The Seven Churches of Revelation: Part Two {Smyrna}

The Seven Churches of Revelation, also known as the Seven Churches of Asia,  are seven major churches of Early Christianity.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ instructed John to “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” Revelation 1:11

Each of these churches existed in Roman province of Asia at the time that John wrote the letters. However, these letters were not only written for each individual church, but they were written as letter to God’s people across the span of time. The messages found in these seven letters apply to Christians today as do all the other letters or books of the Bible. Furthermore, these seven letters have additional application to God’s church in seven different eras, beginning with apostolic days and ending with the return of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16, 17 tells us: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

I have a handy chart that you can print detailing the different aspects of The Seven Churches of Revelation.

• You can find the rest of the series here.

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Smyrna: Era of Persecution

The Church of Smyrna correlates to the church era from about 100 A.D. through 313 A.D. during a time when persecution and martyrdom was widespread. The Roman empire hated Christians and made it their mission to destroy Christianity. Many of God’s faithful people were burned at the stake, fed to lions, decapitated, and slaughtered. God’s people during this time were very faithful – even unto death. They were so faithful that Jesus had no reproof for them! Instead He encouraged them to not be afraid and promised that they would receive everlasting life.

“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” Revelation 2:10

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” Revelation 2:11

Holding that in the Bible a prophetic day equals a year, {Ezekiel 4:6} the ten days found in Revelation 2:10 above was probably the ten years of unprecedented bloody persecution under the roman ruler Diocletian from 302 A.D. to 312 A.D.

In this last hour of history, we need to be like the people of Smyrna. Faithful even unto death! There is a time of trouble coming and our faith will be tested just like those who lived during this terrible time for Christians – maybe even more so! Jesus said:

“Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” Matthew 24:21,22

Do you trust Jesus unto death? Job 13:15 says: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”

I want to be that faithful. I want to have that kind of faith! What is holding you {and me} back from that kind of faith?

• You can find the rest of the series here.

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