characteristics of the church of smyrna

What Scriptures come to your mind concerning this? Have I done something to offend you? After introducing the first vision, John is commanded to write a letter to seven churches. Life is hard. At one end of its most famous street, the 'Street of Gold,' was the temple of Cybele, and at the other the temple of Zeus. They had absolutely nothing. In Jesus name, amen. He will do anything to stop good things that God is doing. This approval will take place when we as believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and He will evaluate us for all the works that we have done on this earth. Their businesses were shut down. First, the letter is the shortest of the seven, at only 90 words. The crown of life is a special reward for endurance in your persecution. What Is the Abomination of Desolation in the End Times? He is an enemy who will stop at nothing. Presumably, this church was founded during Pauls ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:10).1, The Greek word translated Smyrna was used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) to translate the Hebrew word for myrrh, a resinous substance used as a perfume for the living (Matthew 2:11) and the dead (John 19:39). The trade unions would have nothing to do with them. The first thing He promises is that they will receive the crown of life for being faithful until death. What else do we learn about those over whom the second death has no power according to Revelation 20:6? The second thing He promises is eternal life. In fact, it has been said that more Christians have lived in this region than any other Turkish city in the world. The devil may harm their physical body, but he can not do them any spiritual harm. What it tells us about Smyrna and its Christians has big implications for us today. I just thought, you have no idea.. 6. Anyone who has said I cannot earn salvation on my own so I put my faith in the blood of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for my sins. Kingdom 103: Your Goals, His Purposeand Then What? It is emphatic in the Greek. That night my roommate came in and I was telling Tina about what had happened and my plan for the next day, and how I was going to really get her. We will suffer in this life. 3. I went in and I just said, God I do not think I can do this. 7. You cant associated with us in these festivities to our gods. He does not want you to know that he loses. They could not advance in jobs. What does God want me to share with someone? How did you handle the situation? Consider this: when we are independent from Christ in our personal lives and in running our churches, we are forsaking and opposing Him. There were a lot of gods and goddesses, in addition to the emperor worship. He looks for people who oh, lets see, boy, shes always critical. She is always a gossip. She is always kind of stirring up the pot about one of the leaders saying I do not like the way he is doing this or I do not think they should. Be careful, because he is looking for someone he can just grab and go, yeah, build on that, talk that up in your church, yeah, talk about that leader. The members of the Smyrna church, though, are facing persecution because they are more focused on what God thinks than what man thinks. We need to look beyond the trial. Learn more about the rapture, the anti-christ, bible prophecy and the tribulation with articles that explain Biblical truths. He is talking about that kind of pressure that comes from when you take a heavy rock and you put it on someones chest and you press down on their chest with all your force so that it suffocates the person. How is Jesus described in verse 8 and which attribute(s) of God does His description emphasize? 4. Jun 21, 2021 42:17. He does not like it and he will unleash his wrath on this church or any group of believers because he does not want you to grow. It has been described as the most beautiful of the seven cities. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 2:11a - "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.". Be encouraged as you study the message sent to this church. Do you fear God more than people? They were dirt poor. I was ready to share Christ with anybody and, you know, I could handle this lady. These Jews were being used by him to carry out the works of Satan. Kingdom 103: Trusting in Mankind While Believing in God's Word? Throughout history, Smyrna has suffered its fair share of hardship. In 1 Peter 4:12-19, what are some lessons for life concerning suffering? They had no food. However, Jesus wanted to remind them that their sufferings would anoint them for a Christlike death and burial that could only result in an eternal resurrected life. Also, death is mentioned three times in these four verses. The Cross And Christs Suffering For Sins (1 Peter 3:18-22), 6. They were a synagogue of Satan because they were attacking the church. He says, Do not fear.. Kingdom 103: Honoring the Father Through the Son, Kingdom 103: Living in the Kingdom Culture, Kingdom 103: Power and Authority in His Name, Kingdom 103: Many Little Kingdoms, But Only One is True, Kingdom 103: Kingdom Citizens Are Examples. Pt 1, Kingdom 104: What Profit Has Righteousness in the Kingdom? 6. According to Revelation 1:11, on the Greek island of Patmos, Jesus Christ instructs John of Patmos to: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven Churches: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." The churches in this context refers to the community or local congregations of Christians living . She finally said, do you have anything you want to say? I said nope. I did not know what to say because I thought I knew I was going to cry. Anytime there is a sense of spiritual awakening or spiritual revival or the sense of the spirit of God moving in lives I will tell you, it makes Satan scream. Throughout the history of the Church the more that the Church has been persecuted the greater its purity and strength. Or they could have agreed to call Caesar Lord, knowing they could later repent. We need to look for that end result. What was Jesus message to the church in Pergamum in Revelation? We try to go it alone when Christ is beckoning us to trust in Him, go His Way, and give our fears to Him. Because I was on staff here and was one of the instructors, I had to go to all the parties, all the festivities, and all the graduation dinners. Jesus thus says in effect, you know what, I know what it is like to be persecuted by your enemies. But, we are going to experience suffering on this earth without doubt. I do not want to simply stand there. We will throw you into prison until you do. Whether you interpret these ten days as referring to a literal 10 days (I take that view), or whether you interpret it as referring to just a brief period of time, or whether you interpret those 10 days as referring to 10 periods of persecution under 10 Roman emperors, the point being made is the same. They were being slandered by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. These Jews were physical descendants of Abraham. But, the word used here means absolute poverty, possessing absolutely nothing. They were not poor. Death means separation. If you are only born once, you will die twice. If you are only born physically, you will die physically and you will die spiritually. Many believe that this church represents the martyrs of all the ages and the sweet-smelling fragrance of their faithfulness until death. Specific Messages to 7 Churches of Revelation Some of these seven churches kept closer to the gospel than others. Well, the first type of suffering they were going through is pressure. Smyrna was named for the word myrrh, an aromatic gum resin that is bitter to the taste but sweet to the smell. I was so bitter. Revelation 20:14 and Revelation 21:8 tells us that the second death is the lake of fire and brimstone. I would leave every night saying, God, why do I have to go to these events? because I did not feel like I was having a witness. What does this passage mean? Even Jesuss greeting to the church reveals His loving, personal care. What do I do about calling a priest father at my Catholic University? This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. When we refuse to heed His call, it will just be a short time until we are thrown away, given to the devil, since we are working for him anyway. According to Revelation 4:9-11, what are crowns ultimately for? 5. How can such a church be turned around? From the message to Smyrna, Christians today can glean several important truths. 1.4 . Called: Jude 1-4. They would be thrown into prison probably for the purpose of forcing them to worship the Roman emperor. As a matter of fact, she began to teach me. Christians are not exempt from suffering. Hope-Full: Revelation 2:1-7. Mailing address: Kingdom Citizens, 1027 S Pendleton St Suite B-242 Easley, SC 29642, Kingdom Concepts: Understanding Religion Part 1, Kingdom Concepts: Understanding Religion Part 2, Past Tragedies In History While Seeking the Kingdom, The Contrasts Between a Kingdom and a Democracy, Christ's Message Was on His Kingdom, It's What He Preached, The Kingdom of God Versus The Government of Man, Understanding the Kingdom Concept of Territory, The Name Christian Is Neither God Sent Nor God Given, The Unshakable Kingdom and Unchanging Person, Everything That God Created Has Potential, Being Obedient, Is Much More Important Than Sacrifice, How Did We Lose the Gospel of the Kingdom? While there, the Holy Spirit spoke to John and instructed him to record everything Jesus was about to reveal via a vision. Why is Smyrna being praised? After college (the first time), Crickett was on staff with C More. So, there will be attacks on us to not study this Word, to not do this. It may seem as if people were the enemy, the Jews in the synagogue of Satan, or the government that wants you to worship its emperor. I was going in the next morning and I was going to tell this lady that she was going to hell and I was going to celebrate that she was going. As a result, the Smyrnaean believers lived in genuine poverty for their faith. Absolutely nothing is hidden from our all-knowing, all-seeing God. The term may also refer to anyone who sacrifices their life or something of great value for the sake of principle. 19:39). But, when we trust in Him, He will give us the strength to endure. What causes a Christian to become belligerent against Christ and a church to turn on one another, forsaking their call and duty? They cannot coexist. It was already being persecuted. For the first He says in Revelation 2:10, Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Smyrna was a church where people's agendas were in opposition to Christ's. They had sufferings to overcome and learn from, but most chose to run the course their way and tarnish His Way. They were boycotted. Smyrna was a hotbed for pagan worship. They were doing Satans will and not Gods. The application is that a dead or dying church with faithful, Christ-empowered people can be resurrected. 2007 - 2023 ChurchLeadership.Org - All Rights Reserved. We know from historical records that the church at Smyrna persevered in its faithfulness. She would take the other student aside and sit down and show her how to do the instruments and explain the physiology behind what we were testing. The Bible tells us that. Ephesus is the first of the seven letters. Why would there be a need to be tested further? He fled briefly and then they caught him and he did not run that time. John was then to send the divine dictation to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. (Revelation 1:11). The name of Smyrna was equated with myrrh. Toggle Name and characteristics subsection 1.1 Definition. They were despised. We need to look beyond the pain and look for that purpose that He wants to accomplish in our life. Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. 3. Kingdom 103: What Gospel Are You Preaching? The trials that you are going to go through will be brief. But believers need not to fear death, because it will only result in their receiving a crown of life. If they kill you, they just ended your physical life. Satan had plans to cast some of the Smyrna church into prison. Allow it to deepen your relationship with Christ, not push you away from Him. Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 1-5). 4. He does not want us to move toward spiritual revival. How can the fact that Jesus knows us more intimately that we can imagine, and desires us to be in Him strengthen your faithfulness? If I am afraid that means I am not trusting God. I had no choice. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. I cannot remember all the things said, but I do remember pieces of it that I was a weak little wimp who cannot stand on your own two feet. Is the Apocalypse Mentioned in the Bible? Then, I got my purse and I drove home. The church at Smyrna was to undergo some intense persecution and tribulation. What was Jesus message to the church in Sardis in Revelation? He wants to stop us. An aspect of maturity is being slow to respond to accusation-as our Lord did. This was true of this church, all the seven churches, the church throughout the ages, and churches today. The Second Coming of JesusWho Are the 144,000 in Revelation?Who Are Gog and Magog in the Bible?What Is the Apollyon?Is the Apocalypse Mentioned in the Bible?Signs of the End Times and the Rapture. Another kind of pressure they were under was a pressure to worship the pagan gods and goddesses. What was Jesus message to the church in Ephesus in Revelation? (Notice the similarities to the description of Christ in 1:17-18). But, Jesus reminded them that they were poor here on this earth but you are so rich. This is a church under persecution yet denounced every false pretension of Jews who were (Synagogue of Satan) abode of Satan.

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