SMYRNA

1
SMYRNA The Poor Rich Church Revelation 28-11  
2
The Ancient City of Smyra
3
Smyrna sat 35 miles north of Ephesus, built near
the ruins of an ancient Greek colony destroyed in
the 7th century BC. Lysimachus, one of Alexander
the Greats generals, rebuilt Smyrna as a new
Hellenistic city in the 3rd century BC. The city
was later established as a Roman commercial
center with a port on the Aegean Sea. Scholars
believe the city grew to about 100,000 by the
time of the apostles Paul and John.
4
Agora Smyrian ancient market place Largest in
world at that time
5

• Smyrna means "myrrh which is a bitter herb.
• City was located in Asia Minor about thirty five
  miles north of Ephesus.
• Ancient ruins reveal the city existed in ancient
  times 1500 years before Christ. Today the modern
  city is called Izmir and is the second largest
  city in Turkey with a population of 1.5 million
  people.
• The city has a large sea port harbor on the
  Aegean Sea and had a population of around 10,000
  in Pauls day and was considered the finest city
  in Asia being called "was called "the lovely-the
  crown of Ionia-the ornament of Asia.
• Birth place of Homer. It was a prosperous and
  important Roman city and favored by Rome.
• Jesus had nothing but encouragement for this
  persecuted church.

6
"For 86 years I have been His servant and He
has never done me wrong how can I blaspheme my
King who saved me?"
Polycarp, a martyr, was at one time the pastor of
the Smyrna church. From history we have the
record of Polycarp who was burned at the stake in
155 A.D. The account of his martyrdom gives us
a picture of probably what occurred early in
Johns day. Polycarp was brought before the
Roman governor and charged with atheism, which
meant he was charged with not worshiping the
Roman Emperor as God.
7
CHRIST SPEAKS TO THOSE WHO ARE DYING FOR HIM.
Revelation 28-11
This period in church history corresponds to the
time of Emperor Nero to Emperor Constantine. (AD
64-316)
To profess Christ was to become an outlaw wanted
dead or alive."