Again we should note that it is the risen and ascended,
but active Savior who addresses the church in these
messages. He walks about in the midst of the church (2:1)
and as the one whose penetrating eyes are like a flame of
fire (1:14); He knows every detail and situation of His
church, individually and corporately. He knows all about the
society in which we live and how it affects our testimony
for Him, but as the all-knowing Savior, He comes and
lovingly speaks to us where we live and calls us to find our
source of happiness and strength and life in Him.
Smyrna lay just 35 miles north of Ephesus on the west coast
of Asia on the Aegean Sea. It was the loveliest of all the
cities and was sometimes called “the Ornament of Asia,” “the
Crown of Asia,” or sometimes “the Flower of Asia.” It stood
at the end of a road that journeyed westward across the
lands of Lydia, Western Asia Minor, and Phrygia, a land in
the center of Asia Minor, our modern Turkey. Behind the city
rose a hill covered with temples and noble buildings which
encircled a hill named the Pagos, but the hill was also
called the “the Crown of Smyrna” because of the way the
buildings formed a crown around the hill.
Smyrna was a free city, one that knew the meaning of loyalty
and fidelity to Rome unlike most cities. Cicero called it,
“one of our most faithful and our most ancient allies.” It
was the first city in the world to erect a temple to the
goddess Roma and to the spirit of Rome. Her fidelity to Rome
was famous in the ancient world. So again, Christ said to
the church there, “be faithful until death.”
Another fact of importance concerns the Jews there. There
was a population of Jews in the city who were not only
numerous, but influential and who did everything they could
to hurt the church in Smyrna. Therefore, the Lord also
addresses this issue in this letter as well (vv 9-10).
Another interesting fact is that the city received its name
from one of its principle products, a sweet perfume called
myrrh. This was a gum resin taken from a shrub-like tree.
Though it had a bitter taste, the resin of the tree was used
in making perfume, was one of the ingredients used in the
anointing oil of the priests, and in the embalming of the
dead.
Finally, Smyrna, unlike the city of Ephesus, stands today.
Though many of these believers died a martyr’s death, Satan
could not stamp out their testimony. Suffering has a way of
keeping us pure in our devotion to Christ and it was
evidently so with this church.
Again we see how the perfections of Christ’s person and work
answers to the needs, problems, and conditions in each
church. Since many in this church died for their faith,
Christ assures them of their resurrection and future rewards
because He is the first and last, the eternal God who became
man, died and rose again (1 Peter 1:3; Acts 2:24).
Literally, the Greek says, “He came to be dead and began to
live or came to life again,” an obvious reference to the
cross and the resurrection. It describes what we might call
an experience, an episode, a passing phase He went through
for us, death. He passed into death, through death and out
of death, and came to life in a triumphant event, the
resurrection.
The One who walks among the golden lampstands is one who has
experienced the worst that man could do to Him. No matter
then what might happen to the Christians at Smyrna or to us,
our Savior has gone through the worst man can do to us. As
such, He is one who feels for us in our suffering with
special love and compassion, comes to our aid, and brings
comfort. He triumphed over pain, the cross, the devil, sin,
and death. He defeated all the enemies and He offers victory
and the conqueror’s crown.
However, this calls for our loyalty and commitment to Him,
not simply for rewards, but because of what we have in Him
and love Him.
“The first and last, who was dead, and has come to life”
(Revelation 2:8) told John to write, “I know your
tribulation and your poverty, the blasphemy by those who say
they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan”
(Revelation 2:9).
The first and last who was dead and has come to life, knows
the pressure on the church and the force of circumstances
trying to crush the faith of the church in Smyrna. The word
“poverty” describes absolute poverty or complete
destitution.
The first and last who was dead and has come to life speaks
no words of criticism to the church in Smyrna. The saints
were faithful in spite of suffering at the hands of their
Jewish persecutors and they probably thought they were poor,
in contrast to Laodicea that thought it was rich and was
poor, these saints were rich.
The first and last who was dead and has come to life, knows
and cares for those in the church in Smyrna who were
suffering on His behalf, and then commends them for their
spiritual wealth in the midst of their physical poverty and
suffering, much of which was brought about by the religious
Jews of Smyrna. Therefore, while poor, they were rich. They
were rich because they were in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) which,
of course, was by grace. They were also rich in that God had
counted them worthy to suffer for Him (1 Peter 3:14-17; 1:6;
4:13-14). Finally, it appears they were rich in their
spiritual lives because they were living close to God by
faith.
The first and last who was dead and has come to life, knew
who were the persecutors of the church in Smyrna, the
religious Jews who claimed to be the seed of Abraham. They
were, but only physically. Spiritually they were of Satan
and under his power and control (John 8:33-34). In Numbers
16:3, Israel was called the congregation of the Lord, but
here Jesus Christ calls these unbelieving Jews, the
congregation of Satan.
The first and last, who was dead and has come to life
assures the church in Smyrna (Revelation 2:10).
“Do not fear” is literally “fear nothing.” No matter how
small or how severe, the One who has overcome death says,
“fear nothing.” They could cast their burden on the Lord. He
cared and He had overcome (Philippians 4:6-8; 1 Peter 5:7).
Some would face prison and severe testing, even death. It
would be for ten days, a rather short period, or perhaps a
reference to ten principle persecutions under the Roman
emperors from Nero to Diocletian. However, note the
connection of this with Satan. This persecution is
attributed to Satan. This persecution is a continuation of
the serpent’s battle with the Lord Jesus Christ and those
who belong to Him (Genesis 3:15; John 15:18-21). Human means
and men are those we see persecuting the church of Jesus
Christ, but invariably, behind the scenes is the old
archenemy, the prince of the power of the air. However,
never fear, the binder of believers in prison shall be
bound, he is a defeated foe (Revelation 20:1-3; Romans
16:20; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14-15).
Be faithful until death, means be faithful to the point of
martyrdom. Continue to trust the Lord, be faithful to Him
and the truth of His Word even in the face of death and the
first and last, who was dead and has come to life, will give
you the crown of life. The reward is not eternal life.
Eternal life is a gift through faith and personal belief in
Jesus Christ (John 1:11-12; 3:16; 1 John 5:11-12). This is a
special reward for endurance under persecution. Here is one
of those things that distinguish believers from unbelievers.
Believers are to be sojourners who live with a view to
eternity, while unbelievers are scripturally classified as
earth dwellers (1 Peter 1:17; 2:11)
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says. He
who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death”
(Revelation 2:11). The second death is eternal separation
from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:1, 14). True
believers in Christ may face physical death, but because
they have had a second birth (John 3:3-7), however, no true
believer will ever face the second death (Ephesians 2:1, 5;
John 5:24; 11:25).
