When we understand Scripture aright, we realize that it is a Lamp unto our feet and a Light unto our path. The Words of Jesus Christ are especially enlightening and necessary not only because this world is dark but also because our eyes without His help our blind.
Today’s passage is especially enlightening because in it Christ gives us an eternal perspective (a Divine Perspective) on riches, poverty, suffering, persecution and especially death.
Consider Isaiah 55:7-9
Let us consider Christ’s thoughts:
I. Christ’s thoughts are higher and wiser than our own – Revelation 2:8
1. Because He is the “First and the Last” the eternal God – John 1:1-5
2. Because He has experienced and conquered those things we fear, primarily death – John 11:35; Revelation 2:8
3. Because His mind is (and has always been) sin free – Hebrews 4:15
II. As Christ sees things quite differently than we typically do, the conclusions He draws are different too –
1. He has a different view on material wealth, poverty and success in general – Revelation 2:9
A. Poverty or even dread difficulty is not an indication that God is against you – Luke 6:20-23; Hebrews 12:1-11
B. Wealth or worldly success, fame or even worldly happiness is not an automatic indication that God with you – Luke 6:24-26
2. This reversal of our ordinary way of thinking was certainly the case with the Church in Smyrna – Revelation 2:9
A. Christ says nothing against them, they are you might say a perfect church –
A1. Not perfectly sin-less, but their sins were covered / cleansed by Christ – 1 John 1:9
A1. Perfect by God’s grace – Matthew 5:44-48
B. His only goal is to encourage and comfort them, He does this by:
B1. By telling them they shine like gold in His eyes, even and especially with His perfect knowledge – Revelation 2:9
B2. By telling them that their enemies, who probably “shined” in the eyes of this world, were not true Jews, but rather the synagogue of Satan – 2 Corinthians 11:14
B3. By telling them strait “Do not fear” though they soon were to face even fiercer persecution and death – Revelation 2:10
B4. By telling them that their time of suffering (in this world) would be short, “ten days” – Revelation 2:10
B5. By promising a Crown of Life – Revelation 2:10
B6. By telling them they would / could escape the Second Death – Revelation 2:11
Application:
1. Things are not always what they seem, Jesus describes those who give up or are torn away from true faith by tribulation or persecution or tempted away from it by the deceitfulness of riches – Matthew 13:18-23, we need to be careful we fall into neither of these categories – Philippians 4:12; 2 Peter 1:10
2. Christ is the one and only Evaluator and Judge Who matters, we should not be shaken if the world does not like us, or even if we are persecuted for our faith, Christ taught us to expect that and even rejoice in persecution – John 15:18-21; 2 Timothy 3:12; Luke 6:22-23; Acts 5:40-42
