Revelation 2 vs 8-9

We are continuing our study through the seven letters to the seven

churches. Remember, there is a four-fold application to these letters.

There’s the local application, the ecclesiastical application, the personal

application, AND the prophetic application.

Prophecy and the foretelling, the informing of what is yet to come is

extravagantly amazing! We just, we Christians, we just have come to take

it for granted. Why? Cuz we dumb! HA! AND, because the Bible is, the

majority of the Word of God is just that, prophetical! So, we’re used to

it…. But let me throw this at ya…

Tomorrow, is all new. New day, new you, new situations, new people,

new challenges and new opportunities. To me and to you, its all new! Jesus

says in Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I make all things new!” And Psalm

118:24 says, “This is the day the Lord has MADE!” Which means, this day

is a new day! SO, check out this hope of the saints…

The enemy strategizes. 2 Corinthians 2:11 says, “We are not ignorant of

his devices/strategies…” Satan temps, manipulates and deceives to get his

way and to rip us off. Why? He has to… Satan prognosticates, predicts,

and attempts to call into existence a future that he has in mind… Jesus is

totally different. God gives us His Word of truth, prophecy of what will

be, according to his foreknowledge. Satan strata-liezes, Jesus prophesies.

Satan attempts to call into existence his will, Jesus’s will is imposed upon

existence…

Tomorrow is all new to me. All new to Satan. Old news to God. Who

you gonna trust!? Back into the prophecy of God, the Revelation of Jesus

Christ we go!

Revelation Chapter 2 Verse 8

 The church in Ephesus was the church that had left its first love.

Smyrna was the church that was being crushed in its love. The word

Smyrna comes from the word for Myrrh, which is a gum resin

extracted from the Commiphora tree that gives off its many benefits

and properties through crushing. Smyrna represents the period in

church history from about AD 100 to AD 312 and it is known in

church history as, “The Persecuted Church.”

 Smyrna was a city of great commerce and was famous for science,

medicine and the majesty of its buildings. Polycarp was the pastor of

the church there in Smyrna in the second century who we know from

the writings of Irenaeus and Tertullian, had been a disciple of John and

was actually appointed as pastor of that church by John himself.

 Smyrna was a city given over to the worship of Caesar and according

to Tacitus, the historian, permission was granted to the City of Smyrna

by Rome to build the first temple of worship to the Emperor. It was a

metropolis of trade, of international culture and grandiose

structures…yet the church was very poor.

 To do business with a Christian became criminal in that culture.

Christians were thought of as atheists because they rejected the gods

and they rejected the divine authority of the emperor. Christians were

also thought of as cannibals because they had a practice that we call

communion in which they would speak of eating the flesh and

drinking the blood of their Savior.

 History tells us that if a Christian was reported then that person

reporting them leading to their arrest would be rewarded with 10% of

the spoils. All that was ceased from the home of the Christian, 10%

would be given to the one who reported them. This went on until

311/312 AD when Constantine, the emperor of Rome, declared

empirical toleration of the Christian faith, in what was historically

called the Edict of Toleration. Much more on that when we get to the

next church, the church of Pergamos.

 One thing we’ll notice is that there’s no word of fault given. It’s an

extremely short letter. No real commendation, no notable correction,

only a statement and an exhortation…I see what’s going on…how you

are suffering…keep going. Don’t let up…your prize awaits.

 Jesus identifies Himself as, “The First and the Last, who was dead,

and came to life.” A clear reminder to this persecuted church and time

period of the church that He is eternal…above it all…the first and the

last….and that He is the risen Lord. That death proved powerless

against Him as it will against them.

 And, we know, from Revelation Chapter 1, and ultimately by

Revelation Chapter 22, that this is Jesus speaking. The One who was

dead, and the One who came alive again. There is no doubt, these

words and writer is Jesus. Why bring that up? Isaiah 44:6, “Thus says

the LORD, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, I

am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God.” Folks

will say, just show me one place that Jesus clearly said He was God.

Brother, I can show you 50 places…

 And as we read through the letter here to the persecuted church, the

crushed church, the bleeding church, we can all relate to the crushing

but I’m also hoping that many can receive the exhortation. Its

sometimes difficult to hear the encouragement of the Lord when

times are tough. Sometimes its not heard at all, but what is said is

this…The Lord does see you, He knows bleeding, He understands

pressure, He is acquainted with many sorrows…

 When He was a child, what was brought to Jesus? Gold, the element

of kings, frankincense, the element of priests, and myrrh…the

element of death. Why death? Because it was used throughout history

as a burial spice and also it has a numbing agency, a soother of sorts to

the wounded.

 On the cross, Jesus was presented with Myrrh as a soldier offered it to

Him to deaden the pain…what did He do? He refused it. His will,

His example to us, His resolve was…let the cross do its job. As the

pain of crushing sets in, our flesh demands relief…this world offers

remedy in the momentary highs of drugs, false friends, social

networks, illicit relationships just to name a few. But let Jesus be an

example and don’t go after the numbing.

 Why? Why follow the Lord in this? Why not medicate and look to my

fellow man for comfort or another man, or another man, or another

man…because they brought myrrh to Jesus a third time…to His tomb

after the cross had done its job…but Jesus was not there! He had

risen! And you will too! You will overcome…but before the

resurrection, always is the crucifixion. If the cross does not do its job,

there is nothing to rise from.

 So, keep going, keep at it, don’t faint…cling to the Lord, His Word

and His promises…endure the cross of crushing because all that is

dying is flesh which will ultimately lead to the freedom and power

and permanency of the resurrection! These things says the one who

was dead and came to life!

Revelation Chapter 2 Verse 9

 Jesus says in comfort to them, “I know.” It’s very important to

remember that nothing gets by Him. The Lord does know every detail

of every bit of what is done unfairly or in cruelty against you. Jesus

speaks of how the world sees you…tribulation, you are always in

some sort of difficulty, you can’t seem to get it together, to win the

argument and you are poor, not very strong…but here’s how heaven

sees you…you are rich! Enduring. Powerful. Resilient. Determined.

Strong. If the Lord thinks highly of you, it really does not matter

what or how anyone else thinks of you.

 Jesus says, “I know your works, tribulation (not speaking of the Great

Tribulation, but specifically of the troubles they underwent in their

day) and your poverty…, but you are rich.” This isn’t someone that is

poor like we think of it today. We think someone is poor because they

have to buy a used car with a lot of miles. That’s not this. And truly,

that’s not poor. That person still has a car. Only around 12% of the

world’s population owns a vehicle. Check this out, 92% of American

households have at least one vehicle…

 This is poverty. Being poor and poverty are two different things. One

is culturally relative, that’s poor… Poverty is being without your daily

needs such as water, food, safety… Jesus says to this church, these

people, I know your poverty…., daily suffering and going without, but

you are rich. What is worth more? Humility or a Bentley. Love, being

knit together in the bond of unity and true family friendship, or

Amazon? The things that make us rich truly are not the things we can

buy… And Jesus said in Mark 8:36, “What will it profit a man if he

gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” Proverbs 22:1 says,

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor

rather than silver and gold…”

 Smyrna was a city given over to Caesar worship. It prided itself as the

first city to wholly and fully adopt what was called the Caesar-Cult.

(Children’s ministry in that cult was known as “Little Caesars!” HA!)

Even the Jews had played into this Caesar-Cult to gain position and

power. According to church history, the Jews, in order to take the heat

of persecution off of them (which we also do) they would incite the

Romans against the Christians by accusing the Christians of drinking

blood and eating broken bodies and especially refusing to worship

Caesar. It was the law after all…

 We read the specific account of Polycarp’s martyrdom by the Romans

as a result of these accusations. The Romans commanded Polycarp,

the leader of the Christian church there in Smyrna, to worship Caesar

by burning incense at Caesar’s alter. Polycarp responded to them by

saying, “How can I deny Him who has been faithful to me these six

and eighty years?” So, he was taken and tied to a stake and set on

fire. They wouldn’t tie folks, they would nail them… But tradition

tells us that Polycarp assured his executioners that he would not need

to be nailed, that he would willingly die for His Jesus…

 You ever feel just burnt. Man, they just got the best of me…well what

do you think you’re here for? To get the best of them? Your

perspective is all wrong…put your “best” into the hands of the Lord

and allow Him to work through you in ways above this world! That is

the calling placed upon the life of a believer. That Jesus Christ would

live through you…that you would be defined by His grace…and the

surety of our confidence would seat itself above everything else in the

finished work of the cross!

 Synagogue of Satan… sheesh. Jesus is into alliteration! HA! Jesus

says to them, I know those that say they are good, that they serve God,

but their hearts are far from me. They do so much, they work in the

ministry, they’re always there doing the business of the synagogue.

But they serve themselves. They are all about them, not others, not

Me… And when they take their leave, that’s when peace increases.

Synagogue of Satan… Christians, when you come around, peace

increases… That’s how it works. If not, you may be serving in the

service of the wrong synagogue shepherd… Someone else likes

alliteration!! HA!!

 The synagogue of the strategic Satan full of strata-lies because that’s

his only resource…, or serve in the courts of the King who knows the

end from the beginning… Honestly, isn’t it a no-brainer? Maybe…

Serving the King of Heaven while dwelling on earth…, with a bunch

of children of Satan running around, (hey, I didn’t say it, Jesus did…,

check John 8:44), there will be suffering… But remember, it’s the

flesh that’s being cut away… And that’s a good thing! Stay the course,

finish strong!