Stronghold 2: Kobayashi Maru, Pt 1
Revelation 2:8-11
The city of Smyrna was located 35 miles north of Ephesus where the Hermus River flows into the Aegean Sea. The gulf upon which it was situated afforded the city a well-protected, deep-water harbor. In addition, Smyrna was the natural terminus of a major inland trade route, making the city a natural trade center. In fact, it was such an obvious location for a city that Smyrna, which is today Izmir, Turkey, has been continuously settled for at least 3500 years and has become Turkey’s primary port for exports. This means that Smyrna was already established when Joshua and the Israelites captured Jericho, and by the time John recorded Revelation at the end of the first century AD, the city already had a long and storied history.
As early as the third century BCE, the residents of Smyrna recognized the rising Roman Empire and allied themselves with it. By the early second century BCE, the relationship between the city and the Empire had become so close that Smyrna was a center of the imperial cult. In CE 26, the city petitioned Emperor Tiberius to allow them to build a temple to worship him and the empire. By the end of the first century CE, paganism and Judaism were the only acceptable alternatives to the imperial cult, and they were allowed only because they were officially sanctioned by the emperor.
It is interesting, then, that Jesus’ letter to the church at Smyrna is one of only two among the seven letters of Revelation 2-3 which contains no real rebuke. It would seem that the spiritual darkness of the surrounding community compelled the believers there to be wholly committed or not at all. That does not, however, mean that there was no stronghold in Smyrna. Perhaps, if the Ephesians’ complacency was a gros ouvrage (i.e., heavy fortification or fortress), the trouble at Smyrna was a foothold. That is, Satan had established a presence which was growing and strengthening. Certainly, it posed a danger, but it did not merit the harsh bluntness Jesus used with the Ephesian church. Thus, the letter recorded in Revelation 2:8-11 is remarkably more gentle and focuses more on encouragement and exhortation than rebuke.
“Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna:
“The First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life, says: I know your affliction and poverty, yet you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have affliction for 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death.
Jesus knows our situation.
Just as in his letter to the church at Ephesus, Jesus opened his letter to the church at Smyrna by identifying himself. Also as in his previous letter, Jesus’ identification refers back to the image of Revelation 1, where Jesus identified himself in verses 17-18 by saying, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but look – I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Further, these two verses allude to back to Revelation 1:8, where Jesus identified himself thusly: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘the One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty.’”
Catch the key word at the end of that eighth verse: Jesus is the Almighty. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines this word as “having complete power, omnipotent.” It goes on to define omnipotence as being “able to do anything.” By adding this to the other descriptors of verses 8-9, we discover that Jesus is eternal and has overcome even death.
For the church in Smyrna, this introduction was significant because the situation was grave. Jesus dropped some hints as to just how grave things were when he said, “I know your affliction and poverty” and “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews but are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” That is, he knew they were having a tough time. Indeed, the city of Smyrna was, as we noted above, dominated by the Imperial cult. It was, after all, the official state religion, and it was particularly enforced in Smyrna. This meant that, unless someone belonged to one of the few exceptions which were allowed (e.g., Judaism), they were considered traitors and so could – and would – be punished with the loss of a job, confiscation of property, prison, and even death.
Among these exceptions were the pagans and the Jews. The pagans, of course, worshiped a multitude of gods. To these, tolerance was key, but the Christians were fiercely monotheistic and rejected all the other gods of the pagan universe. Thus, Christians were not allowed membership into the trade guilds, each of which demanded that its members worship its patron god. Because these guilds controlled labor and trade in the city, this meant that Christians in Smyrna would have a hard time buying or selling goods and services, or even finding a job.
On the other hand, there were the Jews. Judaism was an officially sanctioned religion in the Roman Empire. Jews therefore were not required to belong to the imperial cult, and officially, Christians were considered a sect of Judaism. In Smyrna, however, the local synagogue was loudly disavowing Christians, spreading false rumors to fuel the imperialists’ suspicions that Christians were traitors and stoke the pagans’ resentment of the Christians as bigots.
The result of all this was that Christians in Smyrna were especially ostracized, impoverished, harassed by police and others, and even imprisoned or worse. In fact, the Roman historian Tacitus noted that, after the fires in Rome (CE 64), it was not uncommon for Christians to be arrested or killed. Some were dressed in animal skins and fed to dogs, while others were crucified or lit on fire and used as outdoor lamps like street light
All of this, Jesus knew. He knew about their poverty, how the lucky ones had lost only their jobs because of their faith. Others had lost their homes and stuff. It was no wonder the church at Smyrna could not gain any financial traction! And he knew about their persecution. In fact, the word which is translated by the HCSB as “slander” (vs 9) is, in the original Greek, blasphaymia. If that looks familiar, it is because it is also the word for blasphemy. Jesus knew all about the false things the Jews were saying about the Christians in Smyrna, and he actually equated all of that with blasphemy against himself and his father! Jesus knew all of this stuff.
Of course, one would think that the Christians at Smyrna also knew this stuff, but if that was really true, why did Jesus have to drop so many hints? The blasphemy bit provides a hint: perhaps there was more to the situation than they knew.
Indeed, as bad as things were, notice again how Jesus identified himself: he is the First and the Last, and he is the one who was dead but is now alive. That is, he transcends and place and circumstance. He exists before time began, and he endures beyond its end. And he beat the ultimate loss. In other words, as bad as things were, Jesus remained, the rock on which the church at Smyrna was built (Matthew 7) and the anchor which held their souls safe and secure (Hebrews 6). Whatever their situation, this would not – could not – change, and as long as that was the case, the church at Smyrna was safe.
Notice also what more Jesus says about their situation. He did not acknowledge only what was going wrong. Rather, in verse 9, he pointed out that, despite their affliction and poverty, “yet you are rich.” Also, while the Jews – the so-called people of God – were slandering them for being devil worshipers and such, it was they who were “a synagogue of Satan.”
Why would Jesus say such things? Moreover, how could Jesus say such things?
To answer that, we have only to recognize that Jesus, as God, owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Temporal poverty has no meaning to him because he created the heavens and the earth, and it all, ultimately, belongs to him. Further, he promises to take care of us, meet our needs, and save those who truly follow him.
Suddenly, we begin to discern through the fog the rising stronghold in Smyrna. In situations such as the church faced at Smyrna, such promises can sound rather hollow because we are focused on the here and now, where things are tough. And because we are focused on the tough things in the here and now, rather than on him who is transcendent, eternal, and victorious, we get scared.
The stronghold which Satan was building in the church at Smyrna was that of fear, but Jesus’ message to them was that he knew the situation better than they themselves understood it. He was looking beyond the apparent – the here and now – to the hearts, and he knew that their external circumstances were not even close to their net worth. Moreover, they had Jesus, the All-mighty, All-knowing, All-owning, All-consuming, and because they had Jesus, they were rich indeed!