Rev. 2:8 And to the angel of the church of Smyrna write; these things say the First and the Last which was dead yet is alive.

What is the church of Smyrna?

The city of Smyrna was a great city of trade. It was also known for pagan worship and the temples built for those false gods. This city is on the Aegean coast and is known today as a city in Turkey. Smyrna is named for Myrrh the resin used to embalm bodies and one of the three gifts the wisemen brought Jesus.

This city was the first to start Emperor worship in the Roman empire. This made the temperature ripe for the persecution of Christians. This church was one that Jesus did not have anything bad to say towards because of their faithfulness. But there are some dire warnings that we will talk about in the next section. But this was brought on because they would not give in and worship Ceasar as God.

What are some of the warnings?

Jesus tells them that they are going to suffer for His name’s sake. The devil was going to throw some of them into prison and they would be there for a period of time. This was being done to test their faith. This reminds us of Job, who suffered for the glory of God. The thing to remember is that God restrained Satan then and He restrains Him now. God gives boundaries that Satan cannot pass.

This suffering again is because of these saints work for God, and the knowledge of the false teachers and their rejection of them. These people were poor by worldly standards but rich in faith. The church of Smyrna should be held up for us to immolate. The long-suffering of this church is rewarded by the crown of life which was given after this period of suffering that they were going through.

What is the crown of life?

An athlete of the day who became a champion would receive a crown of leaves. Jesus is offering a crown of life. The first crown would fade and die. The second last for an eternity. It is a way of saying they were champions for their faith, and it would be known in heaven. The first step in this process was to know Jesus on a personal level. Giving Him preeminence in your heart. Do you know Him as Lord and Savior? Let today be the day that you allow Him to start this relationship.