SMYRNAEAN CHURCH AGE - Revelation 2: 8-11

· 2^nd Church Age

· Started at A.D. 170 and lasted until A.D. 312

· A persecuted church

· “Star” to this age was IRENAEUS

· He had a church in Lyons, France

· Historians wrote that frequent miracles took place among Irenaeus church members

· IRENAEUS was chosen over a great man of God in that time, POLYCARP, IRENAEUS was chosen because his teaching of the Scriptures and miraculous manifestations of God’s presence among the people were consistent with what Paul and his disciples taught

· POLYCARP was a great man of God also, but he was apt to lean too much to the organization of the church

· About the city of SMYRNA

· City of commerce

· A trading outlet to LYDIA and the west

· 3^rd largest city in Asia

· A harbor city noted for wealth, temples, schools, medicine and science, (highly educated)

· Jews lived there

· POLYCARP was the 1^st Bishop of Smyrna

· He was a student of St. John

· Smyrna means “Bitterness” myrrh, associated with death

· A persecuted church

· The church at Smyrna passed through the fiery furnace of tribulations. The “10 days” spoken of in Revelation 2: 10 was 10 years of tribulation, bloody persecution

· The Emperor was Diocleation, a bloody ruthless ruler

· Verse 8, 1^st and last, was dead and is alive Revelation 1:17-18

· Showing Diety again, Note: The church age name has something to do with the character of that church

· “Bitterness” Root of Bitterness was springing up

· Myrrh – was associated with death used to anoint the dead

· Verse 9, Works, tribulation, poverty (but rich) tribulation strengthens the church, Rich with God

· “Say they are Jews” – say- they were the false church calling themselves Jews but they were not. Liars – Catholic Church mingling

· “Synagogue of Satan” – False church was assembling themselves with the true church, Isaiah 54:15

· Claiming to be “Jews” gave them a preeminence and a claim to originality (same as today)

· Anti-Christ spirit in this age is growing

· Pagan Rome and Papal Rome were uniting

· Explain: Claiming rights that were not theirs

· “Are” the synagogue starting to incarnate

· Verse 10, Fear none (synagogues) Nicolaitanes)

· “Tribulation 10 days” = 10 years of persecution, under Diocleation, he murdered Christians, burned them, started with Nero, then Diocleation, then Constantine, brought church and state together

· Faithful unto death, not until they would die

· Crown of life – Eternal Life

· Verse 11, Spirit saith – ongoing, overcometh – not hurt of the 2^nd death, 1^st death is separation from our loved one (physical death), 2^nd death is death of the SOUL, (spiritual death)

· If you have Eternal Life you cannot be hurt of this 2^nd Death

· “The SOUL that sinneth, it shall Die”

· 2^nd Death is the Lake of Fire – Judgment, Revelation: 20: 14

· Proves “NO ETERNAL HELL” Doctrine