The whole book of Revelation is highly symbolic and open to many interpretations, including the seven letters to the churches that are featured in chapters 2 and 3.  I chose to research the background and character of the original church and see what teachings and warnings we can glean from it for our own churches and personal lives.  The letter for the church at Smyrna is the second letter.

Out of the seven churches, the church of Smyrna was known as ‘the Persecuted Church.’  It would have been extremely difficult to live as a believer in Smyrna at the time, due to emperor worship and the hostile Jewish population who were against the Christian believers.  Even before then, and through to the present day, millions of believers have suffered for their faith, even to the point of death.

I put in a reference to the mock crown of thorns that Jesus had at his crucifixion, as I was thinking of the words of Jesus in John 15:20 – ”If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”  I wanted to portray fire with the crown as an indication of the persecution that the believers have suffered.    I also wanted to focus on the reward which Jesus spoke over them.  The wording about a ‘crown of life’ does not refer to a royal crown but to the garland awarded to the winner in athletics.  In 1 Corinthians 9:25 it reads: ‘Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.’  Smyrna was the only church of the seven listed in Revelation that didn’t have a warning.

I also think of this painting as being named ‘The Crowns of Smyrna.’