Day 45

“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Rev 2:10 NASB.

Daniel and his friends experienced ten days of trial in Daniel 1. The church at Smyrna would also experience ten days of trial. But faithfulness in that trial would prepare them for future glory. Like Daniel and his three friends, we prepare best for future challenges by passing the tests we are given in the present. While Daniel’s 10 days were literal, this is a metaphorical reference ( from Daniel’s test) to the time of the churches persecution under successive emperor’s until the time of Constantine’s conversion. Therefore, spaning the approximate 200 years from 100 – 313AD

Trials don’t produce character, they reveal it. Our success in the field of trial and temptation is determined by what we do in the training room. All serious athletes train vigorously. The “victory crown” of life (Olympic gold medal) that Jesus promised the Smyrnians was not a casual result of their behaviour. God used the grievous things they had suffered to prepare them for the ultimate victory of human existence, eternal life.

The ten days point to the 10 savage years of The emperor Diocletian from AD 303 to 313.

May the Lord, help us to remember that the difficult issues in our lives today are not obstacles, they are opportunities to prepare for the ultimate battle of human history.