Revelation 2:10 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.

I realize that this scripture is usually looked at in light of the persecution of Christians in the first three centuries of church history.

But, there was also an actual church in John's time, in Smyrna, that Jesus had John write to.

That church was told that they were going to suffer more than the tribulation that they were already experiencing.

Jesus said that some of the actual people in that church were going to be cast into prison by the devil.

And they were told that it was so "that ye may be tried.

Were they to be tried in that prison, like people have been tried/examined in prisons over the centuries, i.e. by torture?

Were they tortured to give up the names of the other believers in that church?

Were they tortured to attempt to force them to deny Jesus?

Jesus encouraged them by saying, "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life".

Were some of them tortured to death, to where their bodies succumbed to the pain?

Or after the ten days, if they didn't give up the names of other believers, or if they didn't deny Jesus, were they finally put to death?

Jesus told them that they would suffer, and the suffering of some, was their being tried in the prison, for ten days.

Jesus, himself suffered:

Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

And Jesus showed Paul that he would suffer:

Acts 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

And Peter said the some believers would suffer:

I Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

So, a generation later, believers in Smyrna would also suffer, and some of them would suffer unto death, being tried in the prison.

Jesus told them, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer".

The natural reaction to impending torture is great fear.

Inquisitors throughout history first terrified their victims, with the fear of the imminent torture, and the great pain that it would bring.

Apparently that terror, along with the great pain, would enhance the inquisitor's likelihood of success in getting information, or submission of the victims.

Jesus told them that they would suffer, but he didn't want them to also be terrified by what they would suffer.

It is similar to:

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

So, for the believers in Smyrna, some would suffer in the prison for at the most ten days.

But after that, "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life".

At most, their tormentors could only hurt their bodies with pain for a set time, and after that could only kill their bodies, and the believers would go to be with Jesus.

But, the believers knew that their tormentors, unless they also would get saved, would face eternal torments.

If things continue to spiral down, like in Romans chapter 1, Christians in the west could end up facing persecution, like believers in other parts of the world face now.

How much more are believers in muslim, or communist, countries, prepared for that dramatic knock at the door, than we who live in the west?

Olympic contestants don't prepare by sitting on the couch eating Twinkie's.

But is that similar to how many of us are preparing (i.e. NOT preparing), for persecution?

How should we prepare for persecution?

Or at least how to not be shocked, and not ready to face it?

Sure, it would be great if the blessed hope would come before we also suffer persecution.

But it hasn't, yet, for our brethren in muslim or communist countries, they're suffering right now.

Is there way to be ready, or at least more ready, to face persecution, than we currently are?

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