Philologos
Bible Prophecy Research
Title: Keys
Submitted by: research-bpr@philologos.org
Date: May, 1998
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr/files/k002.htm
Keys
From the Talmud:
"Rabbi Yochanan said, 'The Holy One, blessed be he, has retained three keys in his own hands and not entrusted them to the hand of any messenger -- the key to rain, the key to childbirth, and the key to revival of the dead...[we know this is true about] the key to reviving the dead because it is written, 'You will know that I am Adoniai when I have opened your graves' (Eze 37:13).'"
(Ta'anit 2a-2b)
In rabbinic literature, giving keys symbolized the granting of authority. Rabbi Akiva stated that God would give the angels Michael and Gabriel the keys to open the 40,000 gates to hell. Another Jewish belief held that God held four keys in his hand: the keys to rain, conception, resuscitation of the dead, and crops.
(Fascinating Bible Facts, David Howard, Jr., Ph.D. and Gary Burge, Ph.D.)
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. -- Revelation 9:1-3
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.--Revelation 20:1,2
See also:
Locusts
'...and his kingdom was full of darkness...'
See "The Two Babylons: The Sovereign Pontiff " and "The Great Red Dragon," and "The Image of the Beast."