Revelation 2:10

‘Do not be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold the Devil is about to cast some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.'

It is noteworthy that Smyrna, the insignificant church, is one of only two not criticised for failure (Philadelphia is the other). Their patient endurance is acknowledged, and as they continue faithful in the persecution to come they will, through death, receive the crown of life. As Jesus died, and is alive again (Revelation 2:8), so too will they be. And they will be given the victor's crown, the crown of life, given to those who love Him (James 1:12).

‘The Devil' (diabolos - ‘one who brings charges with hostile intent') probably refers to his activity through the Roman authorities, as will be apparent later (chapter 13), combined with the Jews mentioned earlier as members of the Synagogue of Satan, as tools of the Devil. They falsely accuse Christians and are acting as agents for the Devil by ‘accusing the brethren (Revelation 12:10).

There is to be a short but intense persecution, instigated by these Jews, which will result in imprisonment and martyrdom for many. ‘Ten days' means a shortish period with ten signifying ‘a number of' (compare how Jacob could say ‘you have changed my wages ten times' (Genesis 31:7)). Persecution was often spasmodic, with some incident suddenly raising the tempo, which then continued a short while and finally died down.

Possibly intended by the phrase ‘ten days' is the idea that God will not allow the persecution to go on longer than He permits. Its time is of a duration fixed by God. More information about such persecution will be given later in Revelation. This again confirms that these churches are to face what is described there. In Daniel 1:12 Daniel and his friends are tested for ten days to see if their diet was satisfactory compared with what the Babylonians offered. This may have sprung to mind here with the thought that the ten day test would make these Christians more pure than ever. Compare also how Jeremiah waited before God for ten days when ascertaining what would be the fate of God's people after Gedaliah had killed the representative of the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 42:7). So ‘ten days' is seen as a period of waiting and testing.