Run With It: A Synagogue of Satan Opposed to Christ

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

“‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’” Revelation 2:8-11 ESV

What would classify as this “synagogue of Satan” today? Well, a synagogue is a place of worship, is it not? It is an assembly or a congregation who gather together with the purpose for worship of God and for instruction in his word, correct? Yes, it was Jewish, but it doesn’t have to be only Jewish. And why is it called “of Satan”? Because the assembly was not truly for the purpose to worship the one true God, and to follow him in obedience, but it was for what was contrary to God’s will and purpose for his church.

For the people coming into this assembly were not true worshipers of God, although they claimed to be. Today they can be Jews who have rejected Jesus Christ as the Christ, the Messiah, and who have refused to bow to him as Lord. Or they can be those professing faith in Jesus Christ but who do not believe and practice what Jesus and his NT apostles taught regarding the Christian faith and practice, and regarding our salvation from sin. But they are teaching and accepting an altered version of what Jesus taught, instead.

So, what does this sound like today? It sounds just like all these gatherings called “church” which are incorporated under the state and which are really businesses of men being marketed to the people of the world just like any other business. And since their main goal is to “draw in large crowds of people from the world into their gatherings,” they have altered the whole biblical concept of “church” and the gospel message and the character of God/Christ to make them more acceptable to the ungodly of this world.

And they aren’t all mega churches, either, although many of them are, for certain. Even some of the smallest congregations of all are trying to follow the ways of the world to reach the people of the world in order to grow their numbers and to become larger congregations. And they think that if they become more like the world then the world will want to come to their gatherings, and they will come back. And so they look for ways to attract the world to their gatherings and to avoid offending them with the truth.

So, they don’t classify as the biblical “church,” because they are not true worshipers of God, but of man, and of the flesh of man. For only those of us who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and who have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but to God and to his righteousness, are “the church,” the body of Christ. We who are walking in his ways and in his truth, in practice, are his true church, his body. Those opposed to his gospel message are not his true church.

Thus, what this is also teaching (or implying) is that this “synagogue of Satan” is in some way responsible and/or connected with the suffering of God’s people who are truly his followers and his servants and messengers. And this is definitely happening here in America in these market-driven “churches” which are not the true church, the body of Christ. For since their mission is to attract the world to their gatherings, and since they have, thus, altered the gospel to make that happen, they are opposed to Christ Jesus.

And if they are opposed to Jesus Christ and to the truth of the gospel, which many are, in reality, in practice, then they are also opposed to the Lord’s servants and messengers who are speaking the truth of the gospel and who are refuting the lies that these “synagogues of Satan” are spreading in the name of Christ. And if you really stand on the truth, and if you are at all verbal about it, and if you are opposed to the lies being spread, you will not be their friend. They will do all to encourage you to go elsewhere.

And if, like me, you are speaking the truth of the gospel on the internet, you will be opposed there, too, not by everyone, but you will be opposed. And the people who are followers of these market-driven “churches” and of their preachers and teachers, and of their diluted and altered gospel, are not going to approve of you if you are speaking out against the lies and if you are proclaiming the truth of God’s word in contrast to the lies of the enemy. And in some countries, you may be imprisoned or killed for your faith.

Here in America it has not yet come to that, but it is getting there. The primary persecution right now is more in the form of verbal attacks, false accusations, slanderous and unjustified remarks, people trying to “bait” you into an argument, being rejected, being cast aside, and being unwanted, forsaken, and forgotten. It can be a very lonely existence when you don’t go with the flow and with the majority, but when you stand with the minority on the truth of God’s word at a time when the truth is largely being rejected.

But we are not to fear suffering. We are not to fear being hated, rejected, persecuted, falsely accused, thought evil of, mocked, laughed at, ignored, ridiculed, and having friends, family, and church people turn against us and not want anything to do with us because we stand for what is truth and because we oppose the lies of the enemy, because we love people enough to tell them the truth, because we know that the truth sets people free. Lies may make people feel good, but lies will send people to hell, not to heaven.

So, we are to be conquerors who do not let the opposition get us down. We are to be those who remain steadfast in faith and in testimony regardless of how we get treated in return, and by whom. We are to be those who walk the walk even if no one else joins us, although we are definitely not all alone, even if it feels that way sometimes. Even if all oppose us and turn against us we must stay the course, because we know that the people need to hear the truth, and the truth about the lies which are being spread, too.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

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The Battle for Truth

An Original Work / May 18, 2013

Based off Malachi 1-4