The name Smyrna is associated with the word myrrh…and how appropriate that name was for the suffering Smyrna church. Myrrh is an incense or spice known for releasing its beautiful fragrance…after it is crushed!
The believer’s in the city of Smyrna (modern Izmir, Turkey) were not having an easy time. They suffered persecution for their faith.
This is a true story close to this era in Revelation chapter 2. The year was 155 AD, Polycarp was the pastor of the Smyrna church. As a young man he had been a disciple of the Apostle John, but now Polycarp was eighty-six years old.
Through the years the Christians of Smyrna faced persecution, public opinion had been stirred against Christ followers. The Roman Governors took this opportunity to please crowds at the Colosseum with entertainment. So the Christians would be brought to the stadium and executed in any number of ways, but the favorite of the crowd was when the Christians faced off with hungry lions.
Eventually they set out to arrest the leader of the Christians, pastor Polycarp.
The story goes that when the Roman troops arrived at his home he asked to be allowed to pray alone for an hour before he was taken away. Tradition tells us that when Polycarp was to be led away to meet his fate that a voice from heaven was heard. “Be strong, Polycarp.”
When the Roman Governor confronted this senior citizen he wasn’t sure what to do with the 86-year-old pastor, it hardly seemed a sport to throw him to the lions and so he offered him a chance to recant. “Deny Christ” he said “And I’ll let you go free.” Polycarp looked at him and said, “Deny Christ, I have served Him eighty-six years and in no way has He dealt unjustly with me; so how can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”
The governor tried again, “Act your age and wisdom, praise Caesar, change your mind, say, ‘Away with the atheists.’” Polycarp looked at those who surrounded him and waved his hand as he replied “Away with the atheists.” Not exactly the response that the governor was looking for. And Polycarp said “If you vainly expect that I will swear by Caesar as you suggest, and pretend to be ignorant who I am, listen to what I openly say to everyone here: I am a Christian.”
That was all that was needed, the governor demanded of Polycarp, “Don’t you realize that I can have you thrown to the wild beasts.” And Polycarp said “Go ahead.” The Governor sensed that Polycarp was not afraid and he would not make a good sport to watch being fed to the lions, so he sentenced Polycarp to be burned at the stake, instead.
Polycarp was led to the platform where the execution was to take place, normally the Romans nailed people to the stake to secure them in place. But as they approached Polycarp with the hammer and nails he said “Let me be as I am; for He who makes it possible for me to endure the fire will also make it possible for me to remain . . . unmoved without the security of nails.” Witnesses claim that fire engulfed him, yet there seemed to be a canopy surrounding His body keeping the flames away. A soldier was ordered to throw his javelin into him and that instantly took his life, Polycarp died a martyr for Christ.
Polycarp, a disciple of John the Apostle, was a part of the church that the letter of the Revelation was addressed to, the church in Smyrna.
Smyrna was a beautiful city. The city was referred to as the flower of Asia, the Crown of Asia. Smyrna stood on the trade routes to the Far East, it was situated just north of Ephesus on the Aegean Sea. Smyrna had one of the safest and most convenient harbors.
We’re looking at the seven churches of Revelation. They existed at the end of the first century in what is today the nation of Turkey. They help us understand what it means to be the church. The first message to Ephesus taught us that the church is to love God and our neighbors. A church may have many admirable qualities, but if it lacks love it will not have any witness to the world.
Smyrna has a different message. A church will suffer for Christ. The church at Smyrna encourages us not to quit when we are tempted and lose heart. Jesus encourages us to trust Him.
They were only 32 miles away from the church in Ephesus which Jesus criticized for losing their first love, but he had no such complaint against this church. Instead he focuses on their faithfulness, and specifically how they’ve been faithful in the face of hardship.
Jesus referred to Himself in Revelation 2:8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:”
The message to the church came with descriptions Jesus gave of Himself as “the First and the Last.” This title declares Jesus’ eternal nature. These words had special meaning to the believers in Smyrna who considered their city to be the greatest city in the providence. Jesus message to the church is “ I am the greatest.”
Also the reference “who was dead, and came to life” was not lost on the believers of this city. The city of Smyrna was destroyed in 600 B.C. by the king of Lydia, but Alexander the Great rebuilt it in 290 B.C. The story of Smyrna is how the city died and came to life. Its streets were made wide and straight and the entire city was designed to be aesthetically pleasing. Jesus reminded them of the reality of the resurrection of life unto eternity.
Yet, the church in this beautiful city, on the coast of Asia Minor did not have a pleasant existence. The words of Jesus revealed a great deal when we read Revelation 2:9
“I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich!”
The city was commercially successful since it was on the major trading point that connected the east, west, but also north and south together. Smyrna was loyal to the Roman Empire and that produced a very safe and stable livelihood for its citizens. Although most of the people of Smyrna enjoyed prosperity, the Christian inhabitants did not share in that wealth. In Smyrna poverty was the result of discrimination. The majority group of people in the city were Jewish. A believer in Smyrna faced persecution that was birthed out from religious and governmental oppression.
This should not surprise us. These were the same people in Acts 18:12-15 that the apostle Paul faced, they were Jewish accusers that sent him to the Roman court for treason.
Yet, in these sufferings the believers in Smyrna were assured that their ultimate future was secure, even though their present lives were in distress.
There is a modern Evangelical heresy that if you are born again and are committed to serving Jesus Christ that you will achieve worldly and financial independence and be happy. This was not true for believers in Smyrna.
Jesus supported the Christians with these words. “and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” – Revelation 2:9
In our introduction of the book of Revelation, we discussed the persecution that these early Christians went through. At one time the Roman Government had been their friend.
The Christians lived in peace for a number of years and then the persecution was stirred up for a number of reasons.
Christianity was seen as a sect of Judaism and had a special privilege under Romans as a recognized religion. But it was discovered that Christianity was not a sect of Judaism and so it lost its protection.
Eventually, constant threats of persecution hung over the church in Smyrna. The Greek word “tribulation” in verse 9 describes a suffering that crushes a person.
Rabbis and Jewish synagogue rulers poisoned the minds of the government officials toward Christians. The Greek word blasphemy” in this context implies wounding someone’s reputation by evil reports from people that know God. As the bible states in verse 9, “Satan was behind this.” The Jews accused the Christians of being traitors of Rome and disloyal. And since they didn’t recognize any Roman gods or the God of Israel, they were accused of actually being atheists!
This was during the time when Domitian became Emperor, he took Caesar worship very seriously and demanded it of everyone. When his proclamations were read, they began with the words “Our Lord and God Domitian commands. . .” Everyone except Jews were to address Caesar as Lord, God or be punished.
We know from history that the Roman Colosseums were not just used for the Olympic games.
Jesus also encouraged them in Revelation 2:10:
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. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
The Romans didn’t use prison to punish or reform prisoners. They used them to hold prisoners until their day in court, and their execution. This severe test would be of limited duration. This is the meaning “of ten days.”
These words are incredible: “Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.” Jesus admits to the believer the reality of facing suffering.
It’s like the surgeon telling the patient to not fear the unavoidable pain of surgery. Yet, the power of fear is diminished when we realize that we live in a fallen world and bad things will happen but Jesus’ promise is for eternity.
We live in a world that is shared with dark forces and Satan, and evil distorts our dreams in this life and sometimes makes the world a terrifying place. Every Christian might be saddened by the state of society but we should not be shocked in fear. Think of life this way, even if we could work out the social and economic ills of society, we’ll still need police and keep locks on our doors until the day Jesus return for us.
What scares people is not being in control. Enemies of the gospel and Satan try to control the lives of Christians in Smyrna. But Jesus reminded the Smyrna church ultimately, He is in control.
We can be hurt by others in this world, but God alone holds authority over our ultimate well-being. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus says “not to fear those who can kill your body but to fear Him who can destroy your soul and body in hell.”
There’s a lot of fear today—medical fear, economic fear, fear of government overreach, fear of the lack of morality, and fear because of the freedom of evil. But these issues are predicted as signs of the end and a coming day when the Lord rescues and redeems every believer. In this life there are a lot of situations that will create fear in us. But the main message is… “in Jesus” we trust.
Also in verse 10, “the crown of life” was another symbol of Smyrna that the believers could relate to. The city was situated beneath surrounding hills that made a resemblance of a crown. The Romans considered the city a crown within their empire. But, Jesus is conveying that believers can earn the reward of a crown for being faithful to the work of a church in such a city.
The last words to the Smyrna church,
“Anyone who has an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Everyone who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’ – Revelation 2:11
The message to us through the church of Smyrna is that, we are to remain faithful because every believer will live forever, without pain and without fear. Even those burned at the stake, even if those who die of a horrible cause or disease, even if everyone abandons us, JESUS won’t. So, remain faithful.
And this promise is not just for those believers who lived in Smyrna over 2000 years ago, it’s for us today.
Whatever happens God is still in control, if we are one of His children then ultimately we will be with Him. What happens in this life is just a shadow, don’t trade the whisper of today for all our tomorrows. Remain faithful to His work as a church, and let the light of God’s salvation shine, even if we are crushed by persecution.
Just as we were introduced to the seven churches in chapters 1 and 2, our work is to keep those candlesticks lit by being faithful to Jesus work on earth at all cost!
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.