Smyrna

Smyrna follows and encourages us to be faithful and to not fear in the time of persecution and trial. If we see the history of martyrdom, we will see how much the church has suffered. Polycarp thanked God for eighty-six years of faithfulness towards him while he was being burned alive. Two sisters sang songs of praise right before being eaten by lions. There are many more examples, but let us praise the Lord who tells us to not fear what we are about to suffer. “Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life.”

Pergamos

Pergamos comes next with a sharp turn. Pergamos means “marriage” or “unity,” which represents a unity or marriage with the world. It is clear that persecution was not able to destroy the church, so Satan changed his method. The world ceased to oppose the church, and instead, Rome, the greatest empire on earth at the time, accepted Christianity as the state religion. The word church in Greek, ekklesia, means “the called out ones,” but Pergamos shows the complete opposite. The world and the church were united, and the result was idol worship, acts of immorality, and the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Instead of a holy church, set apart unto the Lord, she became very common. This is why the call to repentance is so strong. But the Lord also promises something very sweet to the overcomers here: the hidden manna and the white stone. When we taste the hidden manna on that day, we will be filled with all the recollections of the daily manna we enjoyed on the earth. Let us enjoy the Lord daily and fight to keep the church separated from the world. 

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’ 
- Rev 2:17 (ESV)

Among all the sweet and special prizes for overcomers, like the morning star and new name on the stone, the most precious one to me was the hidden manna. The hidden manna is given by the Lord on that day as the recollection of all our experiences with the Lord today. Those who did not taste the daily manna today will not know what the hidden manna is like on that day. The hidden manna is so private and intimate that it only belongs to the Lord and me. It makes me appreciate and cherish today even more because every day is meaningful in the Lord’s eyes. It encourages me to not be lazy, but redeem my time before the Lord. I want to live every day with a close and intimate relationship with Him. Hidden manna is the daily manna. Every sweetness we have today will become a review on that day. 

Besides the condition of each church mentioned, the Lord is calling the overcomers at the end of each letter. I’ve always thought that overcomers are a group of people who would receive the special prize because they are the special ones, or above the ordinary. However, this book has helped me to see that overcomers are but the normal, ordinary ones. It is because this world keeps falling and is below the normal, godly level, that we think overcomers are those who stand out. In fact, those who are normal during the time of abnormality are the overcomers, and they walk according to the pattern of the sound word, which is the Scripture, since the beginning. In addition, no overcomer could stand alone but is closely connected to each saint. They dispense life, and they shepherd younger saints, serving the church so that we as a church could all fight the spiritual warfare as one testimony. I pray and hope that there are more overcomers who seek God’s kingdom and will for this glorious testimony!

Looking at the seven letters to church as a whole picture, the overcomers are called out from each church. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” I do think that regardless of the church situation, prevailing or not, there is always a calling for overcomers, and there will always be overcomers in the church. There are so many times we may blame the situation or the surrounding environment, but I pray that we will be a group of overcomers who could always bear our cross, strive and thrive, and follow the Lord’s calling, until that day comes!