Revelation 2:10 Faithful Fear Mark

Revelation 2:10

10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you will be tested. You will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.  

I have met several Christians who say they love the Lord but are afraid to read and even to study the Book of Revelation. Jesus told His servant John to write a letter to the Christian Church of Smyrna, it was to encourage them, not to scare them. Telling to not be afraid but behold some of you will be insulted, arrested or put to death, but you will be rewarded. There is no what-if, maybe or might, instead it says behold, that is like a pregnant mother in labor about to behold her newborn. There is a promise of tribulation to the Christian Church of Smyrna, but it says do not fear it. Fear has different meanings to different people, and the wise and fearful react to it in different ways. King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 1:7  the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and fools despise wisdom and instruction. The rapture theory teaches believers the Christians will be snatch away, before tribulation begins, but it only gives the fearful false hope. The Christians in Smyrna suffer tribulation up to 1922. And Christians are still experiencing tribulations in nations all over the world. Servants of God experience tribulation in Old and New Testament, and it continues and will till the day of the Lord’s coming. Cain kill his younger brother Abel, because he worshiped the Lord properly. King Manasseh, of Israel, ordered prophet Isaiah to be sawed in half because he hated his Babylonian prophetic warning. King Herod killed James, a disciple of Jesus,, and Jewish priests killed a very young church deacon named Stephen. Stephen did not fear dying, his only concern was the Lord to forgive them, one of whom was Saul who become an apostle Paul.

Acts 7:58 Then they drove him out of the city and began stoning him, and the witnesses placed their outer robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They continued stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!” 60 Then falling on his knees [in worship], he cried out loudly, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them [do not charge them]!” When he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].

A servant of the Lord does not fear suffering, how bad it will be or how long tribulation will last. Or to be afraid of God’s wrath or His judgement.  The author of the Book of Revelation suggests that in his first letter titled first John. The scriptures make a clear distinction between the fear of God is to love Him, so there is no fear from His wrath.

1 John 4:17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, we also are in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.  

No one repents out of fear of going to hell, if so everyone would repent. The spirit of the Lord does not make a servant timid about fearing suffering. Polycarp was an angel to the Smyrna Church, he may have read the letter to the church that John sent to it. His tribulation began where enemies of Christ saw his devotion. He was arrested and given a choice to give up worship the Lord or worship Caesar, his reply was, 86 years I have served the Lord who has saved my soul, how can I blaspheme Him?” So they burned him and stab him, but he died looking forward to his crown of life. God bless you all; Jesus loves you, and so does His bond servant, Samuel Jerry Head.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.