Promised Crown of Life

 

Revelation 2:8-11

To the Church in Smyrna

To many peoples’ impression, the book of Revelation is about mysterious signs and visions, but this is in fact the characteristics found in Revelation Chapters 4-22. Chapters 1-3 were addressing issues that the churches in Asia Minor faced with everyday used language.

There is a greeting in the beginning of the book (Rev 1:4-5), and there is a benediction in the end (Rev 22:21). These are the characteristics of the epistle. Revelation is actually a book with a combination of epistle, visions and prophetic messages.

Many scholars concur that Revelation was written during the rule of Domitian, the Roman Emperor (Around AD 90).  At that time the Roman Empire was mighty in military and economic powers. 

During that period of time, emperor worship was found prevalent in Rome. In order to please the regime, local authorities would highly promote emperor worship. The book of Revelation made a bold challenge from the perspective of a sufferer, who went against this deified regime. Persecution came on Christians not only from the rulers, but also the society at large.

Smyrna was a Harbor city, and it was one of the three biggest cities in Turkey by then. It was known to be a beautiful city, not merely because it had beautiful buildings, but good culture development as well. The image of its goddess appeared on its coins, and on the head of the image of the goddess was a crown.

Revelation tells the future persecution that Smyrna would suffer through. Smyrna in Greek means “myrrh” and its name is reminiscent of suffering and burial. Jesus introduced Himself to the church of Smyrna by saying that He is “the First and the Last, who died and came to life again” (2:8).

It was very important for Jesus Christ to make such a self-introduction to the church of Smyrna because the church of Smyrna was facing persecution and hardship. Jesus encountered persecution and hardship too when He was on earth. The same Lord was then speaking to them. He Himself went through the suffering before, and hence He said, “I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!” (2:9)

Believers in Smyrna were persecuted and even were deprived of their rights and opportunities in trade and works; thus, they became poor. The Lord Jesus said to them, “I know!” These words brought forth great comfort to the church that was undergoing hardship in life.

Today we have fared through so many years of prosperity in a relatively just and fair civil society. Thus, it is hard for us to tell the people with many kinds of suffering because we never go through those hardships ourselves.

“I know” is not a statement for everybody to say it, and the mere word we say might not be able to bring comfort to those who suffer. Instead, those words might cause them sadness.

However, the Lord Jesus knew because He had gone through suffering and death Himself. Not only does Jesus Christ know about our troubles, He knows about our poverty as well. He was extremely poor in his earthly life, and He even did not have a pillow to lay His head.

The Lord Jesus “knew that you were blasphemed by those people” (2:9）. It is another kind of “knowing”. Sometimes we are wronged and defamed by others. People might not necessarily believe in us when we do our explanation. Nevertheless, people often alienate us because of all these slanders.

However, the Lord Jesus says, “I know.” Moreover, He knows the truth. “I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.” (2:9-10) He truly knows.

Why some people “say they are Jews…but are a synagogue of Satan?” Jews were God’s people, but they were called a synagogue of Satan. This was really a big insult. Why did Jesus say as such？

There were many Jewish migrants in Smyrna, and they were hostile to Christians. They often accused Christians before their local officials. Christians were seen as a sect with Jewish origin. Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna was martyred because of the accusation of these Jews.

In fact, all sects are persecuted in their early formation stage because they are vulnerable and not conforming to mainstream value and practice.

Some officials in the Roman Empire forced people to worship emperors in order to please them. They demanded that people expressed their loyalty to him, and the people had to declare, “Caesar is king!”

To many Christians, this was something unacceptable. Jews were spared from worshipping the image of Caesar, but they in return had to pay taxes.

The Jews accused Christians for not paying taxes and refused to worship the emperor image. Hence, they captured those Christians and seized their possession. The church of Smyrna lived under such suffering and persecution, and their bishop was not exempted.

Bishop Polycarp refused to acknowledge “Caesar is Lord,” and he refused to bow down to the image of Caesar. He said, “Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any injury. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me and worship another who is merely an earthly king?” He was burnt to death because of his words.

The church suffered under such a condition, and they were poor. The “ten days of persecution” that is mentioned here (2:10) is just a symbolic language, and it indicates a temporal period of time.

In fact, our days on earth are limited, and our days of suffering will be limited too. However, since we suffer for the sake of the Lord, we shall receive the crown of life in future.

Situations faced by the seven churches in the book of Revelation could appear in any time. It happened in the past. It is happening now. And it will happen in the future.

In the past 25 years, we have witnessed the rise of terrorist groups and regimes, and the anarchistic ideal of liberal leftists. The Harvard professor, Samuel Huntington first published in 1996, “The Clash of Civilization and the Remaking of World Order” had foreseen this already. 

Churches suffer under the persecution from the oppressive regimes. Crosses of many churches were taken down. Believers were killed and captured, and their possession were seized and confiscated just because they are Christians. All these things already are happening now.

Jesus Christ went through the suffering and death before, but He is resurrected, and He comforts those who suffer and even to the point of death. No matter what circumstance we are in, the Lord knows it all. He promises us eternal life, that we will be resurrected in future, and this is the greatest comfort for all.

Under the impact of the Covid-19 that have lasted more than a year, we have also experienced the sufferings ourselves. Many of our loved ones, relatives and friends, members, and even pastors went through tortures of the Covid-19, and quite a lot of them died because of this virus attack.

Where then is our hope in the midst of our sufferings? Where then is our hope when we face death? The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us an eternal hope.

When I count my days now, I see that I would have to die too after 10 over years, if not now. Think about this, we all have to die sooner or later. The most important thing is not when we will die or how we will die, but are we having the hope of resurrection? Are we having the eternal life?

The author of Revelation tells us to endure the hardships now and be faithful to Christ, for “the one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” (2:11)

The second death is the eternal death, and it would be an eternal death where people would be thrown into the lake of fire. In comparison to it, the sufferings on earth are light and temporal, and there is nothing more fearful than the eternal lake of fire. What awaits those unfaithful is the lake of fire with burning sulfur. This is the second death.

Not only the synagogue of Satan, but those who are deceived by devil, would be thrown into the lake of fire with burning sulfur, and they shall suffer day and night eternally.

“Suffer persecution for ten days” was an indication that their suffering was temporary. The Lord Jesus tells us to be faithful even to the point of death, so that He would give us life as our victors’ crowns. (2:10) Therefore, we would have the crown of life beside the resurrection.

The coin of Smyrna has the goddess with her crown on, but whatever received by the children of God are the true crowns. There is no crown that is more precious than the crown of resurrection and life, because there is nothing that is more beautiful than life itself.

Diamond is very beautiful, but life is much more beautiful than it. Diamond can be bought with money but not so with life. It belongs to you, and you just have to live it out yourself to be a victor.

Who then are the real victors? Who then are those with hope? They are those whose names are in the Book of Life. They are those remain faithful to the Lord in all kinds of suffering and persecution.

Conclusion

Thank God that we belong to Him. Thank God that we are people of victory and hope, for our Lord reigns. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and He is the King who has overcome death. He is the first and the Last, He once died, and He is now resurrected.

We believe that our future is held in God’s hand. He is the Almighty God, and He is the King of our lives. He knows our situations and needs. And because He says, “I know”, hence, we are “not afraid”.

May God’s glory be manifested on us, and may He shower His grace upon us, so that we can trust in the Lord and follow Him continually until the day when we shall meet Him face to face.