Revelation 2:9; I Know Thy Works

Revelation 2:8-9 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 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.

– Verse 9a I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty…

Our Lord says to the church in Smyrna, “I know fully what you are going through. I know thy works I can see what is going on in your life.”

This knowledge that our Lord claims is the verb that describes a fullness of knowledge. Nothing escapes His watchful care, assuring them He is well aware of the sufferings that they were going through.

The word “tribulation” literally means pressure, a pressing together is the literal meaning “suffering brought on by outward circumstances” – affliction, oppression and trouble, distress and anxiety of heart characterized the affliction. The church in Symrna was facing intense pressure because of their faithfulness to Jesus Christ, their Lord.

There was a large marble statue of Caesar was prominently displayed and every citizen was commanded to bow and annually worship Caesar by publicly offering a pinch of incense there, just like Daniel’s three friends who were exiles in Babylon during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king who destroyed Jersualem in 586 B.C. 

Those who refused were usually executed. The Roman Emperor Domitian who was infamous for his hatred and widespread persecution of Christians.  Church historians have recorded that in Smyrna there were mass executions of Christians who refused to worship Caesar.  So Smyrna was not an easy place to be a Christian where annually every believer had to choose between saying, “Jesus is Lord,” or, “Caesar is Lord.”

Walking with God in Symrna required courage, exceptional courage as in the case of Daniel’s three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 

Even their names showed the intimate knowledge of the living and true God and the parents desired for God’s favour, power and help to be manifested in their lives – Shadrach (Jah has favoured), Meshach (Is as El), and Abednego (Jah has helped) were true to their Hebrew names. They had the courage to cling on to the promises of God in obedience.

They lived in momentous times where their faith was put to a great test. Did they buckle under the stress and strain of threat to their very life? They did not. They passed the test. Where does this courage come from? Are they not afraid of death? How is it that they could stand firm under such an extreme threat to their lives?

The knowledge of their God gave to them the faith to stand the test. It was at first purely cognitive then it was experiential; finally it is matured, requiring no testing. They knew what God required of them. The commandments of God were clearly not just head knowledge but a firm conviction in their hearts. They understood who they would give their allegiance. 

Thank God for such unwavering faith for our emulation. Amen.