In this message we shall consider the stages of the church signified by the church in Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11) and the church in Pergamos (2:12-17).
In Greek “Smyrna” means myrrh, a sweet spice which, in figure, signifies suffering. In typology, myrrh signifies the sweet suffering of Christ. Thus, the church in Smyrna was a suffering church, prefiguring the church under the persecution of the Roman Empire from the latter part of the first century to the early part of the fourth century. This persecuted church suffered in the sweetness and fragrance of Christ. In other words, this church was in the tribulation of Jesus and in the fellowship of His sufferings. The church in Smyrna suffered as Christ Himself did and thereby became a continuation of His suffering.
In Colossians 1:24 Paul tells us that he filled up “that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His Body, which is the church.” The afflictions of Christ are of two categories: those for accomplishing redemption, which have been completed by Christ Himself, and those for producing and building the church, which need to be filled up by the apostles and the believers. Although no one can continue Christ’s redemption, His sufferings must be completed by all His followers both individually and collectively. In the church in Smyrna we see the collective continuation of the sufferings of Jesus. Because this church was a continuation of Jesus’ suffering, it was truly the testimony of Jesus.
In Revelation 2:9 the Lord Jesus said that He knew “the slander of those who call themselves Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” This indicates that persecution came from religion, from the unbelieving Jews of the synagogue of Satan. The slander of the Judaizers toward the suffering church was their evil criticism of her. The Judaizers were Jews in the flesh but not in spirit (Rom. 2:28-29). Merely being the seed of Abraham in the flesh did not constitute them true Jews. “Those who are the children of the flesh are not the children of God” (Rom. 9:8). Therefore, the Lord said that they “call themselves Jews and are not.” These Judaizers stubbornly insisted upon keeping their Judaistic system, consisting of the Levitical priesthood, the sacrificial rituals, and the material temple, which were all types now fulfilled and replaced by Christ. Because the church under the new covenant in God’s economy had no part in their religious practice, the Judaizers slanderously criticized her.
The Lord said that those who called themselves Jews and are not are “a synagogue of Satan,” a terrible term. A synagogue was a place where the Jews worshipped God mainly by studying their Scriptures, the Old Testament. However, due to their stubbornness in clinging to their traditional, religious concepts, they became one with Satan in opposing God’s way of life to fulfill His purpose (Matt. 12:9-14; Luke 4:28-29; John 9:22; Acts 6:9, 11-14; 13:43, 45-46, 50; 14:1-2, 19; 17:1, 5-6; Rev. 3:9). Therefore, the Lord called them a synagogue of Satan.
In Revelation 2:10a the Lord says, “Do not fear what
you are about to suffer. Behold, the Devil is about to cast some of you into prison that you may be tried, and you will have tribulation ten days.” Verse 9 speaks of Satan and verse 10, of the Devil. In Greek Satan means adversary. He is not only the enemy of God from without but also His adversary from within. The Greek word diabolos, translated Devil, means accuser, slanderer (Rev. 12:9-10). The Devil, who is Satan, the adversary of God, accuses us before God and slanders us before men. The persecution suffered by the church began from the religious synagogue of the Jews instigated by Satan, the adversary, and it was consummated by the Roman Empire used by the Devil, the slanderer. The persecution of the suffering church was a cooperation of devilish politics and satanic religion.
In 2:10 the Lord speaks of the church in Smyrna having tribulation “ten days.” Ten is a number for fullness, such as the Ten Commandments, which express God’s demand in full. Ten days in the Bible signify a period of time which is full yet short (Gen. 24:55; Jer. 42:7; Dan. 1:12-14). Hence, it signifies that the tribulation of the suffering church was full yet short. As a sign, these ten days indicate prophetically the ten periods of persecution which the church suffered under the Roman Emperors, beginning with Caesar Nero in the second half of the first century and ending with Constantine the Great in the first part of the fourth century.
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