Kingdom Parables

M. M. NINAN
Paul knew of these teachings and gave the stern warning:
3.7 THE SMYRNA CHURCH AD 100 to AD 312
This church period was also the period of intense persecution. Jesus
writes a loving letter to the smyrnians, comforting them.
A study of this can be seen in my article on the seven churches.
Rev. 2:8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him
who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your
afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they
are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you
are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and
you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I
will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
combining these together we get the full picture of this period. The ten
days of persecutions were supposed to be the ten waves of persecution
under the Roman Caesars. A good description of these ten waves are
given in the Fox’s book of martyrs chapter 2 which I quote in bits and
pieces:
(The enitre book of Fox on Martyrs can be read on the internet which
goes on with later peresecutions till the reformation; http://www.anetdfw.com/~ontrowww/martyr/intro.htm)3.8
THE TEN PRIMITIVE
PERSECUTIONS
A. The First Persecution, Under Nero, A. D. 67
The first persecution of the Church took place in the year 67, under
Nero, the sixth emperor of Rome. This monarch reigned for the space
of five years, with tolerable credit to himself, but then gave way to the
greatest extravagance of temper, and to the most atrocious barbarities.
Among other diabolical whims, he ordered that the city of Rome should
be set on fire, which order was executed by his officers, guards, and
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