12 Apr 2013
Revelation 1:17-18
I John 1:17: “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 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.”
Notice what happened when John caught a glimpse of Jesus: he “fell at his feet as dead”. The mere sight of Jesus was that overwhelming. That is worth thinking about. There is a surprising number of people today who claim to have had visions of the risen Lord. Two striking these about these supposed visions is that (a) their description of Jesus does not at all correspond to the Biblical description, and (b) their reaction to seeing the Lord is nothing at all like John or Isaiah’s reaction. It gives me very grave doubts about the truthfulness of their accounts.
Also notice also how Jesus describes Himself: He is the one “that liveth, and was dead; and, behold I am alive for evermore”. He lived, He died for our sins, and He rose on the third day. There are those who deny that Jesus ever died, but Jesus Himself affirms it. There are those who deny that Jesus ever rose from the dead, but Jesus Himself affirms it. Those who deny the death or the resurrection of Jesus are calling Him a liar. He was quite plain about it – and His testimony is true.
Who has the keys of hell and of death? Jesus does.