Revelation 2:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They endured, and to the end they carried the merits of their virtues pure and undefiled.

Again it is written: "Be faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." They remained faithful, steadfast, and unconquered unto death.

When death adds an end to our will and our faith, in prison and in bonds, then the glory of the martyrs has been attained.

From another side, I think that in the ten days this whole course of life must be recognized. In it a threefold trial cannot fail to be sent to the faithful, for "the life of man upon earth is a trial," while the whole time of our life is signified by the seven days that come and go. You have read that the devil was also sent to bring such a trial upon our Lord and the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ.

Nevertheless, this spiritual battle of the Church of Christ is announced in the symbolic image of the woman who struggles, when the Lord says to the serpent: "I will put enmity between you and the woman. She shall watch for your head, and you shall strike her heel" (Gen 3:15).

Thus in this age, which is completed by the course of seven days, it is clearly known that the Church of Christ is subject to various trials. They possess their most powerful dominion in these three vices: inclination toward fleshly pleasures, and insatiable gluttony in forbidden excess.

Therefore the enemy tried to tempt the Lord with bread, as though He were a second Adam. For to the first Adam he gave the cup of death to drink when he suggested that he taste what was forbidden. Thus, first captured by the vice of gluttony, Adam would then fall under the power of the other fleshly desires.

On the other hand, the pride of personal glory is also sent to bring temptation, when the devil persuaded Him to cast Himself down from the roof of the temple. As proof he cited the words of the psalm: "For He shall give His angels charge concerning you" (Ps 90:11), and so forth. In the same way he advised the first man in order to deceive him, saying: "You will be like gods, knowing good and evil" (Gen 3:5). Thus the unwary one was cast down in his striving after the promised divinity.

In the third bold temptation is signified the condemnable passion of desire for the glory of earthly kings and the splendor of this world's riches. Therefore times must be added to these three trials of our life, namely the seven days, so that the number of denarii may be obtained. For this reason it is said: "You will endure torment for ten days."

That is, the ten commandments. See Job 7:1: "Is there not an appointed time for man upon earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired servant?" In the Vulgate the text differs: militia est vita hominis, that is, man's life is a trial, or warfare.

In the Latin text: observabit. Here the commentator resorts to a widespread form of rabbinic exegesis. Accordingly, every word, or even every letter of the Torah, has a meaning that is partly hidden and partly manifold. Wherever a number appears in the sacred text, whether in the Old or New Testament, commentators examine it carefully.

Revelation 2:10 becomes more intelligible to one who understands certain standard and widespread numerical equivalents. Without any doubt, Primasius had already preached on the fall, the man and the woman, the law, the account of the temptation, and the Sabbath. This mention of seven days enables him to bring together a broad field of biblical allusions already familiar to his hearers.

There are two sexes, each of which has five senses. Therefore in the struggle of the man and woman there are ten days of temptation and trial. The ten days signify the present life, lived according to the law and bounded by the commandments of the Decalogue. The five sensual desires, complicated by sexual attraction, enter into conflict with the law during these ten days.

The three forms of temptation are contained and symbolized in the three temptations of Jesus by the devil. At the end of the seven days comes the time of the final struggle, in which there is a new birth of the arising man and woman. The suffering of birth begins with the fall of Adam and Eve and extends to the new Adam and Eve. See Lk 4:1-13.

From this, finally, follows: "Be faithful unto death." As I understand it, this refers to the whole Church. The Apostle also teaches this when he reasoned about Adam and said: "Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, fell into transgression" (1 Tim 2:14). Then he indicated that this is a symbolic expression concerning the Church, saying: "Nevertheless she will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with chastity" (1 Tim 2:15). Everyone understands that this plainly refers not to a mortal woman, but to the Church of Christ.

But He who died and rose for them can also raise them, and having raised them, He will give them eternal life.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Mt 5:3). The cross, sorrows, and persecutions usually lead to this poverty, which gives a person true wealth: humility.

Who constitutes the synagogue of Satan? From history it is known with what malice the Jews rose against Christians, accusing them of every possible crime.

Since they had no civil power in their own hands, they turned to pagan rulers with various denunciations. They slandered Christians, calling them criminals, rebels, and enemies of the government.

By such treacherous deeds they served the devil, who has been a slanderer from the beginning. Therefore they may rightly be called a synagogue of Satan.

The Lord declares to the Church of Smyrna that her tribulation and suffering will continue for ten days. In Holy Scripture, the time in which a work begins and ends is often called a day.

Therefore interpreters take the ten days to mean ten different times of persecution against Christians.

Indeed, there were ten chief persecutions: 1. under Nero; 2. under Domitian; 3. under Trajan; 4. under Hadrian; 5. under Marcus Aurelius; 6. under Severus; 7. under Maximinus; 8. under Decius; 9. under Valerian; 10. under Diocletian.

The consequences of the first death, which came from Adam's fall, were destroyed by the Resurrection of Christ. What is the second death?

It is acquired by the one who rejects the grace of God, which was revealed to all people in Christ, despite the dreadful consequences experienced by all creation from eating the forbidden fruit.

For the One who commanded this to be written there, "the First and the Last, who was once dead and behold, is alive," commands the Smyrneans to arm themselves with faithfulness unto death.

That is, He commands them to prepare for a prolonged period of temptation. According to the report of the church historian Eusebius, a fierce persecution of Christians in Asia Minor arose almost immediately after the apocalyptic prophecy.

In this persecution, among others, St. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, suffered. Some understand the ten days as all ten persecutions endured by Christians from the pagan emperors.

Others understand only the persecution under Domitian, which lasted ten years. The first opinion appears most in accord with the sacred text and with the subsequent revelations of St. John.

"He that overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (Rev 2:11). By this second death, which is to come after bodily death for unbelievers, for those who fall away from Christ, and for all His enemies, one must understand their condemnation.

It is condemnation to eternal estrangement from God, or to eternal torments; see below, Rev 21:8.

In reality, they have formed a society subject to the enemy of God, Satan. Therefore He will not leave the blasphemers without punishment.

If their sorrows are great, they nevertheless will not be too prolonged, lasting ten days. At the end of the epistle, safety from the second death is promised to the victor over all temptations.

This means safety from condemnation to eternal torments.