“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” (Revelation 2:9 HCSB).
“Slander” refers to the deliberate spread of false information in order to damage someone’s reputation. Today, we might use the term “character assassination” to describe such conduct.
Unfortunately, those who were targeting the Christians of Smyrna in this manner were acting as double-agents. On the outside, they displayed an external façade of God-honoring spirituality. But internally, they pursued an agenda that was aligned with the devil’s priorities. However, Jesus saw through that charade and furnished the church at Smyrna with an accurate assessment of their real identity: “…theirs is a synagogue of Satan” (NLT).
“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” (Revelation 2:10).
A “prison” of that era was not like the penal institutions that typically exist today. For example, there were no beds, toilet facilities, showers, or regular meals available to prisoners of that era. Instead, prisoners were usually chained in areas that were dark, cold, damp, and dirty. While these penitentiaries sometimes functioned as places of incarceration for criminal behavior, they primarily served as detention centers for individuals who were awaiting trial or execution.
Given these realities, this disclosure from Revelation 2:10 surely represented unwelcome news to the Christians who lived in Smyrna. Nevertheless, it’s important to recognize some important facets of this message…
- First, Jesus was fully aware of this pending test. He was not surprised or caught off-guard by what was about to take place.
- He advised the Christian community at Smyrna that their period of tribulation would be limited to an interval of “ten days.”
- Finally, Jesus promised a reward for those who were “faithful unto death.”
So Jesus told His followers…
- What was going to happen.
- Why it was going to happen.
- How long it would last.
- The end result for those who remained faithful to Him.
Thus, Jesus was in control of the events that were about to take place in Smyrna, and the same holds true of our lives as well. And even though the devil had a part to play in this period of testing, it was only because it suited Jesus’ purpose in permitting him to do so.