The Church of Smyrna in Revelation

Smyrna was a port city about 70 kilometers north of Ephesus, located at the mouth of the fertile Hermus River valley. It vied with Ephesus for the honor of being the “first city of Asia.” Smyrna was Rome’s “most loyal and oldest ally in history” even before Rome’s rise to power (according to the ancient Roman historian Cicero).

It was a free city, allowed to keep its own laws, but it was also the first city to build a temple to the goddess Roma, and the earliest in the province of Asia to begin worshipping Caesar. The church in Smyrna was likely founded when Paul ministered in Ephesus for over two years during his third missionary journey (Acts 19:10, 26). The name “Smyrna” means “myrrh,” which symbolizes suffering. The city was a Greek colony that was destroyed by the Lydians around 600 BC and rebuilt by the Greeks around 300 BC, becoming a rare example of a well-planned city. The ancient Greek geographer Strabo called its “streets extremely beautiful,” and it was known as the “Crown of Ionia.” Today, Smyrna’s harbor is still in use, and its church still exists, while Ephesus has been reduced to ruins.

Images used with permission from “Bible and Holy Light Geographical Information Network.”

Smyrna was commercially prosperous, culturally advanced, and physically beautiful. It held significant political and religious importance. Yet, the Lord declares that the glorious Christ is “the First and the Last,” before whom all human pride and achievements pale in comparison. Smyrna was a city that was destroyed and rebuilt, that died and was resurrected, but the Lord declares that the resurrected Christ is the one “who was dead and is alive.” Therefore, the tribulations that the church suffered were all within the Lord’s permission and control, and they could never exceed the boundaries He set. The Lord has died, so we can trust that He “is able to empathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). The Lord has also proclaimed victory over death through His resurrection, so we can trust that He will enable us to be “faithful unto death.”