He who has the keys

Read: Revelation 1:9-18 ESV – Vision of the Son of Man – I, John, – Bible Gateway

“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18 ESV

I would assume most people feel they control their density. That is mostly true. Decisions we make throughout our lives lead us in one direction or another. There are times we do not have control and end up where we do not want to be. It is in these times we need to ask ourselves who has control of our lives and if we haven’t asked already, who has control over our lives after we die. Jesus told John as he was about to write the book of Revelation, “I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Rev.1:18 esv)  

The book of Revelation is a fascinating book of the end times, Jesus’ return to earth, and the culmination of world history leading up to God’s eternal kingdom. Can you say for sure you will be in that eternal kingdom? Notice again Jesus’ words, ‘I have the keys of Death and Hades.’ What is meant by ‘death and hades?’ Death and Hades are actually synonyms. Death being the condition and Hades the temporary holding place (hell) until that final day of judgment. Jesus has the authority over death and hades; He has the keys.

If Jesus has the keys and the authority over Hades (hell), then He also has the keys into the eternal kingdom. Jesus told Nicodemus that He was the key and that Nicodemus needed to be born again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (Jn.3:3 esv) How does one become born again and guaranteed entrance into the eternal kingdom of God? Paul writes in the book of Romans, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Ro.10:9 esv)

Jesus gives us all a warning in John 3:18, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (esv) All of us are born in sin and alienated from God and Jesus Christ His Son. But He who holds the keys to death and hades also hold the keys to eternal life through His death and resurrection by belief in His name.