Dear Smyrna:

The letter to the Smyrna church opens with the reminder that the one who suffered death yet rose, is the one speaking! This may seem like an odd way to start, since the church should know who is speaking. Jesus saw fit to remind the church that the greatest persecution was already experienced and conquered by Him. The letter informs the suffering church that suffering only lasts for a season. It instills hope! Whatever you’re going through in the moment is temporary! God is with you! He endured and conquered suffering Himself. This is a good opportunity to give God a shout of praise. Your struggle has an expiration date on it, and you’ve been purposed for victory!

Isaiah 53:3 says, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” He gets right to the point and addresses the elephant in the room, without minimizing the gravity of the moment! The church is suffering and in pain. I love this letter. The times that I have gone through the worst pain, all I wanted was immediate attention from our Father to my pain. This is why we can have total assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is intimately aware of your personal pain.

Smyrna is in pain! They are the present day (Izmir) known to us currently as Turkey. The word Smyrna means “sweet smelling.” It comes from the word Myrrh, which was a spice used for embalming. Myrrh is used throughout scripture as an emblem for suffering. The “suffering church” was not only associated with suffering but identified with the spice that gives off the most fragrant aroma.

Smyrna was being crushed by Roman persecution, and if that weren’t enough, they received the same from the Jewish community. The “religious ones” under the influence of our adversary came against the church rather than uplifting it. Father, deliver us from religious folks under the influence of the enemy! These Judaizers, known for their oppression of new converts, sought to enforce rules over relationships while they were young in their faith. The ones who should build faith in the new converts, does the work of the evil one instead. Satan, whose name literally means “adversary,” is working through the religious community to do his work. A few interesting facts to help us understand what we are dealing with:

“Devil” means “slanderer “or “accuser.” In Aramaic it can be translated as, “torture house.” Historians report that this church suffered a great persecution that resulted in the death of Polycarp, one of the leading church fathers. Tertullian notes that Polycarp was a disciple of John’s.

Satan attempts to smite the shepherd in hopes that the sheep will scatter. Oftentimes, that kind of loss causes a weakening in faith. Remember how the children of Israel became very discouraged when Moses passed away? God had to speak to them and tell them to follow the one He had placed over them currently. “Moses my servant is dead. … As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” God had to move both in the new leader and the followers. Fear can grip everyone in times of transition. Losing Polycarp had to be a blow to the congregation. 

With persecution on every side, it would be nice to think that was all they faced. Like most seasons of adversarial attack, the enemy comes for blood. Pulling out every tactic he has, and this attack was no different. Adding slander and financial hardship to the mix, I’d say the Smyrna church would have every natural right to feel defeated. But God! – Go ahead and take a praise break. If you have ever experienced persecution on every side, with every reason to be defeated and give up, you can jump to your feet for this praise break opportunity. Our God is a defender, a warrior, a healer, and a strong tower!

Amidst all the despair, the letter leads us to a clue of something amazing being laid out. Let’s get to the good stuff! They are suffering financial hardship, however, these words made me leap. “I am aware of all the painful difficulties you have passed through and your financial hardships, even though, in fact you possess rich treasure.”  I’m not sure if underlining alone pulled you in on the secret, but just in case you missed it, let me shout it out. PASSED THROUGH!!!!! EVEN THOUGH!!!! YOU POSSESS GREAT TREASURE!

I cannot shout loud enough over this! Baby, you are going to “pass through” too! No persecution lasts forever. NO season of adversarial attacks can outlast the date of expiration! AND you already possess the treasure for your prosperity! Satan, with your slanderous, oppressive self, your time is running out! Weeping may endure for a night (a season, a limited time), but joy is coming in the morning. Psalms 30:5 KJV.

Wait. Don’t get tired of shouting yet. He said while they suffered “Difficulties” (plural), they possess rich treasure! My dad once told me that the place you see Satan doing most of his work; is the place you typically possess the greatest potential power and anointing! The enemy is afraid of what you will do with what you have given the opportunity to mature!

The church possessed great treasures, yet they experienced several financial hardships. What you already possess provides the greatest potential for an abundant life designed for you, even though it may be locked up in the “torture house,” the place of oppression, slander, and opposition! This is one reason I work so hard at helping people break through their own stumbling blocks and apply better leadership to their life.

The process of growth and transformation is using the keys of the kingdom to unlock and shut down what the enemy has stolen and housed up in the torture house. He seeks to torture you in your places of prosperity and potential. You possess the anointing and potential for great wealth. You ought to take this and run with it. Run to God and seek revelation so you can take back what is being held up by the torture house.

To be clear, this great treasure is not just money, although we can’t abandon that reality either. He clearly mentions finances in the text. Say thank you Lord for my great, rich financial breakthrough being unlocked even now! What may appear to be blocking you or breaking you may be sent to break something off of you! The release of what’s within you!

Rich treasure is also your gifting, your intellect, your creative abilities, your entrepreneurial anointing, and your ability to love and gather people. The “rich treasure” is what God has invested in you for your reigning on earth—the power you possess to obtain!

Ok, let’s break it down. Smyrna was named “Sweet Smelling,” yet known for their persecution, hardship, and suffering, yet they OVERCAME! They are identified for their most fragrant aroma and promise of the victors’ crown of life. There is a wealth of great revelation wrapped up in this letter.

Before I sum it all up. Let’s finish the letter.

Jesus informs them that the suffering isn’t quite over. However, confidence is found in knowing that every test, trial, and buffering is covered by God. Satan is testing you; God is proving you! He lets them know, DON’T fear! Don’t fear because I’m telling you what’s coming. Don’t fear because I’m with you. Don’t fear because while you’ll be locked up a little while longer, what I’ve deposited within you can’t be undone!

Y’all, we serve a great God! Jesus warned them that the devil would work through some people to have them thrown into prison for ten days to “test” their faith! Your faith will always be tested. What and who we believe in will always be proven. Everyone has faith till it comes under fire. Everyone is a believer until threatened. God will allow Satan to create circumstances that test our faith, our resolve, and ultimately (as with Job) prove God’s undeniable workmanship in our lives. If you’re being tested right now, this reading today is especially for you!

The number ten is often used symbolically to represent integration, wholeness, and discipline. It represents harmony, perfection, and creation. The ten days of testing in the torture house can bring you into wholeness! Google’s definition of integration is blessing me. Allow me to share a little:

1. The action or process of integrating–the intermixing of people or groups previously “Integration is the best hope for both black and white Americans.”
2. PSYCHOANALYSIS -the process by which a well-balanced psyche becomes whole as the developing ego organizes the id, and the state that results or that treatment seeks to create or restore by countering the fragmenting effect of defense mechanisms.

That last part has so much value in it. Can I translate in my words by merging the scripture and this definition? Ten days of the “devil” or the “adversary” or the Aramaic translation “torture house” (prison) can balance your psyche (your thoughts, mind and spirit), and organize your id (identification), bringing the end result to restore the fragmenting effects of the defense mechanisms you took on in the struggle!

My God, My God!!!!! Powerful!

A few tidbits for your knowledge about the number ten:

In Gen:1, “God said” is used ten times.

From Adam to Noah was ten generations (Gen:5).

10 % (a tenth) is our tithe! The Hebrew “maaser” meaning tenth (Gen 28:22, Lev 27:30-32, Num 19:26)

God promised Abraham He would not destroy Sodom if he found ten righteous men (Genesis 18:32)

God brought ten plagues on Egypt (Ex 7:14-12:30)

God casted the shadow to go backwards 10 degrees on a sundial (2 Kings 20:8-11)

In the temple there were 10 lamp stands, ten lavers, ten tables (2 Chr 4:6-8),

ten lepers healed, ten virgins, ten days between Jesus’ ascension to Heaven and Pentecost, ten commandments, ten fingers and toes. Ok enough, you get the point.

Smyrna was being sent into ten days of testing. Some have suggested that the ten days represented ten time periods. The time periods may have represented ten waves of identifiable persecution under ten roman emperors. Whether ten literal days or the representation of ten time periods, the principle is the same. The church was being tested in their faith! Jesus was clear to state the fact that we can’t dispute. This test was faith-proving!

“For ten days you will have distress but remain faithful to the day you die, and I will give you the victor’s crown of life” The crown of life is the victor’s crown. It’s the symbol of ruling and reigning in the power and nature of divine life!

Wow! The Smyrna church was facing what could have been for them a literal death. The persecution may have resulted in a physical, natural death. Even still, Jesus said, “Do not yield to fear in the face of suffering!” You may feel it, but don’t yield to it. Even unto death, don’t fear! You can stand fearlessly because even if you die under the hands of persecution, you will live with me in Glory! Don’t miss the recounting of the timeline. He restates, “For ten days.” Satan is on a time leash. He knows his time is short.

“The one whose heart is open let him listen carefully to what the spirit is saying presently to all the churches.”

       “The one who conquers will not be harmed by the second death.”

The message is clear; not all will hear, but some will grab hold of the eternal promises within these passages and find hope, grace, comfort, and faith!

Death itself cannot conquer the one who conquers! What does conquer mean to us presently? To conquer today means to stay firm in the face of persecution! Rome was the ruling governmental authority. They persecuted the church, yet the church was called upon to still be the church! To hold fast to its foundations and represent. While they persecute, we release the order of Heaven. When they try to shut us down and quiet our voice of victory, we don’t bow. We rise and stand on the revelations of Jesus Christ. The prison Satan builds for you, my friend, is by design the house that applies only enough pressure or “torture” to release what God has invested in you! Satan presses, and you release the fragrance. That fragrance is deeper worship, greater levels of revelation, greater degrees of intimacy between you and the Father, and greater degrees of influence. Become so fragrant that people around you can’t pass without noticing you! Become so fragrant that Heaven receives your worship as a “sweet smelling aroma.”     Allow the pressures of life to simply make you smelly!  

I close with this, just in case you need a second addition to the promise. James says, “If your faith remains strong, even while surrounded by life’s difficulties, you will continue to experience the untold blessings of God! True happiness comes as you pass the test with faith and receive the victorious crown of life promised to every lover of God!” (James 1:12 TPT)

To sum up the letter:

• Don’t be moved by Satan’s slanderous voice – No matter the mouth it comes from!
• Don’t fear in the face of struggle – Your struggle has an expiration date!
• The “torture house” is only the vessel used to test your faith.
• Not even governmental persecution has the power to break the church! – Let the church rise!
• You may have a story of suffering, but your identity can be in your fragrance!
• You possess RICH TREASURE! – walk in financial prosperity!
• If you endure, you are promised the crown of life!

You are called and designed to rule and reign in the power and nature of divine life! That is abundant life!

Father, I’m grateful for your never-ending care for me. You have never left me in my times of struggle, and you never will. I ask you for your divine power and nature to be released in my life today. Shatter every stronghold binding my financial prosperity. I ask you to cause the rich treasures within me to release as a sweet-smelling aroma. Receive my worship as a sweet-smelling aroma and let the fragrance of my life be the fragrant perfume that you have prepared for me. Give me strength and courage to stand firm through my tests, trials, persecution, and slanderous attacks.

In Jesus Name,

Amen  

What touched you about this passage?

Have you suffered financial hardship? If so, today is your opportunity to be set free of whatever is binding you in that area.

Have you located the area in your life that the enemy tends to focus his attacks on?

What success has arrived in your life that was pressed out in the torture house? -Testify of what God did out the enemies attack. 

Are you being tested in your faith right now?