^16:17Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. ^16:18I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ^16:19I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven." ^16:20Then he charged the disciples that they should tell no one that he is Jesus the Christ.

What are the "keys of the kingdom of heaven"?

It appears that possession of the keys of the kingdom of heaven provides their possessor with authority and ability to bind and release on earth with the effect of such binding and releasing also taking place in heaven. What are these that can be bound and released on earth with the effect of likewise binding and releasing in heaven?

Yah'shuah said that he would - in future - give the keys of the kingdom of heaven. When was he to do so?

That Yah'shuah was to give the keys of the kingdom of heaven implies that he either had them in his possession at the time that he spoke, or that he was to acquire them into his possession prior to the time that he would give them. What were or would come into Yah'shuah's possession, in the context of the keys of the kingdom of heaven?

The Key Of Knowledge

Luke 11:37-52 reads,

^11:37Now as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him. He went in, and sat at the table. ^11:38When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed himself before dinner. ^11:39The Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. ^11:40You foolish ones, didn't he who made the outside make the inside also? ^11:41But give for gifts to the needy those things which are within, and behold, all things will be clean to you. ^11:42But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and the love of God. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. ^11:43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces. ^11:44Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don't know it."

^11:45One of the lawyers answered him, "Teacher, in saying this you insult us also."

^11:46He said, "Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won't even lift one finger to help carry those burdens. ^11:47Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. ^11:48So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs. ^11:49Therefore also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute, ^11:50that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; ^11:51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.' Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. ^11:52Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn't enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered."

That Yah'shuah said that the lawyers took away the key of knowledge clearly shows that they had it in their possession. What was this key of knowledge that the lawyers - scribes - those supposedly expert in the law or scribes of Moses - had in their possession? Was it their knowledge or expertise in the law?

11:46 shows that the lawyers had authority and ability to load men with burdens difficult to carry. It would appear that their possession of the key of knowledge gave them this ability and authority to load men with various burdens. Was their knowledge and expertise in the law of Moses the key of knowledge, that gave them the ability and authority to load men with various burdens?

The Keys Of Death And Hades

Revelation 1:17-18 reads,

^1:17When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.

He laid his right hand on me, saying, "Don't be afraid. I am the first and the last, ^1:18and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.

What does Yah'shuah do with the keys of Death and of Hades, seeing that these are in his possession?

The Key Of David

Revelation 3:7-8 reads,

^3:7"To the angel of the assembly in Philadelphia write:

"He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things:

^3:8"I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn't deny my name.

What is the key of David? And what doors does Yah'shuah use it to open and shut? Doors connected with the performance of some works?

The Key To The Pit Of The Abyss

Revelation 9:1-11 reads,

^9:1The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. ^9:2He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a^* burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit. ^9:3Then out of the smoke came forth locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. ^9:4They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don't have God's seal on their foreheads. ^9:5They were given power not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion, when it strikes a person. ^9:6In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them. ^9:7The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people's faces. ^9:8They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. ^9:9They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war. ^9:10They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months. ^9:11They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is "Abaddon," but in Greek, he has the name "Apollyon."

Keys are meant to be used, for opening and shutting. The star or angel of the abyss could not open the pit of the abyss until such time as he had the key in his possession, when it was given to him.

With respect to the key of knowledge in Luke 11:52, that in the possession of the lawyers or scribes, they used it to shut the entry into a given location, which hindered both them and others who were seeking to enter therein from so entering. What was this location that they and others were to enter - the kingdom of heaven?

The Key Of The Abyss

Revelation 20:1-10 reads,

^20:1I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. ^20:2He seized the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years, ^20:3and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time. ^20:4I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as didn't worship the beast nor his image, and didn't receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived, and reigned with Christ for the thousand years. ^20:5The rest of the dead didn't live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. ^20:6Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.

^20:7And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison, ^20:8and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. ^20:9They went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God, and devoured them. ^20:10The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Key Of The House Of David

Isaiah 22:20-25 reads,

^22:20It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, ^22:21and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. ^22:22I will lay the key of the house of David on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open. ^22:23I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father's house. ^22:24They will hang on him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers. ^22:25"In that day," says Yahweh of Armies, "the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down, and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for Yahweh has spoken it."

The key of the house of David spoken of here is the same key of David that Yah'shuah possesses, as he revealed in Revelation 3:7. Essentially it appears that he who possesses this key possesses the government or rulership over Jerusalem and the house of Judah. In other words, possession of this key allows one to rule over Jerusalem and over Judah.

Binding And Releasing On Earth And In Heaven

Matthew 18:15-20 reads,

^18:15"If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. ^18:16But if he doesn't listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. ^18:17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector. ^18:18Most assuredly I tell you, whatever things you will bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever things you will release on earth will be released in heaven. ^18:19Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. ^18:20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them."

In Matthew 16:19 it might appear that it was only to Peter, rather than to all of Yah'shuah's disciples, that he gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven, thereby giving authority and ability to bind and release on earth, with the result of such binding and releasing having effect in heaven. But in Matthew 18:18 it is evidently clear that this authority was not reserved to only Peter, but was given to all of Yah'shuah's disciples when acting under his authority and within the bounds of his words!

Matthew 18:15-18 shows that Yah'shuah's disciples have authority to disfellowship one of their own when that one sins against another and refuses to repent of the sin, despite repeated entreaties as laid down by Yah'shuah! In other words, the decision arrived at by his disciples here on earth to disfellowship the errant and unrepentant disciples has effect also in heaven, such that even those in heaven no longer consider that errant and unrepentant disciple as a disciple of Yah'shuah!

Why Binding And Releasing On Earth Is Ratified In Heaven

In Matthew 18:19-20 Yah'shuah explains why the decisions arrived at here on earth by at least two of his disciples has effect in heaven. When they are gathered in his name - that is by his authority and according to his word, he himself is present in their midst and participates in their decision. And seeing that he participates in their decision here on earth, a decision in harmony with his words, seeing that he doesn't decide contrary to his own words, he gives effect in heaven to that decision made here on earth! For the Father in heaven ratifies Yah'shuah's actions, together with those of his disciples, as these are in harmony with the Father's will.

It is therefore implied that should at least two disciples of Yah'shuah decide contrary to Yah'shuah's word, then that decision will NOT be ratified in heaven, seeing that they did not gather and act in accord with his name, or by his authority and words! Therefore the authority and ability of Yah'shuah's disciples - plural - to bind and release anything is limited to only those things in harmony with Yah'shuah's word. Any decision by Yah'shuah's disciples to bind and release anything contrary to Yah'shuah's word is not ratified in heaven, seeing that Yah'shuah did not participate in that contrary decision and therefore did not facilitate the Father giving it effect!

Yah'shuah Ordered His Disciples To Abide By The Decrees Of The Scribes And Pharisees

Matthew 23:1-4 reads,

^23:1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, ^23:2saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses' seat. ^23:3All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don't do their works; for they say, and don't do. ^23:4For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.

By virtue of occupying Moses' seat, and thereby acting on the authority Yahweh gave to Moses, Yah'shuah commanded the multitudes and his disciples to abide by whatever the scribes and Pharisees bound and released, seeing that what they bound and released here on earth was ratified in heaven! The scribes and Pharisees' authority extended to binding even heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and laying them on men's shoulders - provided these were not contrary to Yahweh's word!

It should be noted that Yah'shuah would not command the multitudes and his disciples to observe anything contrary to Yahweh's word. Therefore, even though Yah'shuah appeared to have commanded the multitudes and his disciples to observe whatever the scribes and Pharisees commanded, it is implied that this command of his is limited to observing only those decrees that are not contrary to Yahweh's word. And he made this clear by teaching them not to observe the works of the scribes and Pharisees, as these were contrary to Yahweh's word!

How Binding And Releasing On Earth Is Ratified In Heaven

Numbers 30 reads,

^30:1Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded. ^30:2When a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. ^30:3Also when a woman vows a vow to Yahweh, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth, ^30:4and her father hears her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father holds his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she has bound her soul shall stand. ^30:5But if her father disallow her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand: and Yahweh will forgive her, because her father disallowed her. ^30:6If she be married to a husband, while her vows are on her, or the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul, ^30:7and her husband hear it, and hold his peace at her in the day that he hears it; then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she has bound her soul shall stand. ^30:8But if her husband disallow her in the day that he hears it, then he shall make void her vow which is on her, and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her soul: and Yahweh will forgive her. ^30:9But the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, even everything with which she has bound her soul, shall stand against her. ^30:10If she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, ^30:11and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and didn't disallow her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she bound her soul shall stand. ^30:12But if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband has made them void; and Yahweh will forgive her. ^30:13Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void. ^30:14But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows, or all her bonds, which are on her: he has established them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them. ^30:15But if he shall make them null and void after that he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity. ^30:16These are the statutes, which Yahweh commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter, being in her youth, in her father's house.

The above is an example of binding and releasing here on earth given effect in heaven! When those under authority bind themselves to do something by a vow to Yahweh, that vow is not given ratification in heaven until such time as the one in authority over them approves or disapproves of the vow. When the vow is approved, either expressly or by conduct, then the vow is ratified in heaven and it stands both in heaven and on earth. When the vow is disapproved prior to approval, then the vow is not ratified in heaven and heaven doesn't consider it a valid vow.

The above principle is instructive in the context of the authority of binding and releasing that Yah'shuah gave his disciples. When Yah'shuah's disciples bind or release something on earth, it is for Yah'shuah to approve of or disapprove of that binding or releasing decision. When the binding or releasing decision is in harmony with Yah'shuah's will, then he indeed does not disapprove it, and it stands ratified in heaven. But when the binding or releasing decision is contrary to Yah'shuah's word, he indeed disapproves of it, by his word contrary to the binding or releasing decision. Such a contrary binding or releasing decision does not stand ratified in heaven.

Entering Into The Kingdom Of Heaven

Matthew 5:17-20 reads,

^5:17"Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. ^5:18For most assuredly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. ^5:19Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. ^5:20For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Those called great in the kingdom of heaven are those who do and teach the law and the prophets, without omitting even one small letter or one tiny pen stroke. In other words, it is essential to observe all of the law and the prophets to be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

As already seen, the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees consisted only of teaching the law, but not in doing it. Matthew 5:20 shows that teaching only devoid of doing is insufficient righteousness for purposes of entering the kingdom of heaven. To enter the kingdom of heaven one must both do and teach all of Yahweh's law.

How The Scribes And Pharisees Hindered People From Entering The Kingdom Of Heaven

In the context of the key of knowledge in Luke 11:52 it is noted that scribes or lawyers not only didn't enter the kingdom of heaven, but they hindered those who were set on entering from entering therein.

How did they so hinder those set on entering from so entering?

By binding heaving burdens hard to bear upon the people and emphasizing less important laws while ignoring the weightier matters of the law, such as justice and the love of Yahweh. And it is in this manner that they took away the key of knowledge, which appears to be both doing and teaching all of Yahweh's laws to facilitate entry into the kingdom of heaven.

The Narrow Gate Leads To Life

Matthew 7:13-14 reads,

^7:13"Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter in by it. ^7:14How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.

Enter The Kingdom Of Heaven By Doing The Will Of The Heavenly Father

Matthew 7:21-27 reads,

^7:21Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ^7:22Many will tell me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?' ^7:23Then I will tell them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.'

^7:24"Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.^7:25The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn't fall, for it was founded on the rock. ^7:26Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn't do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. ^7:27The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell--and great was its fall."

To enter the kingdom of heaven it is essential that one does the heavenly Father's will. Talking about it without doing it is not sufficient! This was the undoing of the scribes and Pharisees of Yah'shuah's time, seeing that they spoke about some of the Father's will, though they did not apply it in their lives.

Explanation Of The Key Of Knowledge

Again, it appears that the key of knowledge possessed by the scribes was the knowledge of the Father's will and acting upon that knowledge. For it is those who know the heavenly Father's will who are able to apply it in their lives, and thereby be granted entry into the kingdom of heaven. But one who doesn't know the Father's will, and therefore doesn't know what one ought to do in one's life, and doesn't do it, isn't granted entry into the kingdom of heaven. The key of knowledge is therefore knowledge of the Father's will!

The Great In The Kingdom Of Heaven

Matthew 18:1-6 reads,

^18:1In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"

^18:2Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the midst of them, ^18:3and said, "Most assuredly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. ^18:4Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. ^18:5Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me, ^18:6but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea.

To enter the kingdom of heaven one must humble oneself as a little child. Therefore humbling oneself is indeed doing the heavenly Father's will, seeing that only those who do his will enter the kingdom of heaven.

Also, as seen from Matthew 5:17-20, those called great in the kingdom of heaven are those who do and teach all of Yahweh's law, even the least of his commandments. Therefore humbling oneself as a little child is indeed a commandment of Yahweh, seeing that it is necessary for one to so humble oneself prior to being called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Be Ready To Sacrifice Part Of Yourself To Enter Into Life

Matthew 18:7-11 reads,

^18:7"Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes! ^18:8If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you.