Archangel Open the Door

DESCRIPTION: "I ax all them brothers round, Brother, why can't you pray for me, I ax... why can't you pray for me? I'm gwine to my heaven, I'm gwine hone. Archangel open de door." "Brother, take off your knapsack, I'm gwine home...."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1867 (Allen/Ware/Garrison)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Allen/Ware/Garrison, p. 32, "Archangel Open the Door" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #11987
Notes: The New Testament nowhere says that an archangel will open the door to heaven; indeed, it says that Peter has the keys of heaven (Matt. 16:19). This song may perhaps be inspired by 1 Thessalonians 4:16, where it says that an archangel's call will accompany the last judgment, when "the dead in Christ will rise first." Elsewhere, though, we read that Jesus himself is the door (well, the gate) of the sheep (John 10:1-9) and has the keys of "death and Hades" (Rev. 1:18).
It is worth noting that the word "archangel" (meaning chief or first angel or messenger) occurs only twice in the Bible, both in the New Testament: 1 Thes. 4:16, Jude 9. - RBW
File: AWG032A

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