Pre-Introduction

You’ll need to stick with me this morning. The sermon will not be longer than usual, but we are going to take the scenic route to get where are we are going.

There is a very intriguing (and important) story told in chapters 22 through 24 of the book of Numbers. The story is too long to read here, but I’d like to summarize it before reading a brief passage from Numbers 25.  The reason is that it is hard to understand our sermon text for today (which is the letter to the church in Pergamum found in Revelation 2:12-17) without first knowing something about this story found in Numbers.

The book of Numbers, among other things, tells the story of Israel’s forty year period of wilderness wandering. The people of Israel had been rescued from Egypt – the book of Exodus tells us all about that. Laws were given to them at Sinai – the book of Leviticus is concerned mainly with that. And the book of Numbers begins by telling of Israel’s preparations for leaving Mt. Sinai to move towards the Promised Land. It records for us of the failures of Israel in the wilderness, including their refusal to take possession of the Promised Land under Moses’ leadership. The book then concludes with Israel forty years later again on the boarder of the Promised Land, this time being lead by a new generation of leaders with Joshua at the head. The conquest would soon follow.

What is made clear in the book of Numbers is that the people of God under the Old Covenant were constantly assaulted both from without and from within as they sojourned in that desert place.

Does that theme sound familiar to you? It should! The book of Revelation tells the same story but in a different way, using a different genre. And in Revelation is not Israel, but the church, that is being assaulted from without and within. the books are very different, but it is important to see the commonality that exists between the two books.

Remember that in the days that the book of Numbers describes the people of God had just been redeemed from bondage in Egypt, they had their sights set on the Promised Land, but they had not yet laid ahold of it. It was as good as theirs – it had been promised to them by the God who had accomplished their redemption – but the full and actual attainment of that Promised Land was future to them. They were sojourners wandering in the wilderness and without a home.

I hope that you can see how Israel’s earthly and physical experience of redemption followed by sojourning and their eventual attainment of the Promised Land function as a type – a foreshadowing, or earthly picture – of the spiritual experience that the people of God have through faith in Jesus the Christ.

The New Testament makes much of this connection. It makes explicit the connection between the redemption of Israel from Egypt under Moses and our redemption from the dominion of sin, Satan, and death under Jesus the Christ, who is the one greater than Moses.

The New Testament also makes explicit the connection between Israel’s attainment of the Promised Land under the conquest of Joshua and our attainment of the true, perfect, and eternal “Promised Land” (the new heavens and new earth) under Jesus the Christ, who is the greater Joshua.

So do you see how the historical events experienced by Israel long ago – though they were real and significant events in their own right, and though God was indeed at work amongst his people then – also functioned typologically. They were real events (not just stories with metaphorical meaning). But they were events that managed to also point forward to greater things yet to come. God used Moses to save his people from Egypt – but through Christ he would save his people from sin, Satan, and death itself. Also, God used Joshua to lead his people into the Promised Land – but through Jesus the Christ the people of God will be brought safely into the eternal kingdom, the new heavens and new earth, the archetypal, quintessential, land of promise.

This is how we are to read the Old Testament, friends. Real history, yes! But also redemptive history. It is “redemptive” in that real acts of redemption were accomplished by God then, but in such a way that those acts also pointed forward to greater acts of redemption yet to come. This is why Jesus could speak to those men that he met on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection showing them how everything written in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms found their fulfillment in him.

I’ve already mentioned how Israel’s deliverance from Egypt mirrors our deliverance from the dominion of sin, Satan, and death. And I’ve already highlighted how Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land under Joshua corresponds to the greater victory that Jesus has won for us, securing our entrance into that quintessential land of promise – the new heavens and the new earth. But understand that the wilderness wanderings of Israel also correspond to something. That forty year period of desert wandering – that time of sojourning, where the people of Israel were fed with hidden manna and drank water from the rock – corresponds to the age in which we now live. Their experience mirrors ours. Our redemption has been accomplished by Christ, we look forward to the land of promise, but we are not there yet. We, like Israel in the wilderness, are sojourners.

And “I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:1–11, ESV)

The history of Israel in the wilderness – though real and significant in and of itself – was recorded as an example for you and me and for all “on whom the end of the ages has come”, for our sojourning corresponds to theirs. Theirs was prototypical. Ours is archetypical.

I speak of these relatively complex things because I know that some of you are interested in them. I also believe that there is something substantial here to be considered. Understanding the relationship between what happened under the Old Covenant and what is happening under the New is important. I encourage you to ponder these things further. But perhaps a simpler way to put all of this would be to say that the Old Testament rocks! The stories contained there are awesome! And they are useful to the people of God today. They certainly apply to us.

In Numbers 22 we come to an especially intriguing story. Israel was on the move in the wilderness. They had grown strong and they had began to conquer kings and kingdoms. As they approached the plains of Moab, the people of Moab began to tremble, for they had heard of what Israel had done to the Amorites. Balak, the king of Moab, came out to see the encampment of Israel, and when it he saw it, he trembled. The people of God we many in number and they were strong. Balak knew that he could not stand before them in battle and so he began to conspire to defeat Israel by other means.

He called upon Balaam the son of Beor, who was a highly regarded prophet (from our perspective he was a false prophet), and he asked him to come and to curse Israel. He promised him great treasures should he come out to curse the encampment of Israel. He spoke to Balaam, saying, “Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed” (Numbers 22:6, ESV). By the way, we should be reminded here of the promise that God spoke to Abram long before this time, saying,

“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3, ESV).

Balak the king of Moab was dead wrong. He thought that Balaam had the power to bless and to curse the nation. In fact, only God has that authority. That night the Lord God appeared to the false prophet, Balaam, in a dream, saying , “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed” (Numbers 22:12, ESV).

This got Balaam’s attention. At first he refused to go, saying, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you” (Numbers 22:13, ESV), but Balak persisted, sending more honorable men to him and bribing him with more money until Balaam agreed to go.

The story that follows is fascinating. The short of it is that, though Balaam set out to curse Israel, being motivated by the promise of fame and fortune, the Lord restrained him all along the way. Balaam was restrained from cursing Israel and instead he was moved to bless Israel three times over.

Ironically the three oracles uttered by Balaam contain some of the most beautiful prophesies in all of scripture concerning the coming of the Christ. God used this godless man – this false prophet who was bent on speaking evil for personal gain – to pronounce blessings upon the people he had blessed (Israel), and to curse those whom he had cursed (Moab). Incredible.  

By the way, do you remember the story of Balaam’s donkey speaking to him along the way as the Angel of the Lord appeared to hinder Balaam’s purposes? What do you think the point of that story is? Is it not that God has the power to make his creatures say what he wants them to say? It was true of Balaam’s donkey, and it was also true of Balaam himself. Both were used as God’s mouthpiece, as unlikely as it was.

While it is true that Balaam ended up pronouncing three blessing upon Israel, and though it is true that he was used by God to prophesy concerning the blessed future of Israel and the eventual arrival of the Christ, it would be wrong to assume that Balaam’s heart was turned to the Lord. He was still “a donkey of a man”. He was still a false prophet – a godless heathen man – and no friend of Israel.

This becomes exceedingly clear when we read in Numbers 31:16. There we learn that, though Balaam was restrained from cursing Israel, pronouncing blessings instead, he did advice Balak the king of Moab concerning how to do harm to Israel. And what was his advice? How could Moab defeat Israel if not through direct warfare? How could Moab win the victory over Israel if not by the sword?

Balaam was as cunning as a serpent. He advised Balak the king of Moab to take a different approach. He advised him to send attractive Moabite women into the midst of Israel’s camp to tempt the men to commit sexual immorality in order to draw them away from the worship of the one true God and into idolatry – the worship of the gods of Moab.

It worked.

Let us give ourselves now to the reading of God’s holy word.

Old Testament Reading: Numbers 25:1-5

“While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These [the daughters of Moab] invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people [of Israel] ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.’ And Moses said to the judges of Israel, ‘Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor’” (Numbers 25:1–5, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 2:12-17

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it’” (Revelation 2:12–17, ESV).

Introduction

I know that I have been up in the clouds this morning, painting with large brush strokes, taking a very long time to introduce the sermon text for today by talking mainly about other passages. I pray that you can see why I have done so. And I pray that we would have the wisdom to understand and apply the letter to Pergamum found here in Revelation 2.

Notice that Christ again spoke the church saying “I know”. This is true of each of the seven letters. Christ knows. He is not ignorant concerning the condition and situation of his churches. He walks in the midst of us to inspect. He sees all. He knows all. Nothing is hidden from his sight.

To Pergamum he said, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.” Evidently Pergamum was a difficult place to be a Christian. Satan’s throne was there. This, of course, is not to be taken literally. It is symbolic language which communicates that Christians in that place were living in extremely hostile territory.

Let me tell you a few things about the city Pergamum. It was, to quote Beale,

“a center of Roman government and pagan religion in the Asia Minor. It was the first city in Asia Minor to build a temple to a Roman ruler (Augustus) and the capital of the whole area for the cult of the emperor. The city proudly referred to itself as the ‘temple warden’ (νεωκόρος) of a temple dedicated to Caesar worship. Life in such a politico-religious center put all the more pressure on the church to pay public homage to Caesar as a deity, refusal of which meant high treason to the state. Furthermore, Pergamum was also a center of pagan cults of various deities. For example, the cult of Asclepius, the serpent god of healing, was prominent in Pergamum; the serpent symbol of Asclepius also became one of the emblems of the city and may have facilitated John’s reference to ‘the throne of Satan’(cf. 12:9; 20:2!). Zeus, Athene, Demeter, and Dionysus were also gods receiving significant cultic attention. The reference to ‘Satan’s throne’ may also have been brought to mind because of the conical hill behind Pergamum which was the site of many temples, prominent among which was the throne-like altar of Zeus, which itself would have been sufficient to arouse the thought of the devil’s throne. [Revelation]13:2 says that Satan gave the ‘beast’ ‘his throne and great authority’ (cf. 16:10); thus Satan works through the ungodly, earthly political power in Pergamum to persecute God’s people…”

The church in Pergamum was certainly living in a very hostile environment. The evil was active and powerful there.

Notice that Pergamum is first of all commended. They stood strong in the face of persecution, even to the point of death. Again, persecution was not widespread and continuous at this time, but would flare up from time to time. Christ commends Pergamum for their faithfulness in the face of persecution. He specifically mentions their faithfulness in the “days of Antipas.”  He said,  “yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” We know nothing of Antipas except that he was killed for the faith. The church stood with him and would not deny the faith either. They held fast to the name of Christ.

But all was not well at Pergamum. Though they were strong to withstand the threat of the sword, they were internally compromised. Sounds to me a lot like Israel as they encamped on the plains of Moab. Strong to stand against the sword, but compromised internally.

Christ rebuked them in verse 14, saying, “But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”

Some say that there were two groups threatening the church in Pergamum: the Balaam like group and the Nicolaitans. But it is better, I think, to see that there was one group threatening their integrity, that is, the Nicolaitans. These Nicolaitans were teaching something similar to that which Balaam taught to Balak as recorded in the book of Numbers. The Nicolaitans were, in one way or another, encouraging the Christians in Pergamum to compromise in regard to to sexual immorality and idolatry. The words “so also” at the beginning of verse 15 should be understood in this way, I think.

It’s as if Christ said to the Christians in Pergamum, do you remember that false prophet Balaam? Do you remember how he was restrained from cursing Israel directly as they encamped on the plains of Moab? And do you remember how Israel was strong to stand against the sword of Moab and how Balak was powerless against him? But don’t forget how Balak brought Israel low by another means. He followed Balaam’s advice to seduce God’s people to commit sexual immorality and idolatry. That is what the Nicolaitans are doing to you! Tolerate them no longer. 

It is not hard to imagine what the Nicolatians were teaching. I’m sure that they, seeing all of the trouble that their Christians friends were facing because they would not bow to Caesar, nor offer a pinch of incense on the alter, nor participate in the festivals at the pagan temples, began to reason thus: Just bend the knee. Just offer up the incense. Just go the festival and play along. It will be easier for you. You’ll advance in this society. Your reputation will improve with the trade guilds. You’ll grow prosperous. Certainly the persecution will cease if you just go with the flow! What harm is there in these things. After you’re saved by grace through faith in Christ! Go ahead. Bend knee. Run with the crowd. Go along with the culture. Be quite about the faith, and be done with all of this trouble you are now experiencing. It will be easier for you to go this way. 

Some, but not all, within the church held to this teaching, but the church at large was called to repent. What were they to do? They were to confront those who held to the teaching and, through the process of church discipline, put them out of the church. They were do what the Ephesian church was doing well. The Ephesians, remember, “[could not] bear with those who [were] evil, but… tested those who [called] themselves apostles and [were] not, and found them to be false” (Revelation 2:2, ESV). Also the Ephesians were commended for “[hating] the works of the Nicolaitans, which [Christ] also [hated]” (Revelation 2:6, ESV).

The church at Pergamum was to repent. If not, Christ threatened to “come to [them] soon and war against them with the sword of [his] mouth” (Revelation 2:16, ESV). Notice how Christ is introduced to this church. Verse 12 says,  “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword” (Revelation 2:12, ESV), this image being drawn from the description of the “one like a son of man” who walks in the midst of the lampstands in 1:16.

Christ will judge the world at the end of time with the sword of his mouth. But do you see that he comes in judgement even now? Christ will war against those who are false within the church. This also coincides with the Israel’s experience on the plains of Moab, doesn’t it? When Israel refused to repent, and when the leadership of Israel failed to purge the evil from the midst of them, the Lord himself warred against the people sending a plague that consumed 24,000. It was the zeal of  “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, [that] turned back [God’s] wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with [God’s] jealousy among them, so that [God] did not consume the people of Israel in [his] jealousy” (Numbers 25:10–11, ESV).

Our God is a jealous God, friends. He is jealous with a perfect, holy, and righteous kind of jealousy. There is a kind of jealously that is sinful. It is sinful to be jealous for the wrong things. It is sinful to be jealous in the wrong way, or to be driven by jealously to do wrong. But there is a kind of jealously that is right. I am jealous for my wife, for example. And it is right that I am! She belongs to me, and I belong to her. We are bound together in a covenant bond. It is right for me to be jealous for her. It would be wrong for me not to, for she is mine and I am hers.

And don’t you see that we are in covenant with God? Under the Old Covenant Israel was God’s chosen people. Under the New it is all who have faith in Christ from amongst the Jews and gentiles. We, the church, are the bride, he the bridegroom. And he is jealous for us with a holy jealousy.

This is why it is such a heinous thing for us to give our worship to other things, to set up idols in the heart and to bow before them. “Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:23–24, ESV).

Some in Pergamum had compromised in this regard. They had believed the lie that they could pledge their allegiance to Christ and to the world. They believed the lie of the Nicolaitan’s that they could practice sexual immorality and bow before idols and still follow Christ. The truth is that if we are Christ’s we are to be his exclusively.

Not only does Christ threaten those who are unfaithful, but also promises rewards to those who overcome. “To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it” (Revelation 2:17, ESV).

The mention of manna should again take our minds back Israel’s wilderness wanderings. They were to sojourn ever trusting in God to provide their daily bread. So are we. God will provide all that we need. There is no need to compromise by selling out to the world.

White stones were used in ancient times for a number of purposes, often to grant entrance into some event. To be given a white stone by Christ suggests the right to enter into heaven. But notice that this white stone has a “new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” This speaks to the fact that Christ knows us intimately and by name.  We enjoy a covenantal relationship with him. And it is a new name. Christ transforms us. He gives us a new life in him, and a new name. Abram became Abraham; Sarai was named Sarah; Saul became Paul; Cepheus became Peter. Why? Because God had called them to himself, had renewed them, and was now using them for his purposes. This is true of all who belong to Christ.

Conclusion 

Friend, does your heart belong solely to Christ, or are you compromised? Do you worship him alone, or have you given your love to many lovers, bending the knee to idols?

Let us be aware of the schemes of the evil one, seeing that if he cannot get us one way he will try another. Let us be particularly mindful of the seduction of Balaam who seeks to draw our hearts away from the living God by way of sexual immorality.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’ For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?” (Hebrews 3:12–18, ESV)

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Old Testament Reading: Daniel 1

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, ‘I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.’ Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ‘Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 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.’ So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 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. So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus” (Daniel 1, ESV).

New Testament Reading: Revelation 2:8-11

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 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. 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’” (Revelation 2:8–11, ESV).

Introduction

Here we come to the second of seven letters in the book of Revelation written to seven churches located in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) in A.D. 90. Each letter is from Jesus the Christ. Each letter is addressed “to the angel” of the particular local church. I take this to be a reference to an angelic being who is responsible to serve that particular church – local churches have heavenly support, that is the point, I think. And each letter addresses challenges being experienced in these local churches. Each church is challenged in some way. These were real local churches, made up of real people – members and officers, who were experiencing real challenges. But we should remember that the challenges faced by these churches were not unique to them, but are common to all churches living at all times and in all places. These seven churches, therefore, represent all churches (numbers have symbolic force in Revelation). This is why each letter concludes with these words, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:11, ESV). “Churches” is plural. The letter to Smyna, therefore, applied, not only to them, but is to be considered by all churches, including ours. My prayer for us is that we would have “ears to hear” – that we would consider carefully the words of Christ to see if we are a healthy church deserving of commendation, or an unhealthy one deserving rebuke.

First, a few words about Smyrna.

Smyrna was a city located about 50 miles to north of Ephesus. There was a strong Jewish population in that city. And the city was especially proud of their allegiance to Rome.

It should be noticed that the troubles threatening the church in Smyrna were very different from the troubles threatening Ephesus, located only 50 miles to the south. While Ephesus was threatened by false teachers from without and within, and having lost their love for one another, the saints in Smyrna were a persecuted, poor, and slandered group. One thing made clear by the letters to the seven churches is that the assaults that come against the church of Christ are varied. Some assume that the only (or perhaps the main) threat to the church of Christ is persecution. Americans seem particularly fearful of persecution, perhaps because it is so foreign to us. People tend to fear the unknown and the unfamiliar. But we should remember that persecution is not the only thing that threatens Christ’s church. There are other things that threaten. Our enemy is cunning.

In Smyrna the threat was indeed persecution. Some of them would indeed be put to death for their faith. But it should be remembered that Smyrna is one of two churches of which Jesus has nothing negative to say. Never does Jesus utter the words, “but I have this against you…” to Smyrna. Persecution can indeed have a devastating effect upon the church. It is a not entirely right to say that persecution always makes the church stronger. But often times it does. Persecution often has a purifying effect upon the bride of Christ.

What can we learn from Smyrna? That is the question before us this morning.

A Healthy Church Will Remain Faithful Even In The Face Of Persecution

One thing is clear: we learn that a healthy church is one that will remain faithful even in the face of persecution.

And notice that persecution – mistreatment from others – takes a variety of forms. Here we have mention of  physical persecution, even unto death. The Christians in Smyrna were indeed facing this kind of persecution – physical persecution even to the point of death.

It is in verse 9 that Jesus the Christ speaks to them saying, “I know your tribulation…” (Revelation 2:9, ESV). Remember that Jesus says, “I know” to each of the seven churches. “I know”, he says. “I am not unaware”. “These troubles of yours are not hidden from my sight”. What a comfort this is! When we face trouble in this life we inevitably ask the question, where is God in relation to this trouble I am facing? Is he far off? Is he unaware? Am I too small and insignificant for him to take notice of my trouble? Christ puts this ridiculous thought to rest, saying to each of the churches, “I know…”

He is not unaware of your trouble, and he was not unaware of the trouble that the Christians in Smyrna were facing. He knew of their tribulation, and he spoke to them, saying, “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” (Revelation 2:10, ESV). At the end of verse 11 he adds, “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11, ESV).

It should be recognized that persecution in the early days of the church was rarely widespread and ongoing, but would flair up from time to time in certain places and, by the grace of God, would die down. Here Christ warns the Christians in Smyrna that they are about suffer an intense onslaught of persecution that would last but a short time. “Do not fear what you are about to suffer”, he says.

And who is the one motivating the persecution? Christ says, it is “the devil”! “The devil is about to throw some of you into prison”, he says. Of course it would be the Romans who would actually throw them into prison – that is what the Christians would see. Roman soldiers would lock them up. And the Romans would do so being encouraged by the Jews in that city – that is also what they would see. But it is the devil, or Satan, who motives it all – this they are to see with eyes of faith. Remember, things are not always as they appear. There is a spiritual realm that lies behind this world that we see. There is a battle that rages there – one that motivates and inspires the events that transpire in human history. The book of Revelation was written to, in part, reveal the realities of that word to us, though we cannot see it with our natural eyes.

The devil, or Satan, will appear again in the book of Revelation. Later he will be symbolized by a great dragon. He is portrayed as the archrival of God and of the people of God. It is the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who labors to thwart the purposes of God. He is the one who motivates and empowers all that opposes Christ and his church. The beast, the false prophet, and the harlot are empowered by him. The beast symbolizes political powers that oppress. The false prophet stands for all who teach false doctrines and utter lies. The harlot stands for all of the worldly things that seduce the people of God. Together they form a false trinity. And the three are used by Satan himself to war against Christ and his church.

Friends, we are only to the second of seven letters to seven churches who were alive in A.D. 90. And we have already been shown concrete examples of the the activity of these three. Ephesus was hard pressed by the false prophet. False teaching threatened them from without and within. Ephesus was also tested by the harlot through the teaching of the Nicolaitans who tempted the saints to compromise in regard to sexual immorality and idolatry. And it is here in Smyrna that we see the handiwork of the beast. The saints are persecuted – imprisoned and even put to death – at the hands of an oppressive government. But who is behind it all? The dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan is the one behind these three. This is why Christ speaks in this way, saying, “the devil is about to throw some of you into prison.”

And why was this allowed to happen? Why did Christ permit it? We cannot say that he was caught off guard, for he knows! And we cannot say that he was lacking in power to stop it, for “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to” him (Matthew 28:18). He is the son of man with all dominion and authority having been given to him by the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7). The evil one is not outside of his authority. The serpent was defeated at Christ’s first coming. He is indeed a strongman, but he is bound by Christ – restrained and restricted – under is his sovereign power. The fact that this persecution endured by the Christians in Smyrna was limited to “10 days” testifies to the reality that Christ rules and reigns even now over the evil one. Satan is a vicious advisory, but he is a chained and restrained advisory. The strong arm of Christ holds him at back from having his was amongst the nations. He is active but bound.

We must admit, then, that Christ permits our suffering. But why? The scriptures do not reveal all to us, but Christ does reveal to Smyrna that this suffering would come upon them so that “[they] may be tested” (Revelation 2:10, ESV). The persecution was permitted so that, among other things, the saints be tested. Testing refines our faith. Testing strengthens our faith. The Lord has promised that he will “not let [us] be tempted beyond [our] ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that [we] may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13, ESV). But he does allow us to be tested, this being for his glory and our good.

Peter had a lot to say about suffering in his letters. So much for the silly idea that God’s will for our lives is that we be healthy and wealthy. I can’t think of a doctrine more out of step with the tone an tenor of the Old and New Testaments. Listen to 1 Peter 1:3-9:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:3–9, ESV)

Persecution is permitted so that our faith be tested – strengthened and refined to the praise and glory of God.

Notice that Christ promises that the evil one would be restrained and that the tribulation would be only for a limited time. In the middle of verse 10 Christ says, “For ten days you will have tribulation”.

Should ten days be taken literally? I think not. Remember that this book is filled with symbols. The numbers in this book tend to have symbolic force. There is no historical evidence to support the idea that the saints in Smyrna endured only a “ten day” period of persecution. Instead it is wise to ask, what does the number 10 symbolize, or what does it have reference to.

The number 10 can be understood as a number of completion. How many commandments are there? There are 10 commandments which summarize completely God’s moral law. We will encounter multiples of 10, or other significant numbers multiplied by 10, throughout Revelation. The number 1,000 is significant in Revelation 20, for example. By the way, a careful student of the Bible would be wise to compare the content of Revelation 20 with the letter to the church in Smyrna. We do not have the time, but there are many parallels having to do with martyrdom, the first and second death, and the enjoyment of life with Christ after death – we will come to that passage in the months to come. For now know that I take “10 days” to symbolize a complete, limited, and brief period of time. When we come to Revelation 20 I will make a case for understanding “1,000 years” to symbolize a complete, limited, but very long period of time.

It is also important to notice the connection between the “10 days” of Revelation 2 and the “10 days” of Daniel 1, which we read at the beginning of this sermon. In Daniel 1 we are told of the 10 day period of testing that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah endures while in captivity in Babylon. It too was a period of testing. And, as we will see, the temptation that they endured was similar to the temptation that the church in Smyrna would have to endure. In both situations the temptation was to given in – to compromise – and to defile oneself with worldly things, by pledging allegiance to worldly powers. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah stood strong and the Lord provided for them. Christ is reminding the Christians in Smyrna of this by using the words “10 days” to describe the period of tribulation that was to come upon them.

The point for now is that Christ warned the Christians in Smyrna that they would soon experience a period of tribulation. It would be brief. Christ would would limit it. Some of them would be put to death.

Why would this be? It is imprint to understand something about the historical situation.

In the earliest days of the church Christians enjoyed a good deal of freedom. They were viewed by Rome as a sect of Judaism, which was a state approved religion. The Jews enjoyed certain freedoms, and the Christians were, at first, considered to be one with them. This changed over time. Christians would eventually loose the approval of the state and would be considered a threat to Roman rule and to the stability of society. They, after all, confessed Jesus as Lord, not Caesar. And they would not participate in the worship of the Roman gods.

Something else also changed. Over time the Roman Emperors began to insist upon being worshiped. Nero, who reigned from 54-68 A.D., tended in this direction. But it was Domitian, who reigned from 81-96 A.D., who insisted upon being worshiped. Once a year citizens were to offer up a pinch of incense upon the alter and to say “Caesar  is Lord”. Faithful Christians refused. Thousands were killed under Domitian’s reign. The charge was often atheism. It sounds strange to our modern ears to hear Christians charged with being atheists, but you must put yourself in ancient Rome. Christians denied the Roman gods and they refused to worship the Emperor, confessing only Jesus as Lord. This was atheism from the Roman point of view. It was a denial of the gods, and it was treasonous to the Empire. Thousands of Christians were killed under Domitian.

This is how the persecution would usually play out: The Romans rarely went “hunting” for Christians. Instead Christians in a city or town would fall into disfavor with a person or a group of people. Those people would then accuse the Christians of atheism or treason and insist that they be put to the test. Perhaps the accusations were politically motivated. Perhaps they were religiously motivated. Perhaps a person would simply grow envious and, therefore, seek the harm of his advisory. The Roman government would be used as a persecuting force. The Christian would be asked to say “Caesar is Lord” and to offer up the incense. Punishment would follow if they refused – sometimes death.

In Smyrna it was the Jews who were motivating the persecution against the Christians. It’s not hard to understand the tension between the two groups. The Christians believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the long awaited King of the Jews. The non-believing Jews considered this to be blasphemy. And the Jews certainly had the upper hand in this. Judaism was a recognized and state approved religion. Christianity was not. The Christians were very vulnerable. The Jews knew that the  Christians would not bow to Rome and they used this against them, bringing them to the attention of the authorities.

The language is very strong against the Jews in this passage, and we must be careful with it. Never should Christians encourage or condone violence against any religion or group of people. That way is completely contrary to the way of Christ. Indeed it must be admitted that terrible things have been done in the past in the name of Christ. Christians should denounce these acts with all that is in them. The Kingdom of Christ does not advance by the sword, but by the word and Spirit. This fundamental fact has been sadly overlooked by many in the history of the church. Never should the strong language in this passage be used to justify acts of violence. But neither should the language be ignored.

The unbelieving Jews – notice that this has nothing to do with race, but with beliefs and behavior – are called “a synagogue of Satan”. The word synagogue means “assembly or congregation”. We use the word “church” to refer to our gathering together. The Jews gathered in synagogues. And, ironically, they are called the “synagogue of Satan”. It is ironic because under the Old Covenant the Jewish people were set apart as God’s people, but here they are found serving Satan. How could this be? It came to be when these Jews rejected Christ as their Messiah and, in fact, began to persecute the people of God, namely, the church – that is, all who had believed upon Christ, both Jew and Gentile. Once again, this has nothing to do with race. It has everything to do with belief and behavior. The Jews in Smyrna were showing themselves to be a “synagogue of Satan” through their rejection of God’s Messiah and through their persecution of God’s people. They were shown to be on the wrong side of things.

Ethnicity does not matter under the New Covenant. Physical birth means nothing. What matters is faith followed by obedience. In pride the Jews say, “we are the people of God given our heritage.” The New Testament has a different opinion. Paul puts it most succinctly, saying, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:28–29, ESV). This is why the New Testament constantly uses Old Testament language that was once reserved for Israel and applies it to the church, which is made of of Jew and gentile. The church is the Israel of God (see Galatians 6:16). We have already seen an example of this in Revelation! It is the Jewish Menorah – the sacredlamp stand burned bright in the Jewish temple for centuries – that is used to symbolize the Christian church, made up of Jews and gentiles.

It is not surprising to me that the Jewish people, still to this day, think themselves to be the “people of God” on the basis of their ethnicity. For them the Old Testament scriptures are authoritative, not the New. For them, nothing changed when Jesus of Nazareth died, for in their view he was a common man and nothing more. They are still waiting for the Messiah. What is surprising to me is that many Christians still have this opinion of them, thinking that they, the Jews, are God’s people by virtue of their ethnicity. I want to ask Christians who have this view, have you read the New Testament? Do you not see that the Christ has come? And you do know that the promises made to Abraham have been fulfilled, that through his physical descendent the blessings of the Messiah have come to all the peoples of the earth (Genesis 12). There is no longer Jew and gentile – indeed, it is all who are in Christ by faith who are the people of God. “For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named’” (Romans 9:6–7, ESV).

“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist” (Romans 4:16–17, ESV).

So do you understand how it was that the church in Smyrna was experiencing persecution? The evil one used the Jewish people there to oppose the people of God (those who confessed that Jesus is the Christ). They, wishing to do them harm, brought it to the attention of Rome that these Christians would not bow to Caesar. When they refused to bow the knee – when they refused to say, “Caesar is Lord” or to offer up the pinch of incense, they were imprisoned and even put to death.

Last week I sent you all a document from the early church entitled “The Martyrdom of Polycarp”. I would encourage you to read it. The word describes the killing of Polycarp who was a Bishop, or pastor, in Smyrna in the middle of the second century A.D. He died in Smyrna at the hands of the Romans some 50 or 60 years after the book of Revelation was written. It’s a fascinating work which helps us to understand what was going on in this region in those days.

It should noticed that there are different forms of persecution. Death is the most extreme form. But the Christians in Smyrna were also slandered. To slander someone is to speak evil against them to damage their reputation. Slander is an evil thing. It really bothers me to hear slander – to hear people misrepresent the truth or tell outright lies to damage the reputation of others. This was done to the Christians in Smyrna. And we are also told that they were poor (but in fact they were rich, Christ says!). Now it may be that they were simply poor. But the contexts suggest that they were poor because of persecution. If you live in a place where Christianity is despised and you are in the minority it might be hard to get a job. This was probably the case in Smyrna.

But what were they to do in the face of this difficulty? “Do not fear”, Christ says, and “be faithful unto death.” Do not fear and be faithful. Continue steadfast to the end, even if it means that you loose your life.

Friends, this is in fact a decision that Christians all over the world have to make even up to this present day. But how can Christians stand in the face of such persecution? How can they stand in the face of death? How do they not cave in – denying Christ, bowing the knee to another, offering the “pinch of incense”, confessing “Caesar as Lord”?

Well, for one we must confess that it is the Lord who sustains them. He gives them the courage to stand in the moment of testing. But we must also recognize that those who stand have faith that is strong. They really believe that this world is not all there is. They really believe that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18, ESV). They really believe that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21, ESV). They really believe that, ironically, death means life for the one who is in Christ!

Look at how Christ encourages the Christians in Smyrna to persevere. “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10, ESV). In verse 11 he promises that “the one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11, ESV). The first death is the physical death that all humans experience. The second death is the judgment. To persevere in Christ means that, though we be stung by the first death, the second death will not touch us. And notice also how Christ introduced himself to this church: “The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life” (Revelation 2:8, ESV).

Conclusion

Do you believe it, Christian? Do you believe that Christ died and came to life? Do you believe that in him is found life everlasting? Do you believe that this world is nothing when compared with the world to come? Do you believe it?

Persecution of any kind, be it slander, loss of wealth, or physical suffering has a way of putting all of that to the test. I do wonder how many would stand. I know that Christ is able to make us stand. And I pray that we would stand, for our good and for the glory of his name.