Fear

Many ancient peoples believed that heaven and hell were cl

In Matthew’s Gospel the keys symbolize the authority to open and shut the kingdom of heaven. In response to Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Mt 16:16),

ed by rabbis near the time of Christ to declare someone under a ban (“binding”) and relief of the ban (“loosing”). Sometimes this referred to expulsion or reinstatement at a synagogue. At other times binding and loosing indicated consignment to God’s judgment or ac