From: Carlton Winbery (winberyc@popalex1.linknet.net)
Date: Thu Jan 04 1996 - 11:04:40 EST
Kenneth Bent wrote;
>Would anyone care to comment on the statement by Jesus in Rev. 1:18:
>
>18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!
>And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (NIV)
>
>Is there any hint as to time of possession of the keys? Did He always have
>the keys, and is simply making a declarative statement, or has He just
>recently received or "taken back" the keys?
>
>Does the phrase "keys of death and Hades" hint to other usages or imagery in
>other writings?
>
>Hebrews 2:14 mentions the devil as having had the "power of death." Is this
>a related related phrase to Rev. 1:18?
The use of the word KLEIS/KLEIDOS in the NT begins with Matt. 16:19. The
phrase there is TAS KLEIDAS THS BASILEIAS, "the keys of the Kingdom of
Heaven." This seems to represent authority to "bind and to loose."
Interestingly the Scribes and Pharisees are called hypocrites in Matt.
23:13 because they "close off" (KLEIETE) the Kingdom of Heaven from men.
Luke 11:52 - "Woe to you lawyers, because you take THN KLEIDA THS GNWSEWS,
"the key of knowledge." You yourselves do not enter and you have prevented
those who would enter." Here knowledge seems to be an authority (or key)
that was being misused.
The other uses of the word KLEIS are in the Revelation. 1:18, probably
"authority over death" by virtue of his own resurrection, hence he
possesses that authority as the risen Lord. Paul's defence of a future
reserrection in I Cor. 15 on the basis of the resurrection of Christ would
be a similar point. It means that for those in Christ, death does not hold
the ultimate threat. The USE GLADII represented the authority to kill
bestowed by Rome on some of the rulers over conquered peoples.
In Rev. 3:17 it is the "key of David" that he possesses and as a result he
is the one who will open and no one will close (KLEISEI) and closes
(KLEIWN) and no one opens. He has the authority to control the destiny of
the Church at Philadelphia.
In Rev. 9:1 the star that had fallen from Heaven was given the key (KLEIS)
of the pit of the abyss. With this key, the star unleashed the plagues on
those who were not sealed by God (had the mark of God on their forehead).
In Rev. 11:6 there is a reference to the prophets who have the authority to
"close up" (KLEISAI) Heaven so that it won't rain.
Rev. 20:1 Mentions the angel descending from Heaven having "the key of the
abyss." This represents authority over dragon to bind him for a thousand
years. He threw the dragon into the pit and locked (EKLEISEN) it and
sealed it for a thousand years. In contrast the gates of the New Jerusalem
will never be closed (KLEISQWSIN) by night or day.
>From these uses I would say that the use the word key and the verb built on
the same stem often represented authority over something.
Carlton L. Winbery
Prof. Religion
LA College, Pineville, La
winberyc@popalex1.linknet.net
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