Season 1 Podcast 29 A New Voice of Freedom, “Keys of Death and Hell.”

 Season 1 Podcast 29 A New Voice of Freedom, “Keys of Death and Hell.”  In Revelation 1:18 we read, “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.” In Revelation 21:4 we read, “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.” The two verses, though twenty chapters apart, are meant to be read together.  One is a continuation of the other.  For example, in harmony with the parallelism of the Bible, the two verses could be read continuously:“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. 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.” In the verses above the primary assertions are:·      Christ overcame death, ·      Christ lives forevermore.  ·      Christ holds the keys of hell and death.” ·      In paradise there will be no tears, no death, no sorrow, no crying, and no pain.In other words, Christ has the power and authority to raise everyone from the dead, to open the gates of hell, and to give eternal life to everyone who will accept his conditions. Many have trouble with the concept of hell.  That is because they do not have the correct concept of the necessity of the law of justice. Hell exists because the law of justice exists. Lucifer did not invent hell. He makes others miserable because he is always miserable; however, he hates hell more than any mortal because it is his permanent residence. Christopher Marlowe captured that concept in his brilliant play, The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.In the play Mephistopheles, a chief devil, was sent by Satan to capture Faustus’s soul. Faustus asked Mephistopheles if he were a devil why was he released from hell. Mephistopheles answered:Why this is hell, nor am I out of it. Think’st thou that I, who saw the face of God, And tasted the eternal joys of heaven, Am not tormented with ten thousand hells In being deprived of everlasting bliss?The only way the law of justice can perform its function is if it can never be compromised, never be robbed, diminished, or cheated.  Even the law of mercy cannot rob the law of justice.  The law of justice determines how far mercy can extend.  Those who do not qualify for mercy must meet the demands of justice.  The instant, however, that one has met the demands of justice, then the law of mercy opens the gates of hell, releases them from prison, and assigns them a glory compatible with their works.  Only Christ has the keys. The hell referred to by John is not the Lake of Fire known as the second death or perdition.  Perhaps, for convenience, we should separate hell from perdition.  Death and hell have a termination date. Perdition, or the lake of fire, or outer darkness, referred to as everlasting hell, does not. It is the permanent home of the sons of perdition. Again, we turn to the Book of Revelation given to John:“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. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:13-15)