CHRIST: TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA

(Revelation 2:8-11)

8 To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

These are the words of Him Who is the First and the Last,

Who died and came to life again.

9 I know your afflictions an your poverty--

YET YOU ARE RICH!

I know the slander of those who say

They are Jews (Christians) and are not,

But are a synagogue (Church) of Satan.

10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.

I tell you, the Devil will put some of you in prison to test you,

And you will suffer persecution for ten days.

Be Faithful, even to the point of death,

And I will give you the Crown of Life.

11 He who has an ear,

Let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

He who Overcomes

Will not be hurt at all by the Second Death.

The Church in Smyrna is afflicted

By those who claim to belong to Christ but do not.

It is a fact that the True Church is always afflicted by the False Church,

Just as it was in the time of Christ.

The Church in Smyrna is being slandered by the Church of Satan

That pretends to be a Church of Christ Jesus.

They are in Poverty, yet are Rich in God.

They are going to Suffer

At the hand of the False Church and be put in prison,

But if they are faithful, even to the point of being killed,

They will receive the Crown of LIFE and avoid Eternal Death.

Today, we also must have ears that hear

What the Spirit is saying to us.

We must remember that the only entity

That stands in the way of Satan's complete Domination of the World

Is the Church of Christ Jesus.

Because of this, the Church is the Focus of Satan's Deception,

The rest of the Whole World belongs to him.

The synagogue of Satan, the False Church,

Believes that it represents God,

But it is Deceived, just as it was in the time of Christ.

It believes it can embrace God and the World

At the same time, which it cannot.

The Church of Christ Jesus today faces the same Trial,

There is nothing new under the sun. (Ecc. 1:9)

The human condition, in the natural,

Is one boring repetition after another,

Of mankind rejecting God and His Christ,

Under the deception of Satan.

The result is Hell for all,

But those who receive Christ Jesus and live for Him.

Speaking of the Signs of the End of the Age

Christ Jesus says this:

9 Then you will be handed over to be Persecuted

And put to Death,

And you will be Hated by All Nations because of Me.

10 At that time Many will Turn Away from the Faith

And Betray and Hate each other,

11 And Many False Prophets will appear

And Deceive Many people.

12 Because of the Increase of Wickedness,

The Love of Most will Grow Cold,

13 But he who Stands Firm to the End will be Saved.

(Matthew 24:9-13)

From this we learn

That WE, who today, are living at The End of the Age,

Will go through a similar situation as did the Church in Smyrna.