Revelation 1:18 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

Revelation 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Revelation 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:

Revelation 1:18 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.

Revelation 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "liveth", "dead", "behold", "alive", "evermore", "amen", "keys", and "hell". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "liveth" and "dead", 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 the things which thou hast seen...", so "liveth" and "dead" 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 "liveth" and "dead" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.