Revelation 1:18 (DBY)

Passage

and the living one: and I became dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades.

Nearby Context

Revelation 1:16 and having in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth a sharp two-edged sword going forth; and his countenance as the sun shines in its power.

Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead; and he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; *I* am the first and the last,

Revelation 1:18 and the living one: and I became dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades.

Revelation 1:19 Write therefore what thou hast seen, and the things that are, and the things that are about to be after these.

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou hast seen on my right hand, and the seven golden lamps. The seven stars are angels of the seven assemblies; and the seven lamps are seven assemblies.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "living", "became", "dead", "behold", "ages", and "keys". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "living" and "became", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "And when I saw him I fell..." into verse 19's "Write therefore what thou hast seen and...", so "living" and "became" belong inside that flow. In Revelation context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "living" and "became" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.