Revelation 2:8-11 The Letter to Smyrna 8 “Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: “The First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life, says: 9 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. 10 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. 11 “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. thlípsis ("compression, tribulation") carries the challenge of coping with the internal pressure of a tribulation, especially when feeling there is "no way of escape" ("hemmed in").
Of all the churches there are but 2 that were not given a rebuke or told that there was something they should repent or turn from. The church in Smyrna was 1 of them. When faced with persecution and certain death there are no such things as halfhearted Christians. This church in Smyrna was told by Jesus that they were to brace themselves and know that prison and even death was certain for them. I cannot even imagine what was through their heads when they first received this letter. From what I understand all 7 churches were given all 7 letters to read so the church at Smyrna would have just read the letter to the poised church in Ephesus. Now hearing this letter, imagine having a spouse and children looking to you and knowing their is nothing you can do to change the coming conclusion. This is what it means to be pressured, the word translated in our passage today "afflicted" in other translations it is tribulation and it refers to feeling hemmed in or in a place that is narrowed and feeling there is no room on your sides, an internal pressure and feeling that there is no way out but through. Jesus directed their thoughts from the start by reminding them that He is, "The First and the Last, the One who was dead and came to life." a beautiful reminder that He is intimately acquainted with what they are about to go through. You may be feeling trapped right now and the last thing you want to here is that you must go through what your going through. You want a plan of escape but this may be the very thing that God has planned for you to go through. God is in no way the author of evil but He is in absolute control. Jesus not only was dead and came to life, He also is "The First and the Last." He is our hope and He alone determines when our pressure starts and ends. Will you trust Him? Have great day Loved Ones and God bless you real good!
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