Revelation 2:8 8And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: This is what the First and the Last says, the one who was dead and came to life.
The second letter is addressed to the believers in the city of Smyrna (modern Ismir). Smyrna was located about 50 miles north of Ephesus. It was a beautiful ancient city with a stadium, library, and the largest theater in Asia. It was the birthplace of the famous poet Homer. It was known as the first in Asia Minor for beauty and size. Its good harbor made it a central trading hub. It was a strong allegiance to Rome and was the first city to build a temple to the god of Rome; a temple to the Emperor Tiberius was built in 23 B.C. There was also a large Jewish population there. It was difficult for Christians to live in this city. In the second century, the early Christian Polycarp was martyred for refusing to worship Caesar.
Like other letters, Jesus directs John to write to the angel because the angel is the messenger to deliver these words to each church. The angels stood in the midst of the churches to deliver these important words. Angels do not replace the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, angels represent the very presence of God.
Jesus is called the First and Last again (1:17-18), echoing the description of God in Isaiah 44:6. He existed before all things and stands outside of time, but he was also present now with the believers in Smyrna. He is the one through whom creation came into existence, and he will have the last word as the judge. The simple gospel is that Jesus died and rose again, which has been the central creed of Christians since Jesus ascended, and the church was born on Pentecost. Jesus’ victory over death as one of us and one with us qualifies him as the perfect sacrifice and remedy for sin. John describes this idea further in chapters 4-5. This verse introduces two significant ideas about Jesus: his eternity as the First and Last, and his earthly immanence as the one who died and rose again.