Jesus in the Churches Series – Smyrna the Persecuted Church
By Apostle Aje Pelser, preached at Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town, March 2022

To the Church in Smyrna
Rev 2:8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
Rev 2:9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Rev 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Rev 2:11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ‘

Characteristics of Christ that help churches to endure persecution.
1. Resurrection Life
Jesus had to show the persecuted church that He is the resurrection and the life.
When Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, he revealed this characteristic to Martha:
Joh 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
Joh 11:26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

2. Alpha and Omega
He is the author and finisher of our faith, the Alpha and Omega!
It’s not enough to just say beginning and the end. Meditate on the concept of the first and last, the ‘A-Z’ f everything. He is the initiator of our calling – the original force that sets our lives in motion in the direction God intends. He is also the developer of our faith that ensures we reach our destination, providing for us and giving us the grace to finish every phase of our calling along the way. The fullness of God is in Jesus Christ:
Eph 4:10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
Eph 1:22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

The word used for fullness has a picture of a ship complete with sailors, provisions, ammunition, rowers and soldiers ready to go toward and achieve a strategic objective.
[Fulness: G4138 ‘plērōma.’ Thayer Definition]

3. Blessings for the poor in spirit.
Mat 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

There is no doubt that the Christians were also economically persecuted in this region. Smyrna was a city of trade linking East with West and it had massive theatres and buildings dedicated to pagan gods. Nevertheless, much persecution of the church also came from the Jewish sects who opposed Christ and his followers.

Here is a brief history of the ancient city of Smyrna, known as Izmir in Turkey today:
Standing, as it did, upon a good harbor, at the head of one of the chief highways to the interior, it early became a great trading-center and the chief port for the export trade. In Roman times, Smyrna was considered the most brilliant city of Asia Minor, successfully rivaling Pergamos and Ephesus. Its streets were wide and paved. Its system of coinage was old, and now about the city coins of every period are found. It was celebrated for its schools of science and medicine, and for its handsome buildings. Among them was the Homerium, for Smyrna was one of several places which claimed to be the birthplace of the poet. On the slope of Mt. Pagus was a theater which seated 20,000 spectators. In the 23 AD year a temple was built in honor of Tiberius and his mother Julia, and the Golden Street, connecting the temples of Zeus and Cybele, is said to have been the best in any ancient city.
Smyrna early became a Christian city, for there was one of the Seven Churches of the Book of Revelation (Rev_2:8-11). There Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, was martyred, though without the sanction of the Roman government. It seems that the Jews of Smyrna were more antagonistic than were the Romans to the spread of Christianity, for it is said that even on Saturday, their sacred day, they brought wood for the fire in which Polycarp was burned. His grave is still shown in a cemetery there.
Like many other cities of Asia Minor, Smyrna suffered frequently, especially during the years 178-80 AD, from earthquakes, but it always escaped entire destruction. During the Middle Ages the city was the scene of many struggles, the most fierce of which was directed by Timur against the Christians. Tradition relates that there he built a tower, using as stones the heads of a thousand captives which he put to death, yet Smyrna was the last of the Christian cities to hold out against the Mohammedans; in 1424 it fell into the hands of the Turks. It was the discovery of America and the resulting discovery of a sea route to India which ruined the Smyrna trade.
[International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia.]

4. True Jews believe in Jesus and are Jews by faith, like Abraham.
To be accused as being part of the synagogue of Satan is quite something. When people proclaiming to know God, act in ways that brings disrepute to their God, it is a religious disgrace. This applies to any faith and especially to the Christian faith. It starts with our own hearts, we have the opportunity to reveal Christ daily in challenging situations, the little choices we make aided by the help of the Holy Spirit can reveal so much of Jesus’ nature to our generation. It can become a lifestyle of reflecting the light of Jesus wherever we go – if we let Him shine through our earthen broken vessel!

This scripture in Romans explains exactly how God describes a true Jew:
Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;
Rom 2:29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

5. Faithfulness unto death releases the crown of life
There is a portion in the book of Revelation that sheds further light on the persecution of the Bride of Christ, the church:
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
Rev 12:13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
Any church that gives birth to the characteristics of Christ will face persecution of some sort. This is part of the cross we carry and we should thank God for the honour. We need encouragement and strength to endure, but we endure for the joy that is set before us, in this case, the crown of life.

Jesus told us from the start:
Mat 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Mat 10:39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Jesus also showed us the pathway to life through suffering bravely on the cross for our sins. Because He is the resurrection and the life, we can serve Him with joy knowing that He is able to take us through anything and help us overcome tremendous odds, to the point that He is seen through our lives in eternal glory!