I found some additional information in a tiny booklet titled "Seven Churches" by Zola Levitt that I have had for ages (it was printed in 1980) regarding the "ten days" mentioned by the Lord, concerning the church at Smyrna, and I thought it was worth sharing.
There were "ten days" exactly between the Lord's ascension into heaven and the Day of Pentecost on which the 120 disciples faithfully waiting in Jerusalem according to the Lord's instructions received the gift of the Holy Spirit complete with speaking in tongues.
Biblically, there are "ten days of affliction" between the end of the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. On these days the Lord instructs his people to "afflict your soul." Jewish tradition calls these ten days, the "days of awe." In afflicting one's soul, in other words, searching it for signs of sin, in fact, having sin revealed to us at any time, brings with it a sense of awe at the holiness of God as seen by us unfaithful, at times, sinners.
Perhaps the "ten days" for the Jewish believers gathered in Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago were days in which they keenly felt the absence of the Lord whom they had practically lived with for more than three years. Perhaps the "ten days" for the church in Smyrna were days during which the persecution caused them to examine themselves for any unrepented sin that might have brought this trouble upon them, only to hear the small still voice reassure them that they were privileged to share in Christ's sufferings.
Isn't that the first thing that most of us do, when faced with trials and tribulations: search to see if we have somehow brought this upon ourselves? Sometimes we find that troubles are indeed merely "consequences" of our own sinful actions; but in the case of the Smyrnaens the Lord assures us in HIs Word that this little church was definitely suffering true persecution, unjustly and unwarranted, for no other reason other than that they served the one true God and would serve no other.
In either case, the ten days suggests a time of waiting, with steadfast hope, of promises soon to be fulfilled.
Having studied the Feast Days of the Lord in depth, it is clear to me that Jesus is the promise that each one hopes for, and many times He fulfills His promises exactly on His Feast Days so that there can be no doubt from whom the promise is sent. He has thus fulfilled all the spring feasts, while the fall feasts are waiting for His coming fulfillment.
We believers, and the earth itself as scripture tells us, are in a period of waiting as well, are we not: for the soon return of Jesus, our Savior and our Lord?
Zola Levitt gives more details of the coming fulfillment of the remaining feast days by Jesus:
"Finally, we can arrive at the period of ten days fitting prophetically into God's plans for the end of the age. By consulting the feasts many scholars reasonably assume that Trumpets symbolizes the Rapture of the church, and Atonement the Second coming of the Lord. The Tribulation Period itself, seven years long would therefore end on a Day of Atonement (since the Lord puts a stop to the war of Armaggedon immediately when He returns) and so it had to start on a Day of Atonement. It is also a reasonable assumption that in some upcoming year the Rapture will occur on Trumpets and then ten days later the Tribulation Period will get under way with the Antichrist's covenant with Israel. Again, the world will wait ten awesome days. The difference in this case, however, will be that the world, entirely unbelievers since we are speaking of the time immediately after the Rapture of the true church, will get not a triumphant event but the Antichrist instead. In any case the time of waiting is again exactly ten days." [pp. 7-8]
The term "awesome" as Zola Levitt uses it to describe the ten days, does not mean fantastically wonderful; it means they are days filled with the works of our God who is gazed upon by us humans in deeply profound awe. Depending upon the rightness of the heart towards the Lord, some will look in amazingly grateful awe at His mercy; while others will experience the fearful bone-shaking awe of His wrath. He is not a God to be taken lightly. He is the awesome God and Lord of the universe and all that is in it. And because we will see Him soon, this is the time of searching our hearts in readiness for His soon coming.
There were "ten days" exactly between the Lord's ascension into heaven and the Day of Pentecost on which the 120 disciples faithfully waiting in Jerusalem according to the Lord's instructions received the gift of the Holy Spirit complete with speaking in tongues.
Biblically, there are "ten days of affliction" between the end of the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. On these days the Lord instructs his people to "afflict your soul." Jewish tradition calls these ten days, the "days of awe." In afflicting one's soul, in other words, searching it for signs of sin, in fact, having sin revealed to us at any time, brings with it a sense of awe at the holiness of God as seen by us unfaithful, at times, sinners.
Perhaps the "ten days" for the Jewish believers gathered in Jerusalem over 2,000 years ago were days in which they keenly felt the absence of the Lord whom they had practically lived with for more than three years. Perhaps the "ten days" for the church in Smyrna were days during which the persecution caused them to examine themselves for any unrepented sin that might have brought this trouble upon them, only to hear the small still voice reassure them that they were privileged to share in Christ's sufferings.
Isn't that the first thing that most of us do, when faced with trials and tribulations: search to see if we have somehow brought this upon ourselves? Sometimes we find that troubles are indeed merely "consequences" of our own sinful actions; but in the case of the Smyrnaens the Lord assures us in HIs Word that this little church was definitely suffering true persecution, unjustly and unwarranted, for no other reason other than that they served the one true God and would serve no other.
In either case, the ten days suggests a time of waiting, with steadfast hope, of promises soon to be fulfilled.
Having studied the Feast Days of the Lord in depth, it is clear to me that Jesus is the promise that each one hopes for, and many times He fulfills His promises exactly on His Feast Days so that there can be no doubt from whom the promise is sent. He has thus fulfilled all the spring feasts, while the fall feasts are waiting for His coming fulfillment.
We believers, and the earth itself as scripture tells us, are in a period of waiting as well, are we not: for the soon return of Jesus, our Savior and our Lord?
Zola Levitt gives more details of the coming fulfillment of the remaining feast days by Jesus:
"Finally, we can arrive at the period of ten days fitting prophetically into God's plans for the end of the age. By consulting the feasts many scholars reasonably assume that Trumpets symbolizes the Rapture of the church, and Atonement the Second coming of the Lord. The Tribulation Period itself, seven years long would therefore end on a Day of Atonement (since the Lord puts a stop to the war of Armaggedon immediately when He returns) and so it had to start on a Day of Atonement. It is also a reasonable assumption that in some upcoming year the Rapture will occur on Trumpets and then ten days later the Tribulation Period will get under way with the Antichrist's covenant with Israel. Again, the world will wait ten awesome days. The difference in this case, however, will be that the world, entirely unbelievers since we are speaking of the time immediately after the Rapture of the true church, will get not a triumphant event but the Antichrist instead. In any case the time of waiting is again exactly ten days." [pp. 7-8]
The term "awesome" as Zola Levitt uses it to describe the ten days, does not mean fantastically wonderful; it means they are days filled with the works of our God who is gazed upon by us humans in deeply profound awe. Depending upon the rightness of the heart towards the Lord, some will look in amazingly grateful awe at His mercy; while others will experience the fearful bone-shaking awe of His wrath. He is not a God to be taken lightly. He is the awesome God and Lord of the universe and all that is in it. And because we will see Him soon, this is the time of searching our hearts in readiness for His soon coming.
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