Key
“Opener”
Summary
An instrument for opening locks, used symbolically in Scripture to represent authority, power, and control over access to domains both physical and spiritual.
☩Physical Description
Ancient keys were typically made of wood, ranging from seven inches to two feet in length, fitted with pegs or nails that corresponded to small holes in the bolt within the lock. The key was inserted laterally into the hollow bolt and raised pins within the staple, allowing the bolt to be drawn back. Keys were sometimes made of bronze or iron, and larger ceremonial keys could be as much as a man could carry. The Hebrew word maphteach means "that which opens," while the Greek kleis and Latin clavis mean "that which shuts," reflecting different emphases in their usage. The key was often worn on the shoulder as a sign of official authority.
☩Symbol of Authority
Keys served as powerful symbols of authority in the ancient world. The promise to Eliakim, "I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open," established this symbolic meaning for later biblical usage. A chamberlain's badge of office was often a key hung by a kerchief on the shoulders. The giving of keys to a person signified entrusting them with an important charge or office. This symbolism appears throughout Scripture, representing power over domains, access to sacred spaces, and executive authority.
☩Christ's Keys
In Revelation, the risen Christ declares that He has "the keys of death and of Hades," signifying His supreme authority over the realm of the dead. This power is imperial, exercised from above over both the living and the dead. Christ also possesses "the key of David," a reference to Isaiah 22:22, indicating His Messianic authority to open and shut with absolute finality. Jewish commentators commonly applied the Isaiah passage to the Messiah, making Christ's claim highly significant. According to Rabbinic tradition, certain keys were held by God alone, including the key of death and resurrection, making Christ's declaration a profound assertion of divine authority.
☩Keys of the Kingdom
Jesus promised to give Peter "the keys of the kingdom of heaven," with the authority to bind and loose. This promise, later extended to the apostles generally in Matthew 18:18, signified the power to open the doors of the kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel. Peter exercised this authority when he opened the gospel door to the Jews at Pentecost and to the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius. The keys represent stewardship of the house, with power to admit or exclude, though the decision of who belongs to the household remains with the Master. Jesus criticized the teachers of the law for taking away "the key of knowledge," locking the doors of truth against those who sought to enter.
☩Angelic Authority
In Revelation, angelic beings are given keys representing delegated authority over specific domains. An angel is given "the key of the pit of the abyss" to release demonic forces as part of divine judgment, and later to bind Satan for a thousand years. This imagery draws on Jewish cosmology's concept of a communication between the upper world and the underworld through a pit or shaft with a locked opening. According to Rabbinic tradition, this opening was located beneath the Temple foundations. These passages emphasize that even such terrifying power operates under divine commission and control.
Related Verses8 mentions
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Key," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Key," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 3.James Hastings (ed.), "Key," in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1915–1918).
- 4.George Morrish, "Key," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 5.James Hastings (ed.), "Keys," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).