A tool for opening a locked door. Used mainly symbolically in Scripture to speak of Jesus Christ's victory over death and his authority over believers, or of the need of deliverance from the imprisonment brought to human nature by sin and the law.
Keys for opening doors
Judges 3:23–25; 1 Chronicles 9:27; Luke 3:20, Luke 11:7; John 20:19, John 20:26; Acts 5:23
The symbolic use of keys
As a symbol of Jesus Christ's complete authority
Revelation 3:7 See also Isaiah 22:22
To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.
As a symbol of Jesus Christ's ultimate victory over death and hell
the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
As a symbol of Satan's ultimate defeat
Revelation 20:1–3 See also Revelation 9:1
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.
As a symbol of Jesus Christ's authoritative ministry through his church
Matthew 16:19 Usually understood as illustrating how God's forgiveness is made effective through preaching the gospel.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
As a symbol of living faith
Isaiah 33:6 See also Matthew 13:52
He will be the sure foundation for your times, a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.
Being locked up as a symbol of obstacles to faith
Galatians 3:23 See also Luke 11:52
Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.