We are about to look at the second Ekklesia from Christ's perspective.
Revelation 2:8, 9-10, 11 "'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. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.'" (KJV)
Revelation 2:8, 9-10, 11 "'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. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.'" (ESV)
Revelation 2:8, 9-10, 11 "'Write the following to the Messenger of the church in Smyrna; Tell him that the One who is the origin and conclusion of all things, who became dead and was restored to life, says:
I see your hard work and tight claustrophobic spaces that you are facing; Alos the beggarly state that you're convinced you're trapped in when in fact you are super rich! I know about the hurtful slander of those who pretend to defend Jewish culture against your influence, but are actually part and parcel of the satanic synagogue-systems of accusation! (From the Hebrew (H3960 lâshan, from G3956) sawtan, to attack, to accuse, to oppose.) You have no need to fear anything you might suffer at any time! Know that [1]this "Outcast-system" is about to cast some of you out of your comfort-zone of fellowship into a place of confinement and imprisonment where you will be examined and severly pressured for a period of [2]ten days. I desire for you to be fully persuaded even in the face of death and be crowned like a champion athlete with My victory over death-behold in death I will personally crown you with life! (The [1, G1228 is from G1225 is from G1223 and G906] diabollos [from G1223 dia, because of, and G906 ballo, to cast down] represents the system of religion which is the typical fruit of the same tree (Genesis 3) of temptation in the garden of Eden; The tree of legalistic rule and performance that would want to squeeze people into its mold to make them conform to their structures of control. It is the system empowered by the "I-am-not-Tree."
The significance of the [2]10th day: the Passover Lamb was selected on the 10th day of the 1st month! Exodus 12:3, 5, "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; You shall take it from the sheep or from the goats."
FB Meyer comments: "This epistle has a new pathos and significance if we connect it with "the blessed Polycarp," who almost certainly was the chief minister of the church in Smyrna. he was the disciple of John. Irenaeus who lived a generation later, tells how, in early boyhood, he had heard from the lips of Polycarp what John had told him of our Lord's person, converse, and earthly ministry. How sweet the comfort of this epistle must have been to be burned." )
Now listen up with your inner ears! Hear with understanding what the Spirit is saying to the Ekklesia - [those who discover their identity in Me] he that triumphs [in their fearless embrace of My resurrection life] will know that there is no judgment in the second death. [Remember the One talking is the One "who became dead and was restored to life," and said, 'Behold in death I will personally crown you with life! In My death I redefined your death.'"] Look at Hebrews 9:25-28, Neither was it necessary for Him to ever repeat His sacrifice. The High Priest under the old shadow system stood proxy with substitute animal sacrifices that had to be repeated every year. But Jesus did not have to suffer again and again since the fall of the world; The single sacrifice of Himself in the fulfillment of history now reveals how he has brought sin to naught. (The word, katabole, means to cast down. GOD'S Lamb took away the sins of the world!) The same goes for everyone: a person dies only once, and then faces judgment. Christ died that once and faced the judgment of the entire human race! His second appearance [in His resurrection] has nothing to do with sin, but to reveal salvation for all to fully embrace Him. (To fully embrace, apekdechomai , is from apo , away from [that which defines me before] and ek, out of, ones original source; And dechomai, to take into one's hands to accept with whole heartedly, to fully embrace. In His resurrection He appeared as Savior of the world! Sin is no longer on the agenda, for the Lamb of GOD has taken away the sins of the world! Jesus Christ fulfilled humanity's destiny with death and judgment! [1Corinthians 15:3-5, Romans 4:25, Acts 17:30-31.] Note: (Jesus did not come to condemn the world. The Father judges no one for he has handed over all judgment to the Son, who judged the world in righteousness when He took their chastisement in His own body. now in His appearance in us, His body, His mission is to unveil the consequence of redemption through the Holy Spirit. Look at the Extended Notes on the lake of Fire and the Second Death at the end of chapter 19.) (The Mirror, with editing.)
May the LORD richly bless you and yours by way of inspiration within. In our next visit the LORD willing we shall start at verse 12.
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