INTRO: By way of review, let me remind us where we are. We have been looking at the church of Smyrna, the beautiful city, the city of life; but the city of bitterness. Smyrna is the counselee. The counselor was the One who is the First and the Last, the One who was dead, and came to life. There is no more trustworthy counselor than that. No other religious leader is the First and the Last; and they have all died and not come back to life. Our master did. We ought to give Him our complete obedience in life.
We have looked at the commendation:
9 "I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
We have begun to look at the counsel. The Lord said:
10 "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.
That is where we left off, and we will finish that commendation now which is this in verses 10b-11a:
10b Be faithful until 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. |
