How did persecution affect the believers in the church at Smyrna?
Persecution affected the believers at Smyrna by crushing them, yet instead of being destroyed they exuded a stronger testimony. Like myrrh, which releases fragrance only when crushed, the more persecution pressed them, the more their witness thrived, so Satan could not gain advantage and eventually ceased that method.
Les teaches that the letter to Smyrna in Revelation chapter 2, verses 9 and 10, uses the name Smyrna, which means myrrh. Myrrh does not exude its fragrance until it is crushed. This exactly pictured the church at Smyrna: the more persecution crushed those believers, the more they exuded their testimony. Les points out that Satan had to give up persecuting the early church because he could not get ahead of it; the more he persecuted, the more it thrived. So he changed to an office attack, joining them, and then Christianity began to slide. Verse 9 says, "I know thy works, and tribulation."