Jesus Holds the Keys

​God has at times rejected His people. Jeremiah 3:8 says, And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery (that is, went after other gods) I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And so, all of Israel was dispersed to the lands. I don’t know what it is about the human race but satan has done a good job in deceiving the human race, with who he is and who God is. And I want to expose satan for who he really is,  so that we are not deceived. We must hate that which is evil. And you cannot determine totally what is evil unless you study the word of God. A lot of people will tell you one thing and other people tell you another thing, but it doesn’t matter what someone says if they are not reading from the word of God. And I don’t want a bill of divorce from my Creator. 

Let’s look at Revelation 1:18. Now this is several years after Jesus rose and went to heaven with the Father and John was on the Isle of Patmos in prison because of his faith. So in verse 18, the Lord is speaking to John, I am he that liveth and was dead; That little phrase means that Jesus came on the earth as a human being, He was fully God and fully human. He was of flesh and blood like we are. They put Him on the cross and He died. And He tasted the death of who we are. Then He says, and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen. When He says Amen here, He’s saying, It’s settled. I was dead but now I’m alive, and I’ll never die again. And have the keys of hell and of death. What does it mean for Jesus to have the keys to death and hell? Well, it was prophesied in Isaiah that Jesus would come to set the captives free. That means that those who do not know Jesus are held captive by satan through deception. Those that are deceived have no fear of God or of judgment. I hear people laugh and say, I guess I’ll find out how hot hell will be when I get there. That’s not really funny. But Jesus has the keys, and keys are plural. So He has the keys that loosen you from hell, and the keys that loosen you from death. There are two deaths. The first death is when you physically die in this realm. The second death is when you are judged and you are found not wanting to enter into the presence of God. The reason I say not wanting to is because if you love this corrupt world more than you love God then you’re not worthy to enter into His world. He doesn’t want you there. Today we have laws that you have to rent to just whoever comes along. I saw a house recently that was completely trashed. Trash piled everywhere, without hardly even a path to walk, cupboard doors off, it was totally trashed. I don’t know how anyone could live that way. Now, a lot of people think that everybody is going to make it to heaven. But what do you think of somebody that would want to go to heaven and act like that in His kingdom? How about if they wanted to live in your house? If you would look at that in the terms of heaven, and God would look at you and say, you love Me. You will not trash My home. But if you have no love for Me, you’ll come in and trash what I’ve made, created and developed for thousands of years. God has been here forever. How precious do you think it is to God, what He has? He’s not looking for someone to trash what He has made and held very precious. In fact He said, don’t you share with the wicked the treasures that I have because they will turn on you and beat you up and try to destroy you, not because of you, but because I’m in you. And so God is particular who He wants to be with Him forever. It’s not any different than what you or I would be. If you were to come to my home, there is a place when you step inside that you can take your shoes off and no matter what you have on your shoes it stays there. And if I go into your home, I do the same thing. My shoes would get pretty clean if I would be at the barn and then come and rub it on your carpet. But I don’t do that. God doesn’t want His place trashed either. But for those of you that are held in bondage, He said, I’ve got the keys to set you free. So therefore if Christ lives in you if you will take advantage of His friendship to you, He will set you free from the bondage that torments you. Isn’t that a good word? But you have to believe. Everything that you receive from God is because you believe. It isn’t that it’s not available to you, but the reason that you don’t receive it is because the key to opening it is believing. So therefore if you believe in Jesus and His word, He will set you free according to what you believe about Him. So He says, I have the keys to hell and death.
 
Where did death come from? Did God create it? It doesn’t say in the creation story that He made death. But He did make a tree, didn’t He? In the Garden of Eden He said, if you eat of this tree you will die. And so He didn’t create death but it was there if somebody disobeyed Him. They were the ones that would create it. And so mankind, Adam and Eve together created death by introducing it into this world at the very beginning of time. And when death was introduced, from that point on time began. If there is no death there is no need to have time because you will never die. And when it says in the Bible time will be no more, that means that there will be no more death and so you don’t need a calendar because every day will be like a new day.
 
If you really hate the things that you know keep you from becoming stronger in Him, if you hate them enough, God will set you free. You have to hate evil and love the good. If you don’t, God can’t help you. It’s only when you hate the things that are from satan who deceives the whole world that you will get free of it and God will unlock you from that bondage to live in great joy in that area in the presence of God. And when you do that you become strong. People that are in prison are not strong. They’re held in bondage because they are rebellious. The reason we have prisons today is because there are so many people that are rebellious. They won’t listen to the rules of life. So therefore you are held in a confined area that is monitored so that you won’t harm someone else that wants to have life.
 
Revelation 6:8, And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Now, the Bible says that wickedness will do what? It’s one of the laws of God. Wickedness will destroy itself. He created that. Now, his name that sat on him was Death. In God there is no death. So it can’t be God but He allows death and hell, He’s given them the power to destroy one fourth of the earth. To kill with the sword, hunger, death and the beasts. And so death also affected angels. Death is the absence of the Creator. And when Adam and Eve sinned they were taken out of the Garden of Eden and they had to toil from that point on. They had weeds and everything else. And so this death, which is satan, is going to cause one fourth of the earth to be destroyed. But Jesus came and He died for you and me and He said, I have defeated death. I have tasted of death but I’m alive now forever more. He is alive forevermore and He said, Now, I have the keys to death and hell. And if you want out of there I will unlock you and you can enter into My kingdom that is life forevermore. But you have to hate death. And death is rebellion against God. And so the reason that God allows one fourth of the earth to be destroyed by satan, and that still hasn’t happened, but it’s going to, is because we listened to the one that is death, who is satan. The only reason satan is alive is because he was created to live forever. We were not. But we have the opportunity to live forever if we go to Jesus and let Him unlock us from the things that torment us from this world. And believe that He will do it.
 
Now in Revelation 20:6, Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Now, if you hate this world and want to be with God forever, then you’ll remove your rebellion towards Him and begin to labor for Him. And it says those who do that will be blessed and holy. Holy means separate from the deceptions of this world. The first resurrection is when you accept the Lord while you’re alive. You are resurrected from this world into the kingdom of God. Yes, the kingdom of God is here on the earth and in the heavens but we are separate from the world. And if you take part in the kingdom of God then you will be blessed and holy, or separated. On such the second death hath no power. Why? Because Jesus unlocked the gates of hell and death so you could come out of it. And then you’ll be priests. In other words, when you do that you will be the servants and brothers and sisters of your Creator, God and His Son. And you’ll be priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. That’s the thousand years that we’re almost ready to go into. It’s been six thousand years since Adam and Eve until now. And six thousand years man has been in charge. For one thousand years, on the seventh day of creation, God set it aside and said, I have made it holy. And so for one thousand years satan is going to be bound and wickedness will not be there. Only those that want God. And how that is all going to transpire I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’re in that first resurrection. And that He has the keys for anything that is hindering you in your relationship with God. He has the keys to set you free! So you are without excuse. It’s lack of faith and love for the world that keeps you from getting that. Then in verse 13, And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Now there are some that won’t be in the thousand year reign that were still saved but they didn’t overcome. And those are the ones who will still have to be judged. Verse 14, And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. What does that mean? Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire? Those who were deceived and were chained in death and hell will be thrown into the lake of fire with the creation of death and hell. It will all be thrown in and in the second death no one will ever remember you again. You’ll never be spoken of again because you will be out of the presence of anyone and out of the presence of God. Period. And so death and hell will be thrown into the lake of fire after the thousand year reign is over. And it will be your choice whether you choose to love God and His kingdom and hate iniquity, or sin and wickedness, because wickedness will destroy itself. Here, death and hell will be thrown into the lake of fire. That will be the final judgment of rebellion towards God the Creator. If you believe in any aspect of evolution, you will not be in heaven. How can you go to heaven when you don’t believe that there is a Creator? You can’t. If you don’t believe there is a Creator then you haven’t been in the first resurrection. Only those that believe that God exists and that He will reward them that diligently seek Him will be with Him forever. Diligently seek. That means with everything in you seek to find God and who He is and what He will do for you. And He just said, I’ve got the keys to death and hell and I’ll get you out of it before you’re thrown into it. I would get you out. I have the keys. The good news is, I have the keys if you want to get free. And there is no stipulation who it is. That’s why I don’t care what you’ve done or where you’ve been. What I care about is where you want to go. But the devil will want to keep that which you have done in the past, no matter how big or small it is, he will want to keep you in bondage and try to make you think you can’t come out. But God can unlock you from hell and death! And you can be free from it so that when it’s thrown into the lake of fire, you’re not there. So after death and hell are thrown into the lake of fire is the second death. There are two deaths. The physical death and the final death. But if you have loved the Lord and He set you free from sin and death then the second death will have no effect on you.
 
Revelation 21:4, And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Hallelujah! No more death. No more pain from the rebellion of the one who created death, that is satan who deceived us, and we the human race created death by rebelling against God. It was already there in satan. But it wasn’t in us. We created it on this earth. That’s how satan got the power over us. And that’s why he’s allowed to destroy one fourth of the earth at some point in time. Then in verse 8 it says, But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murders, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Now how much clearer do you need that? That’s the second death.
 
Now we’ve laid the foundation. Let’s look at Hebrews 2:14, Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood. All of us are partakers of flesh and blood. When my flesh dies, I’m out of here. And what I’ve done, God has recorded in my soul. So, flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; So Jesus was flesh and blood and He was a partaker of that realm, which is, human beings. We are in that realm now, but when we die we’ll go into a different realm, a realm of the spirit where we are only spirit beings without a body. That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; Someone has the power of death therefore Jesus had the keys to death and hell. And that person is the devil. So the devil had up until the time of Jesus the keys to death and hell. And he held everyone in bondage. But when Jesus died He went down to the deepest realms of hell and He fought satan and destroyed him. He didn’t annihilate him, He destroyed his power. And now the only way that satan can get you is to deceive you. He deceives the world now. But before he owned it. So Jesus died, He went to the uttermost parts of the earth, to the heart of the earth, where everything revolves around the heart of the earth, and He destroyed death and hell. He said, I’ve got the keys. You can get out. You can get out!! Then in verse 15, And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. But in the new covenant Jesus has the keys that we don’t have to live in bondage all of our lives.
 
How many feel hope rising in areas that you have struggled with all your life? This day is your day of freedom. 1 John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There are things that you can do that happen in your life that does not bring death to you because you may have been deceived but you still love the Lord and when you find out you made a mistake He’ll forgive you and bring you back. There’s a difference between those that love the world and willfully do what they know they’re not supposed to, but if you make a mistake and are deceived and you find it out then He will bring you back and forgive you and re-establish you where you were. But he says, that will not lead you to death, where you have to be unlocked again and brought out, but he says, There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. If you sin a sin that leads to you going to hell John says, I’m not saying I’m going to pray for you, because you already tasted. You know. You chose what you are going to do.
 
Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. That was David. The foundation for Jesus being king came through David. He said, Lord I know you’re not going to leave my soul in hell. When you come you’re going to loosen me and I won’t be corrupted. Way back then they understood that hell had a grip on them. And David said, Lord, I know when you come you’re going to loosen me from that place. And that’s what Jesus went down to do; to take the keys. Psalm 33:18 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield. Psalm 56:13, For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? Not only did David have the hope of delivering his soul from death, but to deliver his feet from falling. That is, give my feet the understanding of where I should go and where I shouldn’t. Jesus said to the disciples just before He died on the cross, You’re clean, but not your feet. Because you’ve always just followed Me and done what I said but now I’m going to be gone and your feet need to be sanctified in Me, so that I will teach you where you are to go and where you’re not to. And so, as a result, Jesus washed their feet that their feet might be clean to do His will and not theirs. Isn’t it amazing what David knew? He didn’t have the New Testament to look at to see what was going to happen. He knew what was going to happen before it did, and he was longing for it to be there. Psalm 86:13, For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. Show me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me. Have mercy on me, God. Give me the strength to be Your servant. That’s what will happen when God sets you free. You will become strong in Him. When you are free from sin and death it’s the key for you to become strong. You can’t become strong when you’re corralled and in an environment of bondage. You become strong when you’re free from the bondage of sin and death. And Jesus has the key and that’s why it says in John 1:13, I’ve given you power to become sons of God. I’ve given you power. And that power comes because He sets you free from the bondage of your ancestors and the people that taught you to do what they do when they are not doing the will of God. And that’s a hard thing to do, to get set free of the bondage which you’ve been taught. Jesus said, I’ve come to bring a sword. You thought I came to bring peace, but I’ve come to bring a sword. And that sword is to separate family – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, in-laws and out-laws, for what reason? For those that want Me I cut them from their family and those that don’t want me, they can bury the dead. You’re going to go and preach the gospel. You’re going to go and be My servant. You’re going to be a strong person that I set free because My yoke is easy and burden is light. Why? Because you’ll do it by My Spirit and not by your own labor. You can’t change someone’s mind. You can argue or do anything you want, but unless the Spirit of God moves on that person you’ll never set them free or get anywhere at all. It’s the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to convince you of your sin, not me. I just tell you what sin is. I just tell you where you can get free. But it’s the Holy Spirit that will move in your life to change you, not me.
 
Now we are going to switch just a little. It said that death and hell would be thrown into the lake of fire. What is it that burns in that lake of fire? Brimstone. Deuteronomy 32:22, For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
Let’s look at Numbers 16. This is when Moses was doing something and he had a bunch of people who came against him, so they had a contest. He told the priests that wanted to take over his job to bring their censors the next day with fire and incense in them. They would take hot coals from a fire and then they would put incense on that and that would make a smoke, and that smoke would rise and if the incense smelled like they had given up their ways and taken on the Father’s ways it smelled a certain smell. But if it was their own labor it was a different smell and God knew the difference. And so each one had a censor and each one had coals and they put incense on it and they walked before the Lord. Two hundred fifty men. Verse 32, And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. Those who have been given the ability to judge the dead are doing this today. Opening the pit and allowing the wickedness to go in it that it is judged so that they will not torment anyone on the earth. Whoever goes into that bottomless pit will not be tormenting them. God opened up the earth and they went into the bottomless pit and it closed back up again. And that was the first of our understanding of what the pit was and how it works. Because Jesus has the keys to death and hell and they will be thrown into the bottomless pit, closed up and they will never be known again.
 
At the end there are seven plagues that will take place at the very end and those that are saved will not be affected. But it says in Revelation 9:1, And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. Jesus had seven stars in His hand and this is one of the seven stars which are also angels. And he was given the key of the bottomless pit. And this is the first that we get an overview of what the pit is like where the second death exists. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. So they went around and stung the people of the earth and tormented them for five months. Then in verse 11, And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abbadon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. So there is an angel in charge of this bottomless pit but Jesus has the keys to it as well. But He’s put an angel in charge of it and the point when you begin to judge the wicked to put them into the bottomless pit you begin to deal with angels. And it’s a dangerous thing to deal with angels because if you don’t know God and His character you won’t know if that angel is satan’s angel or God’s angel. And many, many people in the church are deceived in thinking they are speaking to the Holy Spirit but really they are speaking to a fallen angel. It’s a horrible thing but that’s the truth.
 
Then in Revelation 20:1-3, And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and satan, and boud him a thousand years. So satan for one thousand years will be put in the bottomless pit and because he’s put there, there will be no temptations because there will be no sin. I don’t know what is going to happen with those that aren’t saved during this time. They may be here but they have no power because they’ve chosen the kingdom of death. But  there will be a thousand years that will be like it was in the beginning. There will be peace and the earth will supply you with food and you’ll live in the supernatural for a thousand years. And God said I wanted to do that because My intent was to be that way for the whole seven thousand years and forever. But because mankind chose to rebel against God He already had a plan in place and now, after it’s all over, those that have been set free from death and hell will live forever with Him. And how that’s all going to take place, and when and where, and all of that, that’s not that important to me. What’s important is, am I ready to meet the living God?
 
And so all those that want and need to be set free in some areas so you can become strong in Him, and not have that cocklebur in your saddle, I’m going to pray and if you believe and hate that thing and hate the world, and want to live forever with Him, then He’ll come and He’ll open that area, or areas, to set you free if you believe the word of God. He said “I will do it.” So it’s up to us whether we want that. If you believe the word of God, Jesus will do what He says, to the degree of your faith that He can set you free.
 
Lord I believe, and where I don’t, Lord, give me faith to believe. Show mercy upon us this day Lord. And we come to Your throne of grace that the grace of God might be upon us to cause us to come out of the bondage of sin and death. To live forever that the second death has no hold upon us according to Your word and according to Your scripture. Lord I believe that You’re able to remove it and make me strong. And that’s what my heart wants. So I pray come Lord Jesus. We take the keys of the kingdom. And set us free. Thank You Lord. As long as we stay under the will of God the spirit of grace is there to help us come free in every area that we might become sons of the living God. For this we give You praise. Amen. 

Jesus Holds the Keys
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