The Keys Of The Kingdom.

We recently had the great pleasure of attending one of the oldest and, until relatively recently, one of the most private military ceremonies in the world. The ceremony has been carried out every single night for approxiamtely 700 years and was previously only ever seen by the residents and private guests of The Tower Of London.

I’m talking about the nightly lockdown ceremony of the complex and is known as the Ceremony Of The Keys. And what a magnificent and austere ceremony it is. From watching the Warders lock the gates to the keys being handed over to the Night Guard. From the challenge by the Night Guardsman to acknowledgement that the nightguard has been appointed. From the cheer for the King of the United Kingdom and her Dominions to The Last Post being played.

It truly was a magnificent ceremony to witness and I will freely admit to feeling a little emotional at the historical aspect of it all.

And now, allegorically speaking, the Crown Jewels have been locked up, are in safe keeping under guard and the Monarchy rests.

It was all very symbolic and majestic. And when I had time to sit and ponder my thoughts on it my mind wandered to the ceremonial closing ceremonies in the Bible.

It was the young boy Samuel’s task to open and close the doors of the Temple at night and in the morning….

1st Samuel Ch3 (15) Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the LORD.

The closing up of any premises or home has always been something that has become a routine. It is for our own protection and safety.

But the New testament sometimes uses the word “key” in a somewhat different way. The word is sometimes used allegorically to refer to Jesus. The verse where Jesus tells Peter that he is being given the keys of the kingdom of heaven reads as follows…

Matthew Ch16 (19) And I [Jesus] will give unto thee[Peter] the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Ofcourse, this terminology was not used specifically for Peter alone. We also read of it being used to the Disciples in Matthew Ch18…

Matthew Ch18 (18) "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

I believe that the key is being mentioned here as a term to refer to Jesus Himself - Him being the key to all of the old testeament prophecies, laws and teachings. Jesus used the term in the Gospel of Luke to chastise and condemn the Scribes and Pharisees of the day by saying….

Luke Ch11 (52) "Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering."

The key is referred to again in the Book of Revelations, and directly in reference to Jesus…

Revelation Ch3 (7) "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him 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.

Revelation Ch1 (18) I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

So, As we watched this magnificent ceremony in The Tower of London we were all given the opportunity to cheer for the “keys of the kingdom”. Not by any hip hip’s, or hurrah’s.

But, at a signal given by the Yeoman Warder, by raising his hat, everyone shouted out “AMEN!!!!”

So be it, Lord! Your throne shall never,
like earth’s proud empires, pass away.
Your kingdom stands and grows forever
until there dawns your glorious day.

  
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Location: 3 A1, Belfast BT1 5BY, UK

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