ROBERT@kontu.utu.fi (Robert W. Johnson) (03/07/91)
In a series of articles I am going to present the entire Church history as
phrophezied in Revelation 2:1-3:22. These verses phrophezy concerning the
first Church to the last Church before the Lord returns.
If you would like a list of references on Church history please send me a
note.
Note: This posting is very long. It will be divided into seven parts (there
are epistles to seven Churches.) Each part will consist of one or more
subparts.
Part II of VII - Subpart 1 of 2 of Part II
CHAPTER 2
III. "THE THINGS WHICH ARE" --
THE SEVEN LOCAL CHURCHES
2:1-3:22
B. Church in Symrna --
the Church under Persecution
8 And to the (1)messanger of the church in (2)Smyrna write: These things
says the (3a)First and the Last, Who became (b)dead, and (4)lived again:
(1) Gk. angel.
(2) In greek "Smyra" means "myrrh," and myrrh in figure signifies suffering.
Thus the church in Smyrna was a suffering church, signifying the church under
the pesecution of the Roman Empire from the latter part of the first century
to the early part of the fourth century.
(3) In suffering, the church must know that the Lord is the "First and the
Last," the ever-existing unchanging One. Whatever the persecuting environment
may be, he remains the same; nothing can precede Him, nor can anything exist
after Him. All things are within the limit of His control.
(4) "Lived again" means resurrection. The Lord suffered death and lived
again. He entered into death, but death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24),
because he is the resurrecxtion (John 11:25). The suffering church also
needs to know Him as such a One that she may endure any kind of suffering.
However severe the suffering, the church will still be alive. The
resurrection life of Christ can endure death.
(a) Rev. 1:17 (b) Rev. 1:18
9 I know your (a)tribulation and the (1b)poverty, but you are (1)rich;
and the (2c)slander of those who (3)call themselves (d)Jews and are
(4)not, but are a (5e)synagogue of (6f)Satan.
(1) The suffering church was poor in material things, but rich in the Lord
with the riches of His life.
(2) the slander of the Judaizers towqrd the suffering church was their evil
criticism of her. They stubbornly insisted on keeping their Judaistic system,
consisting of the Leviticla priesthood, the sacrifical rituals, and the
material temple, which were all types now fulfilled and replaced by Christ.
Since the church under the new covenant in God's economy had no part in their
religious practice, the Judaizers slandeously critized her. In principle,
it is the same today, in that religious people slander the churches in the
Lord's recovery, which seek the Lord and follow Him in spirit and in life
and do not care for any religious system nor practice.
(3) Gk. say.
(4) The Judaizers were Jews in flesh, but not Jews in spirit (Rom. 2:28-29).
Merely being the seed of Abraham does not constitute them true Jews. "Those
who are the children of the flesh are not the children of God" (Rom.9:7-8).
(5) A synagogue was a place where the Jews worshipped God mainly by studying
their Scriptures, the Old Testament. However, due to their stubbornness
in clinging to their tradional religious oncepts, they became one with Satan
Inopposing God's way of life to fulfill His purpose. Their synagogues did
this to the Lord Jesus (Matt. 12:9-14; Luke 4:28-29; John 9:22), then to
the Apostles (Acts 6:9; 13:43, 45-46, 50; 14:1-2, 19; 17:1, 5-6), and now
to the churches (Rev. 3:9). therefore, the Lord call them "the synagogue of
Satan." Even when He was on the earth, He considered the synagogues to be
of Satan, as implied in Matthew 12:25-29 and John 8:44. Apparently they were
worshipping God; actually they were opposing God. They persecuted and killed
God's true worshippers, yet they considered themselves to be offering service
to God (John 16:2). Through all the centuries since then, religious people
hae followed in their steps, persecuting the genuine seekers and followers
of the Lord in spirit and life, while considering themselves to be defending
the interests of God. Roman Catholicism and protestantism, as well as
Judaism, all fall into this category, becoming an organization of Satan as
his tool to damage God's economy.
(6) Satan in Greek means adversary. He is not only the enemy of God from
without, but also His adversary from within.
(a) Rev. 1:9 (b) James 2:5; 2 Cor. 6:10; 8:9; cf. Rev. 3:17 (c) Matt. 5:11;
2 Cor. 6:8 (d) Rev. 3:9; Rom. 2:28 (e) Rev. 3:9; Matt. 10:17; Luke 21:12;
John 16:2; Acts 6:9; 9:2; 22:19 (f) rev. 2:13, 24; 3:9; 12:9; 20:2
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Robert W. Johnson
Computer center, The University of Turku, Turku Finland
robert@kontu.utu.fi (InterNet)
robert@firien.bitnet (BITNET)
The preceeding is my opinion and may not express the opinion of my employer
and furthermore has nothing to do with my employment.