At the beginning of 2023, the Lord showed me a very simple picture. It was a vision of a key being inserted into a lock and it started to slowly turn. It was quite brief, but it had quite an impact on me.
A short time later, Hannah and I were travelling back to our home state after living interstate for nine months. It was a period of transition where the Lord had us living week-to-week, staying in hotels and holiday apartments. We had no home of our own and we were simply learning to trust and obey the Lord and to wait for Him to open opportunities for us. In my human reasoning I began describing to Hannah that I thought the vision of the key in the lock was God saying He was about to ‘unlock’ His blessing for us, and we would receive a home of our own and other things we were believing for.
Several weeks later, the Lord impressed on me an urgency to publish some thoughts on the topic of repentance. I started writing what became Real Repentance,[1] a website and booklet about how God recently led me into true repentance after being a Christian for more than 40 years. During that time, God reminded me of the vision about the key in the lock He’d given me a month earlier, and He gave me a clear understanding of its meaning:
The key is in the lock and is about to be turned, not to unlock but to lock. The key is not about unlocking blessings, but rather, it is about the Lord locking the door to the kingdom of heaven for eternity.
Through this, God revealed to me that He is preparing to lock the door to His kingdom and soon it will be closed shut forever. Those on the outside will no longer be able to enter into God’s kingdom, even if they desperately want to.
“When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’”
—Jesus, Luke 13v25 (NLT)
Jesus explained more about the door to the kingdom being locked when He shared The Parable of the Ten Virgins (or bridesmaids). In this important message, He was clearly explaining that the door to the kingdom of heaven will be closed at some point, and actually locked shut. It will not be opened again after that, not for anyone.
“…At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ So you too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”
—Jesus, Matthew 25v6-13 (NLT, emphasis added)
We don’t know exactly when Jesus will return, but He has given us plenty of warning, and explained some of the signs to look out for in The Gospel of Matthew, chapters 24 and 25. I believe we are the generation that will witness all these things unfold, and now more than ever before, we need to be prepared for His return.
Through this vision of the key in the lock, I believe God is warning us once again, that the opportunity to enter His kingdom is soon drawing to a close. The time is surely upon us, and the door to the kingdom of heaven will soon be locked forever! We are each faced with a choice: follow Jesus now, or go our own way. Those who are following Jesus now are those who will be welcomed into His kingdom when He returns, and will enjoy His lavish banquet table. However, those who are going their own way now, will later be faced with a locked door and an eternity in outer darkness.
As time is very short before Jesus returns, I really encourage you to evaluate your own heart now—are you truly prepared to meet with the bridegroom (Jesus) when He returns?
You can read more about this particular parable right here on The Rising website: Chapter 20: The Parable of the 10 Virgins