Revelation 2:9, commentary and pictures

Christ knows the affliction and outward poverty of His faithful people at Smyrna, yet declares them truly rich, and He unmasks as slander the profession of those who call themselves His people while belonging to Satan's assembly. The message belongs to the series to the seven churches that spans the Christian era from Christ's first advent to His second coming, and it remains in force today. At its heart is a counterfeit church presided over by Satan, whose members claim to be converted followers of Christ and believers in present truth while denying Him in works, transgressing His law, and opposing His government. Through them Satan mingles error with truth, confuses good and evil, and carries on determined warfare against obedience, especially against the binding claims of God's law. Yet Christ's church is to separate evil from good, stand steadfast amid tribulation, and trust His overcoming power and abiding presence, for those united with Him cannot be overthrown.

Text and Historical Setting

The message is addressed to the church at Smyrna, which endured tribulation and material poverty while being rich in spiritual terms. It identifies as blasphemy the claim of those who say they are Jews but are not, calling their assembly the synagogue of Satan. It belongs to the sequence of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, which represents seven successive states of the Christian church from Christ's first advent to His second appearing. It belongs to the last testimony Jesus gave to John to write, one message after another to the angels of the churches including Ephesus, Pergamos, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. In those messages Christ makes known that He knows the works and labor of His people.

Christ weighs the character of those who take His name as Christians and keeps every individual under His supervision. He is acquainted with the thoughts and intents of the heart as well as every word and act, knowing all about each person's religious experience and whom they love and serve, which calls for close self-examination. The message to Smyrna portrays the state of things existing in the churches of the religious world today. The name Smyrna is symbolic of the Christian church in a period of the Christian era, and the number seven indicates completeness, showing that the message extends to the end of time and is in force today. Its figures are symbolic of the state of God's professed people as wheat developing among tares, with truth standing on its own eternal basis in contrast with error.

Those who claim to be Jews but are not speak blasphemies, having heeded seducing spirits, and belong to the synagogue of Satan. Revelation 2, together with the first and third chapters, gives an earnest warning to prepare to meet the Lord in the clouds of heaven, for He comes with power and great glory. That warning confronts indifference to the signs foretold by Christ and gives evidence that the end of the world is right upon us.

Synagogue's Identity and Rebellion

Satan presides over and rules a counterfeit church which Christ calls the synagogue of Satan, a large confederacy and ruling body for promoting his worship, with its own synagogues, devout worshipers and many followers who despite high professions are at enmity with God. He brings under his scepter and into his counsels fallen angels and human agents he can use to misrepresent God and instigate rebellion against Jesus Christ, the Commander of heaven, using the knowledge he gained as a covering cherub and every power of his exalted intellect to subordinate and control his subjects fallen from high estate. Those inspired by fallen angels in this synagogue may display refinement, intellectual greatness, scientific knowledge, philosophy, history and worldly wisdom, by which Satan insinuates himself even into the most educated and refined circles to complete the ruin begun in Eden, with his power becoming more manifest as the Spirit of God is withdrawn from the earth.

Its members are the children of disobedience, of sin and of darkness, who love to sin and choose to sin. They claim to be Jews, God's people, followers of Christ and believers in present truth, and may profess to be converted, but they are not faithful to it and belong to Satan's side. While professing Christ in words they deny Him in works, for they listen to Satan's counsels, transgress God's laws, despise His precepts, fight His government, make void Christ's order, resist His grace, and bring in disorder and unrighteousness. Guile, dissembling and open falsehood in their lips show them to be unconverted, unsanctified and unholy, with an influence that destroys the virtue of truth, and they bring in spiritualistic deceptions and other false teachings and mingle them with truth until people may abandon the foundation of faith for fables. Even priests and rulers who feared ritual defilement while their hearts were defiled by envy and jealousy placed themselves among Satan's agents by seeking Jesus' death and breaking God's law, and those who reject Christ and His messengers do the same even when claiming to belong to God's people.

They constantly labor to make void and cast off God's holy, just and good law, and departure from God's way and expressed will by careless disobedience and continual transgression throws influence on Satan's side. Such a course gives Satan's attributes and character, repeats the transgression of Adam and Eve, brings deterioration of character, lessens God's blessing and power, and increases Satan's plottings while perverting God's blessing and misinterpreting His will and ways. Satan works with great power in and through the children of disobedience to exalt treason and apostasy as truth and loyalty, moving living agencies to carry out the great rebellion against God that commenced in heaven. That same spirit that crucified Christ now works under the enemy's control even through professed church members and ministers, hating and despising God's children who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus and exercising Satan's spirit against them in hostile demonstrations against obedience.

In contrast the Lord has a chosen people, His church, His own fortress in a sin-stricken revolted world, to know no authority and acknowledge no laws but His own, holding aloft the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. There are two armies in the world, the army of Christ and the army of Satan, just as Christ has a church of believers in His name and Satan has a community of agents who are children of darkness resisting the advance of light. Satan's spiritual synagogue works through religious powers against those who take God's Word as guide and foundation of doctrine, in determined warfare against the binding claims of God's law, especially the fourth commandment and its witness to God as Creator.

Deceptive Methods and Tactics

Through the synagogue Satan works to mingle evil with good and to remove and confuse the distinction between good and evil, while Christ's purpose is that His own church separate evil from good and refuse to knowingly tolerate wrongdoing but expel it from heart and life. Its members are children of disobedience and of sin who love and choose to sin and constantly labor to cast off and make void God's holy, just and good law. In working through the children of disobedience with great power Satan exalts treason and apostasy as truth and loyalty and moves living agencies to carry out the great rebellion against God that commenced in heaven. In contrast the Lord has a chosen people, His church, His own fortress in a sin-stricken revolted world, to know no authority and acknowledge no laws but His own, holding aloft the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Care is needed in judging others, lest the work of the Holy Spirit be wrongly attributed to evil.

Those on Satan's side may claim to be God's people and to believe present truth while not faithful to it, and they bring in spiritualistic deceptions and other false teachings and mingle them with truth until people may abandon the foundation of faith for fables. His religious system uses deception to gather followers, having a synagogue and devout worshipers, and Spiritualism is one way he works against Christ and leads people captive. Satan claims to be religious and has a synagogue with worshipers whose purpose is to separate man from God by deception, by the same method and logic with which he deceived the holy pair in Eden. The greater portion of the so-called Christian world is under his power in that synagogue and he sways all classes, working constantly under a cloak of piety, purity and holiness, often transforming himself into an angel of light and blinding eyes so men cannot see beneath the surface and discern his real purposes.

He brings fallen angels and human agents under his scepter and into his counsels to misrepresent God and instigate rebellion against Jesus Christ, the Commander of heaven, making the synagogue his ruling body for promoting his worship. He uses the knowledge gained as a covering cherub in connection with God and every power of exalted intellect to subordinate and control subjects fallen from high estate. Those inspired by fallen angels may display refinement, intellectual greatness, scientific knowledge, philosophy, history and worldly wisdom, which Satan gives and imparts, and by which he insinuates himself even into the most educated and refined circles to complete the ruin begun in Eden, with his power becoming more manifest as the Spirit of God is withdrawn from the earth.

The synagogue label applies to theories devised by Satan's agents, including infidel books that unsettle the mind with doubts and fictitious reading that turns it from truth and righteousness. It applies also to places and associations where his influence fosters licentiousness and deeds done in darkness, with an unseen witness testifying to those deeds. The synagogue prepares the arguments that deceivers use when they turn ears from hearing truth and open the heart to sophistries, misinterpreting Scripture, claiming new light, entering by-paths and repeating falsehoods until they treat theories as important. Every repetition confirms them in falsehood until, inspired by satanic agencies to present falsehood to others, they finally believe a lie, deceiving and being deceived.

The synagogue describes organized opposition to practical work that uplifts people and saves souls, working through human agents to cause division, criticism, obstruction and discouragement and to divert resources so other places remain under his control. It is the great army of evil constantly contesting every step in the advancement of truth in every part of the field, and those professing truth join it when they join darkness against God's work. Withstanding it requires taking the whole armor of God and standing in God's strength as minute men with living faith in the invisible instrumentalities arrayed against darkness.

The synagogue watches for mistakes and faults in those seeking to represent Christ and makes the most of every failure and defection to justify wrongdoing. Satan has priests who train people in evil-speaking, evil-surmising, criticizing and accusing, and indulging criticism strengthens the inclination and places a person under their training. To yield to criticism is to become co-partner with Satan as accuser of the brethren, whose attributes are to be hated and refused, for he uses every opportunity to fill men and women with his spirit and make them skilled in accusation. Every mistake grieves Jesus and injures the influence of truth as God's power for salvation, so careless conduct harms truth's influence and puts other souls in peril, requiring ministers and workers to set a right example, keep guard with holy jealousy over thoughts, words, habits, dispositions and characters in deep personal holiness, let lives match teaching and reveal Christ's character in cooperation with Him, lest influence become a savor of death unto death causing loss of their own and others' souls.

Satan has a synagogue on earth to whom he speaks and boasts about prevailing against God's sons and daughters, working to make them weak through contention and strife, especially through political strife in this most important time, so they will carry out his plans. Those claiming to believe truth yet showing variance, strife and hatred of brethren do not heed God's voice and are controlled by the same power from beneath that inspires nations to strife, exhibiting unregenerate hearts. The synagogue triumphs when professed believers use crooked, dishonest schemes to injure God's cause and betray Christ, and it exults in a course opposed to the Lord when people join together and strengthen one another in condemned conduct.

The synagogue is intensely active in this age as part of the great controversy between the Prince of light and the prince of darkness, a stern conflict of light and darkness and error and truth that has not abated but deepens in intensity. Through the enemy's deceiving power in the most subtle way and through satanic agencies it perverts every mind not surrendered to God and not under the Spirit's control, working as an unseen battle for souls including at camp meetings. It seeks to weaken faith by shutting out the rays of the Sun of Righteousness, bringing depression, discouragement and near despair, even while the militant church with its path intercepted must through much tribulation enter the kingdom with life hid with Christ in God, receiving light in darkness and perpetual streams of love from His fullness and His peace that overcomes the world. It leads souls astray, bringing temptation and spiritual loss to those deceived.

If Satan had corrupted Christ the synagogue would have prevailed and humanity would have remained under Satan's dominion and perished without hope. Satan could make Jesus suffer but could not make Him break God's law or defile Him, and Christ's faithful endurance broke Satan's hold and made it possible for those consenting to be united with Him to be brought to the Father. Satan and his synagogues joined priests and rulers to humiliate Christ, presenting religious zeal turned against Him even as He showed divine power to forgive and save. Those rulers feared ritual defilement while hearts were defiled by sin, and by seeking Jesus' death and cherishing envy and jealousy they broke God's law and acted out the enemy's character, while rejecting Christ and His messengers and refusing mercy insults Christ before the synagogue of Satan and the heavenly universe.

Constant Opposition and End-Time Pressure

At every step in the Christian pathway believers are opposed by the synagogue of Satan and must engage in conflict daily. The enemy advances by stealthy approach through old habits and natural inclinations, pressing upon them to draw them aside. This must be met by guarding, by forcing back old habits and evil tendencies, and by ever watching unto prayer.

That opposition facing Christ's workers grows more pressing as Christ's coming draws near. As the time draws nearer God's people must work more earnestly because they are opposed by the whole synagogue of Satan. Meeting it calls for steady courage born of genuine faith, not feverish excitement, including coming up to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

Carrying truth forward to victory meets united opposition from the world, the churches, and the synagogue of Satan, which is all who stand against God and His faithful workers. That united opposition makes the work go very hard, especially when those of their own faith work against the truth by unsanctified habits and practices and unsanctified conduct. The same language applies to opposition from churches to the work of truth.

The ruler of the synagogue represents the power of Satan behind those who oppose the truth, while God's people suffer hatred and persecution for Christ's sake. Evil powers and agents were arrayed against Christ's disciples after He left them. The gospel's advance therefore meets fierce resistance from Satan's dominion and his synagogue, but that opposition will ultimately be overthrown.

God's people may be harassed and beset with trials and temptations that come through the devices of the synagogue. The same image applies to the forces opposing the Reformation against papacy and idolatry, when their banner was raised high and error appeared to triumph, while the Reformers, strengthened by God's grace, fought successfully and suffered scorn, hatred, persecution and death rather than renounce faith in Christ. In the Sabbath controversy those distorting and opposing truth are held to falsehood by supernatural powers who are the ultimate enemy, not the human opponents themselves. The opposing power taking possession of people stands in contrast with the new life from heaven taking possession of those devoted to God's work.

Faithfulness Assurance and Response

Christ desires His own church to do the opposite of the counterfeit church over which Satan presides, separating evil from good instead of mingling them and removing the distinction between them. That counterfeit church labors to make void God's holy, just and good law, and its members are children of disobedience who love and choose sin. Christ calls His church to refuse to knowingly tolerate wrongdoing but to expel it from the heart and life. The verse also warns to be careful in judging others, lest the work of the Holy Spirit be wrongly attributed to evil.

The church on earth is still militant and not yet triumphant, with its path to the Paradise of God intercepted by the whole synagogue of Satan. Through much tribulation believers must enter the kingdom, facing an adversary that seeks to weaken faith by shutting out the rays of the Sun of Righteousness and bringing depression, discouragement and near despair. Yet their life is hid with Christ in God and bound up with His life, and Jesus sends light in darkness and pours perpetual streams of love from His fullness into their lives. In Christ they may have peace and good cheer because He has overcome the world and leaves His own peace, so troubled hearts need not fear. Those who seek refuge in God and are one with God and Jesus Christ stand against Satan and his synagogue and cannot be overthrown.

Even when harassed and beset with trials and temptations through the devices of the synagogue of Satan, Christ is fully able and always willing to give the very help required in time of need. He is able because He was tempted in all points as believers are and was afflicted in all their afflictions, He is with them always even to the end of the world, and the Spirit of truth guides them into all truth and shows them things to come. Before that synagogue God's people are to show the power of His grace. Their lives should demonstrate that Christ did not die in vain by being reconciled to God, seeking Him wholeheartedly, receiving His grace, and walking and talking with Him while reflecting heaven's light and joy.

The synagogue opposes believers at every step in the Christian pathway, so they must engage in daily conflict against the stealthy approach of the enemy through old habits and natural inclinations. That approach must be met by guarding, forcing back evil tendencies and ever watching unto prayer. The higher Christian attainments needed for this warfare come only through much prayer and constant watchfulness, with inward piety fortifying against temptation. In Christ crucified is offered power sufficient to convert the soul and divinely adapted to enable resistance to all temptations to evil. With faith in God as armor and His word as weapon of warfare believers are supplied with inner power to turn aside the attacks of the enemy and to strive for a higher life.

The synagogue watches for mistakes and faults in those seeking to represent Christ and makes the most of every failure and defection to justify wrongdoing. Every mistake grieves the heart of Jesus and injures the influence of the truth, which is the power of God for the salvation of souls. Careless conduct that harms that influence and puts other souls in danger and in spiritual peril must therefore be avoided. Ministers and workers must set a right example, keep guard with holy jealousy over thoughts, words, habits, dispositions and characters in deep personal holiness, and let their lives match their teaching. They are to reveal Christ's and God's character in cooperation with Him, lest by example they place other souls in peril and their influence become a savor of death unto death causing the loss of their own souls and of other souls.

In the controversy over truth, those who distort and oppose it are held to falsehood by supernatural powers who are the ultimate enemy behind them. The warning is to resist Satan without losing self-control or answering opponents with personal insults. Truth is to be presented with Christlike dignity.

The synagogue of Satan will profess to be converted while working the power of darkness amid the din and confusion of unconsecration in connection with God's work. God's servants must therefore be people of spiritual understanding with keen eyesight to discern them. They are to follow God's way, to make known His will, and to let their voices be heard.