Smyrna is the second of seven churches in Asia Minor that received an evaluation of its overall spiritual condition from God:
"And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
"I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and [I know] the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but [are] the synagogue of Satan.
"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. " (Revelation 2:8-10).
The Smyrna marketplace (Agora) was the largest of its kind in the world. It was established in 333 B.C. by Alexander the Great on the slopes of Mt. Pagos. On the ground floor there were 28 shops facing north. The second floor was composed of galleries along three rows of columns. In a basilica that was discovered affairs of state were conducted, with the ruling class meeting to administer the town.
The city's name means "myrrh", which is obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense and tastes bitter. Myrrh was used chiefly in embalming the dead, because it had the property of preserving dead bodies from putrefaction. This
type of embalming was used in Egypt and Judea.
Smyrna was located about 40 miles to the north of Ephesus and was likely founded by the apostle Paul.
The celebrated Polycarp, a pupil of the apostle John, was in the second century a prominent leader in the church of Smyrna. Here he suffered martyrdom, A.D. 155.
Scriptural References: Revelation 2 (KJV Bible)
Sources Used: Adam Clark's Commentary on the Entire Bible; John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible; Easton's Bible Dictionary
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