Revelation 1:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

NIV: I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

NASB: and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

CSB: and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.

NLT: I am the living one. I died, but look — I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

KJV: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

NKJV: I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

In this verse we learn from Jesus that He is alive. He died, but death could not hold Him. He arose and is alive forevermore. The truth of the resurrection is unique to Christianity. All religions are based on a founder who died and did not come back to life. Christians know and serve a living Savior!

Jesus told John that He possesses the keys of Death and Hades. Death and the place of the departed dead are under the control of the risen Savior. The Christian need not fear death or Hades, because death ushers him or her into Jesus' presence in heaven (1 Corinthians 15:51–57; 2 Corinthians 5:1–8; Philippians 1:21–23). Because Jesus possesses the keys to Death and Hades, He can open death's door at any time to allow a believer to enter heaven, and He can open and shut the gates of hell to confine unbelievers there forever.

Revelation 1:17–20 reports John's dramatic response to seeing the glorified Son of God and Jesus' comforting actions and words. Jesus also describes Himself and repeats His command to John to write what he has seen, the present things, and what lay in the future. Finally, He explains the meaning of the seven stars and the seven lampstands.

The Roman government had banished John to the island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, off the coast of Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. While John was at Patmos, the risen, glorified Son of God appeared to him and commanded him to write ''the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this'' (Revelation 1:19). John pronounces blessings to those who read and obey Revelation, and then he greets his readers warmly and describes Jesus' appearance.

The apostle John begins this chapter by stating that he received the revelation of Jesus Christ by divine activity. God sent this vision to John while he was on the island of Patmos, likely as a punishment from the Roman government. This book follows John's four prior messages contained in the New Testament: the Gospel of John and the letters 1, 2, and 3 John. Chapters 2 and 3 tell what Jesus dictated to seven churches in Asia Minor, while the rest of John's message concerns future events.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''

Accessed 11/23/2024 3:17:09 PM