I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life [Rev. 2:9–10].

There are seven things in this church which the Lord commended:
1. “Tribulation” is mentioned first. The word works is not in the best manuscripts. I prefer to leave it out, but if you want to include it, fine. Remember, this is not the Great Tribulation; it means simply trouble. Since the awful persecution of the church by the Roman emperors is not called the Great Tribulation, surely our small sufferings are not the Great Tribulation. But the church in Smyrna endured much tribulation, and they suffered for the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. “Poverty” denotes the lack of material possessions. The early church was made up largely of the poorer classes. When the wealthy believed in Christ, their property was confiscated because of their faith. “But thou art rich” denotes the spiritual wealth of the church—they were blessed with all spiritual blessings. Notice the contrast to the rich church in Laodicea. To that church He said, “You think you are rich, but you are really poor and don’t know it.”
When I am a visiting conference speaker in churches across the land, pastors like to tell me about the millionaire or persons of prominence whom they have in their congregation. Well, the martyr church couldn’t brag about that. They had in their congregation slaves, ex–slaves, runaway slaves, freed slaves, poor people, and those who had lost whatever money they had when they became Christians.
3. “The blasphemy of them which say they are Jews … but are the synagogue of Satan.” The implication is that the Jews in Smyrna who had come to Christ were Jews inwardly as well as outwardly. In Romans 9:6 Paul says that not all Israel is Israel. It is his religion that makes a Jew a real Jew. His religion is the thing that identifies him. Speaking of them nationally, the Lord said that their father was “… a Syrian ready to perish …” (Deut. 26:5). But Smyrna was a city of culture in which many Jews had discarded their belief in the Old Testament. Although they said they were Jews, when a Jew gives up his religion, there is a question whether or not he is a Jew. In Germany many tried to do that, by the way. Down through the years there has been only a remnant of these people who have truly been God’s people.
4. “Fear none of those things” is the encouragement of the Lord to His own in the midst of persecutions. This is the second time in this book that the Lord has offered this encouragement. History tells us that multitudes went to their death singing praises to God.
5. “The devil [Satan] shall cast some of you into prison.” We are going to look at this fearful creature later on, but Christ labels him as being responsible for the suffering of the saints in Smyrna. You and I tend to blame the immediate person or circumstance which serves as Satan’s tool, but the Lord Jesus goes back to the root trouble.
I would like to insert a personal word at this point. I could classify and pigeonhole everything that has come into my life as God’s judgment or God’s chastisement, but when I began experiencing so many physical problems, I was puzzled. Then quite a few people began writing to say, “I believe Satan is responsible for the things that are happening to you.” And I decided this must be the explanation for the many physical problems that afflicted me.
6. “Ye shall have tribulation ten days.” There were ten intense periods of persecution by ten Roman emperors (these dates are approximate):

Nero—64–68 (Paul was beheaded under his reign)
Domitian—95–96 (John was exiled during that period)
Trajan—104–117 (Ignatius was burned at the stake)
Marcus Aurelius—161–180 (Polycarp was martyred)
Severus—200–211
Maximinius—235–237
Decius—250–253
Valerian—257–260
Aurelian—270–275
Diocletian—303–313 (the worst emperor of all).

7. “Be thou faithful unto death”—and they were. They were martyrs for Him. He promises them “a crown of life.” Remember that He is addressing the believers who lived in Smyrna, the crown city. It is interesting that to them He is saying that He will give crowns—not crowns of flowers—or of anything else perishable—but crowns that will be eternal.
The Lord has special crowns for those who suffer. I know many wonderful saints who are going to get that crown some day. My friend, if you are suffering at this moment and you have wondered if He cares, He has something good for you in eternity. You will get something that no one else will be getting, except others in your condition. God’s Word says, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12). That crown of life means that you are really going to live it up someday. What a glorious prospect that is for invalids and those on beds of pain today.


McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible Commentary: The Prophecy (Revelation 1-5) (electronic ed., Vol. 58, pp. 74–77). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.