that this is supposed to be a fire and brimstone verse
o But instead it should be a perspective verse
· Don’t fear humanity that can only affect this mortal body
o But instead realize that God is eternal
o And following Him has eternal rewards
Throughout the New Testament Jesus said we would suffer, so it isn’t just Smyrna that will experience this!
Two things prophesied about here:
· You will go to prison
· You will suffer persecution 10 days
· Both are prophetic in nature
o One is pretty clear
o One is kind of vague
“You will suffer persecution 10 days”
· Jesus has told us we would all be persecuted for our faith
· But this prophesy seems to have a significant meaning to Smyrna
· What are the 10 days?
We are not told!
· I told you we would avoid endless arguments and we will
· I will give you two suggestions
· But, remember, we don’t know
Two ideas for answers:
· One is that it is a symbolic statement meaning a short time
o The problem is we don’t know of any 10 day period that existed
o No real significant 10 day persecution written about
· The other idea is that this 10 is significant
o One suggestion is the 10 Major persecuting Emperor’s
o Rome had 10 Emperors that persecuted Christians like no other
o Each was significant, and each was different
· We aren’t going to define each one
· But here are the emperors
10 Persecution waves in Rome:
· 1st wave under Nero 67AD
· 2nd wave under Domitian 81AD
· 3rd wave under Trajan 108 AD
· 4th wave under Marcus Aurelius Antonius 162AD
· 5th wave under Severus 192AD
· 6th wave under Maximus 235AD
· 7th wave under Decius 249AD
· 8th wave under Valerian 257AD
· 9th wave under Aurelian 274AD
· 10th wave under Diocletion 303AD
Christianity opposed Emperor Worship
· If you were someone of another religion who was polytheistic
o Rome didn’t care
o Neither did you, because you would just add Caesar to your list
· However, since Christianity called Jesus the ONLY Lord, ONLY God, ONLY King
o Rome saw it as opposition
· You were to call Caesar Lord and God
o Christians that refused were offensive to Rome
o And, during the reign of these 10 Caesars, were martyred for their faith
Diocletian was followed by Constantine the Great:
· Constantine instituted the Edict of Milan (313AD), which made Christianity fully legal.
· Constantine was said to be a Christian himself.
· This would have ended the 10 waves of persecutions on the church
Is this what it means?
· It doesn’t say.
· Does it fit neatly in our eschatology?
o Sure
o That still doesn’t mean that it is true
o We don’t know
· Since the statement “you will suffer 10 days” is completely prophetic in nature, this is a possible answer, but not the necessary solution
We don’t know!
· What do we know?
· ONE: we will suffer
· TWO: it won’t last forever
· THREE: it comes with a promise…
Vs. 10
Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life
· Be faithful even if you are going to be put to death
· And I will take care
· I will give you the Crown of Life
Reminds me of a comedian talking about a “do over”
· He was talking to people my age about “do-overs” as a kid
· He told the people a little older that it was like a Mulligan in Golf
· Then he said, “to you computer geeks, that’s CTL ALT DEL”
· He said it three ways, to catch three generations of people
Jesus does the same thing here:
· Jesus says, “if you are faithful, you will receive the Crown of Life”
· TALK ABOUT CROWN OF SMYRNA
SHOW PICTURE 2
Jesus speaks to us in our own language, so we know He understands
So what is the Crown of Life?
· James writes a very similar passage
James 1:9-12
The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 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.
· James also reminds us that life is short
· That means any trials we struggle with are short too
· And, if we stand strong, God has promised us the Crown of Life
Just like the promise to Ephesus:
Revelation 2:7
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Each promise is about Eternal Life
· Ephesus was promised the Tree of Life
o Eternal Life – like in Eden
· Smyrna is promised the Crown of Life
o Be made royalty in Heaven like we were intended to be in Creation
Vs. 11
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
· If you are able tonight
· Listen to what Jesus says to you, His church
Don’t give up!!!
· If you persevere
· If you see it through
· If you don’t give up
· You will not be affected by the second death
AN EXAMPLE FROM SMYRNA:
During the Fourth Persecution, under Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, 162AD (60 years after the letter had been written to Smyrna), Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, hearing that people were looking to kill him, escaped, but was discovered by a child. After the guards had apprehended him, he desired an hour in prayer, which they allowed. He prayed such a fervent prayer that his guards repented that they had been instrumental in taking him. He was, however, carried before the proconsul, condemned, and burned alive in the market place. The proconsul then urged him, saying, "Swear, and I will release you;--renounce Christ." Polycarp answered, "Eighty-six years have I served Jesus, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who has saved me?" He was only tied to a stake, not nailed as usual, because Polycarp assured them he should stand immovable. The flames encircled his body, but never touched him; and the executioner, upon seeing this, was ordered to pierce him with a sword. So great a quantity of blood flowed that it extinguished the fire.
- Foxes Book of Martyrs
How do you think Polycarp was received in Heaven?
· He was given the Tree of Life to eat from
· He was given the Crown of Life to wear
How much more should we, who won’t die for our faith, persevere?
