Explain the meaning of 'What is bound on earth is bound in heaven, what is loose on earth is loose in heaven', and how does it relate to Jesus' mission and the benefit of redemption through the cross?
The phrase "what is bound on earth is bound in heaven, what is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven" signifies that human actions and choices on Earth have profound, binding authority in the spiritual realm. This principle underpins the process of spiritual growth and resurrection, where spirits of the deceased cooperate with living believers to mature and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus' mission established spiritual salvation, but full restoration requires ongoing human participation to build God's kingdom on Earth.
"What is bound on earth is bound in heaven, what is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19, 18:18) is a foundational teaching by Jesus, revealing the profound relationship between earthly life and spiritual reality. This statement underscores the immense significance of human actions and decisions made while in physical form, demonstrating that they possess binding authority in the spiritual realm. This principle applies not only to living believers but also to the spirits of the deceased, who require cooperation with those on Earth for their own resurrection and growth.
The Biblical Foundation: Earth's Authority and the Keys to the Kingdom
This teaching first appears when Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). Jesus responds, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:17-19). Later, this authority is extended to all His disciples, emphasizing the collective power of believers: Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 18:18).
These verses signify that human choices and decrees, particularly concerning forgiveness, judgment, and the establishment of God's will, carry eternal weight. To "bind" means to prohibit or declare unlawful, while to "loose" means to permit or declare lawful. This authority is not arbitrary but is meant to align with God's will, exercising discernment rooted in divine truth. It implies that spiritual realities are not unilaterally imposed from above but are profoundly influenced, indeed established, through human agency on Earth. The often-misunderstood keys to the kingdom represent the spiritual authority to open or close access, to enable or restrict, based on righteous judgment and alignment with God’s purposes. This principle extends to the providence of resurrection, where spirits in Paradise, including Old Testament saints and those from other religions, return to cooperate with believers on Earth. Their growth to the life spirit stage and ultimately the Divine Spirit stage depends on this earthly cooperation.
Divine Principle's Clarification: Earthly Cooperation for Spiritual Growth
The Divine Principle clarifies why earthly actions possess such profound spiritual consequence. It teaches that the spiritual growth and resurrection of spirits in the spirit world depend on their cooperation with people on Earth. For instance, Old Testament saints rose out of the tombs and were seen in Jerusalem, indicating that spirits in Paradise had already begun returning to believers at Jesus' time (Matthew 27:52-53). Similarly, at the Second Coming, spirits in Paradise will gather around the returning Messiah and collaborate with Christian believers on Earth to achieve Divine Love as Divine Spirits. This cooperation is mutually beneficial: spirits assist believers in their spiritual growth, and believers provide the earthly foundation for the spirits' resurrection. This dynamic of "binding and loosing" extends to all spirits, even those who did not live a life of faith, as conscientious spirits return to conscientious people on Earth to fulfill God's providence.
Since the Fall occurred on Earth, involving physical choices that affected both spiritual and physical realms, restoration must also begin and be completed on Earth. This is why Jesus taught us to pray, Your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). The Divine Principle explains that the ideal spiritual world, or "heaven," can only be perfected once the physical world has been fully restored and established as God's kingdom on Earth. Therefore, human beings, as the lords of creation with both spiritual and physical dimensions, are the necessary agents for bringing about this restoration. Our moral choices, our relationships, and our efforts to embody God's love and truth on Earth literally shape the spiritual world.
Understanding the Deeper Meaning: Jesus' Mission and Redemption
This teaching profoundly illuminates Jesus' mission and the benefit of redemption through the cross. Jesus, as the perfect human and God's only begotten Son, came to Earth to accomplish on Earth what was bound in heaven: the restoration of humanity to God's original ideal. He "loosed" humanity from the direct dominion and legal claims of Satan, which had been established through the human Fall. Through his sacrificial love and obedience, culminating in the cross, Jesus bound the power of sin to eternally condemn those who believe in him, opening the way for spiritual salvation (John 3:16). His crucifixion was not predestined as the sole method for sin forgiveness; rather, it was a path Jesus took due to humanity's failure to fulfill its responsibility to believe in him. Peter's attempt to dissuade Jesus from the cross was rebuked because it would have hindered Jesus from achieving this spiritual salvation (Matthew 16:23, John 3:14).
However, the "binding and loosing" does not end with Jesus alone. The authority he bestowed upon his followers signifies that the establishment of God's complete kingdom requires ongoing human participation on Earth. The cross provided a spiritual foundation for individual redemption, but the full realization of God's blueprint—the establishment of families, societies, and a world living according to God's will—still demands human effort. Believers continue Jesus' work by actively "binding" evil and injustice and "loosing" goodness, truth, and love in their lives and in the world, thereby shaping both physical and spiritual realities. This means our commitment to building God's kingdom on Earth is directly reflected and bound in heaven, leading to the ultimate fulfillment of God's ideal.
Why Jesus Spoke of Paradise Only on the Cross
Throughout his public ministry Jesus proclaimed one destination and one destination only: the kingdom of heaven. "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17) was his opening message, and he never once directed his listeners toward paradise. Yet on the cross, speaking to the repentant thief at his right hand, he said for the first time, "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). The change of word marks a change of circumstance, not a change of teaching.
The kingdom of heaven was to be entered by families and nations receiving the Messiah while he lived, so that God's reign could be established on earth first and then reflected in the spirit world. Because Jesus was rejected, that foundation was never laid, and the gate of the kingdom of heaven was not opened. Those who believed in him therefore could not enter it. Therefore, the paradise Jesus promised the dying thief is a waiting place — a realm of rest and light where those who follow him remain until the kingdom itself is opened. This is why he could tell the thief "to day", and yet the same scriptures still look forward to a kingdom prepared at his return.
Living the Principle
Recognizing the spiritual significance of earthly life empowers us to live intentionally. 1. Act as a partner for spirits: Engage in prayer, good deeds, and spiritual growth to assist returning spirits in their resurrection process. 2. Cultivate integrity: Make choices aligning with God's will, knowing they have eternal impact on both physical and spiritual realms. 3. Bind sin through indemnity: Actively reverse or correct selfish actions and sin, understanding that this benefits both oneself and related spirits. 4. Unite religions and humanity: Cooperate with people of all faiths, centered on the returning Messiah, to fulfill God's providence of restoration on Earth.
These answers explain the Bible in the light of the Divine Principle, the teachings of Reverend Sun Myung Moon. Read about the author, Sun Myung Moon.
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Sources and further reading
- The Holy Bible, King James Version — Scripture quoted and referenced throughout the answers.
- The Divine Principle (full text) — The complete text of the Divine Principle, the teaching of Reverend Sun Myung Moon that these answers explain.
- Unification texts library (tparents.org) — Large online library of Unification texts, sermons and collected speeches, including the Cheon Seong Gyeong.
- Short video lectures in English — Playlist of short English video lectures presenting these same principles.