Revelation 2:9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
The key words in this verse are “I know.” Jesus knows what is happening. We cannot hide from his piercing eyes (see 1:16). The Smyrnan believers struggled because of poverty. There is not enough to know why they were poor, but many early Christians, like today, were rejected by society. Many were slaves. Being a Christian was not a way to climb the social ladder. Yet in spite of their poverty, they were wealthy in the Lord. Our wealth as believers is not measured by the money we have. This will all be gone when we die. We can leave it to the next generation, and it can do good, but we cannot take it with us. Wealth cannot buy us eternal life. Christians may be materially poor but be rich in the blessings of God.
Another problem this church faced was Jews in the local synagogue. It is possible that some of these early Christians came from the synagogue as Jewish converts. Jesus criticizes these Jews as false and as follows of Satan. They have been deceived by their religiosity. They think that they are God’s people but have followed a lie. This is a strong warning, not only for Jews, but for those who think they are Christians because of name, social location, family background, or even church attendance. These all can be helpful and blessings, but they can also easily deceive us into thinking that we are right with God. We must be alert to the things around us that attempt to deceive us and pull us away from the truth of the gospel.
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