Smyrna, a persecuted church, was facing intense poverty and affliction, as described in Revelation 2:9: "I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)." Despite their material poverty, they possessed spiritual wealth beyond measure. Jesus praised their faithfulness, saying "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Rev 2:10).
Their situation mirrors James 2:5, "Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom?" The lesson for us is profound - true 'wealth' lies in self-sacrifice, service, and the pursuit of justice and righteousness. As Jesus taught in Matthew 6:19-20, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."
The church at Smyrna embodied 2 Corinthians 6:10: "As poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything." Their example challenges us to redefine success and prosperity according to God's terms, reminding us that "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (Matthew 16:26). Through their steadfast faith amid persecution, they demonstrated that genuine wealth lies not in material abundance but in spiritual faithfulness.
graph TD
B[Barley, glory of Israel] -->|Rev 2:8 - Smyrna| Smyrna
B -->|Scientific Name| HordeumVulgare[Hordeum vulgare]
Scientific name: Hordeum vulgare.
The Barley and the Glory of Israel
Smyrna, the second of seven communities mentioned in Rev 2-3 whose guardian angel Telios (also known as Gabriel) stood against the spirit and man of lawlessness embodying the deaconic hand gift in the NT ecclesia. As written in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8: "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth."The church represented the deaconic genius of artisanal excellence in executing God's will, reflecting Acts 6:2-3: "So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, 'It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.'"This is love perfected within the City of faith, as described in 1 John 4:17-18: "By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear." The church implements with precision and declares the "Thus says the Lord" to interpret exactly which way to proceed, following Isaiah 30:21: "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."