The King's Keys to Lancaster's Castle

His Majesty the King visited Lancashire this week. As well as monarch, he is also Lancaster's Duke and after calling at the Ribble Valley (the district in which Salem Chapel is located) he went on to the county town for a peculiar ceremony. On arrival in Lancaster, His Majesty took part in the Castle’s Ceremony of the Keys. Each monarch has ‘received’ the keys since Victoria in 1851. Previous monarchs have also called or held court there, including John, Edward II, Henry IV, James I and Charles II, and a formal bestowing of keys probably happened but is not recorded. So in the presence of the county’s High Sheriff and Lord Lieutenant, the Constable of the castle gave Charles III, by the Grace of God, the keys to his own fortress.

When I considered this, I recalled the return of King Jesus. Charles Wesley’s hymn Lo! He Comes (which we sang on Sunday) includes the verse:

Yea! Amen! let all adore thee

High on thine eternal throne!

Saviour, take the pow'r and glory,

Claim the kingdom for thine own.

Alleluia! Everlasting God come down. (emphasis mine)

Lancaster Castle became the King’s property upon his accession to the throne, but it was only this week that he was formally offered the rights to walk in and out. King Jesus has reigned eternally, yet He shall come and forcibly take that which a fallen race is currently pleased to deny Him. Curiously, references to keys are also spoken of in the Biblical record:

“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death”. Revelation 1:18

Here, Christ possesses the keys to the prisons of the dead, for His writ runs there, too. In Matthew 16:19, He says:

“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Graciously, He gives His people the gospel’s authority to affect eternal destiny and status. There is no ceremonial giving of keys to King Jesus, but there is a sense in which He gives the keys to us, His adopted brethren.

God the King saves, and may God save the king.

O Lord, our monarch bless
With strength and righteousness:
Long may he reign:
His heart inspire and move
With wisdom from above;
And in a nation's love
His throne maintain.

May just and righteous laws
Uphold the public cause,
And bless our Isle:
Home of the brave and free,
Thou land of Liberty,
We pray that still on thee
Kind Heav'n may smile.