And to the angel of
the church in Philadelphia write: “The words of the
Holy One, the True One, who has the
key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.”
Revelation 3:7
Understanding the Key of David
To begin, the key of David has been a source of confusion to many people. Not
only is it a weird phrase, but also a foreign concept to the average reader of
Scripture. The main reason is because we are not Jewish. The secondary reason
is because we live almost two thousand years after this statement was penned.
So, what do we do with it?
Well, first we need to remember
that John is seen all throughout this letter to be bringing out Old Testament
parallels and terminology. Every word he recorded in this book has a reason and
a purpose for being here. This specific verse just so happens to be a quote
from Isaiah 22:22 which says, “And I will place on His shoulder the key of the
house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and He shall shut, and none
shall open.”
When we understand this statement
in its original context [that of the whole Old Testament], then we are able to
understand this in light of the Davidic throne over the nation of Israel. Jesus
has been given the key to the throne. He is the ruler that was prophesied to arise
from the line of David (Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-5). While David is dead and gone,
Jesus is both alive and here. As will be seen in Revelation 19:16, He is “…the
King of kings and the Lord of lords.”
Having the key of David is a
picture of both His legal right [Matthew’s
Genealogy (Matt. 1:1-17)] and His birth right [Luke’s Genealogy (Luke 3:23-38] to the throne. The key is symbolic
for Him having access. It is the master key which unlocks every door and it has
been entrusted to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The text then goes on to describe
both His strength and uniqueness. Any door He opens will not be shut, nor will
any door He closes be opened. Why? The answer is because He either locks or
unlocks the door with the only key that fits. Only one key has ever been made,
and it belongs to Him who sits on the throne. This reveals two main things
about our Lord and the doors that He either opens or closes in our lives:
1. Nothing will stand in His way. If He determines
to send us somewhere, then He will open the door. However, if He chooses to
keep us from something, then, no matter how hard we try, the door is closed.
Acts 16:6-10 gives us an example of when God prevented missionary efforts to a
certain region of the world.
2.
Also, if He closes a door in your life, do not
be discouraged. Though it may be painful, the fact that God chose to close a door in your life
reveals that He is involved in your life.
Understanding the World’s Future
Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who
say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — behold, I
will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept My Word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is
coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the Earth.
Revelation 3:9-10
How do we know this is referring
to the future? The simple answer is because it has not happened yet. Though there are some who attempt to interpret
this trial as the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Romans, they do so
with little Scriptural support. The text says that this is a trial in which the
whole world will face. Jerusalem’s
destruction may be a parallel to the coming judgment upon mankind, but in no
way would John have forgotten how small Jerusalem was in size.
The Jewish people have neither
bowed down to the Church or recognized it as God’s loving design. Yes, some of
the Jewish people have believed in Jesus, but they reject the Church because
they deny Christ. In the eyes of their own Messiah, these people are a
“synagogue of Satan.” They are not the true
Israel of God (Rom. 9:6) because they have not believed in the only Name by
which any of us are saved (Acts 4:12).
However, this is not all that is
going to take place. Not only will there come a day when Israel willingly
recognizes the Church as God’s program for this age, but the Church will be
saved from the Great Tribulation period [i.e. the hour of trial that is coming
on the whole world]. Jeremiah 30:7 refers to this coming day as “Jacob’s Distress.”
It is during this Great Tribulation period when God will restore Israel as His
chosen nation by bringing them to repentance. This will result in their willing
recognition of Christ and His Church.
·
The Church in
Philadelphia (3:7-13)
- They were known because they kept God’s Word.
- They were protected because of God’s Word.
- They were assured of future salvation from God’s wrath.
- They were exhorted to hold fast so that no one would steal their reward.
- They were informed of future glory to the one who conquers.
*Click here to read the purpose of this blog series.
No comments:
Post a Comment