“Woe to you, doctors of the law! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you prevented those who were entering."” (Luke 11:52, AFV)

One of the impediments to seeing clearly the realm of the Spirit is what we think we know. Yeshua calls this the key of knowledge and He specifically states that it both keeps the leadership from entering in and prevents others who trust the same leadership from experiencing spiritual truth. The question arises then, what is the key of knowledge and how can we use it to enter in and see.

 First let’s talk about the word “key” in a spiritual context of seeing in the Spirit with the eyes of the heart. Turn with me to Isaiah 22.

 “The pronouncement concerning the valley of vision: What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops? You who were full of noise, You tumultuous town, you jubilant city; Your dead were not killed with the sword, Nor did they die in battle. All your rulers have fled together, And have been captured without the bow; All of you who were found were taken captive together, Though they had fled far away. Therefore I say, “Look away from me, Let me weep bitterly, Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”” (Isa 22:1-4, NASB)

The setting of this chapter is that the Northern kingdom of Israel has been captured and decimated by the Assyrians who have now set their sights on Judah and Jerusalem. The prophetic declaration by Isaiah is the "Valley of Vision”, a term that primarily refers to Jerusalem. In Hebrew the name of Jerusalem,, is Yerushalayim.

Components of the Name.     Hebrew Word Meaning

Yireh. "to see" or "place of awe"

Shalem. "peace"

As Judah is surrounded by Assyria, Isaiah reminds them of vision of peace. The Valley of Vision is a symbolic representation of the spiritual blindness and deafness that had fallen upon the people of Jerusalem. The prophet Isaiah uses this imagery to illustrate the lack of understanding and perception that had befallen the nation. Jerusalem, once a city known for its spiritual insight and connection with God, had now become spiritually desolate and distant from His presence.

This powerful passage serves as a call to repentance and a plea for God’s mercy and restoration. The people of Jerusalem are urged to recognize their spiritual condition and turn back to God in humility and contrition. The Valley of Vision serves as a reminder of the importance of seeking God’s presence and guidance in times of spiritual darkness and desolation.

 Isaiah feels the pain of the spiritual desolation brought about by poor vision. Reading on:

“For the Lord GOD of armies has a day of panic, subjugation, and confusion In the valley of vision, A breaking down of walls And a crying to the mountain. Elam picked up the quiver, With the chariots, infantry, and horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield. Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen took positions at the gate. And He removed the defense of Judah. On that day you depended on the weapons of the house of the forest, And you saw that the breaches In the wall of the city of David were many; And you collected the waters of the lower pool. Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem And tore down houses to fortify the wall. And you made a reservoir between the two walls For the waters of the old pool. But you did not depend on Him who made it, Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it long ago.” (Isa 22:5-11, NASB)

This is a picture of how we respond to the issues of life with the strategies of the house of the forrest. This is a reference to utilizing weapons that are carnal and rely on man instead of God. Paul warns us:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” (2Co 10:3-4, NASB)

Jerusalem would NOT be defended successfully with those weapons. Remember that in this case Jerusalem’s attack and defense are based on the correct “keys”.

Read on: “Therefore on that day the Lord GOD of armies called you to weeping, to wailing, To shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth. Instead, there is joy and jubilation, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.” But the LORD of armies revealed Himself to me: “Certainly this wrongdoing will not be forgiven you Until you die,” says the Lord GOD of armies. This is what the Lord GOD of armies says: “Come, go to this steward, To Shebna who is in charge of the royal household, ‘What right do you have here, And whom do you have here, That you have cut out a tomb for yourself here, You who cut out a tomb on the height, You who carve a resting place for yourself in the rock? ‘Behold, the LORD is about to hurl you violently, you strong man. And He is about to grasp you firmly And wrap you up tightly like a ball, To be driven into a vast country; There you will die, And there your splendid chariots will be, You shame of your master’s house!’ “I will depose you from your office, And I will pull you down from your position.” (Isa 22:12-19, NASB)

Repentance, turning to the light of the Lord is always a door opener. Unfortunately Judah was unwilling to see the real source of their troubles, their spiritual darkness. Isaiah tells us: But the LORD of armies revealed Himself to me: “Certainly this wrongdoing will not be forgiven you Until you die,” says the Lord GOD of armies. Isaiah then identifies Shebna who is in charge of the royal household. At this point in the plan of God, leaders were accountable for the example they set in their leadership. This pattern is clearly laid out in the books of the Kings of Judah and Israel where we see Israel and Judah being judged by God based on whether the leader did or did not honor God and His ways. This guy Shebna is the treasurer, like Judas in Hezekiah’s government.

But God has another who He will exalt because of his heart, Eliakim: ““Then it will come about on that day, That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, And I will clothe him with your tunic And tie your sash securely around him. I will hand your authority over to him, And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. “Then I will put the key of the house of David on his shoulder; When he opens, no one will shut, When he shuts, no one will open. “I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house. “So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the descendants, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars. “On that day,” declares the LORD of armies, “the peg driven into a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load that is hanging on it will be cut off, for the LORD has spoken.”” (Isa 22:20-25, NASB)

This demonstrates the importance of leaders who hold the keys of the kingdom, here called the key of David. It opens doors no man can shut and closes doors no man can open. David was a worshipper and so this key is connected to intimacy. This is also a prophecy which reveals the key of knowledge as tent peg that is in a firm place which will give way.

The Pharisees controlled the key of knowledge. It will have to give way. Let’s look now at knowledge. Reaching back to the garden, we have the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil which Stan has convinced us will make us like God.

““For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.”” (Gen 3:5, NASB)

 This establishes “knowledge” as a godlike quality. By this I mean what you allow people to “know” determines who is god in their world. This is why people like Hitler of Mao in China burned books containing forbidden knowledge. This is also why the church has in its history banned certain literature or other accounts as heretical. Clearly controlling “knowledge” is seen as gateway to power.

“For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Pro 2:6, NASB)

God is the source of true knowledge. The illusion of controlling knowledge controls God. The biggest breakthroughs came where the scriptures we returned to the people.

Theology, while supposedly coming to know God, can easily slip into belief structures which define and control God.

When Yeshua accused the Pharisees of taking away the “key of knowledge” He was speaking to this very issue. By defining and controlling holiness, the “approved set of behaviors” they became the default holders of the keys of the kingdom.

When Yeshua came He was a threat to this power structure. This is the truth behind Matthew 16:19.

““I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”” (Mat 16:19, NASB).

Binding and loosening is the power of opening and closing access to the Kingdom of Heaven. I’m fairly certain it can be applied to warfare but the real meaning, I believe is to address the authority of the Pharisees to define holiness. Yeshua not only came to be the deliverer, Messiah but also to empower a restored relationship to God. I believe that He transformed what holiness is all about, the impartation of the Holy Spirit. This is why He purposefully violated as many Pharisee rules as possible about who God is and what His Will is.

This in turn opens up our eyes to see the Kingdom through a new set of eyes that are freed to use the key of knowledge. The book of Proverbs contains 42 references to knowledge Beginning with fear of Lord as the gateway to knowledge to how crucial correct knowledge is to success in our lives.

In Hebrew, the word “Yada” is used for “knowing”. It represents an intimate, experiential, and action-oriented knowledge rather than mere intellectual facts.

י - Yod (Originally a Hand/Arm): In the ancient script, this was a drawing of a closed hand, forearm, or arm. It symbolizes work, action, deeds, or power. Knowledge in the Hebrew mind cannot be passive; it requires physical engagement and doing.

ד - Dalet (Originally a Tent Door): This was pictured as a curtain or door hanging at the entrance of a tent. It signifies an entrance, a pathway, or moving from one realm to another.

ע - Ayin (Originally an Eye): This was drawn clearly as a human eye. It means to see, watch, experience, perceive, or understand.

The Functional Meaning: How to Enter Understanding

When you string these three pictures together, the letters tell a vivid story. To the ancient mind, Yada means "by doing (Yod), you enter (Dalet) into seeing and understanding (Ayin)". You cannot truly "know" something until you have interacted with it using your own hands.

Activation: The Key of Knowledge: This week take something you used to do with your hands or even may still do. Revisit it with the intention of breaking through to a new level of knowing it or maybe it will be a person or maybe the Lord in journaling. Be intentional to come to a deeper level of knowing by handling.