College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Revelation 2:8-11
Strauss-' Comments
SECTION 5
Text Revelation 2:8-11
8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived again 9 I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear not the things which thou are about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to 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 the crown of life. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Initial Questions Revelation 2:8-11
1.
How can a poverty stricken Church be rich?
2.
What does the term blasphemy mean?
3.
Does John believe that the Devil was a real person and responsible for evil?
4.
How would being thrown into prison, try or test our faith in Christ?
5.
Does the Lord expect us to be faithful, even to the point of surrendering our own lives?
6.
What does the phrase - the second death mean?
The Church in Smyrna
Chp. Revelation 2:8-11
Professor William M. Ramsay called Smyrna the city of Life; it was also the seat of the Imperial Cult. Smyrna has existed from a millennium before Christ to the present. Today it is a city of over 250,000 inhabitants. The Glory of Asia stood 35 miles to the north of Ephesus. Damascus had her street called straight; and Smyrna has the Golden Street. This street was lined with infamous temples to Aphrodite, Asklepios, Apollo, and to the mighty Zeus. From a Christian perspective, its most notable contribution to the world of the N.T. was a congregation of the Lord's people. Polycarp was bishop of this congregation soon after its basic departure from the biblical concept of the Church and its polity. What did our Lord think of this Church?
John was commanded to write (see Revelation 2:1) to the angel of the Church in Smyrna. Christ addresses this congregation as the first and the last, who became (egeneto - II Cor. ind.) in a single act - dead and lived (ezmsen - I Cor. mid. voice in a single act lived again of his own will; the force of the middle voice). The King James erroneously translates this as a present tense is alive. With His credentials of the fact of His resurrection, Christ addresses this Church. What greater grounds could there be for His demanding obedient response to His Lordship?
Christ acknowledges that He is aware of their affliction. (Thlipis - pressure, i.e., burden - pressing down). Their suffering was not unknown to their God. The Lord's vivid imagery is again apparent as He speaks of their poverty (ptôcheia - is a man who has nothing. Another term, penia means a poor man or a man who works for a living.) The great contrast was that this great commercial metropolis was rich, but the Christians were destitute.
In what way could a poverty-stricken congregation be rich? They were wealthy with the things that last - faith, etc. They were building for Eternity! It was their commitment to Christ which enabled them to withstand the railing (blasphçmian - from two Greek words which mean to speak, to hurt). It takes Christ given courage to maintain a progressive faith, when there were no physical signs of God's blessing (they were poverty stricken), and Jews of the synagogue of Satan were blaspheming their Christ by railing against them. The phrase a synagogue of Satan means that their assembly is dedicated really to Satan and not God.
In our day there are many learned documents written to set forth the thesis that contemporary anti-Semitism had its origin in the scriptures. They often fail to consider the Jewish enmity toward the cause of Christ (see Book of Acts) - as long as Christians were a minority group.
Note: R. Wilde, The Treatment of the Jews in the Greek Christian Writers of the First Centuries, Catholic University of America Press, Washington, D.C., 1949; Jules Isaac, Has Anti-Semitism Roots in Christianity?, National Council of Christians and Jews, New York, 19, N.Y.; The Talmud speaks of good and bad Pharisees, but still Jewish and Liberal Christians continue to attach the biblical data with regards to Christ's attack on the Pharisees, John's use of the term The Jews, etc.: Jacob R. Marcus, The Jew in the Medieval World, The Jewish Pub. Soc. N.Y. second printing, 1961; David Daube, The N.T. and Rabbinic Judaism; Athelone Press, Univer. of London; H. Loewe, Pharisaism, Judaism and Christianity volume I (ed. by W.O.E. Oesterley) gives summary of passages showing that Pharisees were opponents of legalistic Jewish religious as was Jesus. These give examples to what is found in the N.T.; C. G. Montefiore and H. Loewe, A Rabbinic Anthology, pp. 202-232 for other examples - A. T. Robertson's work, Jesus and the Pharisees - very defective study. Use it with care! John (John 4:22) said that Salvation is of the Jews. Yet today, there are three Jews who influence the world more than our Lord - Freud, Einstein, and Marx. But ultimately the Jew from Nazareth shall prevail!
In the midst of all their tribulation and persecutions, etc., Christ commands them do not fear (phobon - per. imper.mid.) the things there about to suffer. Had not they suffered enough for Christ's sake? Now He comes in person and tells them that things will grow worse than they are at present. That certainly was not a very comforting message. Christ declares that The devil is about to throw some of you into prison in order that (this is a hina clause or a purpose clause, that is the purpose of their being cast into prison was) you maybe tested (peirasthçte - pl. 1st aor., passive voice, subj. mood). They were being put to the test (the implication of passive voice) in order to determine their ultimate commitment. They were to have affliction ten days. Next, the Lord commanded that they be faithful (ginou - sing. imper. present - means that each individual in the Church was commanded), because their faithfulness unto death was a necessary condition for receiving the crown of life (zôes) not bios. Christ does not offer mere biological existence. (He offers Life! - a sermon suggestion - Passing from Existence to Life.)
The one continually having an ear let him hear what the Spirit keeps on saying to the Churches (plural - therefore does not merely apply to the Church in Smyrna). The one who is continually victorious (nikôn - sing.pres. part. - the individual who constantly overcomes or is victorious) will by no means be hurt by the second death. What does the second death mean? From contemporary Jewish literature, we know that this means damnation. Death of the body was physical death; death of the God-given spirit, damnation by which it would be dead to all that it had been created for was the second death which could be avoided.
Note: For the Rabbinic literature, etc., see Hermann L. Strack and Paul Billerbeck, Kommentar Zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch, 1922-1961-6 volumes in 7 parts - volume 3 contains Briefe des N.T. und Offenbarung, 1924. An indespensible work for any serious background study of any N.T. book: see appendix III at end of this chapter.
Review Questions
1.
What credentials did Christ set forth as He began to condemn the Church - Revelation 2:8?
2.
How poor was this congregation - Revelation 2:9?
3.
Study James chapter 2 and 3, and discuss in light of this poor-rich congregation - Revelation 2:9.
4.
What does phrase the synagogue of Satan mean - Revelation 2:9?
5.
What did our Lord command that these Christians do in view of the coming, more intense, persecution - Revelation 2:10?
6.
What were the necessary conditions for receiving the crown of life - Revelation 2:10?
7.
How are we to hear the Word of God - Revelation 2:11?
8.
What does the second death mean - Revelation 2:11?
Tomlinson's Comments
The Church in Smyrna
Text (Revelation 2:8-11)
8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived again: 9 I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich), and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer: behold, the devil is about to 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 the crown of life. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
INTRODUCTION
To the angel of the church of Smyrna write:
Following the letter to the church in Ephesus, it is quite natural that the church in Smyrna should be the next addressed. The city lay just forty miles north of Ephesus and still is second in importance. As Ephesus was called The Light of Asia, Smyrna, because of its charming surroundings, was called The Beauty of Asia.
The history of the planting of the church is unknown, but during the second century the church was quite prominent. Since the city had a large Jewish population, which was bitterly opposed to Christ and His church, it came to be known as the suffering church, because of persecution.
Revelation 2:8 To the church in Smyrna, Christ very fittingly presented himself as the First and the Last, who was dead and is alive. To this martyr church came the cheering word that its head and Lord had triumphed over death and the grave.
It was well for the church now farther removed from Pentecost to be so saluted. He had been with the church from the beginning, as symbolized in the Ephesian epoch and he would be with the church through this church period, yea, even to the last one.
He wanted them to know that he was not dead, but alive. While he had given up His life, He had broken the shackles of death in the resurrected life. So if persecution should exact the extreme sacrifice of their lives He wanted them to hold fast to the promise, For if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)
Revelation 2:9 He wanted them to understand that He knew of their works, which stirred up such persecution that they experienced great tribulation. Also He knew that their tribulation had produced their poverty.
The first century with its advantage of the newness of the gospel message has now passed and persecution sets in. Like Jesus enjoyed the period of popularity to be followed by that of opposition, so the Smyrnan church meets persecution.
But they were richrich in faith, hope and fruitful works.
Their witness for Christ was accompanied by vilification and slander. This form of blasphemy was attributed to Christ's old enemies, the Jews. They were experiencing what Paul earlier had experienced at Antioch of Pisidia where the Jews blasphemed and contradicted the preaching of Paul and Barnabas. (Acts 13:44-46)
While all this was true yet there is a deeper meaning here. These were claiming to be Jews in the sense that they claimed to be the true Israel of God in opposition to the rightful claim of the persecuted church to this designation.
Paul said, For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Romans 2:28-29)
This is further evidence by these Jews being called the synagogue of Satan, who is called the devil in Revelation 2:10. This is the first mention in Revelation of the great adversary.
Christ here denies the right of these opposers to employ the term Jews in the sense of being God's chosen people.
Here in verse nine the reference is made to what might be called ecclesiastical activities of the adversary; for one of the most successful devices against the true church is the organization of religious societies in imitation of the true church.
The pure primitive church was not an organization of government, but an organism of life, Christ being the head of his mystical, spiritual body. The church at Smyrna was opposed by such an organization. Those, who opposed the true church, professed to be Jews, the symbolical name of God's people.
They set up substitute organizations for the church and declared they were just as good as those who refused to depart from the scriptural pattern. Christ calls this blasphemy. He stripped off their outward pretention and revealed them for what they were the Synagogue of Satan.
Paul, the apostle likewise employs the name Satan in the same connection for in warning against false apostles who sought to pass themselves off as the apostles of Christ, he said, And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
It is significant that the only other church, besides that at Smyrna, which received unqualified commendation from Christ (The Philadelphia church) was also opposed by them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie. (Revelation 3:9)
Revelation 2:10 The church was to fear none of those things because of the reasons about to be presented. The activities of the adversary take the form of physical persecutions. He wanted them to know that back of their suffering, imprisonment and trials was none other than the devil, using men and institutions as his agents.
He declared, Ye shall have tribulation ten days The number ten in Bible symbology indicates a complete testing, or trial to the limit of human endurance. Thus Jacob complained that Laban had changed his wages ten times. (Genesis 31:7; Genesis 31:41). The plagues of Egypt were ten in number (Ex. Chapter s 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) Israel was tested with ten commandments. (Exodus 20:1-19). God's patience had been tried to the limit. He said, they had tempted him now these ten times. (Numbers 14:22) Daniel requested that he and his companions be tested ten days. (Daniel 1:12-15).
So the church at Smyrna was to be fully tested, as the persecuted church.
He said, Be thou faithful unto death (unto martyrdom). For this they were to have, not a royal crown, but the garland crown of victory over death. (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) (2 Timothy 4:8)
Revelation 2:11 Again it is a call to be heeded, not only by the Smyrnan church but the churches, which the one at Smyrna represented. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Those who win this incorruptible crown shall live forever. This corruptible shall put on incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). To die the second death is to me sent from the final judgment throne into hell (Revelation 20:14-15). They might suffer the death of the body, but not of the soul.