Bible Study Book Availability Update 12/2/2024

 

Revelation 2:8 Amplified Bible

8 “And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church in [a]Smyrna write:

“These are the words of the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God] who died and came to life [again]:

The message to the church at Smyrna was spoken by Jesus, the Son of God, absolute Deity, who was in the beginning and endures forever, the one who suffered and died to provide us redemption from our sin and resurrected in power as evidence of His power over death and sin. The book of Hebrews explains that He is able to understand our suffering because He took human form for our salvation and endured temptation and pain for our sake. As we read what He spoke to the church at Smyrna, we can see how this description of Himself was important for understanding the message He gave them.

Revelation 2:9 Amplified Bible

9 ‘I know your suffering and your poverty (but you are rich), and how you are blasphemed and slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan [they are Jews only by blood, and do not believe and truly honor the God whom they claim to worship]. 

Our all-knowing Savior knew their suffering. He saw it happening, and He had personally experienced it Himself. He had left the riches of Heaven to come to live a life of poverty in human form. He understood their poverty. He saw the church at Smyrna being blasphemed and slandered by “religious leaders.” He had experienced the same thing. We know about all the encounters He had with the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. They did not treat Him kindly. Two thousand years later, He still understands our suffering, poverty and the blasphemies of false teachers that surround us. Let’s not ignore the four words in parentheses. But you are rich. When we accept Jesus as Lord, when we walk in His ways, we have unimaginable riches of His mercy, His grace, His love, His peace, and the list goes on. True riches are eternal, not temporal. Let’s also look at the phrase “the synagogue of Satan.” I feel this. I may be stretching the point but stay with me for a minute. Social media is great in that I can read, listen to, and watch some theologically solid teachers. It is also terrifying when I see depravity and blasphemies. For example, a post recently said, “ Moses had two mothers. Jesus had two fathers. They turned out okay.” Another video showed a young woman following around a popular Christian apologist, yelling, “Why did God rape Mary?” And there are so many more but these are two of the most egregious. We do live in the synagogue of Satan. You may be like me, living in a small rural community with good neighbors, plenty of space, and a fellowship of true believers who worship together. But blasphemy is blatant and prevalent in our society. The church in Smyrna existed in a city that worshiped Caesar and with prominent religious leaders who rejected Jesus as Savior and Lord. We live in a culture that worships self, celebrities, sports figures, possessions, political ideologies and the list goes on.

Revelation 2:10 Amplified Bible

10 Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested [in your faith], and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life. 

This verse takes me aback. If someone tells me I am about to suffer, even to the point of death, then fear seems like a natural response. I guess that’s the point. Our sin nature is fearful of pain and suffering, but God’s Spirit dwelling in us gives us peace and comfort and assurance in our suffering. Several years ago, during a surgery, I lost a lot of blood then I had a reaction to the blood transfusion. So, in addition to the pain from the surgery I was dealing with other discomfort as well. I remember very little about the situation, but the one thing that stands out in my memory is me praying, “Lord, I am ready. Take me.” I was suffering but I was not afraid. Obviously, that is not the kind of persecution that the church of Smyrna was about to experience. Their suffering and  possible martyrdom was because of their faith in Jesus as Lord. Jesus reassured them that being firm in their faith even in death would result in a crown of life, an eternity in Heaven with Him.

Revelation 2:11 Amplified Bible

11 He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will not be hurt by the second death ([b]the lake of fire).’ 

The only way to overcome the second death, eternity in hell, the lake of fire, is by trusting and believing in Jesus, the Son of God, as Savior and Lord. I remember a portion of a quote from a famous preacher (I don’t remember who, so I can not give credit, except to say this quote is not original to me) that says “Eternity is long, hell is real, fire is hot…” Those who have an ear and heed the Spirit will not be hurt by the second death.

How does the message Jesus spoke to the church at Smyrna apply to individuals and churches today? We must acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God who gave His life for our salvation. We should not focus on our earthly wealth or poverty, but should keep our eyes on Jesus. We should be grateful for the spiritual blessings that we have because of Jesus. We should find comfort in knowing that Jesus understands our temptations and our suffering. We should be willing to stand firm in our faith even in the assaults from the sanctuary of Satan. We should not fear suffering because we know the life that we have for eternity. And we should be bold, even if we know it will result in persecution, because people who do not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity.