Revelation 1:18 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.

Revelation 1:18 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.

Revelation 1:18 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.

Revelation 1:18 esv

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

Revelation 1:18 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.

Revelation 1 verses

Revelation 1 18 Meaning

Revelation 1:18 is a powerful declaration by the resurrected Christ, revealing His ultimate authority and eternal nature to John. It states His eternal self-existence ("I am He who lives"), affirms His historical, bodily death on the cross ("and was dead"), proclaims His resurrection and unending life ("and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen"), and asserts His complete sovereignty over the grave and the cessation of life itself ("and have the keys of hell and of death"). This verse fundamentally establishes Jesus as the divine Lord of life and death, conquering both.

Revelation 1 18 Context

Revelation chapter 1 sets the stage for the entire apocalyptic book. John, exiled on the island of Patmos for his testimony of Jesus, receives a divine vision. Following an initial address and blessing, John describes hearing a loud voice and turning to see the glorious, awe-inspiring figure of the resurrected Christ, walking among the seven lampstands (representing the seven churches). Overwhelmed, John falls as though dead. It is at this point that the figure, identified as Jesus, speaks the words of Revelation 1:18 to reassure John and establish His absolute authority and qualifications as the one who gives this revelation. The verse serves as a crucial theological foundation for the subsequent messages to the churches and the prophecies concerning the future. Historically, this message of Christ's triumph would have brought immense comfort and steadfastness to early Christians facing persecution from the Roman Empire, where emperors claimed divinity and power over life and death. The declaration directly countered these imperial and pagan claims by affirming Christ alone possesses ultimate, eternal power.

Revelation 1 18 Word analysis

• I am He who lives (Greek: Ὁ ζῶν - Ho Zōn): "He who is living" or "the Living One." This echoes the divine self-designation "I AM" (Ex 3:14), profoundly linking Jesus with the eternal, self-existent God of the Old Testament. It signifies His eternal nature, a characteristic exclusive to God.
• and was dead (Greek: ἐγενόμην νεκρὸς - egenomēn nekros): "I became dead." This precise phrasing emphasizes the reality and historicity of Jesus' physical death. He did not merely appear to die, but truly entered the state of death. This is crucial for the understanding of His atoning sacrifice.
• and, behold (Greek: καί ἰδοὺ - kai idou): An interjection signaling surprise or drawing immediate attention to what follows. It highlights the profound contrast between "was dead" and "alive forevermore."
• I am alive for evermore (Greek: ζῶν εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων - zōn eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn): "Living into the ages of ages." This superlative expression emphasizes the absolute, unending nature of Christ's resurrected life. It denotes eternity beyond all limits of time, contrasting sharply with His prior death and affirming the permanence of His victory.
• Amen (Greek: ἀμήν - amēn): A transliterated Hebrew word meaning "truth," "so be it," or "surely." Here, it functions as a solemn, emphatic affirmation of the preceding statement. It declares the certainty and finality of Christ's eternal life and authority.
• and have the keys (Greek: ἔχω τὰς κλεῖς - echō tas kleis): "I hold the keys." Keys are a universal symbol of authority, ownership, and power. To "have the keys" means to possess complete control, the power to open and shut, to release and to confine. This signifies ultimate dominion.
• of hell (Greek: τοῦ ᾅδου - tou Hadou, genitive of ᾅδης - Hadēs): Refers to the underworld, the realm of the dead, the grave, or the abode of departed spirits. In this context, it speaks of the spiritual realm where the dead are. Jesus' having the keys means He controls entrance and exit from this realm; it cannot hold Him or anyone He chooses to release.
• and of death (Greek: τοῦ θανάτου - tou Thanatou, genitive of θάνατος - Thanatos): Refers to the physical state of dying, and often personified as an enemy. Christ holds the "keys of death" meaning He has power over the very act of dying, who lives and who dies, and the power to reverse death through resurrection. He disarms death of its power to hold people captive.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "I am He who lives, and was dead; and...I am alive for evermore": This tripartite statement presents Christ's eternal divinity, His temporal humanity and sacrificial death, and His eternal triumph in resurrection. It encapsulates the core gospel message. The contrast underscores the unparalleled uniqueness of Christ: God who became man, died, and now lives eternally as conqueror.
• "have the keys of hell and of death": This phrase proclaims Christ's supreme and absolute authority. It is not merely a declaration of personal resurrection, but a bold claim of dominion over the ultimate enemies of humanity—death and the grave. It reveals that the power to give and take life, to imprison in death's realm or to set free, resides solely with the resurrected Lord. This offers profound security and hope to believers.

Revelation 1 18 Bonus section

The powerful imagery of the keys points directly to Christ's universal sovereignty. In ancient cultures, keys were potent symbols of stewardship and ultimate authority within a household or kingdom. Christ's possession of the "keys of hell (Hades)" directly confronts and triumphs over pagan deities or philosophical concepts that attempted to control or explain the afterlife, such as Hades in Greek mythology, or the Roman belief in deified emperors who supposedly transcended death. Christ alone has true, undeniable power to open and shut the grave, and to determine the spiritual state of souls. This statement sets Him apart from all other beings, confirming His exclusive divine power, offering security to those who follow Him, as He guarantees their own future resurrection and life, having opened the way out of death's dominion.

Revelation 1 18 Commentary

Revelation 1:18 stands as a profound theological declaration at the very outset of Christ's direct messages to His church. It serves as Jesus' authoritative introduction of Himself to John, laying the cornerstone for all subsequent revelation. By affirming His eternal being ("the Living One"), His real and substitutionary death ("was dead"), and His glorious, everlasting resurrection ("alive for evermore"), Christ emphatically asserts His deity and victory over humanity's greatest enemies. His claim to "have the keys of hell and of death" is not just a personal boast, but a powerful promise to believers. It signifies that He holds absolute, uncontested dominion over the power of death and the destiny of departed souls. This message of sovereign power over death would have been immensely reassuring to a persecuted church facing the threat of martyrdom, emphasizing that their life, and even their death, rested securely in the hands of a triumphant, eternal King.Practical usage example:

• Facing Loss: In times of mourning, believers can find comfort that Christ holds the keys to death and Hades, meaning death is not the final victor.
• Combating Fear: This verse dismantles the fear of death, as believers' ultimate fate rests not with the grave but with the one who conquered it.