The Faithful Witness of Smyrna

On a cold February day in 155 AD, the Roman proconsul gave the elderly bishop Polycarp one final chance. "Swear by the genius of Caesar," he demanded. "Curse Christ, and I will release you."

Polycarp, who had been a disciple of the Apostle John himself — the very author of Revelation — stood firm before the crowd. "Eighty-six years I have served Him," he replied, "and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"

The proconsul threatened fire. The arena roared. Yet Polycarp understood something the Roman Empire could not grasp: the One he served was not merely a Galilean teacher executed under Pontius Pilate. He was the Alpha and the Omega, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth.

Caesar claimed to be lord. But Polycarp had learned from John's own lips that every eye would one day see a different King — the One who "is, and who was, and who is to come," the Almighty.

That day in the arena at Smyrna, an aging bishop demonstrated what John proclaimed in Revelation's opening words: Jesus Christ has made us a kingdom of priests, freed by His blood, and no earthly throne can undo what the Eternal God has done. The empire that killed Polycarp crumbled centuries ago. The Kingdom he served endures still.