“I hold the keys of death and Hades.” [Rev 1:18]
Those are the words of Christ our King. They open the great revelation given to John on the Isle of Patmos. After Jesus spoke those words, He commanded John to write what he had just seen – that marvelous vision of God Almighty. Only then was he to record the things that are “now” and the things that are “to come.” [1:19]
I think we spend far too much time on the things that are “to come” and not enough time on the things that are “now” or our glorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Should we take warning from the things that are “to come.” Certainly. But what good is it if we recognize the “Anti-Christ” but lose sight of the Christ?
I remember my daughter once worked for a bank. It was during a time when our currency did not have all the bells and whistles contained in each bill to show if it was legitimate. They had to learn to recognize the counterfeits by sight. They did not do that by studying the counterfeits (there were far too many to learn each one.) They did it by studying the original, the legitimate USA bills.
We may be able to recognize the arrival of the Anti-Christ by studying the things that are “to come,” but we will be far more able (and far more blessed) by knowing who our God, our LORD, our King is, and by having an intimate relationship with him.
Our God holds the keys of death and Hades. He died on a cross for our sins. He took our punishment. He rose. He ascended to the Right Hand of the Father. And in His Hands are the keys of death, the grave, and hell. No one will ever be strong enough to take those keys from Him. So, beloved, visit once again that opening in Revelation 1:12-18. Seek our God. Seek His face, and you won’t ever be fooled by a counterfeit.