Revelation 2:8-11
March 7, 2021
[1]The word "Smyrna" means "Myrrh," incense used in the anointing oil (Exo. 30:23) and a picture of the grace of God (Psa. 45:7–8 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.). It was a gift of the wise men to the infant Christ (Matt. 2:11) and was brought by Nicodemus to anoint the body of the Lord Jesus (John 19:39). Smyrna was called "the ornament of Asia."
The Church of Smyrna had not left their first Love. This was the Church of True Riches. True wealth and success are to have life eternal, John 17:3, And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Life Eternal is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ who He sent – 1 John 5:10, He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 1Jn 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
For God so loved °.He gave Jesus for us. He is God's sacrifice for us. We could not give Jesus [He is not our to give] – nor could we provide any sacrifice. In our search, for something to offer God for our sins, there is nothing to find- Our thoughts are not pure. There is nothing in the universe that is pure. What do we have that might commend us to God? Romans 3:10 and following leaves us empty-handed.
He gave Jesus to take away our sin. Jesus is God's provided Lamb, Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Jesus took away your sin - That is God's gift of eternal to you, Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Father put on Him all our sin, Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Jesus never made a promise He could not keep and He never made a promise He did not keep!
In times of our trouble for someone to say, I know brings encouragement and comfort just to think someone understands our plight. Here Jesus looks at this Church and says to every believer, "I know your tribulation and poverty [but thou art rich]. What words of love and care from the One who has always been, "The first and the last". And He that lives said, I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
In this letter we are reminded, the Eternal One took upon Himself the form of a man and willingly was subjected to the rejection, humiliation, persecution, and died and was resurrected. And as the resurrected Saviour, He has the keys to death and hell. As the resurrected Christ, Jesus is Our Sufficient Saviour [When I think of the Resurrection, I always think of John 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Christ made the believer His brethren and His Father our Father and His God our God].
Once again we see the authority of Jesus and we use the title for the Son of God as Jesus because that is the name of His Humanity, In that name, we see the incarnation of God. Watchman Nee's quote gives insight into the fulness of God in the Son of Man. "And this is the truth. God will not give me humility or patience or holiness or love as separate gifts of His grace. He is not a retailer dispensing grace in packets, measuring out some patience to the impatient, some love to the unloving, some meekness to the proud, in quantities that we take and work on as a kind of capital. He has given only one gift to meet all our need: His Son Christ Jesus°°."
It is the sufficiently of Jesus that we need to see. Millions are spent on books for all types of success, happiness, peace, and how to get rich, and all I know that you have done is made the writer rich
The promise of the Word of God is about the sufficiently of Christ, 2 Peter 1: 3-4, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
His Authority and Eternality, Rev 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; The foundation for was laid in Chapter 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. V17, 18 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death
He has all authority! All authority is an endless list. Keys are a symbol of authority. If He has power over death and hell, He has power over life and death. He can deliver from death and hell.
He holds all life both physical and spiritual, [Psalm 139:13-16] Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
As the Eternal One who lived, and was dead and is alive forevermore, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." As the overcoming One whoever lives, He is always present with us. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
As the Living, the Resurrected One, He speaks to the Church. Rev 2:9b I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich)°°" They had real poverty. Material possession they had lost by their suffering for Christ. They had extreme poverty, [2]"They had been robbed of their goods in the process of their persecution and affliction." And Jesus said, "I know your poverty" and then he added[ but thou art rich].
In their self-sufficiency, the church in Laodicea had locked Christ out. And Jesus said to the Church at Smyrna, “I know your poverty” and then he added[ but thou art rich]. It is amazing He said to the Church in 3:17-18 [Laodicea] who SAID they were rich: Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: They said they were rich but He said they were poor. In Smyrna, they said nothing and He said they were rich. Jesus said to both churches: I know. From outward appearance, Laodicea would have been the Church to be commended by Christ. But remember Christ can see your faith! He knows your attitude toward Him. To Mary He said, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.” This was an act of love for His death on the cross and His burial that was to come. About the Widow and her giving, He said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:
He sees our faith and He knows our attitude toward Him.
As the Creator and Redeemer, He knows. It is important who is doing the evaluation! Laodicea was rich in their own eyes, Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing But Jesus said, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. The body of Smyrna was poor in spirit, and rich in faith, Psalm 51:17, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. The church at Laodicea was rich in pride, self-sufficiency
Your wealth is in your relationship with the living God, Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Often we look at the owner of material goods and conclude that God must really love them; they are so blessed with all the temporal things. and see those who are not rich in this world as being less loved and blessed. [3]Success signals God's love no more than struggles indicates the lack of it. If we believe as such and see people in this manner we have no understanding of the cross. Do you think that Jesus had a bad day or was suffering a bad break and that is why He was on the Cross?
Let us consider our suffering for a moment! And suffering is pictured in many ways in scripture. But I am going to just stay with this church.
Some things can only be learned by suffering and without enduring suffering they are never learned. Are we greater than Christ? Are we lacking in understanding of the Cross? He learned obedience by the things He suffered, Heb. 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; Are we greater than Christ? Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
"°..I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. [4]They withstood the persecutions of the unbelieving Jews, who were not true Jews (Rom. 2:28–29; 9:6–7). Those who re-opened the Temple after the veil was rent (Matt. 27:51) are called "the synagogue of Satan."
Jesus Christ's death on the Cross is the most significant event in all of human history, And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; Heb 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Heb 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
They may have been physical descendants of Abraham or proselytes but not spiritual descendants, Phil 3:2-3 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. The synagogue of Satan was a group of unbelieving Jews who were persecuting Christians.
Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Do not be afraid of what you might suffer. Look to Christ for victory, John 16:33, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Live one day at a time. Overcome fear with Faith in God, What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Jesus said the devil would cast some into prison. You see your enemy, the devil. I think ten days means ten days. The crown of life is promised to the faithful one unto death, James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Remember what was said in V8,"°.. These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; The One who is Life has endured what they will face and what we face and He is the Living Saviour, Hebrews 7:25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. The strength to be faithful to the end is the strength of Christ in you. The assurance of salvation is the real meaning of saving faith. The only reliable evidence that you have ever been saved is that you are right now believing on Christ for eternal life.
The second death is the Lake of Fire, Rev 20:14, And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire
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