Revelation 2:8–11

2:8 Smyrna, like Ephesus, was a harbor city. It was well known for its temple to the Mother Goddess. The imperial cult was present in John’s day as well, with a temple built for Emperor Tiberius (AD 14–37). The church faced opposition for its allegiance to Jesus Christ, from both the Jewish synagogue and the pagan culture. The words of Christ to the Smyrnans are surely relevant for a church alienated from its social world. Jesus reminds them that he is the “first and the last,” echoing 1:17. As we saw there (cf. comment on 1:17), only God is the first and the last, and thus the divinity of Jesus is heralded here. Jesus Christ rules and reigns over all of history: the beginning, the end, and all points in between. The church in Smyrna isn’t the victim of fate or hostile forces. Furthermore, they have nothing to fear, for they belong to the one who triumphed over death. Jesus was put to death through the instigation of Jews by the hands of Romans—the same threats menacing the Smyrnan church (cf. 2:9). Nevertheless, Jesus conquered death as he rose from the grave. Since the Smyrnan Christians belong to Jesus, they will share his destiny and enjoy life forever.

2:9 Jesus encourages and challenges the church at Smyrna in verses 9–10. He knows and understands their situation. They face “tribulation,” i.e., pressure and trouble, because of their commitment to Jesus Christ. More specifically, they struggle with poverty. Those who don’t align with the beast are not permitted to buy and sell (13:17), while those who side with Babylon enjoy the dazzling riches and luxuries of this world (cf. 18:4, 7, 9, 11–16, 19). Yet, even though the Smyrnan believers are impoverished physically, they are spiritually rich. Their experience echoes David’s words: “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound” (Ps. 4:7).

The church is also the object of condemnation and slander from the Jewish synagogue. Judaism was a legal religion under the Roman Empire, and the Christian movement for many years lived under the protection of the Jewish banner. Presumably, however, the Jews who belonged to the synagogue in Smyrna, which had a large Jewish community, were reporting the Smyrnan Christians to the local authorities, declaring that they weren’t members of the synagogue, weren’t truly Jews, and didn’t deserve legal protection. But such Jews were not really God’s people, says John. Instead they were a “synagogue of Satan” (cf. Rev. 3:9; John 8:44; Rom. 2:28–29; Gal. 6:15). John’s words are quite astonishing and may even sound hateful and anti-Semitic to our ears. But we need to recognize that John himself was Jewish and had no animus per se against Jews. Indeed, he would probably be shocked to learn that his words have been used down through the ages to persecute and mistreat Jews. When John wrote these words, the Jews in Smyrna had social and political power while the church was at the bottom of the cultural ladder. John didn’t write these words to incite hatred against the Jews. He wrote them to comfort the church. Believers of Christ in Smyrna might have been tempted to join the local synagogue to escape persecution. John warned them against such a move: it would have meant joining with those who renounced Jesus as the Christ, so they must resist that temptation at all costs.

2:10 The church in Smyrna is now issued a challenge. It is summoned not to fear what it is about to suffer (cf. Matt. 10:28). When John says “the devil is about to throw some of you into prison,” the reference to the “synagogue of Satan” in verse 9 should be recalled. Most likely, the Devil would bring about these imprisonments through the agency of the Jews who were slandering Christians as disloyal citizens (cf. comment on Rev. 2:9). Still, God reigns and rules even in such circumstances. The word “tested” means “tempt” from the Devil’s perspective but “test” from God’s. The Devil meant their imprisonment for evil, but God intended it for good, testing the believers in their suffering. Their trials were intended to make them stronger and more mature as believers (cf. Rom. 5:3–5; James 1:2–4; 1 Pet. 1:6–7).

However, the suffering inflicted by the Devil has a limit; it will last only “ten days.” The number isn’t literal, for apocalyptic literature regularly uses numbers symbolically. The point is that the suffering won’t last forever. This doesn’t necessarily mean the believers would be released from prison, for the next line says they must be prepared to die. The ten days, then, refers to a limited period of time. The suffering in this world is always for a “little while” (cf. 1 Pet. 1:6; 5:10) compared to the final everlasting reward.

Still, the challenge is sobering. The Smyrnans were called to be “faithful unto death.” Their devotion to Jesus means he rules over every part of their lives. If they are faithful, Jesus will give them the “crown of life,” an image of a garland wreath. James promises the same reward to those who endure testing (James 1:12; cf. 1 Cor. 9:25; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 5:4). The word “life” is appositional to crown; hence the crown is eternal life. The crown isn’t a reward above and beyond eternal life, as the next verse makes clear. The reward, the crown, is life itself. Just as Jesus triumphed over death and is the ever-living one (Rev. 1:18), so too the believers in Smyrna will never die if they are willing to give their lives for the sake of Jesus Christ.

2:11 The words to Smyrna are the words of the Holy Spirit, addressed to and applicable to all the churches: the one who “conquers,” the one who overcomes, will not be injured by the “second death.” John uses the phrase “second death” three other times (20:6, 14; 21:8) and identifies it as the lake of fire. It clearly refers to punishment in hell, and thus we have further evidence that the “crown of life” (2:10) refers to eternal life. The Ephesians are promised eternal life if they conquer; they will enjoy the tree of life in paradise (2:7). Now John communicates the same truth in another way: Those who conquer won’t suffer the second death. They will die physically, but they will be spared the second death—eternal death, separation from God forever (cf. 14:9–11).