Smyrna's Trial

Revelation 2:9

"I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty,

(but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy 

of them which say they are Jews, and are

not, but the synagogue of Satan."

        It was only natural that Smyrna would come second to it's great rival Ephesus. Of all the cities of Asia, Smyrna was the loveliest. Men called it the ornament of Asia, the crown of Asia, and the flower of Asia. The setting of the city was equally beautiful. It began at the harbor, and it traversed the narrow foothills; and then behind the city there rose a hill covered with temples and noble buildings which were spoken of as;  "The Crown of Smyrna." 
        Here we have an interesting and a significant thing which shows the care and knowledge with which John wrote his letters from Christ. The Risen Christ is called, "He who died and came to life." That was an echo of the experience of Smyrna itself. There are three things that the letter says about this trial; Affliction, Poverty, and then there is Imprisonment.
        John forecasts an imprisonment of ten days. That is not to be taken literally. Ten days was an expression for a short time which was soon to come to an end (v-10d). John calls the Jews the synagogue of Satan. He is taking a favorite expression of the Jews and reversing it. When the people of Israel met together they loved to call themselves "the assembly of the Lord" (Num. 16:3; Num. 20:4; Num. 31:16).  It is as if John said: "You call yourselves the assembly of God when, in fact, you are the assembly of the devil. 
        Jesus Christ will be in no man's debt and loyalty to him brings its own reward. To the faithful a promise is made: they will not be hurt by the second death. Of such things it is not given to any man to speak with confidence but, when John spoke of the faithful being unharmed by the second death, he meant precisely the same as Paul when he said that nothing in life or in death, in time or in eternity can separate those who love him from Jesus Christ. Such a man is safe from all that life or death can do to him (Rom. 8:38-39).
        Amen!!

Reading: (Rev. 2:8-11)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry