Revelation 2:10

Fear none. See on James 1:2; cf. John 16:33.

Shalt suffer. Or, “art about to suffer.” Apparently, the Smyrna church had been an important target of Jewish slander, but the members had not yet felt the full brunt of persecution. However, the Christians there doubtless knew of the persecution that already raged elsewhere, and must have anticipated future trouble for themselves. This is implied by the form of the verb here translated “fear,” which indicates that they were already fearful. Christ consoles them with the assurance that, despite the prospect of persecution, they need not be afraid. See on Matt. 5:10–12.

Tried. Or, “tested.” Satan would subject them to persecution in order to prevail upon them to relinquish their faith. God would permit the persecution as a means of strengthening and proving the genuineness of their faith. Though Satan may rage against the church, God’s hand accomplishes His purpose. See on James 1:2; Rev. 2:9.

The Roman emperor Trajan (A.D. 98–117) laid down the first official Roman policy toward Christianity. In the famous ninety-seventh letter, written to Pliny the Younger, his governor in Bithynia and Pontus in Asia Minor, Trajan outlined a procedure for dealing with Christians, who were, at that time, an illegal religious society. He ordered that Roman officials were not to hunt Christians out, but that if persons were brought before them for other offenses and proved to be Christians, they were to be executed unless they recanted. This regulation, though by no means uniformly enforced, remained the law until Constantine issued his edict of toleration in A.D. 313.

Thus, for two centuries Christians were constantly subject to the possibility of sudden arrest and death for their faith. Their well-being depended in large measure upon the favor of their pagan and Jewish neighbors, who might either leave them in peace or complain against them before the authorities. This might be termed permissive persecution. The emperor did not take the initiative in persecuting Christians, but permitted his own representatives and the local authorities to take such measures against Christians as they might see fit. This policy left the Christians to the mercy of the various local administrations under which they lived. Especially in times of famine, earthquake, storm, and other catastrophes, Christians found themselves the objects of attack, their pagan neighbors supposing that by refusing to worship the gods the Christians had brought divine wrath upon the whole country.

At times, however, the Roman government carried on aggressive persecution against the church (see on v. 9). Thinking Romans observed that Christianity was constantly growing in extent and in influence throughout the empire, and that it was fundamentally incompatible with the Roman way of life. They realized that, given time, it would destroy the Roman way of life. Accordingly, it was often the more capable emperors who persecuted the church, whereas those who took their responsibilities less seriously were usually content not to molest Christians.

The first general, systematic persecution of the church was undertaken by the emperor Decius, whose imperial edict of the year 250 decreed the universal suppression of Christianity by means of torture, death, and the confiscation of property. The occasion for this decree was the millennial celebration of the founding of Rome, some three years earlier, when the decadent state of the empire was rendered more apparent by comparison with the glories of the past. Christianity became the scapegoat, and it was decided to obliterate the church in order, presumably, to save the empire. This policy lapsed with the death of Decius in A.D. 251, but was revived by Valerian a short time later. With his death the policy again lapsed, and not until the reign of Diocletian did the church face another major crisis (see below on “ten days”).

Ten days. This expression has been understood in two ways. On the basis of the year-day principle of reckoning prophetic time periods (see on Dan. 7:25), it has been interpreted as a period of ten literal years and applied to the period of the most severe imperial persecution (A.D. 303–313), begun by Diocletian and continued by his associate and successor Galerius. This was an attempt to wipe out Christianity by burning the Scriptures, destroying church buildings, and imprisoning the leaders. These rulers believed that the church had grown to such dimensions of strength and popularity in the empire that unless Christianity should be promptly stamped out the traditional Roman way of life would cease to exist and the empire itself would disintegrate. Consequently they inaugurated a policy designed to exterminate the church. Diocletian’s first decree against Christians was issued in the year 303, banning the practice of Christianity throughout the empire.

Persecution began in the army and spread throughout the empire. The Roman authorities concentrated their terrors on the Christian clergy, in the belief that if the shepherds were removed, the flock would scatter. The horrors of this persecution are vividly described by the church historian Theodoret (Ecclesiastical History i. 6), who describes the gathering of the bishops of the church to the Council of Nicaea some years after the end of the persecution (A.D. 325). Some came with out eyes, some without arms, which had been pulled from their sockets, others with their bodies horribly maimed in different ways. Many, of course, did not survive this time of trouble. In 313, ten years after the beginning of these persecutions, Constantine and his colleague Licinius issued an edict that granted Christians (and all others) liberty to practice their religion.

Other interpreters think it is not altogether certain that the “ten days” were intended to represent prophetic time. They reason thus: The “things which thou shalt suffer,” “the devil,” “prison,” and “death” are obviously literal, and it would seem most natural to expect the “ten days” to be literal also. In this case the number “ten” would be considered a round number, as is so often the case in Scripture (see Eccl. 7:19; Isa. 5:10; Dan. 1:20; Amos 6:9; Haggai 2:16; Zech. 8:23; Matt. 25:1, 28; Luke 15:8; etc.; cf. Mishnah Aboth 5. 1–9). As a round number, “ten days” would represent a brief period of persecution such as the literal church at Smyrna no doubt suffered in apostolic times. It would be entirely consistent with sound principles of prophetic interpretation (see on Deut. 18:15) for the “ten days” to have a literal application to the immediate historical situation at Smyrna and a figurative application to the period of history represented by the Smyrna church (see on Rev. 1:11; 2:1, 8; see p. 725; Additional Note at end of chapter).

Be thou faithful. The Greek verb form implies, “continue to be faithful.” Smyrna proved to be a faithful church.

Unto death. The Greek implies, “up to and including death.”

Crown. Gr. stephanos, “a chaplet,” or “garland, of victory,” not a diadem of rulership. This word was used for the wreaths given to victors in Greek games. Here, it is a symbol of the reward given to the victor in the struggle with Satan.

Of life. The phrase “crown of life” is probably best translated in the sense, the “crown that is life”—the “crown” is “life.” This crown is evidence of victory over the devil and the “tribulation” he has caused. Compare 2 Tim. 4:8.