Today, more than 380 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. Persecution has always been a hallmark of the Christian church. Sadly, most believers in North America have very little knowledge of what is happening to our brothers and sisters around the world.

Over the last year, we have sent out a couple and a family to two different countries, both of which are listed as a place where it is dangerous to share the Gospel. These are our family members, and they have gone to the hard places of the world to share the incredibly Good News.

Persecution has always been the refining fire of the church. By God’s grace, the American church might soon experience persecution, it might be just what we need.

In Revelation 2, Jesus wrote a letter to the church in Smyrna. Today this city is called Izmir in Western Turkey.

The name Smyrna means “bitter”, related to the word myrrh, which is an aromatic resin which comes from a thorn tree. For the aroma to be released, the branches need to be crushed. Such a significant picture for the persecuted church.

Smyrna was an important center of the Roman imperial cult, and anyone refusing to acknowledge Caesar as Lord would be excluded from business. This would mean unemployment and abject poverty.

You are Seen

Jesus begins in verse 9 with the words, “I know your tribulation…”

This is a promise that is echoed throughout the scriptures. Our God sees. There is no pain, suffering or persecution that God does not see and that He will not make right, either in this world or the next. Jesus does not simply look down on us disconnected from our suffering, he intercedes for us, and one day will return to bring everlasting justice.

Revelation 2:9, “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slanderof those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.”

Jesus recognized their poverty, but he said that they are rich. When we grasp that we are part of the Kingdom of heaven and the incredible promises of Jesus, we will begin to understand the riches that we have. Riches that far exceed the world of bank accounts, houses, cars and other temporal things (see 2 Corinthians 8:9).

Not only were the Christians in Smyrna poor, but they were also being slandered. The Greek word used for slander here, is better translated as blasphemy. Jesus said, that when people slander the church, they are slandering him. Blasphemy is to disrespect God. Jesus takes slander of the church very seriously.

Jesus called these slanderers, the “synagogue of Satan”. These were Jews who did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God. These unbelieving Jews were being used by Satan to persecute the Church.

Most of the persecution the early church faced came from the Jewish community. Even most of the Roman persecution was an effort to appease the Jewish authorities

What a comfort to know that when we are slandered for being a follower of Jesus, we don’t have to defend ourselves or try to argue back, rather, we can rest in the knowledge that Jesus is our defender. As we are reminded in Ephesians 6, our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Satan uses people to accomplish his purposes.

Do not Fear

Jesus continued in verse 10, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

The suffering was about to get worse, but Jesus instructs them no to fear (see Matthew 6:31-33).

Today, anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders worldwide. Anxiety contributes to a myriad of health problems, increased mortality, obesity, heart disease, cancer and much more. We are a fearful generation, yet we have incredible wealth, medical care, comfort and convenience all around. Satan loves to prey on our fears, feeding us with things to be afraid of, many of which will never amount to anything.

When we take our eyes off the Lord our faith weakens, fear creeps in and consumes us (see Matthew 10:28 and Psalm 56:11). The fear of the Lord always defeats the fear of man.

How big is your God?

Be Faithful

Jesus told the church in Smyrna that even though Satan was going to have some of them imprisoned, God is in control, and their tribulation was temporal.

The encouragement of Jesus to the church is to be faithful, stay standing, even unto death

It doesn’t matter what the doctor says, or your boss says, or the government may say, we can stay faithful because of the one who died and rose again for our sins. Being faithful is standing firm, trusting in the Word of God and it’s promises.  

What anxious thoughts are consuming you?

The world has no shortage of things we are told to be afraid of. But today, the promise of Jesus is that if we stand firm, we have eternal life because Jesus has already won the victory.

What fear is hindering you from walking in freedom and peace?

What is the most important message you have ever been asked to give?

Imagine for a moment the awesome responsibility that the Apostle John had in writing down the Revelation. 

We have spent much of the summer looking at the early church from Acts 2 and answering the question, what are the markers of a healthy church? Ultimately, only Jesus, as the head of the church, defines the health of the church. He is committed to his bride who is preparing herself for the great wedding at the end of time (see Revelation 19).  

Jesus inspects his church, and the seven letters found in Revelation 2 and 3 are a report card on the health of the churches in Asia Minor in 95 AD. While these letters were written to specific churches, they are applicable to all believers, even today. 

The Situation

The beloved disciple and apostle John was a prisoner on a small island called Patmos, which lies in the Aegean between Greece and Turkey. Under Emperor Domitian, Christians were experiencing terrible persecution. John’s revelation exhorted the early church as they were experiencing tribulations. They believed in the imminent return of Jesus, an expectation of the glorious eternal reign of Jesus, and this expectation gave them hope in the midst of trials. 

If this letter was written with the expectation of the imminent return of Christ, how much more should we pay attention today? 

The Vision

What John was allowed to see was way beyond what any human has ever been permitted to see. He saw the risen Lord Jesus in all his resurrected glory. I am sure, even in the Greek language, he struggled to describe what he saw and was told to write. 

There are things that we can learn from John as he begins this book. 

He positioned himself (v. 10).  

Even though John was in prison, he was worshipping the Lord. He was meditating and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He had positioned himself to hear from the Lord. 

Our worship cannot consist of a ninety-minute gathering once a week. We need to position ourselves daily, waiting on the Lord, meditating on His word. 

As John waited on the Lord, the silence was ripped apart by a voice with the force of a trumpet. It was the voice of Jesus. John was an old man by this time, and he was probably one of the few people alive who had heard Jesus speak before his ascension, but that was over 60 years earlier. John must have recognized his savior, but this time, his voice was different. It was glorious. 

He looked (v. 12).

It was crucial that John turned around and looked. This might sound obvious, but so often we miss what God is doing because we don’t pause to look. We miss simple things like beautiful sunsets, stars, mountains, and pieces of art because we are too busy and are unprepared to turn around and look. 

The first things John saw were the seven golden lampstands. The lampstands represent the seven churches who were about to receive the letters. A candle’s role is to convey light; the church is called to be the light of the world (see Matthew 5:14-16). The mission of any church is to be the light of Jesus wherever it is placed. 

Next John saw Jesus, but he didn’t look like the son of a carpenter who came from Nazareth. John saw Jesus in his resurrected and glorified state as the King of Kings (see Revelation 1:13-16): 

• He was dressed in a robe with a golden sash around his chest.  This depicts a King and a judge.
• His had white hair, symbolizing his eternal existence and wisdom (see Daniel 7). 
• His eyes were like blazing fire, seeing through all pretense and disguise (see Hebrews 4:13).  
• His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace. This is a picture of the judgment and purification that Jesus will bring when he comes again. 
• His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. The voice that John first heard as a trumpet became a rushing waterfall. 
• Out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword, which we know is the Word of God, the same Word Jesus used to defeat Satan’s temptation. This sword is our offensive weapon in the armor of God in Ephesians 6.  Jesus destroys his enemies with the Word of his mouth (see Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 46:6). 

He Responded (v. 17)

John fell down in terror and worship. Remember, this is the beloved disciple who leaned against Jesus at the last supper; he was part of the inner circle and knew Jesus as a friend. But now he was seeing Jesus as he really is in his glorified state. He was struck down by the majesty and the glory of the presence of the King of Kings.

I believe if we were to see what John saw, we would have the same response. It wouldn’t be that we would be overcome by Jesus’s beauty and glory; rather, I believe we would be overcome by our sinfulness in light of his holiness. His glory would expose how far short we fall from his glory. 

Throughout history, when God has brought about revival in different regions of the world there has been an overwhelming sense of fear and awareness of sin leading to repentance (see Hebrews 12:28-29). 

John saw the majesty of Jesus and was moved to respond. He became a messenger, proclaiming the most profound message in history—the end of history itself culminating in Christ’s return and eternal reign.

That is how John responded. How has Jesus impacted you, and how are you responding?

Maybe today you need to do what John did: begin each day in the Spirit, praying and meditating on the powerful word of God.

As a church, let us reorient our hearts to worship Jesus as he is today as we read in the words of the Revelation.