Epaggelia

1^st Seal, Christ Jesus the Conqueror conquers with a bow & is crowned! Rev. 19:11

2^nd Seal, Physical wars do not bring a Conqueror but the damage is inflicted with the sword.

3^rd Seal, Economic hardship bringing near destruction is inevitable, Ezekiel 4:16-17, 5:16

4^th Seal, Physical death may affect the church but can not win, Ezekiel 14:12-23.

5^th Seal, Martyred saints recognized their victory and the saints left on earth suffer but would know it was temporary and be eventually halted.

“Come” v1,3,5,7, Each of the four living creatures pronounce this command, implying that John would be personally involved or touched by what these seals reveal. But the 5^th seal and onwards do not have a “come” command, they hold details that the churches would live through, but not necessarily John. He didn’t suffer martyrdom as mentioned in the 5^th seal, and implied by Jesus, John 21:21-24. The word “come” should alert us to the personal experience John would have in the will of God in these seals. When God says “come” from any passage we should take it personally. Jesus has asked all of to “come” in Mat. 11:28 for rest. We should “come” in Matthew 16:24 for discipleship. Rest is for gaining strength to fight in overcoming evil with good, and discipleship is for spiritual warfare, not academic exercise. We can not come into our own experience of spiritual maturity without exercising faith in “going”, Matthew 28:19.

“had a bow & crown given to him” v2. The Lamb opens all the seals and is responsible for controlling what happens. When the white horse appears, the rider is given a “stephanos” crown owning victory. Who gives him this crown? Later in Rev. 19:12 he wears a royal “diadema” crown. A mounted archer would remind every first century reader of the Parthian army, and they played a big role in the demise of the Roman Empire. The Emperor Domitian (81-96AD) failed to negotiate treaties with King Vologaesus of Parthia, as a result, Domitian’s head valet named Parthenius and a man named Stephanus betrayed him and arranged his assassination. Might this be a surreptitious way of prophesying the end of the reigning Emperor which would turn out to be one of the persecutors of Christianity? A fresh series of conflicts began in the 2nd century AD, during which the Romans consistently held the upper hand over Parthia. The Emperor Trajan invaded Armenia and Mesopotamia during 114 and 115 and annexed them as Roman provinces. He captured the Parthian capital, Ctesiphon, before sailing downriver to the Persian Gulf. However, uprisings erupted in 115 AD in the occupied Parthian territories, while a major Jewish revolt broke out in Roman territory, severely stretching Roman military resources. Parthian forces attacked key Roman positions, and the Roman garrisons at Seleucia, Nisibis and Edessa were expelled by the local inhabitants. Trajan subdued the rebels in Mesopotamia, but having installed the Parthian prince Parthamaspates on the throne as a client ruler, he withdrew his armies and returned to Syria. Trajan died in 117, before he was able to consolidate Roman control over the Parthian provinces. Trajan’s Parthian War initiated a shift of emphasis in the grand strategy of the Roman empire. The persecution of Christians culminated with Diocletian and Galerius at the end of the third and beginning of the 4th century. Their anti-Christian actions, considered the largest, were to be the last major Roman persecution, as Constantine the Great soon came into power and in 313 legalized Christianity. But it was not until Theodosius I in the latter 4th century that Christianity would became the official religion of the Roman Empire. We win, they lose!

“a quart of wheat for a denarius…do not harm the oil & wine” v6. This 3^rd seal with it’s rider with scales on a black horse would represent the demise of the Roman economy. They may love their luxuries, but the basics like grain would suffer scarcity that brought it at eight times the normal price, as pestilence & famine took toll on agriculture.

“how long before you will judge and avenge our blood” v10, The Edict of Milan legalized Christianity in 313, and it later became the state religion in 380. These decrees from Emperor Constantine (307-326AD) ended centuries of persecution, but they also eroded the traditional Roman values system. Christianity displaced the polytheistic Roman religion, which viewed the emperor as having a divine status, and also shifted focus away from the glory of the state and onto the sole Deity in Jesus Christ.

“until the number of their fellow servants & brothers were complete” v11, White garments for the faithful in this horrendous persecution meant that no matter what happened, Christ counted them holy & pure, royal & priestly. Everything they did in this suffering was a sacrifice for the complete establishment of the church, glorifying God, Colossians 1:24.

“written within and on the back” v1, The scroll represents the full will of God concerning the 7 churches future. Their persecution is to be faced in the same way as our persecution. In Rev. 10, there is another book representing what Ezekiel prophesies, but here in Chapter 5 this is not Ezekiel’s book, that will come later. This scroll is sealed with 7 seals, showing it’s immediate relation to the church’s fulfillment, Daniel 12:4-9.

“who is worthy” v2, this is the reason why John weeps. It is not a matter of power to open the scroll but a matter of someone being responsible for the control & development of what is to follow, whoever steps forward is clearly involved in a decisive role. Without a worthy person, everyone and everything else is doomed. The destiny of the churches is in the hands of whoever is found worthy. God the Father on the throne is worthy, but He has not and can not be in the hearts of those who are suffering. Jesus has, but isn’t in the scene as of yet.

“no one…under the earth” v3, even past prophets from the grave, like Moses, Samuel or Elijah are not worthy. Not even the Might Angel issuing the question feels worthy. However, Jesus the victorious resurrection is not seen yet, but in John’s heart he knows Jesus should be there.

“weep not, behold the Lion” v5, We have good reason to find a cause to rejoice. Jesus said in this world we have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”, Jn. 16:33. Indeed we weep with those who weep but we do not sorrow as those who have no hope, 1Thes. 4;13. Our pain in any kind of trial or temptation is known by Jesus and His Spirit that resides in us, Col. 1:24. “the Root of David”, Jesus came from David and was of the Tribe of Judah, Hebrews 7:14, and he was declared to be the Son of God from the seed of David, Romans 1:3-4. He claimed to have authority over the house of David, Rev. 3:7. The significance of this lay in the fact that Jesus is King of kings then and now, until the time is fulfilled and He delivers His Kingdom to the Father, 1^st Cor. 15:24.

“A Lamb standing as if slain” v6, Literally the marks of slaughter, but He was alive & standing. “7 horns, 7 eyes, 7 Spirits of God, representing all-sufficient working power and presence. With this reality amongst the churches, we must face the war of Satan’s terrorism and overcome evil with good. In 2^nd Chron. 16:8-9 Israel failed, but we can succeed, Mat. 28:18.

“harps and golden bowls of incense” v8. The prayers and praise of Christians is represented by harps & bowls because their pleas are both emotional, pleasing and a logical sacrifice, see 1^st Corinthians 14:13-15 & Hebrews 13:15. We will see more of the harps and bowls of incense, Rev. 15:2. Great comfort comes from the fact that God hears and smells our praise & prayers like beautiful music and wonderful aromas, even when we are hurting in trials.

“Sang a new song” v9, This is reminiscent of the Song of Moses and may be compared to Rev. 15:3-4. Except here in 5:9-10 the emphasis is redemption, whereas back in Exodus 15:1-18 the emphasis is victory in deliverance, here the victory is the Lamb’s deliverance through the punishment for sin, triumphing over death. Love for his creation was the only way to bring about salvation and transform sinners into a Kingdom of Priests pronounced in v10, remember Ex. 19:5-6 & 1^st Peter 2:9. No matter what this priesthood must sacrifice they will be praising Jesus for their victory of deliverance. No matter the costly casualties, we win and sing about it. In Mat. 21:43 Jesus claimed that physical Israel would lose the Kingdom and true spiritual Israel would be people that bore the Kingdom’s fruit.

“Many Angels” v11, an innumerable mighty host is for us, who can be against us? All the angels know how factual 1^st John 4:4 really is. Do we believe it?

“Every Created Thing” v13, Total submission of the entire creation in praise, Hebrews 1:3, 11:3, Col. 1:17 & Romans 8:18-22. Do you receive courage from this passage, or does it instill fear?

“a door open in Heaven”, v1, Be thankful it is open, Jesus said, he was the door of the sheep, John 10:9. Later as John’s focus in the vision goes past the door, it’s meaning will be portrayed by the Lamb, 5:6. The open door is open access to the power and privileges of Him who is on the throne. The Throne which rules our life is not in Italy, Israel or anywhere else on earth, but now Christ rules from the sanctified human heart enthroned.

“the first voice…like a trumpet” Compared to the thunderous volume of a huge waterfall, this is alarming, “I will show you what must take place after these things”, Now that John has written the 7 letters to 7 churches dictated by Jesus the Son of Man, he now has the privilege of seeing what is about to happen in the lifetime of the churches he just wrote to. The Trumpet voice is reminiscent of being called to arms, Ex. 19:5-21.

“Immediately I was in the Spirit and behold a throne”, v2, This throne is mentioned 38 times in the Revelation. The purpose is to make sure persecuted Christians are assured of who is in control, and that will not change, no matter how bad the pain is. Paul tells Christians that we are citizens of Heaven, we are placed in Christ in the Heavenly places and our life now is in Christ, who sits at the right hand of the Throne, Col. 3;1-3, Eph. 2:6 & Php. 3:20. There is an aspect where a Christians life should be lived in Heaven right now, Rev. 13:6. The Throne in Revelation stands for the reign of God in our heart, Luke 17:21. God’s throne in the Old Testament is established in the Temple, Ezk. 43:1-7. In the new covenant it is to be established in the Christians heart, 1^st Cor. 6:19. In the Revelation we see the Throne amongst the new Jerusalem, Rev. 21:22-22:1 Are you there?

“Jasper, Sardius, and a Rainbow” v3. jasper was on the High Priests Ephod. The word for this gem means in Hebrew, “glittering” it is found in various colors but it is also known to be the clearest of the quartz family of stones. In Revelation 21:11, it’s “clear as crystal”, and emblematic of the holy glory of God. Sardius or Carnelian is only found red in color and obviously signifies loving sacrifice which gives blood. The rainbow with an emerald appearance signifies an effect of God on the Thorne, LIFE. This rainbow is not a physical one, but a spiritual circular one. This means even though your physical life seems to be disappearing, at the same time your spiritual life is renewed and gaining strength for deliverance! BTW, in collegiate artwork there are 7 main shades of green, Chartreuse, Sage, Lime, Olive, Emerald, Pear, Shamrock.

“24 Elders” v4, They are royal winners, their crowns are signifying victory after winning a race. Their white garments are indicative of their righteous deeds, Rev. 19:8. What makes them royal? There were Jewish priests from the Babylonian captivity which were crowned in Zech. 6:9-15, which was a sure indication of a royal priesthood in God’s heart, a shadow of our reality in the church. Why 24? There are 24 orders of Priests in the Old Testament, 1^st Chronicles 24:7-18. Therefore this is representative of the Saints ourself. We are in His presence and we are more than conquerors, Romans 8:37. We are the royal priests in 1^st Peter 2:9 & Revelation 4:4. The crowns and torches would highlight yellow, the sea in v6 would highlight blue, the One on the throne would highlight red, the rainbow would highlight green, now try to envision the spectrum of color in this vision.

“Seven Lamps…Seven Spirits” v5, These lamps are torches in the Greek language from Rev. 1:4 and are different from the Lampstands representing the Churches in 1:20. The closeness in symbols shows us clearly that we are to be supporting the light from the Spirit of Christ in our daily lifestyle. The very essence of worship is to live like the One your praising. There are two possible interpretations on the 7 Spirits, it could be the perfect work of the Spirit, or it could be the perfect presence of the Spirit, or maybe both?

“Four Living Creatures” v6 The angelic Cherubim are guarding judges of all who enter or come near the presence of God. Ezekiel envisions God using these creatures as a form of transporting his judgment and glory in Ezk 1:& 10. On the subject of God’s transport, the Psalmist speaks clearly, God rides on the Cherubs, Psalm 18:10. There is a lion (fierce predatory), a bull-calf or ox (powerful fury) an eagle (precise justice), a man (wise intellect) which are all ready to deliver God’s wrath if anything threatens His holiness.

“Worthy Are You” v11, Everything around the throne finds Him upon it, as worthy of praise, defense and sacrifice. Do we feel like God is worth defending and making sacrifices for? Do we only praise Him on Sunday?

Laodicea – “discernment” v14, originally this town was named after Laodice the wife of King Antiochus II in 261BC, and through the centuries it became the regions banking center with many wealthy people living there. It also had a well known school of medicine which made ointments, which Jesus most likely refers to in v18. This is the only congregation of the seven which has no commendations from Christ, only criticisms.

“spew you out of my mouth” v16, This is God’s way of saying that his disappointment with them was awful. But he still loved them, v19. Their “works” were “lukewarm” which means they were apathetic to the core, about living the gospel, laboring to share the gospel was something they didn’t “need” to do, but would do it if it fit into their “rich” lifestyle.

“buy from me gold….white garments…eye-salve” v18, If they are going to repent, it will involve a sacrificial investment because of their poverty, nakedness & blindness. They totally forgot the first beatitude, Mat. 5:3. The church as a whole in the USA today is physically the richest in the history of Christianity, but do we take our spiritual riches seriously? It seems like the Laodicean congregation were all foolish virgins who didn’t invest in what was most important, Matthew 25:9. Solomon said “buy truth, wisdom & instruction and sell it not!” Prov. 23:23. How much have we invested in physical collections, and how much have we invested in spiritual collections?

“if anyone hears…and opens” v20, This congregation seems to have shut Christ out of it’s heart and needed to let him back in! If they were to become overcomers, they must put Christ at the center of their affections, Luke 9:23, DAILY.

Summary of the Seven Congregations:

Ephesus, a hard-working congregation that had let their love for Jesus wane.

Smyrna, this congregation shined with perseverance and endured opposition.

Pergamum, most of the congregation endured temptation, but some were sexually immoral.

Thyatira, this congregation seemed to be tolerating false-teaching, but some remained loving & faithful.

Sardis, they had a few who lived in purity, but most of the congregation were lazy.

Philadelphia, a bright congregation, loving, obedient and steadfast facing persecution.

Laodicea, the only congregation Christ had nothing good to speak of, they suffered from hypocrisy.

Three Facts all the Churches have in Common.

1. Christ wants them to know who He is & that He knows who they are. Knowing your Savior is essential to being saved! John 1:10 & 8:32 & 10:14-15 & 21:24, this also defeats gnosticism.
2. Christ wants all Christians to know they can Overcome & be Rewarded, 2^nd Peter 3:9.
3. Each congregation is unique, but also an example for others. Individually a Christian is a living letter, and the congregation is a type of letter as well, 2^nd Corinthians 3:1-4 & 1^st Peter 4:8

Descriptions of Christ:

2:1, who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands

2:8, the first and the last, who died and came to life

2:12, him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

2:18, the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

3:1, who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

3:7, the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David

3:14, the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation

Christ speaking to the churches in Chapter 2-3 is the same Christ revealed to John in Chapter 1, with the addition of the “key”, in order to keep the church healthy enough to proclaim the Kingdom, you must have the one who possesses the Key, What is true for the apostleship, is true for the church, Matthew 16:9

Sardis – “the remains” v1, The Roman historian & senator Tacitus records that in 17AD Sardis was hit hard by an earthquake, he writes, “…fires blazed out amid the ruins. The calamity fell most fatally on the people of Sardis, and it attracted to them the largest share of sympathy”. While it used to be the ancient capital of Lydia, and had it’s own Temple of Artemis, it was very likely still fresh in the memory of the older Christians that remained during the time the congregation received the Revelation appx 95AD. It had an established Jewish Synagogue

“a name of being alive” v1, it seems most of the congregation were Christians in name only. “not found your works complete” v2, How few can say with the Master, “I have finished the work” 2nd Tim. 4:7 and of whom can it be said, like Paul, “He fulfilled his course”! Acts 12:25.

“white clothes” v4, This may suggest the Transfiguration,  Mat. 17:2, On the holy mount, the plain garments of Jesus shone with light; and so the inner purity of the living Christian shines through and glorifies our simplest acts. The holiness we love in this life will be rewarded by the white robes.

“confess his name before my Father”, v5, reminiscent of the promise Jesus made to his first disciples, Matthew 10:29-33 and so through the centuries we can take this personally, if we are overcomers feeding our faith and sharing His message of love & justice. The “Book of Life” had already been revealed to the church in Philippi by Paul, (Php. 4:3) and John has now mentioned it to those in the context of being a threat of being blotted out of it, it is also entitled the Lambs Book of Life in Rev. 21:27, and in 13:8 the SLAIN Lamb’s book. It leads us to wonder if our names were written by Jesus himself, the author of Life, which the Jews had killed, Acts 3:15. What kind of name will be written in this book? Is yours in it?

Philadelphia – “brotherly love” v7, The city had both ancient and current connections with Kings, it’s name came from King Eumenes giving its name in honor of the love he had for brother Attalus since 189BC, and during the church’s lifetime it had been granted riches from the Emperors Caligula 39AD and Vespasian 71AD, the citizens of which, were free from paying taxes!

“has the key of David” v7, This is a quote from Isaiah 22:22 and Jesus has already referred to it in Matthew 16:19. These Christians knew the King of kings and his authority was in their hearts and minds, which affects not only our thinking, but also our actions!

“an open door” v8, later in Revelation 21:24-27 the gate of the new Jerusalem is declared permanently open with access for the Kings of the earth to bring in their glory, and only purity enters. This is only the second church which has no criticisms listed by Christ, and he explicitly states his love for them, v9. It is interesting that the only other church with nothing but praise from Christ, is the one in Smryna, and both of them have won a victory over being infiltrated by the “synagogue of Satan” In some way Christ will make his approval obvious to the sinful Jews of Philadelphia, so much so, that they will be forced to show them adoration. 1^st John 1:6 was literally true for their Jewish neighbors.

“that no man take your crown” v11, Paul didn’t want Timothy to lose his crown, 2^nd Timothy 4:8, and neither does Jesus want anyone in Philadelphia to lose their crown – gk – “stephanos”, the victors wreath as a crown. An obvious allusion to winning a race wherein you exhibit both strength & skill. Why? Because we are in Christ who has removed barriers and distractions, it is his victory that he gives us who persevere, v10.

“make him a pillar in my temple…my own new name” v12, Columns or pillars in the ancient world were obviously supportive, but they were also renown for being ornamental, and being for a Temple had the clear idea of the beauty of holiness, see 2^nd Chronicles 20:21 & Psalm 96:9. Paul instructed Timothy that the whole church was a type of pillar, 1^st Timothy 3:15. Are you supportive of the truth, or simply feeding on it?

Pergamum – “citadel” It is claimed to be the place of discovery for parchment, and also had a large library, with a large section dedicated to medicine. The city boasted it’s governor was given the power of the sword from Rome to exact life or death sentences. It also had two Temples, at the top of the city was the Temple of Serapis, granting worshipers health & fertility, the Greco-Egyptian deity Serapis combining aspects of Osiris & Apis in a humanized form that was accepted by Greeks of Alexandria. At the base of the city was the Temple of Askelpios, granting worshipers who were sick, healing and even promising resurrection. The rod of Askelpios is where we get the icon of a snake intertwined on a rod on many medical treatment centers and ambulances today.

“two-edged sword”, v12, see 1:16, this represents the word of God, Ephesians 6:17. The Bible can be used to convict our enemies, which martyred “Antipas”. We are engaged in a spiritual war, even when the world fights us physically. Always remember that we are handling his sword, not our own.

“Satan’s throne”, v13, It is likely how God would describe the Askelpion at the base of the acropolis. Here sick people would let non-venomous snakes crawl amongst patients and use products from snakes as medicine. It was not coincidental that both Christians & Jews would be reminded of a certain snake in the Garden of Eden seducing people to sin, and be ruling within their city. Tradition claims that Antipas was appointed an Elder by the Apostle John and was martyred in 92AD, if this is true, it puts the traditional date of 94-98AD on Revelation.

“Balaam teaching Balak” v14-15, “Nicolaitans” here is really the only hint we have about the false doctrine that affected the church. In Numbers 22-25 is the story of King Balak and the prophet Balaam, interacting in the high worship places of the idol baal, while blessing Israel from high places where baal was idolized. Balak took advantage of this fellowship and his women seduced the people of Israel into harlotry, Numbers 25:1-3 & 31:16. Therefore Nicolaitans might be teaching that Christians can entertain idolatry while trying to support God’s word, assuming God would bless them in His grace by Christ.

“Overcomers”, v17, will receive hidden manna, John 4:32-34 and a hidden meaning of a new name on a white stone. This is the comfort of eternal intimacy with God and holy strength from food that is spiritually nourishing to make us strong in righteousness, in contrast to immorality.

Thyatira – “sacrifice” In comparison this was a smaller town than most of the other six cities mentioned, but they were famous for their Guild of Dyers, making purple colored dyes. Lydia was from Thyatira, Acts 16:14, she was a worshiper of God before she met Paul, so many people believe there was a synagogue in Thyatira. Apollo-Tyrimnos was the patron god of the city as well as the supreme god of all the various trade guilds. Being a son of Zeus, he was often called “son of god” and was represented figuratively by rays of light and brass feet. To the church of Thyatira, Christ introduced himself in verse 18 as the Son of God, who hath eyes like unto a flame of fire, and … feet … like fine brass. This description penetrated to the heart of the matter right away, forcing the church to consider who the Lord of their economy really is. The choice was simple: either Tyrimnos or Christ.

“sexual immorality” v20 was leading servants of Christ astray because “Jezebel” was being tolerated by the congregation. Whoever “Jezebel” was in the church at Thyatira she taught the servants of God to get in bed with pagan idols, making them believe that they were somehow serving God by doing so. In spite of this sin, the Lord had given her more than ample opportunity to turn from her evil, v21, but, “she repented not”. The church had to trust and remember Psalm 103:8, The Lord is merciful & gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy, but Jezebel scorned the Lord’s goodness. For this, Thyatira receives the longest critical rebuke from the Lord than any of the other congregations, v20-23.

“rest in Thyatira” v24, these who were faithful, needed to stay faithful even unto death just as the innocent of Smyrna, 2:10 and Philadelphia, 3:11,which Christ was pleased with, both were given and if we are faithful, never be satisfied, always press on to the goal till you see glory, Philippians 3:12-14. If we run away from a congregation because of sinners within, we should not be church-hopping but rather standing fast!

“Overcomers”, v25-28, to be given authority rule with a rod of iron and also the morning star. Sharing in the same rule promised to the Christ/Messiah in Psalm 2:9. When all is finished and glory comes, His glory and power is ours, even as it was King David’s, Rev. 22:16. Peter knew the power of this promise, 2^nd Pet. 1:19

Ephesus – “desire”, some of the congregations are in towns with a name that has a meaning and/or cultural significance which is linked to the message of Christ’s letter to the congregation. This should alert Christians to the necessity of being able to enlighten the community we worship within. The real desire of the church should be to praise & glorify God in Christ. However, Christians in Ephesus (desire) had the Temple of Artemis (Diana) polluting their desire. Pliny tells us that the Temple took 120 years to build but is now represented only by one inconspicuous column. Over four centuries later, an inscription at Ephesus suggests why so little remains at the site “Destroying the image of the demon Artemis, Demeas has erected this symbol of Truth, the God that drives away idols, and the Cross of priests, deathless and victorious sign of Christ.” The assertion that the Ephesians thought that their cult image had fallen from the sky, is known at Ephesus from Acts 19:35.

“Who walks among the seven golden lampstands” v1, this scene must be comforting, intimacy with God, known only by Adam & Eve, remember Genesis 3:8. For the Christians in Ephesus, they may consider this, their second letter, which closes with a view of the tree of life God once walked amongst but had to remove. Their first letter was from Paul, instructing them on speaking the truth in love and walking in love, Ephesians 4:15 & 5:1, but now their love faded and hadn’t been fed.

“I know your works, labor, endurance… and you have not grown weary” v2-3, A Christian’s strength may not be dependant on love, but love is dependant on being nurtured and fed on the truth. It seems they had found a new love in their efforts and had become more satisfied with their performance in doctrine, rather than the One they should praise. Testing to prove what is right & wrong, can lead to knowledge that “puffs up”, 1^st Corinthians 8:1.

“first love”, v4  – Protos Agape. It is curious how Jesus uses the word Protos to describe the robe which the Father gives the prodigal son upon his repentant return, Luke 15:22.

“first works”, v5  – Protos Ergon, every new bride treats her groom differently than most Moms treat Dads. This may seem to be an almost blasphemous way to compare the church as a bride with Christ, but we must fully realize what the first works of a Christian are, and never neglect them. Real faith, works! See James 2:17-18

“hate” & “overcomes”, v6-7, Every one of the seven churches are told of a reward if they “overcome”. Each church, no matter their predicament, problem or position, have challenges in front of them to overcome. Learning to love what God loves, and hate what God hates, is the key to experiencing the victory, wherein we taste the glory of being more than a conqueror, Romans 8:37 & John 16:33.

Smyrna – “myrrh” An ancient Greek myth derived the name from an Amazon named Smyrna. Smyrna’s chief export in ancient times was myrrh, but little is known about myrrh from Smyrna of the 1^st century. It was densely populated and it’s economy relied on the Port to the Aegean Sea. Amazons were said to have founded the city and temple of Smyrna, and it’s possibly the home of Homer, author of the Iliad & the Odyssey. For a certainty, the city had a large Jewish Synagogue. In AD155, Polycarp, a student of the apostle John, was martyred at Smyrna.

“Slander”, v8-9, Christ encourages the congregation to be brave in the face of imminent persecution from the Jews. Many of the apostles had personal experience in this, 2^nd Corinthians 11:26. Slander is often the precursor of physical persecution for God’s children, Psalm 31:13 & Proverbs 10:18.

“Synagogue of Satan…tribulation for ten days”, 10-11, Christ has no charge against the Christians in Smyrna, but expects them to remain faithful unto death, wherein they will not be injured. We should learn that when the church is healthy, Christ expects us to fight the good fight! 1^st Timothy 6:12.