Rev 2:9-10 | TNotes | STEP | 2:9 Jesus connected material poverty with the blessing of being rich in God’s Kingdom (Matt 5:3 , 10-12 ; Luke 6:20 ). • Jews who had no faith are condemned for aligning themselves with Satan in hostile opposition to the Christian faith (Rev 3:9 ; see John 8:44 ; Acts 14:2-5 ; 17:13 ; 18:6 ; 20:3 ; Gal 5:11 ; 1 Thes 2:14-16 ). At the Jewish council of Jamnia, the Jews excluded Christians as unholy heretics. John was not anti-Semitic; he was a Jew describing the actions of fellow Jews against Jewish and Gentile Christians.

a2:9►

bMatt 5:3►

c10-12►

dLuke 6:20►

eRev 3:9►

fJohn 8:44►

gActs 14:2-5►

h17:13►

i18:6►

j20:3►

kGal 5:11►

l1 Thes 2:14-16►

m2:10►

n1 Pet 1:6►

‏ Revelation of John 2:9-10

2:9 ^a Jesus connected material poverty with the blessing of being rich in God’s Kingdom (Matt 5:3 ^b, 10-12 ^c; Luke 6:20 ^d).

• Jews who had no faith are condemned for aligning themselves with Satan in hostile opposition to the Christian faith (Rev 3:9 ^e; see John 8:44 ^f; Acts 14:2-5 ^g; 17:13 ^h; 18:6 ⁱ; 20:3 ^j; Gal 5:11 ^k; 1 Thes 2:14-16 ^l). At the Jewish council of Jamnia, the Jews excluded Christians as unholy heretics. John was not anti-Semitic; he was a Jew describing the actions of fellow Jews against Jewish and Gentile Christians.
2:10 ^m John saw the devil as the source of human hostility against Christians.

• The period of their suffering would be ten days, symbolizing a limited time of persecution (see 1 Pet 1:6 ⁿ). If they would remain faithful, their reward would be the crown of eternal life.

• when facing death: John’s pupil Polycarp was a martyr in Smyrna in the mid-100s AD.