{"id":613,"date":"2017-10-09T07:06:37","date_gmt":"2017-10-09T15:06:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=613"},"modified":"2017-10-09T07:06:37","modified_gmt":"2017-10-09T15:06:37","slug":"devotion-revelation-28-11-letters-to-seven-churches-smyrna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/?p=613","title":{"rendered":"Devotion\u00a0\u00a0 Revelation 2:8-11\u00a0\u00a0 Letters To Seven Churches, Smyrna"},"content":{"rendered":"

Revelation 2:8-11 <\/strong>–\u00a08\u00a0\u201cTo the angel of the church in Smyrna\u00a0write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last,\u00a0who died and came to life again.\u00a09\u00a0I know your afflictions and your poverty\u2014yet you are rich!\u00a0I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,\u00a0but are a synagogue of Satan.\u00a010\u00a0Do 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,\u00a0and you will suffer persecution for ten days.\u00a0Be faithful,\u00a0even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor\u2019s crown.\u00a0 11\u00a0Whoever has ears, let them hear\u00a0what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo the angel of the church in Smyrna<\/span>.\u201d Smyrna comes from the word myrrh.\u00a0 The sweet fragrance of Myrrh is only released after it is crushed.\u00a0 The church in Smyrna had been enduring great persecution.\u00a0 Jesus tells them that they would be enduring more.\u00a0 Yet He holds out to this church, to whom no criticism was given, that after the squeezing of them, the sweet smell of victory would be theirs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are the words of him who is the First and the Last,\u00a0who died and came to life again<\/span>.\u201d In calling Himself the first and the last He is again revealing His divinity.\u00a0 This is the same title God said of Himself in Isaiah 44:6<\/strong> \u201cThis is what the\u00a0Lord\u00a0says\u2014Israel\u2019s King\u00a0and Redeemer, the Lord\u00a0Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.<\/span>\u201d\u00a0 Jesus is saying that He is equal, is one with the Father.\u00a0 He is a member of the one God who is triune.\u00a0 His proclamation also brings us back to Isaiah 48:12-13<\/strong> \u201c\u201cListen\u00a0to me, Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am He; I am the first and I am the last.\u00a0 13\u00a0My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together<\/span>.\u201d\u00a0 Here Jesus equates Himself with God, indeed He says that He is the One God, and He states that He is the God who created all.<\/p>\n

Jesus also says that He is the one who died and came to life again.\u00a0 We know that He died for our sins and that through His resurrection He led the way to eternal life with God. He is the promised God our Savior of the Old Testament and the New Testament.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!\u00a0 We must remember that those who challenge the death and resurrection of Jesus challenge our entire faith.\u00a0 This is no mild disagreement.\u00a0 They are no friends of Jesus and no friends of the Faith.\u00a0 If they are allowed to sweep away the death and resurrection of Jesus, then they make Jesus a charlatan who has perniciously misled us concerning eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:14<\/strong>).\u00a0 No, Jesus lives and so will we live (Revelation 1:8<\/strong>). Praise God!<\/p>\n

\u201cI know your afflictions and your poverty\u2014yet you are rich<\/span>!\u201d\u00a0 Jesus knows their afflictions. He knows that they have been endured beatings, torture, and even some have been killed.\u00a0 What a comfort to know that Jesus is watching.\u00a0 That He knows.\u00a0 He tells them, that He knows they have suffered much in His name.\u00a0 But He has a most wonderful promise for them.\u00a0 The promise is much greater than their suffering.<\/p>\n

Because they are Christians, many would not do business with them.\u00a0 They were ostracized.\u00a0 Christians, because of their faith, were not hired.\u00a0 The poverty spoken of here was not being a little \u201cbroke.\u201d\u00a0 No it was abject poverty.\u00a0 Many were lacking the basic necessities, and surely they were lacking many of the comforts and \u201cwants\u201d that we desire to have.\u00a0 The people of Smyrna were persecuted and horribly poor.\u00a0 They were abused and suffered physically, emotionally, and financially.<\/p>\n

Jesus then reminds them that though that is their earthly condition, in the spiritual economy, which does not fade, get rusted, or stolen, they are rich (Matthew 6:19-21<\/strong>)!\u00a0 Imagine that church where its member are often beaten and imprisoned.\u00a0 Imagine what they look like.\u00a0 Imagine sitting down in a church and many around you are bruised, beaten and dressed in tattered clothes.\u00a0 Would we remain sitting next to them?\u00a0 Would we remain in that church?\u00a0 Sadly, too many believers would not want to fellowship with these.\u00a0 The very ones that all believers should run to help are the ones we run away from fellowshipping and worshipping with.\u00a0 We may proclaim that they stink.\u00a0 But to God, they have a sweet aroma. Their bruises and their poverty come because the refuse to give an inch in believing in, and proclaiming the Word of God.\u00a0 They lift Jesus up, while they are crushed.\u00a0 Jesus tells these that they are rich.\u00a0 Praise God for believers who endure and thereby set the example to fellow believers and become a curiosity to the World. They live in our world today.\u00a0 Do we love and bless them?<\/p>\n

\u201cI know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,\u00a0but are a synagogue of Satan<\/span>.\u201d\u00a0 The believers who are Jewish, are slandered and mocked by people who say they are Jews, but are not.\u00a0 The ones who claim to be Jews but are not are those who think they are Jews because of their ancestry, or because they are faithful in their attendance to the synagogue. Jesus has said they are not Jews.\u00a0 They think themselves children of God, but have rejected their Messiah.\u00a0 They remain dead in their sins.\u00a0 They are not children of God.\u00a0 Jesus goes so far as to call them a \u201csynagogue of Satan.\u201d\u00a0 If anyone is not a child of God.\u00a0 If anyone is not a devoted lover and follower of Jesus, then they remain in sin and belong to the devil.\u00a0 Jesus is not \u201cpulling any punches.\u201d\u00a0 We should not think that some who sit next to us in nice clothes and smell nice are all children of God.\u00a0 No-one should think they Christians because the come from a Christian family or because they regularly attend church, \u00a0\u00a0Those of the synagogue of Satan come to sit with us at church.\u00a0 We, following Jesus closely, know that because of Him and His work, we are of surely and eternally children of God.\u00a0 We know it is solely the work of God.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo 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,\u00a0and you will suffer persecution for ten days.\u00a0Be faithful,\u00a0even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor\u2019s crown.<\/span>\u201d Jesus tells these disciples of His, who have received no criticism, to not be afraid of the suffering they all will go through.\u00a0 Now Jesus had no criticism for their church.\u00a0 So be very aware that their suffering was not because of sin or a lack of faith.\u00a0 In fact, their suffering was because their faith was strong.\u00a0 Jesus said that we would all face troubles (John 16:33<\/strong>).\u00a0 His promise is that He will be with us through them all.\u00a0 He is our strength and our hope!\u00a0 He is the strong High Tower in whom we take safe refuge (Proverbs 18:10<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Jesus says that some of them will be in prison.\u00a0 Note that He says that it is the devil who puts them in prison.\u00a0 Not the Jews, not the Romans, not any person, but the devil.\u00a0 We don\u2019t battle against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12<\/strong>)!<\/p>\n

Jesus tells them the duration of their suffering.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t suffering always easier if you know it will end.\u00a0\u00a0 If we are in excruciating pain but have no clue as to what is causing the pain and if it will ever stop, then it is much harder to bear.\u00a0 However, if we know that it is only for a time, then we have a goal, we know to endure and the pain will go away.\u00a0 The pain is real, but we are focused on enduring for a time.\u00a0 The Lord letting them know that their persecution will end was a great and welcome kindness. This was not a trite comfort offered to them.\u00a0 Their relief shall surely come because Jesus said so.<\/p>\n

Jesus tells them to be faithful, even to the point of death. Family, God does not say words to hear Himself speaking.\u00a0 God says words with purpose and eternal meaning.\u00a0 He tells them to be faithful and, if they are, He will give them the crown of life (NKJV), or victor\u2019s crown.\u00a0 Why would He tell them to be faithful if it is impossible to be unfaithful to Him?\u00a0 Also, what if they are not faithful?\u00a0 It is obvious that if they are not faithful they will not receive the prize.\u00a0\u00a0 He told them to be faithful and then they will receive the crown of life.\u00a0 The flipside of this verse is that these believers, if they did not remain faithful, would not receive the crown of life.\u00a0 The God given free will of man is on display in this verse.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoever has ears, let them hear\u00a0what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death<\/span>.\u201d\u00a0 Again, here, as when He was speaking to Ephesus, He uses this expression to note that He is speaking to everyone.\u00a0 Jesus has said that to everyone who is victorious they will not be hurt by the second death.\u00a0 What is the second death?\u00a0 The second death is spiritual separation from God.\u00a0 Those who are hurt by the second death, who receive the second death, will not live eternally with God.\u00a0 They are separated from God.\u00a0 Their eternal address will be hell.\u00a0 Not so for the one who is victorious.\u00a0 As in the preceding, God does not say something for no reason.\u00a0 If one were to tell you that if you were to meet them at a bank near your house in one hour, they will give you five million dollars, then that would be great news.\u00a0 There is a condition to this offer, the flip side to this great news is that in order to receive the money, you must go to the bank.\u00a0 You have a part in it.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t go to the bank, you don\u2019t get the money.\u00a0 Jesus says that the one who is victorious will not suffer the second death, they will receive the crown of life.\u00a0 Now whom is the one who determines if someone is not victorious? Hasn\u2019t Jesus done the complete sacrifice, the whole work, for our salvation, for our victory?\u00a0 Then how is it that a believer, whom He is talking to, might not be victorious.\u00a0 We know that He would never push away so that we would lose salvation (John 6;37<\/strong>).\u00a0 We know that no-one can separate us from His love (Romans 8:37-39<\/strong>).\u00a0 Then who can separate us from His love?\u00a0 Who can cause us to not be victorious?\u00a0 Only one.\u00a0 It is the one who looks back at us from the mirror.\u00a0 Family, I know the popular teaching, but read what Jesus is plainly, what He is clearly, saying to these churches.\u00a0 What He is saying to us.\u00a0 We have ears, let us hear, let us understand, let us be wise and heed.<\/p>\n

Having considered the above are we to be afraid?\u00a0 No!\u00a0 Not, not ever!\u00a0 The Lord loves us.\u00a0 Stay in love with Him.\u00a0 Don\u2019t treat the grace and love of God as a common thing (Hebrews 10:29<\/strong>).\u00a0 Don\u2019t put the grace of God by which we are saved into a storage facility and hardly remember what God has done on our behalf.\u00a0 Live for Him. Love Him.\u00a0 Keep the fire burning!\u00a0 Daily, hourly, by the minute, have Jesus in the forefront in our minds and burning in our hearts.\u00a0 That being so, we are victorious.\u00a0 By our works?\u00a0 Come on now, we all know better than that.\u00a0 It is only the work of God that saves us.\u00a0 Yet, God has, in His salvation plan, been mindful of the free will He gave us.\u00a0 The scriptures are clear.\u00a0 We accept the fact.\u00a0 We cannot explain the fact, we just know it is so.\u00a0 This is as it is with much about the wonder, majesty and mystery of God.\u00a0 Do we love God?\u00a0 Then we have no worry.\u00a0 We know His love for us is sure.\u00a0 No worries.\u00a0 Walk in peace.\u00a0 He will keep us.\u00a0 Yes, yes, yes, it is He and only He that keeps us.\u00a0 What a wonderful, mysterious truth that we know to be true!\u00a0 Praise God!<\/p>\n

Psalm 150:6<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 7:7<\/strong>\u00a0– But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Micah 6:8<\/strong>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Revelation 2:8-11 –\u00a08\u00a0\u201cTo the angel of the church in Smyrna\u00a0write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last,\u00a0who died and came to life again.\u00a09\u00a0I know your afflictions and your poverty\u2014yet you are rich!\u00a0I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,\u00a0but are a synagogue…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[129,1841,104,103,100,101,94,88,17,711,10],"class_list":["post-613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-corinthians","tag-ephesians","tag-hebrews","tag-isaiah","tag-john","tag-matthew","tag-micah","tag-proverbs","tag-psalm","tag-revelation","tag-romans"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=613"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":614,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613\/revisions\/614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}