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Israel, My called; I am He, I am the first, I also am the last." Again see in verse 5 a
reference to an idol, graven image, and molten image. These are the three O.T.
references to the tile. The title occurs in Revelation also three times. Rev. 1: 17, 2: 8,
and 22: 13. There is no doubt when we read Isaiah that this title is claimed exclusively
by God. He will not give His glory to another. In the Revelation it is just as exclusively
used by Christ as the risen One. We have no argument to set forth. We accept this series
of facts as a revelation to our faith and recognize in the Son of man One Who is also the
Most High God. Not only does the Lord take to Himself these high glories, but He
unfolds the fuller reasons for our confidence in Him, "I am He that liveth, and was dead,
and, behold, I am alive unto the ages of the ages, Amen; and have the keys of death and
hades." Romans 14: 9 says, "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and lived again,
that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." Romans 6: 9 says, "Christ being
raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no lordship over Him." He who died,
lives, and more than that, He has dominion. He has the keys of death and hades. Keys
denote authority. The resurrection of Christ has taken the victory away from death and
hades.
The fact that in this opening vision of the Revelation this authority over death and
hades is emphasized, links the first chapter with the twentieth, which ushers in the new
heavens and new earth.
"He will swallow up in this mountain the face of the covering covered over all people,
and the veil that is spread over the nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the
Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces" (Isa. 25: 7, 8).
Hos. 13: 14 says in a context which speaks of Israel's restoration, "I will ransom
them from the power of the grave (sheol, equivalent to hades); I will redeem them from
death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave I will be thy destruction." He Who has the
power of death has been vanquished. A stronger than he has overcome him. This world,
still lying in the wicked one, still ruled by the prince of this world and the god of this age,
is to give place to the rule of righteousness of heaven's deathless King. Fear not, he says
to John, you are about to see evil at the worst development. Satan and Antichrist and
demons will conspire together, with death and hades (Rev. 6: 8) as confederates, to fix
the curse of sin upon this earth. Fear not John, I live, I control, and finally thou shalt see
death and hades, together with Satan and his accomplishes, cast into destruction. With
this encouragement, John is told to write that which he sees. Verse 19 has been used as
the basis for division of the Revelation in such a way that it has held in its grasp the
minds of thousands. This verse is supposed to teach the threefold division of the book.
(1). The things which thou hast seen.
(2). The things which are.
(3). And the things which shall be hereafter.
According to this system of interpretation the messages to the seven churches are the
things which are, and consequently the seven churches are taken as the history of the
professing church down the age, generally indicating the church of Philadelphia as
having special reference to the particular persuasion of the writer for the time being.