Rev. 2:8-118And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 9I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10Fear 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. 11He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (Revelation 2:8‑11)
The peculiarity of the church of Smyrna is, that it preserved its character before God. There is something very blessed in this state indicated. The end signifies that they would be able to go through death for Christ's sake and therefore the promise is, that they should not be hurt of the second death, but have a crown of life. The character in which Christ comes to them is remarkably blessed. There is none so high as that of the " First and the Last," because it is that which is connected with the Person of the Lord. His title of Alpha and Omega is connected with testimony, the expression of the " Word which was made flesh," &c. The " beginning and the ending" is connected with the human character; but the " First and the Last" implies something before there was a beginning, and after there is an ending.
Christ comes to this church in this divine character, " the First and the Last," because the Church is looked at as divine. The heavenly character of the Church is another thing-contrasted with the earthly dealing with the Jews, not brought out until Christ has taken His place at God's right hand. There is another thing also connected with this: there are certain persons got into the heavenlies, without being the Church. The Church is more than heavenly; it is divine-the mystery, His body; and it shows forth thus what Christ has been. It is a higher thing to be able to say, " I am a member of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones" than to say, " I am of the heavenlies." So here, Christ as the First and Last connects Himself with the Church as Son of God: and it is a higher thing for the Christian to be able to say, I am united to Christ the Son of God, than Christ •the Son of man-though He is both.