Revelation 2:8-11
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9 “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander[a] of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 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. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
Sixty years after these words from Jesus were sent to the church in Smyrna, the bishop of that church named Polycarp, himself a student of the apostle John who penned these words in the letter we call Revelation, stood in an arena and heard the crowds cheer as the local governor threatened his life. The governor said: “I will have you burned.” Polycarp answered, “You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and is then extinguished, but you know nothing of the fire of the coming judgment and eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. Why are you waiting? Bring on whatever you want.”
Several days earlier, a young Christian man named Germanicus had stood before the governor under the same threat. When threatened with being eaten by wild animals unless he denied Christ, Germanicus responded by provoking the animals into attacking him. The crowds were amazed and cried out, “Down with the atheists! (which referred to Christians who did not worship the Roman gods) Get Polycarp!”
Polycarp had told his friends that he had a vision of a pillow under his head in flames and that he believed it meant that he was going to be burned alive and three days after that vision, soldiers found him. Polycarp had a chance to escape but refused to do so saying simply, “God’s will be done.” Once taken to the arena, the governor tried to persuade him to deny Christ saying, “Have respect for your old age (Polycarp was 86), swear by the fortune of Caesar. Repent, and say, ‘Down with the atheists!’” Polycarp, gesturing towards the crowd in the stands, said, “Down with the atheists!” The governor urged him, “reproach Christ, and I will set you free.” Polycarp responded: “86 years I have served him and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” “I have wild animals here,” the governor replied, “I will throw you to them if you do not repent.” Polycarp demanded, “Call them, it is unthinkable for me to repent from what is good to turn to what is evil. I will be glad though to be changed from evil to righteousness.” The governor replied, “If you despise the animals, I will have you burned.” Polycarp answered, “You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and is then extinguished, but you know nothing of the fire of the coming judgment and eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. Why are you waiting? Bring on whatever you want.”
The crowd collected wood and bundles of sticks and witnesses said that the Jews in attendance were eager to help. When the pile was ready, Polycarp took off his outer clothes, undid his belt, and took off his sandals. When the soldiers went to nail him to the post, he said, ‘Leave me as I am, for He that gives me strength to endure the fire, will enable me not to struggle, without the help of your nails.” The soldiers, then, simply bound his hands behind him. Looking up to heaven, he said, “O Lord God Almighty, the Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of you, the God of angels, powers and every creature, and of all the righteous who live before you, I give you thanks that you count me worthy to be numbered among your martyrs, sharing the cup of Christ and the resurrection to eternal life, both of soul and body, through the immortality of the Holy Spirit. May I be received this day as an acceptable sacrifice, as you, the true God, have predestined, revealed to me, and now fulfilled. I praise you for all these things, I bless you and glorify you, along with the everlasting Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. To you, with him, through the Holy Spirit, be glory both now and forever. Amen.”
The fire was lit, and the flame blazed furiously but witnesses said that the flames did not consume Polycarp but seemed to encircle him rather than burn him. An executioner eventually stabbed Polycarp in order that he would finally die.
Jesus says to the church in Smyrna, “I know your afflictions.”
In Smyrna, there was a temple to “Dea Roma,” which was Rome personified as a goddess, and it was the only Roman city given the honor of being allowed to build a temple for Emperor Tiberius. To worship the Roman gods- especially the Roman emperor who was treated as divine- was to proclaim loyalty to Rome, and with loyalty came benefits. Christians were seen as a stubborn group of religious zealots who risked losing the city’s favor with Rome. The crowds were, thus, happy to gather in the arena to see these Christians executed while they shouted “Down with the atheists!”
The difficulties for Christians began, however, long before they were dragged into the arena. Jesus says to the Christians in Smyrna that He knows their poverty. As a persecuted group, it would have been difficult for Christians to find jobs and make a living. Those in Smyrna may have been victims of looting like that described in Hebrews 10:34, where Christians were commended for, “joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.” In a similar way, Jesus says to those in Smyrna, “I know of your poverty but you are rich,” not at all meaning they have money in their pockets but, instead, that they were rich in their faith.
As eyewitnesses noted, Jews would join in with the crowds calling for death to the Christians, they even helped gather wood for Polycarp’s burning. Jesus says of them that, though they call themselves Jews, they were, instead, of the synagogue of Satan. We hear echoes of Jesus’ words to the Jews in John 8. He said in verses 42-45:
42 “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.”
This was not a comment on their “Jewishness” but, rather, these Jews in Jerusalem were “children of the devil” because they would not accept the truth about or from the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ. Now, the Jews in Smyrna receive the same judgment.
Despite all of this, the Christians were told not to fear: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison.” What was happening was not merely an issue of politics, nor merely an issue of religious preferences, it was, at its root, spiritual warfare. While the persecution would be carried out by Roman authorities, and while the voices of the Jews were mixed in with the crowds shouting for death to the Christians, it was, in reality, the devil who was behind it all. But they were not to fear, but be strong and faithful during these “ten days.”
Why ten days?
Why “ten days”? Was the persecution really only going to last that long? We know that is not the case as Polycarp was burned at the stake much more than 10 days after the letter was sent- it was some 60 years later. Given the way Revelation has, and will, make use of the Old Testament and, in particular the book of Daniel, it seems to make the most sense to see these “10 days” as an allusion to Daniel 1:12-15.
Nebuchadnezzar had attacked Jerusalem and taken the Jews that inhabited the city captive. Among them were Daniel and his 3 friends that we know as Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego, who were specially chosen to serve in the king’s palace. They were to be trained in literature and language and, as a part of their preparation to be useful in the palace, they were given to eat the kings’ food and his wine. We are not told exactly what it was about these food items that were a cause of concern, but Daniel and his friends felt that to eat and drink them would defile them before God. Refusing to eat them, they said,
12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's food.
These 10 days of their eating vegetables and drinking water would be a test on multiple fronts. If, at the end of the 10 days, they were weaker than the other Jews who had, presumably, agreed to eat the king’s food and drink his wine, then Nebuchadnezzar could have not only kicked them out of the palace, but imprisoned or executed them for their brashness. As Daniel said, “deal with your servants according to what you see.” It was also a test of their faithfulness to God. Would they be willing to go the whole 10 days without eating any of the kings’ food knowing what was at risk? What if they started losing weight or looking sickly compared to the others? Would they follow through? Would they stay true to their consciences before God while risking their own physical well-being? It was also a test of God’s faithfulness: Would He be faithful to them? Would He reward them for refusing to defile themselves?
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m going through my own 40 years in the wilderness”? They usually mean that they are in a period of wandering, of feeling distant from God, a dryness in their spiritual walk. They don’t mean they’ve been there for literally 40 years, but that their experience, whatever the length of time is, could be likened to the 40 years that the Jews wandered in the wilderness before entering the promised land. So it is here. Jesus is using the same type of analogy saying to the Christians in Smyrna, “You are about to enter into your own version of the 10 day test.” A time – more than 10 days for sure- during which they would be called to faithfulness in the face of calls to defile themselves by rejecting Christ. They were to “be faithful” even “unto death.”
If death does come, as it did for Polycarp, they were to face it assured that they would receive the crown of life. According to 1 Peter 5:4, this crown was the reward of eternal life to be received at Christ’s future coming. It was also, however, something they were in present possession of. Jesus will say to the church in Philadelphia (3:11) “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.”
That is what it is to be a conqueror in this spiritual war. Polycarp knew that “conquering” was not accomplished by eluding your captors, nor defeating the enemy by use of force. Rather, it was to die as one who has been faithful to the end and, in turn, to receive a crown such as the ones made of woven ivy which were given to Olympic athletes when they were victorious in the games. Those who receive such a crown not only receive honor from Christ but they have the assurance from Him that they would not be hurt by “the second death.”
What is the second death? It is described in both Revelation 20:11-15:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The devil was at work and, while he may have seemed powerful- having the governor under his control and, thus, the keys to lock believers behind the prison doors or the keys to open wide the gates to arenas so that Christians could be ushered in and publicly humiliated and executed, the Christians in Smyrna were to remember that it is Jesus who has (1:18) “the keys of death and Hades.” Jesus was in charge of opening and closing the gates to hell and, if they remained faithful, they need not fear going there.
So this was the letter to Smyrna. But it is a letter to us as well. What is it saying to you? Jesus says “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit has to say to the churches.” What is He saying?
First, we know this is not simply an encouragement, but this is a warning. Persecution of believers did not end after 10 days, and it did not end after 60 years, but it continues today. If you have not experienced it yet, it will come. And, as persecution against Christianity grows, and it becomes less and less acceptable to claim faith in Christ, if you, in the face of pressure and mocking and ridicule, are tempted to ditch Christ in order to save face, Jesus is saying that all indications are that what is waiting for you is the second death which is to be cast into hell, as it proves that, even if you have grown up in the church, you are not, and never have been, His at all. So, as Jesus says in Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” For those who have never professed faith in Christ, these words are not given just to tell a story, they are given to compel to action. They call for a response from you. If you have not placed your faith in Christ as Savior and Lord: do so. This is a warning.
But it is also an encouragement. If we are witnesses, the number one expectation we should have is persecution and suffering. This letter is an encouragement to faithfulness in the face of such things. In 1 Peter 4, we see how God uses persecution and suffering for the good of His people. Those who bring the persecution against Christians are unwitting instruments of God to strengthen and purify His church. And now here again, we are told to not fear because, although the devil is at work, he is merely an instrument in God’s hands “that you may be tested.”
Facing trials with enduring faith guarantees that your identification with Christ (cf. 1:9) is legitimate and, as a result, you can have assurance of participation in his eternal resurrection life. It is as if Jesus is saying “I want you to be sure. I want you to know, experientially, that you are mine."
Less than 20 years after this letter was written, the Roman emperor sought to squelch the spreading Christian religion. A governor of one of the Roman provinces wrote to the emperor of his plan to capture those accused of being Christians. He would, then, insist that they invoke the gods, revere with incense and wine the image of the emperor, and curse Christ. He felt assured that, in so doing, every Christian would be identified because those who were really Christians “cannot possibly be made to do any of those things.”
Those who were really Christians cannot possibly be made to reject Christ.
During the time of COVID, it came to light that our Canadian brothers and sisters are having a tough time as laws have been passed that have restricted their ability to freely worship. In light of this, one Canadian pastor made an interesting observation:
I would argue that it isn’t the experience of persecution that is changing people, it is the threat of persecution. It is the shadow of persecution. It is that thing that we feel or sense is just around the corner- how people respond to that affects their attitude and behavior. If you imagine that persecution will be unbearable then you will respond with fear. If you believe that persecution is unjust then you will respond with anger. Neither of those attitudes is terribly helpful. What we need are people of focus. People who can take their eyes off the shadow and keep them firmly fixed on the job at hand.
What is the job at hand for us? To be “faithful unto death” even when death has not come knocking quite yet. It means being faithful in light of the lesser, but no less real, pressures we face now. If we are to be faithful to death, certainly that means we are to be faithful when the worst thing we will face is ridicule and mocking? And, I think the Canadian pastor says it well, it means to stop worrying about the “what if’s.” “What if this were to happen? What if that were to happen?” Well, “What if?” Are we going to be different people then than we are now? No. In the end, that “what if’s” don’t matter. The calling on us is the same. If we are Christians, our hope is in Christ not in the ease of our lives here on earth. We do not fear what the devil may do. We remain faithful to death knowing that, in doing so, we are conquerors who will receive the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear.
Note: For the full story of the martyrdom of Polycarp, you can read the original letter from the church of Smyrna describing it here: https://ccel.org/ccel/polycarp/martyrdom_of_polycarp/anf01.iv.iv.html
From the “Christian Children’s Books that Never Made the Bestseller List” file comes this catchy title: “Preparing Your Children for Martyrdom.” Such a title sounds so outlandish as to be nearly comical to our ears but previous generations would not have thought it to be comical at all. In 1563, John Foxe published a book we now know as “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” (not the original title). Selections from it were read from pulpits in churches and in the homes of Christian families. The book describes the deaths of the apostles, those in the early church and up through the executions of Protestants by the Catholics in England. The following are some excerpts from one of the book’s most famous stories, that of Bishop Ridley and Bishop Latimer who were burned at the stake in England on October 17, 1555:
Dr. Ridley, the night before execution, was very facetious, had himself shaved, and called his supper a marriage feast; he remarked upon seeing Mrs. Irish (the keeper's wife) weep, "Though my breakfast will be somewhat sharp, my supper will be more pleasant and sweet."
When they came to the stake, Mr. Ridley embraced Latimer fervently, and bid him: "Be of good heart, brother, for God will either assuage the fury of the flame, or else strengthen us to abide it." He then knelt by the stake, and after earnestly praying together, they had a short private conversation.
Dr. Ridley being unclothed to his shirt, the smith placed an iron chain about their waists, and Dr. Ridley bid him fasten it securely; his brother having tied a bag of gunpowder about his neck, gave some also to Mr. Latimer.
A lighted stick was now laid at Dr. Ridley's feet, which caused Mr. Latimer to say: "Be of good cheer, Ridley; and play the man. We shall this day, by God's grace, light up such a candle in England, as I trust, will never be put out."
When Dr. Ridley saw the fire flaming up towards him, he cried with a wonderful loud voice, "Lord, Lord, receive my spirit." Master Latimer, crying as vehemently on the other side, "O Father of heaven, receive my soul!" received the flame as it were embracing of it. After that he had stroked his face with his hands, and as it were, bathed them a little in the fire, he soon died (as it appeared) with very little pain or none.
Well! dead they are, and the reward of this world they have already. What reward remains for them in heaven, the day of the Lord's glory, when he cometh with His saints, shall declare.
Historians have said that Foxe’s Book of Martyrs was “the greatest single influence on English Protestant thinking of the late Tudor and early Stuart period.” That sounds incredible to those of us who live in an era when the greatest single influence on Protestant thinking today could be said to be the plethora of “Christianized” self-help books that flood the Christian book marketplace declaring that God wants to bless Christians with success.
1) What effect has this difference in emphasis had on the church today? The boldness of our witness? Our expectations for what “the normal Christian life” should look like? The ease at which people claim the identity of “Christian”?
2) What role should the church/fellow believers play in encouraging Christians to consider the prospect of martyrdom and to be prepared for it?
3) Jesus said the Christians in Smyrna were to be thrown into prison “that you might be tested,” and they were to be “faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” The concept of Christians being “tested” to see if they will finish the race well is not one we talk much about. We know that the visible church will be composed of “wheat and tares” and that they will, ultimately, be separated from one another unto eternal life or to the second death but we are hesitant to actually question whether someone in our midst might not be a believer. How might the common assumption that, as long as someone has said they believe I must take them at their word, be an unloving act towards those whom we know? 2 Corinthians 13:5 says that we should: “Test yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” In what ways might we encourage one another to test ourselves to be sure that we are “in the faith”?
4) Recognizing that true martyrdom is not likely here in the United States, in what ways can we realistically approach the subject of persecution? What types of persecution can we legitimately expect today? Are you able to share any experiences with your group of how you were treated differently or harshly for your faith? How can we encourage one another to stand firm in our faith in the face of such treatment?
5) How would you approach this subject with the children in church? How should we speak of this subject to those who have expressed interest in professing faith in Christ as their Savior and Lord? What are some biblical passages that we might turn to for instruction and encouragement regarding the subject of persecution?
6) Critics of Christianity have pointed to passages such as Revelation 2:9 to say that Christians are anti-Semites. How would you respond to such a charge?
