Revelation 2:8 kjv

And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

Revelation 2:8 nkjv

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, 'These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:

Revelation 2:8 niv

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.

Revelation 2:8 esv

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

Revelation 2:8 nlt

"Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

Revelation 2 verses

Revelation 2 8 Meaning

This verse initiates Jesus' message to the church in Smyrna, a community enduring significant hardship. Jesus introduces Himself with titles emphasizing His eternality and victorious triumph over death, asserting His absolute authority. He then acknowledges the Smyrnaeans' severe trials, including poverty and persecution, affirming their true spiritual richness despite their material lack. He highlights specific opposition from those who falsely claim to be God's people, branding them instead as a "synagogue of Satan" due to their malicious actions against Christ's followers.

Revelation 2 8 Context

Revelation 2:8 is the second of seven messages delivered by Jesus to specific churches in Asia Minor. Each message begins with an address to the "angel" (messenger/pastor) of the church, followed by a self-description of Christ drawing from Revelation 1, an assessment of the church's state, exhortation, and a promise. Smyrna was a prosperous Roman city known for its loyalty to Rome and the imperial cult, where emperor worship was mandatory. Refusal to participate led to severe persecution. It also had a significant Jewish population, some of whom were openly hostile to the burgeoning Christian community, often acting as accusers to Roman authorities. This historical reality provides a crucial backdrop for understanding Jesus' specific praise and condemnation. The suffering of the Smyrnaean believers, facing economic hardship ("poverty") and likely imprisonment or death, makes Jesus' titles, "the First and the Last" and "who died and came to life," particularly poignant and encouraging.

Revelation 2 8 Word analysis

• And to the angel:
  • καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ (kai tō angelō): "Angel" here (ἀγγέλῳ, angelos) likely refers to the human leader, pastor, or messenger of the church, rather than a celestial being, symbolizing a designated representative responsible for receiving and conveying the message.
  • Significance: Emphasizes that Christ's messages are delivered to the leadership but intended for the entire body of believers.
• of the church in Smyrna write:
  • τῆς ἐν Σμύρνῃ ἐκκλησίας γράψον (tēs en Smyrnē ekklēsias grapson): "Smyrna" (Σμύρνη, Smyrnē) was a major port city, noted for its beauty and wealth, yet religiously devoted to Rome. The name Smyrna derives from the word "myrrh," a fragrant, bitter gum used in embalming, perhaps foreshadowing the suffering unto death that the church would endure.
  • "Church" (ἐκκλησίας, ekklēsia): Assembly of called-out ones.
  • Significance: The specific city provides a backdrop of loyalty to Rome, emperor worship, and intense local opposition against Christians, making their faith exemplary.
• The words of the first and the last:
  • Τάδε λέγει ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος (Tade legei ho prōtos kai ho eschatos): This is a profound self-description of Jesus. "First" (πρῶτος, prōtos) and "Last" (ἔσχατος, eschatos) are titles applied to Yahweh in Isaiah (Isa 41:4; 44:6; 48:12), signifying His eternal existence, absolute sovereignty, and unique deity, beyond whom there is no other God.
  • Significance: Jesus, by taking these titles, declares His full divinity and eternal nature, directly linking Himself with the God of Israel. This absolute identity provides profound comfort and authority for the persecuted church.
• who died and came to life:
  • ὃς ἐγένετο νεκρὸς καὶ ἔζησεν (hos egeneto nekros kai ezēsen): Literally, "who became dead and lived." "Died" (νεκρὸς, nekros - "dead one") and "came to life" (ἔζησεν, ezēsen - "lived/was made alive"). This is a clear reference to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.
  • Significance: This emphasizes Jesus' victory over death, an experience Smyrnaean Christians were facing directly. His resurrection guarantees their own future hope and validates His ultimate authority over life and death. It offers courage to those facing martyrdom, knowing their Lord has overcome death.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "The First and the Last, who died and came to life": This combined statement presents Jesus as the eternally sovereign God who also intimately experienced death and triumphed over it. For a persecuted church, these titles speak volumes:
  • Divine Sovereignty: "The First and the Last" reassures them that Christ is in ultimate control of history and their present circumstances. No suffering is outside His knowledge or ultimate purpose.
  • Empathetic Savior: "Who died and came to life" highlights His empathy. He understands their suffering because He endured death Himself, but more importantly, He overcame it. His victory is their guarantee.
  • Polemics: This declaration subtly yet powerfully challenges both Roman imperial claims (Caesar is Lord) and the Jewish community's rejection of Jesus as Messiah. Jesus is the true sovereign and source of life.

Revelation 2 8 Bonus section

The strong imagery used by Christ, particularly "the synagogue of Satan," illustrates that religious adherence, without genuine spiritual connection and alignment with God's will through Christ, can become an instrument of the adversary. This specific historical conflict in Smyrna foreshadows later periods where religious groups, rather than state powers, become the primary persecutors of true believers. The message also underscores the biblical paradox that worldly deprivation can coincide with divine blessing; material poverty, if borne for Christ's sake, correlates with spiritual richness in the Kingdom of God, while worldly affluence can often blind one to spiritual truth. This comfort of divine affirmation in the face of immense suffering provides the foundation for their endurance to the point of death, a theme explored in the subsequent verse.

Revelation 2 8 Commentary

Jesus' address to Smyrna opens with a powerful affirmation of His identity, critically relevant for a suffering church. By claiming the titles "the First and the Last" (hitherto belonging solely to Yahweh in the Old Testament), Jesus asserts His divine eternality and sovereignty. This statement, coupled with the phrase "who died and came to life," grounds His authority not just in deity but in His triumphant resurrection. This specific emphasis is paramount for Smyrna, a city where Christians faced imprisonment and death for refusing emperor worship. Christ's resurrection becomes their promise that death is not the final word. He truly knows their "tribulation" and "poverty"—both spiritual and material—and despite worldly judgment, declares them "rich," possessing true spiritual wealth in God's eyes. The phrase "synagogue of Satan" is a direct and harsh denunciation of a specific group within the Jewish community in Smyrna. These were not Jewish believers in Christ, but those who actively maligned Christians, perhaps collaborating with Roman authorities in their persecution. They were considered spiritually antithetical to God's people because their actions directly served the purposes of Satan, the adversary, by slandering and persecuting God's true followers. Jesus’ words empower the Smyrnaean believers, assuring them that their persecutors, despite their claims to religious righteousness, are on the wrong side of God's truth, while the suffering church holds true divine favor.