In verse 10 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.” Verse 9 mentions Satan and verse 10 mentions the Devil. Satan in Greek 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” (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. It was consummated by the Roman government used by the Devil, the slanderer, to put the saints into prison. The imprisonment of the suffering church was a cooperation of devilish politics with Satanic religion.
In verse 10 the Lord also said that they would have tribulation ten days. Ten is a number for fullness, such as the ten commandments, which express God’s demand in full, and the tithes of the offerings, which show that ten parts constitute the full offering. Ten days in the Bible signify a period of time which is full, yet short (Gen. 24:55; Jer. 42:7; Dan. 1:12-13). Hence, it signifies that the tribulation of the suffering church was full, yet short. However long the persecution may seem to us, in the eyes of God it is short. It is not a thousand days or even a hundred days but just ten days. Praise the Lord! This suffering is only a temporary suffering.
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. However severe the persecutions instigated by the Devil, Satan, through the Roman Caesars, who did their utmost to destroy and eliminate the church, they were unable to subdue and terminate her. History demonstrates that the church of the living Christ “who became dead and lived again” withstood the persecutions victoriously and multiplied flourishingly by the indestructible resurrection life.
In verse 10 the Lord also said, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” In this epistle we see some indications that resurrection life is in the church. When the Lord revealed His qualifications in verse 6, saying that He became dead and lived again, He was indicating that His resurrection life is in the church. The Lord seemed to be saying, “I, the One who is the Resurrection, am living in you. Because you have resurrection life in you, there is no reason or excuse for you to fail. You need not be defeated by persecution. Rather, you must suffer this persecution victoriously by My resurrection life.” Because of this resurrection life, the church is able to suffer tribulation even unto death. The church is always qualified to be a marvelous, victorious, and glorious martyr. We all are qualified to be victorious martyrs because we have resurrection life within us.
Even the Lord’s word in this epistle to the suffering church is the speaking of the Spirit to all the churches. This indicates that all the churches may experience the same suffering. Actually, in all the churches there have been some saints who have undergone the same kind of persecution. They all have had to listen to the speaking of the Spirit to this suffering church. Through the Spirit’s speaking again and again, the word of the Lord in this epistle has been for all the saints who have suffered persecution for the Lord’s sake throughout the generations.