Studies in Revelation: The Keys of Death and Hell

By Jack Marshall

Why did Christ tell the apostle John that He had the “keys of death and hell” and why does He possess these “keys” in the first place? What is meant by this? This study looks into these questions and challenges the longstanding idea that hell is a place of eternal torment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jack Marshall
• Release date: Jan 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215235157

Jack Marshall

I was born in California in 1957, but raised in Oklahoma, where my experience with Christianity began at the age of 19. After several years of attending various denominational and non-denominational churches, my love for the Bible and desire to understand the scriptures became a vital part of my life. Through in-depth study for the past 45 years, I have discovered that the message of scripture is truly one of hope, love, and encouragement for the entire world.

Book preview

STUDIES IN REVELATION

The Keys of Death and Hell

Jack Marshall

STUDIES IN REVELATION

The Keys of Death and Hell

Jack Marshall

Smashwords Edition

Copyright January 2023 Grain of Wheat Publishing

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this eBook. This eBook remains the copyrighted property of the author. This free eBook may be copied, distributed, reposted, reprinted and shared, provided it appears in its entirety without alteration, and the reader is not charged to access it.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter One – The Spiritual Meaning of Numbers

Chapter Two – The Spiritual Meaning of Two

Chapter Three – Living and Active

Chapter Four – Two Outcomes

Chapter Five – Two Trees and a Garden

Chapter Six – Two Covenants

Chapter Seven – Two Great Lights

Chapter Eight – The Ministry of Death and Condemnation

Chapter Nine – Redefining Hell

Chapter Ten – Son of Man

Chapter Eleven – The Keys of Death and Hell

Chapter Twelve – Unconditional Love

Bibliography

Introduction

Though brief, this study touches on a lot of things, and as is true of all my studies, it is written to challenge your mind and heart and provoke you to thought and consideration.

There are mistakes in this presentation, not by intention, but out of ignorance. I am still and always will be learning. It has been difficult to put aside what I have inherited in order to see from a fresh perspective.

In His Grace,

Jack Marshall

Revelation 1:17-18 (GW)

When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. Then he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the first and the last, the living one. I was dead, but now I am alive forever. I have the keys of death and hell.

Chapter One

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF NUMBERS

When I first began to study the spiritual meaning of numbers in the Bible, I didn’t realize how important they were. I now recognize that they are extremely important in helping us to understand truth.

Why numbers? Because they are a universal language, one which is the same in any country. Though the number may be spoken in a different tongue, two in any country is two in every country.

Not surprisingly, numbers appear in the first chapter of the Bible, and it is saturated with numbers throughout, especially in the book of Revelation. Wouldn’t their presence indicate that they are important to our consideration?

Numbers in scripture often lead to patterns that show the intelligence and logic of our Creator. If there is any doubt that the Bible is inspired by God, one need only consider the numbers and patterns to dispel that doubt (2nd Tim. 3:16).

Once we understand the spiritual meaning of a number, it holds true throughout the entire Bible. This is also true of the patterns they establish.

One of the most fascinating things about numbers and patterns is their ability to connect the Old and New Testaments. Patterns in the Old Testament are often considered types or shadows, meaning that when we consider various objects or events in the Old Testament, we will find that they symbolize, point to, and enhance the spiritual realities in the New Testament.

The book that started me on the path to considering the spiritual meaning of numbers is called Number in Scripture: Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance, written by E.W. Bullinger who lived from 1837 to 1913. I often quote from the online version of this book. By no means is this an exhaustive work, however, it is a great reference that has endured the test of time. Other books which are excellent study sources are Dr. Stephen Jones’ work, The Biblical Meaning of Numbers from One to Forty, and Ed F. Vallowe’s work, Biblical Mathematics: Keys to Scripture Numerics. Another more recent and very good source is Teach Us to Number – Williams’ Exhaustive Concordance of Bible Numbers, by J. G. Williams.

Chapter Two

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF TWO

Revelation 1:17-18 (GW)

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. Then he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ the living one. I was dead, but now I am alive forever. I have the keys of death and hell.

Why did Christ tell the apostle John that He had the keys of death and hell and why does He possess these keys in the first place? What is meant by this? Before we can fully appreciate what it means, we need to consider several things in scripture and establish a certain pattern that opens our understanding, a simple pattern based on the number two. In Number in Scripture – Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance, E.W. Bullinger wrote the following regarding its spiritual meaning.

We now come to the spiritual significance of the number Two. We have seen that One excludes all difference, and denotes that which is sovereign. But Two affirms that there is a difference—there is another; while One affirms that there is not another!

This difference may be for good or for evil. A thing may differ from evil,