Series: Journey Through Revelation (Week 2 of 8)
Dr. Woodrow Kroll
July 14, 2010

Woodrow Kroll: What's God's perspective on persecution?

Tami Weissert: We'll find out today in our study.

Woodrow Kroll: Yes, and it may surprise you. Join us, won't you? Hi, I'm Woodrow Kroll.

Tami Weissert: I'm Tami Weissert.

Woodrow Kroll: And this is Back to the Bible.

Tami Weissert: We're on a tour of sorts of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation. Wood, yesterday, we visited the megachurch in Ephesus. Today, we arrive at Smyrna and there are a lot of contrasts between this church and the one in Ephesus. So would you tell us what are some of those differences.

Woodrow Kroll: You're right--there are many differences between Ephesus and I think each of the other churches of Revelation. Ephesus was the largest city in which these churches were located. It was the most important city. Smyrna today is the modern city, Izmir. It's located on the Aegean coast of western Turkey.

Smyrna was inhabited at least 3,000 years before Christ, but unfortunately, the site was left in ruins for nearly three centuries until it was re-founded by Alexander the Great in 334 B.C. That was just a year before Alexander died. So while Ephesus was a "happening" town in antiquity, Smyrna on the other hand suffered the stigma of being a no-name ghost town for almost 300 years. Part of the reason for that is the church in this town suffered greatly because of their commitment to Christ.

Tami Weissert: You know, I love it when I ask you an historical question and you just lay it out there. That was very helpful. So what I'm hearing you say is that the church in Smyrna was familiar with persecution. Jesus warned us that we would suffer for the sake of His name. So really His message to the church at Smyrna should resonate with us as well, right?

Woodrow Kroll: It should. Revelation 2:8 speaks of this city being dead then alive. That's a possible allusion to that period of 300 years that it lay devasted until revived by Alexander the Great. And then when it talks about the reference to the synagogue of Satan, verse 9, and to the devil putting them in prison, verse 10, that probably reflects this tribulation, the persecution the believers in Smyrna experienced, most of it under the emperor, Domitian.

Under Domitian's rule, it became a crime punishable by death to refuse to worship the image of the Roman emperor as lord. So many of these Christians in Smyrna were compelled to choose between Caesar as lord or Jesus as Lord. To choose Jesus as Lord didn't just mean trouble; it meant martyrdom.

Tami Weissert: I can't imagine that. We don't live under that today, thank goodness. Let's find out more about Christ's message to the church in Smyrna in today's study here on Back to the Bible.

Woodrow Kroll:  Today we're looking at the church at Smyrna. Now, rather than being a successful church, Smyrna was a church that was a persecuted church. I think we can learn from this in the fact that, often, we will find ourselves on the short end of the stick when it comes to receiving, what most of us would call, the good life today. You know, we're committed to the Lord and, as a result of being committed to the Lord, some things happen in our lives that cause us to be persecuted.

Before I get to that, though, let's talk a little bit about Smyrna because this is not a town that is as well-known as the one we looked at yesterday. And that's the city of Ephesus. The name Smyrna actually means "myrrh." It's that sweet perfume, you know, that was used for embalming; gold, frankincense and myrrh. This is a town that apparently grew myrrh there; and, as a result of that, it was well-known but not large. Smyrna is 35 miles north of Ephesus, almost due north of Ephesus.

Now, there was a person who lived in Smyrna and you probably will recognize his name. He's not a Bible character. In fact, he lived in the second century. His name is Polycarp. Polycarp was a young pastor in Smyrna when John was receiving his revelation. So, John's an old man; Polycarp is maybe 20 or 30. In A.D. 166, there came a knock at Polycarp's door. It was a mob that was calling for his death because he was a Christian.

He was hauled before the courts. He was told to renounce Jesus Christ. And Polycarp flatly refused. In fact, he never flinched. This is what he said; you can go today to the church of Polycarp in Izmir, and you will find these words inscribed there.

He said, "For eighty-six years I have served the Lord Jesus. He never did me any harm. How can I blaspheme my King, my Lord and my Savior?"

And, with those words, Polycarp was burned alive. He died rejoicing in the fact that Jesus allowed him to be persecuted for the name of the Savior. All this happened in the city of Smyrna, the city we're talking about today from Revelation 2.

So, what do you say to a suffering church? Well, let's read: verse 8 of chapter 2 of the Book of Revelation, "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, 'These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: [Now, here's what he says.] 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'" (Revelation 2:8-9).

Now, that's pretty hard stuff, isn't it? Let's think about that. What do you say to a persecuted church? The first thing Jesus says is, "Look, I want you to know you're not being persecuted without My knowledge. I am watching every move everyone makes on you." Jesus is in the midst of the church. Remember the seven candlesticks? Jesus is in the midst of the seven candlesticks; and, as a result of that, every time a church goes through any form of persecution at all Jesus is going to be right there.

Now, that doesn't mean He always removes the persecution; but He never asks us to go through persecution without His presence. So, today the same thing happens.

You know, it's estimated that there were more Christians persecuted in the 20th century than in the first 19 centuries combined. Persecution in a lot of places is going on daily for the church. Right now there are 200 million Christians suffering for their faith constantly, 200 million. There're about 150,000 people who die for their Christian faith every year, right now. Christians are the most persecuted people on earth. It's because this is a world in which Satan is very, very active.

So, Jesus says, first of all to the persecuted church, "I want you to know I know about your afflictions. This is not happening and I'm ignorant of it. I'm watching it all happen."

Secondly, notice also He says, here in this verse, "I am not unaware of your poverty."

You know that out of 1.9 billion church members worldwide (1.9 billion), 13 percent of them live in abject poverty? I'm not talking about below the poverty level; they live in absolute poverty. There're 247 million Christians worldwide. And, in some countries, almost all of those Christians are living in absolute poverty. So, while that may not be true for you and me today, there are many churches in the world today that can identify with the church at Smyrna. This is a church that is being persecuted, and this is a church that is living in poverty.

And there's a third thing He has to say here; He says, "I know that you have been slandered unjustly."

Notice, He says, "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 of the synagogue of Satan" (Revelation 2:9). That's pretty tough language coming from the Lamb, the Lord Jesus.

But, remember, Revelation is all about long-awaited and long-prolonged judgment. The day will come when Jesus, who is seen as Savior in the rest of the Bible, will be judge. And that's the Book of Revelation.

So, He says to this church, "I'm not unaware of your persecution. I am not unaware of your poverty. And, by the way, I am not unaware of the fact that you have been slandered unjustly and you don't deserve it." And the implication here is, "I'm going to do something about it."

So, you, individually today, if you happen to be persecuted because you're a Christian, you think you've been passed over for a promotion at work because of your faith, if you think that in the neighborhood people are talking about you because you live out your faith, I want you to know Jesus is not unaware of that.

And if you are living below the poverty line today and you're wondering why Jesus doesn't yank you out of that and make you rich, like some of the people on T.V. are constantly telling us Jesus wants us to be rich, if you are saying to yourself, "Why isn't that happening?" you need to know Jesus is not unaware of that. And if you've been falsely accused, like the church at Smyrna, Jesus says, "I understand; I know and just wait. I will do something about that."

Tami Weissert:  You're listening to Back to the Bible with Bible teacher, Woodrow Kroll. Up next, Dr. Kroll details the type of persecution that's happening today.

Woodrow Kroll: We've been talking a lot about persecution today, being persecuted for your faith in Jesus Christ. Organizations like Voice of the Martyrs or International Christian Concern have spent considerable time and resources to document the persecution of Christians around the world.

In fact, Voice of the Martyrs has published a country by country report on persecution from Afghanistan to Yemen. And topping the list of countries who have mounted a campaign against Christians are China, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Burma, Greece, Ethiopia, Viet Nam. Many Islamic nations have adopted a fanatical militant doctrine of persecution against all infidels and certainly the Christians are in the top of that list.

Here's what we do know: More Christians have died for their faith in the 20th century than in any other time in history--that from the group Christian Solidarity International. Here at Back to the Bible, we are not political. By that I mean we don't mix Bible teaching and politics. My job is to teach the Word and let the chips fall where they may.

But I can tell you this: If you are an American, our government, from the president on down, has not done nearly enough to influence these countries to stop the persecution of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The U.S. government has been more concerned about killing trees in these countries than people dying for the name of Jesus.

Global reports indicate that over 150,000 Christians were martyred just last year alone chiefly outside of the United States. Here's what may surprise you: The statistics are changing. Persecution of Christians is on the rise in the United States. We always knew it would come.

Well, friends, I think it has arrived, both in the United States and Canada, the numbers keep rising of those Christians who are shut out of public office, they're fired from their workplace, shunned by their friends, they're made to sound like blithering idiots by university professors and made to be the laughing stock of Hollywood sitcoms and movies.

Let me just give you a couple of examples. Tolerance of antichristian attitudes in the United States is escalating. Several years ago, a woman in Houston, Texas was ordered by local police to stop handing out Gospel tracts to children who knocked on her door during Halloween. The officers told her this kind of activity was illegal. Of course it isn't. The police indicated she would be arrested. That's, friends, just antichristian bias.

So if you're being persecuted, pray that the Lord will give you both grace and courage. You're going to need both--grace to respond to persecution as the Lord would respond, and courage to respond at all. Whatever you do, don't become complacent. Don't think your faith doesn't matter and that it's OK for you to keep quiet about it. It isn't OK.

Once I was in China visiting with a house church pastor. As I was leaving, I asked how I could pray for him and his church. To my utter shock, he said, "Pray that we don't become like you." He meant the church in the West. His prayer was not that persecution would stop, but that the Christians in China wouldn't keep quiet, they wouldn't knuckle under the persecution, they wouldn't accommodate to the world but would instead provide an alternative to the world. That's a lesson we need to learn here in North America.

Tami Weissert: You're listening to Back to the Bible with Bible teacher, Woodrow Kroll. I'm Tami Weissert.

Wood, persecution is tough but it seems like it can be a good thing as well. But we don't really want to seek it out, do we?

Woodrow Kroll: Sure, like my Chinese pastor friend, persecution can make you stronger. It can make you bold in your witness. It can deepen your intimacy with God. But if you can do those things without being persecuted, I think that's probably even better. What's not good is skipping these things in order to skip being persecuted.

Tami Weissert: If we're not being persecuted, should that give us pause? Is that maybe a sign that we're not really living out our faith in a bold enough manner?

Woodrow Kroll: No, I don't think so. Look, if you're not being persecuted, thank the Lord for that. That may not always be the case. In fact, it may not be the case for very much longer. Some Christians are in situations where persecution is more likely for them. So you and I need to pray for them. But don't feel guilty because you're not one of them.

Tami Weissert: Now let's return to our study with Bible teacher, Woodrow Kroll, here on Back to the Bible.

Woodrow Kroll:  Jesus is very sympathetic with this church. He commends them. He says, "Look, I know what you're going through. I know your persecution. I know your afflictions. I know that you're a poor church. You're not like those people there in Ephesus who are very wealthy and they have a huge church and they're very successful in the eyes of the world. You aren't like that at all. But I have something I need to say to you."

And this is what He says in verse 10. He says, "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer" (Revelation 2:10). Now, I'm not sure these people understood clearly everything they were about to suffer. And Jesus doesn't tell them specifically what it is they're going to suffer. He just says, "Don't fear. Don't be afraid of what people are going to do to you."

You know, Martin Luther said,

*And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph thru us.

That great hymn tells us exactly what Jesus is telling this church. "You don't know how difficult it's going to be in the future; but I want to say to you, 'Don't be afraid.' Why? Because I'm here. I'm with you in this church."

Secondly, He said this, "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. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).

Now, tucked away in that verse, is encouragement. You say, "What kind of encouragement can there be when He promises them persecution?" Well, look. The persecution will end. It's going to last for ten days. I don't know if He means ten literal days or not. It really doesn't matter. What He says is this: "You are going to be persecuted, but you are going to be delivered from that persecution." That's why I say the Book of Revelation is a great book of encouragement if you're on the right side. You have to be on the victory side.

Again, Martin Luther,

*Let goods and kindred go, (he writes)
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God's truth abideth still--
His kingdom is forever.

Now, what Luther has to say in his great hymn, Jesus has to say to the persecuted church at Smyrna.

"Don't be afraid.

"Your persecution is going to end," secondly.

Thirdly, He says, "Be faithful unto death."

Now, look. Remember, I mentioned Polycarp earlier in our study today? He was the man who was the pastor at this very church who was hauled off and burned alive. If Polycarp were alive today and could speak to you and me today, what do you think he'd say? I think he'd say, "Hey, you won't believe it. You just can't imagine how short and how insignificant the persecution that I had was in comparison to the indescribable joy of living with Jesus forever."

You know, he has a perspective on persecution most of us don't have. He went through it; and he said, "It ends but eternity never does." So, the comfort that Jesus brings to these people is not to say, "Hey, I'm going to keep all persecution from you. I don't want My people to suffer."

The comfort He brings to us is, even though we suffer, our suffering will one day end. And we will be with Him forever. And that'll never end. And that is better than the persecution we have today. In fact, that's better than having persecution removed from us today. Paul said, "The glory that faces us in the future is not at all worthy to be compared to the suffering we go through now" (See Romans 8:18). Sure, suffering is tough and persecution is tough. But Jesus says and Paul says, "Be faithful until death." That's what He says, verse 10, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).

Now, if we're faithful until death, Jesus says, "I have a reward for you that is better than anything you've ever seen so far." Interesting, isn't it, that the reward for faithfulness to death is a crown of life.

Some of you may be called upon to give your life for the Lord Jesus. None of us really is anticipating that, but He says this: (the order is always the same) it's always cross first, crown later. And, in the church at Ephesus, a lot of people were looking for crown now, cross later. The church at Smyrna, the persecuted church, knows all about what it's like to bear a cross. And Jesus says, "I want to introduce you to what it's all about wearing a crown."

James 1:12 says, "The crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." And, in this context, those who love him are those who suffer persecution for Him and keep faithful all the way to the end. It will be worth it all when we see Christ.

Tami Weissert: Thanks for joining us for today's Back to the Bible with Bible teacher, Woodrow Kroll. More from Revelation as we continue this week.

Wood, facing death is difficult, but facing death by persecution--I mean being sawn in half, burned alive--that is really scarey. We understand that we are not alone and that God will be with us, yet we're still afraid. What does that say about our faith?

Woodrow Kroll: I think it says more about our humanity than it does about our faith. Look, if I have my choice of dying in my sleep or being sawn in half with a chainsaw, I'm going with sleep every time. It doesn't say anything about our faith if things that scare normal people scare us. It does say something about our faith, however, if far less scarey things--like being laughed at or being ridiculed because we believe in a divine creator rather than some dumb chant--I think if that keeps us from expressing our faith, then we ought to be concerned. It's OK to be scared; just don't be silent.

Tami Weissert: Wood, sometimes when we're being persecuted or we see someone else going through some major struggles, our thoughts jump right to What did I do? Or What did they do wrong? to cause this. That could be the case but often it isn't. So how do we keep from falling into that trap?

Woodrow Kroll: We have to constantly be reminded that we're redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We're justified. We're treated as righteous in the sight of God just because of what Jesus did for us on the cross at Calvary. That's where He paid the penalty for our sins. When we remember our position in Christ, I think we'll not be constantly worrying about what we did wrong to bring about some struggles. Struggles are a part of life. They're a part of this world. But Jesus said, "In the world, you have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world."

Tami Weissert: Wood, you've written about the eternal rewards God has for us and crowns are a part of that. You mentioned that the reward for faithfulness to death is that crown of life. Would you just explain a little bit more about these crowns and what they mean?

Woodrow Kroll: Let's remember that we're talking about Smyrna here. Several ancient Greek writers refer to Smyrna as having the crown of life. Maybe they were talking about the way the city is built on a hilltop and its feet were at the seashore. But obviously, the promise of the crown of life to the Christians at Smyrna plays into that image, the image that we have, of one day receiving such a crown. The promise was given to those believers in Smyrna and to the rest of us who would remain faithful to the Lord through any kind of persecution.

As you say, Tami, this is one of the crowns that figures into our eternal rewards. Many people don't know what to expect at the Judgment Seat of Christ so I wrote a book entitled, Facing Your Final Job Review. It answers all your major questions about rewards, how rewards differ from salvation, what the rewards will be, what we will do with them, what might cause us to lose rewards--essentially everything you wanted to know about the believer's rewards.

It's called Facing Your Final Job Review: Salvation, Rewards, and the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Tami Weissert: Thanks for that, Wood. Dr. Kroll's book, Facing Your Final Job Review is available here at Back to the Bible along with a companion study guide. So to order the book or the guide, just call us at 1-800-759-2425.

Well, today, Wood, our journey through Revelation took us to the persecuted church in Smyrna. Tomorrow, we'll tour the church in Pergamum and this church was located in a bad neighborhood.

Woodrow Kroll: It really was, not that the actual neighborhood where Pergamum was located was bad. It's just that bad things were found in the city of Pergamum or Pergamos; it's pronounced both ways. For one thing, something called Satan's throne was located there. Sounds pretty diabolical. We'll learn more about it and the church of Pergamum tomorrow on Back to the Bible. I'll be here. I hope you will be as well.

Thank you for your prayers and your financial support of this ministry. We appreciate both of them so much. God bless you. I'm Woodrow Kroll. Have a good and godly day.

Scripture used in today's program was based on the New King James Version of the Bible.