Revelation Chapter Two, Ten Days

Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Verse 10 follows the thought of the synagogue of Satan. There was a very real spiritual adversary in Smyrna, resisting the church and its gospel. This synagogue was Satanically energized.

This same synagogue apparently had authority enough to have Christians arrested and even killed for their beliefs, likely with the same claims about Jesus being a blasphemer and His followers accepting His blasphemy of the Old Testament, Judaism, and the Law. Paul suffered much at his own kinsmen’s hands over the years, see 2 Corinthians 11:24 for one instance. Peter and James (John’s brother) were arrested by Herod to please the unbelieving Jews and James was put to death, Acts 12:1-3. The unbelieving Jews were simply fulfilling what the Lord said about killing Christians in God’s name and thinking that they did God service. But our Lord actually refers to this synagogue as a synagogue of Satan. We know that Paul went from synagogue to synagogue across the Roman world preaching Christ. While he wasn’t always met with friendliness, he was often tolerated. This synagogue was more akin to Thessalonica, in which unbelieving Jews stirred up evil men to cause a riot and violence, Acts 17:5.

The Lord casts the direct burden for this atrocity at the Devil’s feet. Those who are Christ’s are so closely associated with Him that He can say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” Acts 9:4, 5. The unsaved belong to Satan, as Scripture clearly relates. But there is a particular minority that resists the message fiercely and would do violence to see it silenced. We see this throughout Acts and mentioned in the epistles (see 2 Timothy 4:14, 15 for example). Their desire to harm the saints is inspired by Satan, whose chief desire is to dethrone God; barring that he wants to visit harm upon those that belong to Him.

Jesus tells the church that they will be tested with tribulation for ten days, being thrown into prison. Persecution comes in many forms. In America it tends to take a mild form for the most part. Often intellectual ridicule for believing Scripture, or moral ridicule for being so prudish. But it can be far more virulent. In the UK Adam Smith-Connor was arrested for silently praying outside of an abortion clinic in 2022. There are far worse fates for Christians in fundamental Muslim countries. Saudi Arabia, Iran and parts of Malaysia can find Muslim converts to Christ imprisoned or killed for their faith. And the church tends to be underground in China. I have known a few people who lived there for a time, and were part of the church in hiding, as it were. In Rome Christians were persecuted, fined, arrested, or even killed for their beliefs largely until the time of Emperor Constantine.

The church of Smyrna was about to face persecution that would lead to prison and potential martyrdom. Jesus promised something He referred to as the crown of life for those who died upholding the faith. That is, they professed Christ in the face of severe punishment, and died only because of their refusal to disassociate with Jesus. The Lord so considers His flock that He views our persecution as His own, as noted above. Why? Because when we are persecuted, it is for His name’s sake, 1 Peter 4:14, 16. We choose association with Him over this life. We refuse to glorify this world system over our Lord. For those who must make this clearly challenging choice, He offers the crown of life. What is this crown? It is not symbolic of our salvation. It is a reward for faithful service. James writes, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him,” James 1:12. The crown seems to be linked to the notion of persecution and our successful endurance of it. This is not a universal promise to the overcomer, but rather a particular promise to those who face persecution–even to death–and hold fast their faith in the Lord.