Revelation Chapter 3

VERSE 7  continued “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”

“Philadelphia means brotherly love. Luther’s doctrine of Justification by Faith was so powerful a teaching as to change nearly everything. Among other things it changed the relationship among individual Christians. Because each man was now responsible directly to God for maintaining his justification and not functioning through a priesthood, the INDIVIDUALITY of Christianity was restored. One Christian could look at another and say, “I respect your individual relationship to Christ. We are all brethren seeking to grow in faith.” Thus comes the brotherly love, admiration, and respect implied in the name of this Church.

The Philadelphia Church is unique in the lack of condemnation in its message. It was an active Church, always moving forward to new discoveries in doctrine and practice, always throwing off the shackles of Rome until the time that the sanctuary would be cleansed (Dan. 8:14).

An Interesting Date Parallel

The 2520 years of the Times of the Gentiles creates an interesting parallel between Israel and Christianity. 393 years before their beginning (606 B.C.) marks the year (999 B.C.) when Israel divided into the two and ten tribes. 393 years before their ending (1914 A.D.) marks the year (1521) when spiritual Israel divided into the Protestant and Roman sections. This seems to be a numerical prophecy of the Reformation.

When attempting to decide accurately and scripturally the beginning date for Philadelphia and the Reformation –1517 or 1521 –this parallel, along with the dating of Rev 6: 9-11, speaks mightily for the accuracy of 1521 as being the correct date.

It is important to note, however, that, while the two-tribe kingdom of Judah kept the spiritual pre-eminence, the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel was NOT cast off. Likewise, while the Protestant denominations gain the spiritual pre-eminence after 1521, the Roman system is not cast off until later. Thus, 1521 marks a dramatic change, but not as dramatic as will later come to pass.

Jesus introduces himself as he who is holy and true. Until now Rome successfully claimed to be the only holy and true church with the Pope as Christ’s vicar. THIS introduction of Jesus to the Philadelphians is so very significant to them. They finally have the one TRUE and HOLY standard upon whom they can rely with perfect faith.

Rome also claimed to have the keys for everything spiritual (and temporal, for that matter!). But here Jesus introduces himself as the one who is the true possessor of those keys. When he uses the phrase “the key of David,” he opens up an Isaiah prophecy of great significance for the Reformation. The phrase is lifted from Isa 22:22. A look at Isaiah 22 verses 15-25 will bring great profit:

These verses show the typical story of Shebna and Eliakim. This story seems an allegory of the Reformation (one interpretation, we will mention the second shortly). Shebna means growth; he appears to be typical of that great apostate system which grew like a great tree until all the fowls lodged in it (Matt 13:31). Eliakim means raised of God. He is the son of Hilkiah which means the Inheritance of Yahweh.

Hilkiah, then, would seem to represent Jesus, the inheritor. Eliakim (a plural name) seems to represent the saints —particularly here the Reformation saints. Shebna is in charge of the royal household but is guilty of building great monuments to his own glory and memory. The Lord promises to depose him and cast him to an unimportant place until he dies. Eliakim is given the mantle and authority and THE KEY OF DAVID —the chief steward’s responsibility over the master’s goods. He uses the responsibility well and is firmly in place. It is a nice story; but the last verse (Verse 25) implies that the Reformation church, too, would fall someday. (Which it does, and has).

Rev. 3:7 continued: Jesus opens the door of liberty from Rome and closes the door of usurpation by Rome during this period of the Church.

The Key of David, the Throne of David

“As stated, the key of David is found in the Old Testament, in Isa 22:22

“Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, when he opens no one will shut, when he shuts no one will open.” (NAU)

We find the statement there, where it says that when he opens, no one would shut and that when he shuts, no one would open. This key was originally, the right to rule on the throne of David, over the literal kingdom of Israel. The authority of this key also applies to who has the right to rule in the millennial age. Jesus holds and has the right to the key of David as given in Isa 22:22, which gives him absolute power and authority over who enters his kingdom, see Rev 1:18.

Previously we referred to the story of Shebna and Eliakim as representing the Reformation period, but another thought is that it represents the millennial age

Here in this interpretation Eliakim, the palace administrator, pictures Christ, and is to be “in that day” robed with authority and given the key to the house of David (Isa 22:20-22, 36:3). He is the one who decides who will see the king, Jehovah. He supports everything during the time of that key, the millennial age.

That the peg (Verse 25) is eventually broken off in this prophecy shows that the support and help he gives will only be good until the end of the millennium. By that time all should have come up to perfection and be able to stand on their own in the little season.”

We will continue with Verse 7 in our next post.