Revelation 2:8–11 - BibleStudy.ph

These are the original teaching notes from this passage.

Review…

Outline of Revelation…
- PAST – the things John HAD seen – vison of Jesus – Revelation 1
- PRESENT – the things which ARE – the SEVEN churches – Revelation 2-3
- FUTURE – the things AFTER this – the rapture – wrath – and return of Jesus – Revelation 4-22
- SEVEN letters…
- Given by Jesus – written down by John – with THREE possible interpretations…
- SEVEN literal churches in Asia Minor [modern day Turkey]
- Different KINDS of churches – the TOTAL [seven] church…
- The HISTORY of the church – from PENTECOST to the RAPTURE!
- Ephesus – Loveless church…
- A church that had a SOLID foundation – started by the Apostle Paul – Pastored by John…
- A church that had a LOT of GOOD works – stood up against FALSE teachers…
- But they had ONE thing WRONG – their MOTIVE – they FORGOT about LOVE…
- As a result – if they did not REPENT – God would remove their LIGHT!

The Persecuted church…

1^st – Introduction… vs. 8
- FOUR sections
  - Each of the LETTERS to the churches contains FOUR sections…
  - Introduction – Positive – Negative – and Encouragement…
  - Not all of the churches receive all FOUR sections…
  - TWO of the churches receive no NEGATIVE – Smyrna and Philadelphia
  - ONE of the churches did not get any POSITIVE – Laodicea!
- 2^nd – The Angel…
  - To the angel!
  - As you will recall – there are TWO thoughts on WHO this ANGEL was…
  - FIRST – a guardian ANGEL – who watched over Smyrna – Psalm 91:11
  - SECOND – it could be the PASTOR of the church…
  - ANGEL [ἄγγελος] – means messenger – one who gives Gods WORD…
  - Therefore Jesus could be talking about the PASTOR – who gave the church His Word!
- 3^rd – The City…
  - The church of Smyrna write!
    - SMYRNA [σμύρνα] – comes from the root work MYRRH…
    - MYRRH – is an expensive fragrant perfume – extracted from crushing a tree [Commiphora]
    - It was one of THREE gifts given to Jesus as His birth – Matthew 2:11
    - But it is also a beautiful picture of the PERSECUTED church…
    - When we SUFFER for our FAITH in Jesus – when we are CRUSHED…
    - We give off the FRAGRANCE of CHRIST – which is TREASURED by our LORD!
    - II Corinthians 2:14 – “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ – and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”
  - Izmir…
    - Smyrna – located about 80 milometers north of the city of Ephesus…
    - The only city of all the SEVEN churches that is still a MAJOR city today…
    - Modern day Izmir – has a population over FOUR million – THIRD largest city in Turkey…
    - It is a major PORT city – located right on the Aegean Sea [Mediterranean]
    - But although the CULTURE is very EUROPEAN…
    - The main RELIGION – as is all of TURKEY – is ISLAM!
    - This is the ONE church we were NOT able to see all of…
    - We stopped by here on the LAST day of our TOUR – and the TRAFFIC was horrible…
    - HALF the group missed it – the other HALF just saw the SITE from behind BARS…
    - So our TRIBULATION – was TRAFFIC that ended up putting us behind BARS!
  - Roman city…
    - The City of Smyrna has a LONG history of FALSE faiths…
    - From the time of the writing of the Book of Revelation – they persecuted Christians…
    - They were the HEART of EMPEROR [Tiberias] worship is the easter Roman Empire…
    - The penalty for refusing to WORSHIP the EMPEROR – was DEATH…
    - Which is no doubt the source of much of their TRIBULATION!
- 4^th – The TONE…
  - Describing Jesus…
    - In His INTRODUCTION to each of the Churches – Jesus looks back…
    - Highlighting specific CHARACTERISTICS of the Vision from – Revelation 1:11-18
    - The choice of CHARACTERISTICS – will set the TONE for the LETTER to that church…
    - With SMYRNA – Jesus will highlight the fact that DEATH is not the END!
  - These things says the First and the Last – who was dead – and came to life!
    - The FIRST and the LAST – is a TITLE for GOD [יְהוָה] – Isaiah 41:4
    - God [Jesus] – was PERSECUTED – He SUFFERED – and He DIED for the Gospel…
    - Which would have been a VERY relatable message for the church in SMYRNA…
    - As no doubt many of them were PERSECUTED – and even KILLED for their FAITH…
    - But Jesus did NOT stay DEAD – He was RESURRECTED – He is ALIVE!
    - I always LOVE going to the GARDEN tomb in Israel…
    - Because you do not LOOK into the grave to see a BODY – it is EMPTY…
    - Because Jesus is NOT dead – He is RISEN – Luke 24:5-6
  - DEATH is not the END…
    - I Corinthians 15:20 – “Christ is risen from the dead – and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
    - The Bible uses the word SLEEP – to describe the DEATH of a believer…
    - Because for us it is not the END – we have the hope of eternal LIFE to come…
    - Jesus was the FIRST to be resurrected – but all who believe will follow His example!
    - Most of the world lives their LIVES – like this life is all that matters…
    - Their choices – their priorities – all revolve around what happens NOW…
    - But life does NOT end when we DIE – DEATH is just the beginning…
    - And if we have the RIGHT perspective – we will CHOSE to live for ETERNITY!
2^nd – The Positive… vs. 9-10
- 1^st – Jesus KNOWS…
  - I know your works!
  - KNOWS [εἴδω] – to SEE and UNDERSTAND…
  - Jesus will make this statement to all SEVEN churches – He sees EVERYTHING!
  - GOOD and BAD – nothing [perfect] is hidden from our Lord!
  - Hebrews 4:13 – “There is no creature hidden from His sight – but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
- 2^nd – Tribulation…
  - I know your… tribulation!
    - TRIBULATION [θλῖψις] – to press or CRUSH – like GRAPES in a wine press…
    - The church in SMYRNA was being PRESSED for their FAITH in Jesus…
    - They were trying to STAND up for Jesus – in a CITY sold out to worshiping CAESAR!
  - What causes TRIBULATION…
    - John 15:18 – “If the world hates you – you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world – the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world – but I chose you out of the world – therefore the world hates you.”
    - The world hates Jesus because He convicts the world of their SIN…
    - Because men LOVE sin – they hate the LIGHT that reveals their sinfulness – John 3:19-20
    - What we have to ask ourselves – is do we make an unbelieving world uncomfortable…
    - Because if we do not face TRIBULATION – then is Jesus is really in us!
  - Why does God allow TRIBULATION…
    - When Paul was in Asia [Ephesus] – likely the RIOT of Demetris – Acts 19:31
    - He tells us that he experienced great TRIBULATION…
    - But he goes on to tell us WHY Good would allow that to happen!
    - II Corinthians 1:8-9 – “We do not want you to be ignorant… of our trouble [θλῖψις] which came to us in Asia [Ephesus]: that we were burdened beyond measure – above strength – so that we despaired even of life. Yes – we had the sentence of death in ourselves – that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead!”
    - TRIBULATION allows us to be CRUSHED – so that we learn NOT to trust in ourselves…
    - We learn instead to depend on the strength of God – II Corinthians 12:9
  - What is the RESULT of TRIBULATION…
    - Rewind several decades and the church in Nepal only number around TEN thousand…
    - The cost to being baptized in Nepal – was a SEVEN year prison sentence…
    - The one who baptized a believer – got a FOURTEEN year prison sentence…
    - But these believers would tell other prisoners about Jesus…
    - And when these new believers were released – they shared with their families…
    - So their families got saved – then baptized – and ended up back in prison…
    - For years Nepal had to build HUGE prisons – just to hold the church!
    - Today there are over SEVEN hundred thousand Christians in Nepal!
    - When times are easy – we are WEAK because we depend on OUR abilities…
    - And the church is WEAK – because it is full of people who are NOT sold out for Jesus…
    - But when we are ARRESTED for preaching Jesus – PERSECUTED for our faith…
    - We can NO longer DEPEND on ourselves – we are forced to DEPEND on God…
    - And when we are DEPENDENT on God – that is when we are UNSTOPPABLE!
- 3^rd – Poverty…
  - I know your… poverty!
    - POOR [πτωχεία] – to be a BEGGAR – have no EARTHLY wealth…
    - There was a PRACTICAL consequence for the FAITH of the Christians in Smyrna…
    - People would NOT hire them – they would NOT give them business…
    - As a RESULT – they became very POOR!
    - When we REJECT worldly MORALS – and instead live by what is RIGHT…
    - It may mean we are OVERLOOKED for a promotion – or we may not get the CONTRACT…
    - Because we REFUSE to play the game the world does – LIE – CHEAT – STEAL!
  - But you are rich!
    - Jesus throws a POWERFUL contrast into His statement…
    - The BELIEVERS in SMYRNA were POOR – in worldly terms – they had no MONEY…
    - But they were RICH in others ways – they were RICH in FAITH…
    - They had more WEALTH in the KINGDOM of God – than any earthy sum could compare to!
    - We only have so much TIME in life – where do we USE it…
    - If spend all of our TIME – seeking after the riches of THIS life – we waste it…
    - How much better to spend our TIME – becoming RICH in the KINGDOM of God!
    - Matthew 6:19-20 – “Do not [store] for yourselves treasures on earth… [store] for yourselves treasures in heaven!”
- 4^th – Synagogue of satan…
  - I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews!
    - The BELIEVERS in SMYRNA – no doubt looked to the JEWS as allies…
    - As the CHOSEN people of God – they should have been the FIRST to respond to the Gospel…
    - But many REJECTED the message – and instead COMPROMISED – Acts 18:6
    - Perhaps like the JEWS who crucified Christ – they BLASPHEMED and said:
    - John 19:15 – “We have no king but Caesar!”
  - [They] are not [Jews] – but are a synagogue of Satan!
    - SYNAGOGUE [συναγωγή] – where Jews would GATHER to worship God…
    - SATAN [Σατανᾶς] – the word means the ACCUSER…
    - This could refer to the JEWS in SMYRNA – literally worshiping SATAN…
    - Perhaps by COMPROMISING their FAITH – as they accepted the worship of CAESAR…
    - Or it could refer to them ACCUSING Christians who refused to bow to CAESAR…
    - Either way – they were not TRUE Jews – because of their ACTIONS!
    - Attacks on our FAITH do not ALWAYS come from without…
    - Sometimes – people who we think are our BELIEVERS – cause the most TRIBULATION…
    - Just because someone goes to CHURCH [συναγωγή] does not mean they follow Christ…
    - We need to look at the FRUIT coming from their LIVES…
    - If they are not DRAWING us closer to Jesus – they might well be from the ENEMY!
    - Luke 11:23 – “He who is not with Me is against Me – and he who does not gather… scatters.”
3^rd – The Negative… vs. 10
- 1^st – No need to FEAR…
  - No NEGATIVE…
    - The church in SMYRNA – is one of TWO churches [Philadelphia] – that have no NEGATIVE…
    - A church that was under CONSTANT persecution – was a HEALTHY church…
    - Because their TRIBULATION caused them to CLING to Jesus…
    - Although there is no NEGATIVE – there is a COMMAND!
  - Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer!
    - Do NOT [imperative] FEAR [φοβέω] – ANYONE [μηδείς]
    - Anytime the Bible says NOT to be AFRAID – it is a guarantee we are TERRIFIED…
    - And as we will see – there was GOOD reason for the CHURCH to be AFRAID…
    - There was a LOT more intense PERSECUTION that was still coming!
    - But FEAR is not a response – it is a CHOICE – we chose based on what we are looking at…
    - If we are looking at our circumstances – then we CHOOSE to be AFRAID…
    - If we look to the Lord – then we by FAITH – have nothing to FEAR!
    - Romans 8:31 – “If God is for us – who can be against us?”
- 2^nd – Persecution with a purpose…
  - Indeed – the devil is about to throw some of you into prison!
    - INDEED [εἴδω] – Jesus commanded [imperative] the church to LOOK…
    - The DEVIL [διάβολος] – the FALSE accuser – our ENEMY…
    - Would put BELIEVERS into PRISON [refusing to bow to Caesar]
    - Jesus wanted the church to LOOK at the DEVIL casting them into PRISON…
    - Because He wanted the church to know WHY He allowed it!
  - That you may be tested!
    - TEST [πειράζω] – can alternately be translated as TEMPTATION…
    - How can we tell the difference between a TEST [trial] or a TEMPTATION…
    - A TRIAL is a TEST from God – but a TEMPTATION comes from our own lust – James 1:13
    - After Israel entered the Promised Land – a new generation rose that did not know God…
    - They found themselves in a Land littered with godless people…
    - GOD used these enemies to give Israel an OPTION – whom did they want to serve…
    - The pagans would be a TEST for Israel – see whether or not they would obey the Lord!
    - Judges 2:22 – “Through them I may test Israel – whether they will keep the ways of the Lord…”
    - We do not get to really know who someone is when life is easy…
    - The real test of character is how they act when life falls apart…
    - God uses TRIALS in life to TEST our heart – let us see what we are made of…
    - God already knows – but He wants US to see what is in OUR hearts!
- 3^rd – Persecution with an end…
  - You will have tribulation ten days!
    - Jesus put a LIMIT on the LENGTH of the PERSECUTION of the church in SMYRNA…
    - There is quite a bit of DEBATE one what these TEN days represent:
  - FOUR views:
    - FIRST – it could be TEN literal days – but that seems unlikely [to short a time frame]
    - SECOND – it could be a Jewish EUPHEMISM for a short period – [seems to vague]
    - THIRD – it could be referring to TEN Roman Emperors – who would persecute Christianity…
    - This one seems more likely – as the worship of Caesar was the root of their PERSECUTION…
    - FOURTH – the number TEN is used in the Bible to describe the Governments of MEN…
    - The TEN horns of the beast in Daniel 7:24 – the TEN heads – Revelation 12:3
    - The idea might be that as long as MEN rule on earth – there will be PERSECUTION!
    - No matter which VIEW you like – the point is the SAME…
    - The PERSECUTION does not LAST – it has a LIMITED amount of time!
- 4^th – Persecution with a reward…
  - Be faithful until death – and I will give you the crown of life!
    - Have [imperative] FAITH until DEATH – meaning the persecution might cost their LIVES…
    - But even if they DIED – they would have a great REWARD – the CROWN of life!
  - What is the CROWN – TWO possibilities…
    - I Corinthians 3:12-14 – “Each ones work will become clear for the Day will declare it – because it will be revealed by fire… If anyones work… endures he will receive a reward.”
    - Anything done with a selfish motive is wood – hay – and stubble – burned up in the fire…
    - But anything we do out of a RIGHT heart will be gold – silver – and jewels – not burned…
    - Then at BEMA seat of Christ – II Corinthians 5:10
    - We will receive rewards – CROWNS – for the good things done for the Lord…
    - We can then throw the Crowns at the feet of Jesus – Revelation 4:10
  - The problem with CROWNS as rewards…
    - CROWN [στέφανος] – is only described FIVE times in the Bible…
    - I Corinthians 9:25 – II Timothy 4:8 – James 1:12 – I Peter 5:4 – Revelation 2:10
    - FIRST – CROWN is always SINGULAR – NOT crowns – meaning there is only ONE…
    - SECOND – the description of the CROWN – suggests it is ETERNAL life…
    - Eternal Crown – Crown of Righteousness – Crown of Glory – Crown of Life…
    - THIRD – the idea of CROWNS as REWARDS – focuses on the wrong thing…
    - We are looking to receive a REWARD from the Lord – as if He owes us!
  - Our CROWN is Eternal life…
    - As Steven was stoned to death after confronting the Jews – Acts 7:56
    - He looked up and saw Jesus – STANDING at the right hand of the Father in heaven…
    - Jesus does not STAND at the right hand – He SITS – Colossian 3:1 / Hebrews 8:1
    - Jesus stood because He was PROUD of His son – He was cheering him as he came home!
    - Whether we are saved young or old – we have a CROWN – Matthew 20:1-16
    - Whether we were a famous Apostle – or no one knows our name – we have a CROWN…
    - ANYONE who holds to the FAITH – even though they suffer PERSECUTION…
    - Will one day get to hear the WORDS – well done good and faithful servant…
    - Not because of what we did for the Lord – but because of what Jesus did for us…
    - And every hardship – sorrow in this life will have been worth it – because we are home!
4^th – The encouragement… vs. 11
- 1^st – Listen…
  - He who has an ear – let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches!
  - This was NOT written just for the church in SMYRNA…
  - It is for ANYONE who has an EAR – they MUST [imperative] LISTEN…
  - Because the SPIRIT of God is SPEAKING [present] to ALL churches [plural]
  - This LETTER is for us – Jesus is writing to us TODAY…
  - If we are willing to LISTEN to what His SPIRIT has to SAY…
  - He tells us NOT to FEAR – any TRIBULATION we go through has a PURPOSE…
  - He is using it to TEACH us to depend on Jesus – TEST our hearts…
  - But it will NOT last – and in the END – we will receive a CROWN!
- 2^nd – Second death…
  - He who overcomes!
    - This same CONCLUSION – is given to all SEVEN churches…
    - There are a variety of REWARDS described – but all with the same CONDITION…
    - OVERCOME [νικάω] – to those who have VICTORY [present]
    - For SMYRNA – VICTORY – meant not FEARING the PERSECUTION…
    - And the reward for doing that – was NOT being HURT by the SECOND death!
  - Shall not be hurt by the second death!
    - God does NOT promise that we will NOT die for our FAITH…
    - He does promise – that will NOT have to face the SECOND death…
    - The SECOND death – is a reference to the LAKE of fire – Revelation 21:8
  - Polycarp was a DISCIPLE of the APOSTLE John…
    - The PASTOR of the church in SMYRNA – he was arrested when he was 86 years old…
    - He was given a change to RENOUNCE his faith – so his life could be spared…
    - [Jesus] has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior!
    - He was threatened – if he did not RENOUNCE – he would be fed to wild animals…
    - It is unthinkable for me to repent from what is good to turn to what is evil!
    - He was given one last chance – if he did not RENOUNCE – he would be BURNED…
    - You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour – and is then extinguished…
    - But you know nothing of the fire of the coming judgment and eternal punishment!
    - So they lit the FIRE – but it did NOT burn Polycarp…
    - Instead it formed a circle around him – and the sweet fragrance [MYRRH] filled the air…
    - Unwilling to let him LIVE – the ROMANS drove a sword into him – sending him HOME…
    - But it is said that his BLOOD – put out the FIRE…
    - And it was his DEATH – that ended the PERSECUTION of the church in SMYRNA!
    - Should Jesus tarry – we will all one day DIE…
    - But the question we have to ask – is did we use our time here to LIVE for Jesus!