The Test of Our Suffering
rEVELATION 2:8-11
Main Idea: Christ calls us to enduring faithfulness in suffering by looking to him who has overcome death.
I. The Form of Suffering
The suffering and persecution in Smyrna was marked by:
Tribulation (2:9a): they faced the constant ‘pressure’ of living in Smyrna, one of the centers of the cult of Roman emperor worship.
Poverty (2:9a; cf. Rev. 13:17, James 2:5): though they are impoverished physically because of their commitment to Christ, they are rich in the things that matter eternally.
Slander (2:9b): they were encountering false accusations and skepticism, being viewed as disloyal citizens to Rome.
Implication: Do not be surprised by trials and suffering (cf. John 15:18-21)
1 Peter 4:12–13: Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
II. The Source of Suffering
There are “layers” to the suffering and persecution the church in Smyrna was facing:
Some of the Jewish people (“Synagogue of Satan”) were reporting the Christians to the Romans
“The devil” is instigating their imprisonment in order to “test” them
The true saint should not be afraid of the devil’s attempts to bring about compromise in the church through persecution. Indeed, Jesus employs the devil’s efforts for the purpose (‘that you may be tested’) of strengthening His people through these tests… Even the work of the devil is used by God for the furtherance of His plan. As the devil’s plans at the cross were used by God to bring salvation to the world, so the suffering of the Smyrneans will result in blessing and ultimate deliverance for them.
~ G.K. Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary
The triune God is ultimately the all-sovereign one who is overseeing all of history (2:8), including the devil’s activity
Implication: Do not fear what you are about to suffer
III. The End of Suffering
The risen, glorified Jesus assures the church that their tribulation will be brief; it will be “10 days” (likely symbolic; cf. Dan. 1:12-15). All suffering in this life is but “a little while” (1 Pet. 1:6, 5:9-10) compared to the eternal joys that await us.
2 Corinthians 4:16–18a: The risen, glorified Jesus assures the church that their tribulation will be brief; it will be “10 days” (likely symbolic; cf. Dan. 1:12-15). All suffering in this life is but “a little while” (1 Pet. 1:6, 5:9-10) compared to the eternal joys that await us.
God’s people are called to look to Christ in the midst of their suffering, because he is the one who “died and came to life” (2:8). He promises those who “conquer:”
The “crown of life” (cf. James 1:12, 1 Tim. 4:8, 1 Pet. 5:4)
Escape from the “second death” (cf. Rev. 20:6, 14, 21:8)
Implication: We can be “faithful unto death” because Christ knows our suffering firsthand and is with us even through death.
Are you willing to die for your faith? And are you willing to give up anything along the way in order to pursue it – those little deaths that sometimes seem as difficult as the final one, dying to impulses of ambition, of lust, of pride, of security, of comfort?... Until we pass the martyr test, we live neither deeply nor widely. Until we are ready to die for Christ, we can’t live for him freely, openly, and exuberantly. If we spend all our energies trying to protect our interests, to preserve our safety, and to negotiate and compromise with the opposition in order to keep what we have at all costs, we will live meagerly. But if we live at risk, giving up all in witness and commitment and love, we are released from death to live in the power of the resurrection.
~ Eugene Peterson, This Hallelujah Banquet
