What Is the Real Key of David ?

Well, thank you, Grace and Emma. That was great. Not only that, it tied right into your dad's, your grandfather's, I should say. Serenette! Bringing light out of darkness. And you didn't know they were going to be here, did you? No, they weren't coordinated. So, it was very inspiring. Thank you so much. It's really great to have you here. We've got a hint. Emma got a little hint that you might be here today, but we didn't give it away.

So, I can't get to the surprise. Good to be here with all of you. Really beautiful. I love this hall, and we're going to go to the other hall because it's a little bit, you know, much more reasonable, but I love the light in here. It's nice to have all of you here today, and it's great to be down here with you. And it was a nice drive today. I mean, no ice, no snow, the barren dry. So, it was a really, really wonderful day to come down here and be with all of you.

So, today, I mentioned, I think, in a sermon not too long ago recently that I covered, I think, our Red Revelation 3, 7, and 8, somewhere there in one of the sermons I gave recently, and mentioned that I actually go a lot more into that particular scripture to give a deeper sermon on it.

And, of course, last week I didn't have to speak. I got the Sabbath off. Next week, we're actually going to be going down to Springfield, Missouri. They have the Women's and Richland Weekend down there, and they've invited Evelyn and I to come down there and ask me to give the sermon.

Evelyn's going to be speaking in the women's portion of it as well, giving a speech, giving a presentation, I should say. So, we're going to be going down there, probably leaving either Thursday or Friday, depending on the weather, to go down to Springfield, Missouri. So, we'll be there next weekend. So, I had to pick out a special sermon. If it was all given to Troy, something I haven't given, I hope I haven't given.

I haven't given it here before. I do know that. I marked in my notes that I gave it back in Seattle about three years ago. We're out in Seattle. I'm not sure if I gave it prior to that or not.

So, Anna might have heard it. You probably know what I did into it. But otherwise, I don't think you've heard it. I reworked it anyway. I found out it was a little bit obsolete, so I kind of tried to bring it up a little bit. I want to take a look into a particular scripture that I feel has at least been a little bit misunderstood or misapplied in the past.

It hasn't really been misapplied. It hasn't been applied correctly, but I think there's a deeper meaning to it that I'd like to bring out, as well. But it's very important and a very encouraging scripture. So, I'm going to focus almost like a Bible study sermon, because I'm going to focus mainly on going deeper into one particular scripture that I think is very, very interesting to look into and very, very encouraging as well.

And I think many people today, even in God's Church, do not really understand the full depth of the meaning of this particular scripture. This verse was actually revealed to the Apostle John when he was a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos, right towards the end of his ministry, nearly 2,000 years ago. And it was a part of Christ's messages to the seven churches that was given in Revelation 2 and 3.

So, as a part of the introduction, let's turn there to read it for ourselves. Let's begin first in Revelation 1. Just real quickly, Revelation 1, verse 11. These are the words of Christ saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega. Of course, this is a revelation from Christ to John. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. And what you see, writing a book, and sent it to the seven churches which are in Asia, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

And there are three ways you can look at those messages to the seven churches. You can look at them as being a message to each of the conditions, describing the conditions, I should say, of each of those congregations as they existed 2,000 years ago. We've looked at it also as being seven church eras. And then you can also say it's a message that applies to all of God's people at any given time in history. There's always some portion of God's people that this description here would apply to some people in God's church at any given time down through the last 2,000 years, which is, I think, one very relevant way of looking at it.

Let's go now to Christ's message to the church in Philadelphia. Let's go to Revelation 3, verse 7, which is a familiar verse to most of us. This is the beginning of the message to the church in Philadelphia. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things as he who is holy and he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens.

Now, how important and how encouraging is this verse to each and every one of us? You will see it's very, very important and very, very encouraging and very personal. But do we really truly comprehend this meaning? And do we realize the tremendous promise Christ is making here to each and every one of us in a part of God's church today, part of the body of Christ? So what is Christ talking about here? What is this key of David referring to? And how does this key of David tie into he who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens? Let's notice verse 8, I know your works. I sit before you an open door and no one can shut it.

For you have a little strength and kept my word and you have not denied my name.

How does verse 8 apply to the key of David? I want to look deeper into God's word to give you a little deeper meaning and understanding of that verse here today. Today I want to take a deeper and closer look at Revelation 3 verses 7 and 8 to find the real biblical meaning of these verses and how they apply to each and every one of us in a very, very personal way. The title for my sermon here this afternoon is, What is the Real Key of David? What is the real key of David? First, I want to take a look at how this was understood and applied in the past, which you can still understand and apply it this way in the past. It's not a wrong application or wrong understanding. I just want to go deeper than that. But just to give you a little history of how this was versus or applied and used in the past. This goes all the way back to Mr. Herbert Armstrong. If we go back that far, that's going back quite a ways. He died in 1986, so that's 30 years ago, a little over. But he often applied this particular passage to doing the work of God. Of course, he felt very compelled and very moved by God to do the work of God, to preach the gospel to the world as a witness. That was the first aspect, two aspects of doing the work of God, of course, is preaching the gospel to the world as a witness and preparing the people, which is on our seal right here. But, of course, Mr. Armstrong was very much involved in trying to preach the gospel to the world as a witness to fulfill that particular commission. And fulfilling Christ's commission is given in Matthew 24.14, which I'll just quote. And this was the commission Mr. Armstrong was trying to fulfill during his ministry. Matthew 24.14, where it says, "...and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." It was then applied in that particular way. If God opened a door for preaching to God, this verse here, I should say, was applied to that commission in this way, that if God opened a door for preaching the gospel, no one could close it. And if God did not open a door for preaching the gospel, no one would be shut. And of course, as we know, you know, from the back of the history of Mr. Armstrong, a lot of doors were opened for preaching the gospel to leaders of the world. He went to all kinds of leaders of the world and got an audience with him. And sometimes, in a miraculous way, the way those doors were opened, it worked out. And he would go in there and he would give them a witness to what the Bible taught about the Kingdom of God. And so that's the way this verse was applied to doing the work of God at that time, especially when it came to going before many leaders of the world, I just said. And getting on also on radio and television going to the world on radio and television and the other doors that were available at that time that opened up. You know, one time they couldn't get into British Isles, but then a radio station came available on the Isle of Man or something off the coast and they were able to get a 50,000-watt station there to put the broadcast on at that time. And so that was a door that was looked on as open for doing the work of God.

So it did seem that this was a correct understanding of the verses here in Revelation 3, verses 7 and 8, of opening doors to do the work of God. And certainly you could apply it that way, nothing wrong with that. It did definitely fit what was happening back then in that particular way, that being a fulfillment of doing the work of God, opening doors for doing that. So that would certainly be a correct way of applying this passage here in Revelation 3, verses 7 and 8.

But is there more to it than that? Is there a deeper and more personal meaning?

Let's use biblical theology. Biblical theology is letting the Bible interpret the Bible.

What is the real biblical meaning and application of this verse? We are letting the Bible interpret it, what it means. Because there is an area of the Bible that does give some background and some history. It gives us a biblical interpretation of this particular verse here in Revelation 7 and 8. But first let's look at David before we do that, because this does say that this key is a key of David.

So what role does David play? David, as we know, was a king of Israel, back prior to when it became a divided nation. What role does David play? Well, we know David became the king of ancient Israel, so his role was a role of a king. Thus, the key of David has to do with King David and with David's throne as the king of Israel. That all ties in. So as such, the key of David also has to do with prophecy and with the rule of Christ, who was a descendant of David physically speaking. You know, he was of the line of David, Christ was. It was prophesied that he would be of the line of David, and he was of the line of David physically speaking. And Christ is now spiritually, he now spiritually sits on David's throne at the present and future as a future president king of Israel. He's our king today, and he's a future king of Israel. And he now sits on that throne of David. And that throne is also a judgment seat.

And Christ is even now at this very time judging all of us, isn't he? We're being judged now.

And so he's judging spiritual Israel. We are spiritual Israel. Those of us who are called by the God's Church right now and who have God's Holy Spirit. Now, let's notice then how all this ties into a prophecy given to us back in Isaiah chapter 9. Let's go back to Isaiah chapter 9.

Isaiah 9 begins with just read verses 6 and 7 here. Isaiah 9 verse 6, because we're talking about the throne of David and David's throne and King David and so on and all this. Very familiar verse chapter 9 verse 6 of Isaiah. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son of given, a prophecy of the birth of Christ. And the government will be upon his shoulder.

And his name will be called Wonderful, Consular, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And then verse 7, of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice. From that time forward, even forever, the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

So the key of David could be said to tie into this prophecy of Christ sitting on the throne of David and over his kingdom to order and establish it with judgment and justice forever.

This also ties in with what the angel prophesied to Mary in regards to the birth of Christ. Let's go there to Luke chapter 1. There's not a whole lot said about the actual birth of Christ. Just a couple chapters touch on it. One is in Luke 1. But Luke chapter 1 beginning in verse 30.

Then the angel said to her, said to Mary, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus.

And he will be great, and he will be called the Son of the highest, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. We'd have a throne David brought into this again. And he will reign over the house of Jacob, or the house of David. Jacob was a descendant, of course, of David. Jacob enables his kingdom, and there will be no end.

So prophetically, then, the key of David ties in with God establishing the kingdom of God on the earth, with God giving Christ the throne of David, to where Christ will then reign over the house of Jacob forever, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as it tells us in Revelation 19, verse 16.

So what, then, is the biblical meaning of the key of David?

Does it primarily have to do with doing the work of God?

Or is it much more personal than that, if we dig deeper?

Today, there is, you know, many branches of the churches of God today, just to get a little bit more background here.

There is one branch of the churches of God that, in the context of Revelation 3, verses 7 and 8, calls itself the Philadelphia Church of God, because this message is to the Philadelphia Church.

And their television broadcast is called the Key of David.

The Key of David to proclaim, in their view, they're calling it that because their view is their permission to fulfill this commission to proclaim the gospel to the world as a witness. So they use their broadcast, they call it the Key of David, to proclaim the true gospel, the kingdom of God, to the world in doing the work of God. So applying that to doing the work of God.

The Key of David also tied into understanding who David descendants are today, prophetically speaking, that is, the understanding of who the United States and Britain are, prophetically, as a dissension in Israel. See, all that relates to our past understanding, and for many still the present understanding, the Key of David, which is also still had by many today. And it's nothing that, I guess, let's say it's a wrong understanding or wrong application. I just want to go deeper, because all that is well and good. But let's now take it into a deeper and more personal level by asking this, what is the real Key of David? Does the Bible tell us? Does it tell us?

Is that anything to say about it? Does the Bible interpret Revelation 3.7 and the Key of David for us? Does it give us a different interpretation and application?

Let's go back to that version, take it a little deeper and a little closer look. Let's go back to Revelation 3, verse 7. Go real slow here to go into this, because it's very interesting, I think. Revelation 3, verse 7, And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things say, he who is holy, he who is true. We'll stop there for a moment. Who is this referring to? We all know, but I'm not, the reason I'm going into this so meticulously. Who is this referring to? See, who is holy and who is true? And who is this revelation from? Well, Revelation 1, 1 says, this is the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is from Jesus Christ. So this, then, is obviously referring to Christ here in Revelation, verse 7. He who is holy, he who is true is referring to Christ. I'm emphasizing this for a reason. What we are reading here in verse 7 are descriptions of Jesus Christ. What does it say next in describing Christ? It says, he who has the key of David.

Who then possesses this key? Who possesses the key of David? Christ does. Christ possesses the key.

He has the key of David. Who then opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens? Again, it's Christ who does that. It's Christ who opens and no one shuts and who shuts and no one opens?

He opens it so no one else can shut it and he shuts so no one else could open it.

See, these are all describing Christ and responsibilities that only belong to Christ.

Now, let's just think about it as far as a key goes. Because it says, key. We all know what a key is used for and why a key is needed.

If a door is locked, we have to have the right key in order to unlock and open that door before it can enter what is on the other side of the door.

If the door is shut and locked and no one has the key and without that proper key, the door will not be able to be opened and entrance will be barred. You have to have the key.

In this case, that key is called the key of David and it is the sole possession, that key is in the sole possession, I should say, of Jesus Christ. He's the one who has that key. He's the only one that can open this door, whatever this door represents. So the Million Dollar Question then is this.

What door does this key open?

Is it a door to doing the work of God, is it open a door to doing the work of God, or a door to something else?

What door does it open and what is on the other side of that door once it's open?

When you really ask these questions and you go to the Bible interpreting the answers, you've come up with quite interesting answers.

In the next verse of verse 8, Christ says, I have set before you, very important verse, keep this in mind, He said, I have set before you, talking about those He has called, talking about all of us today who've been called and are part of the spiritual body of Christ. He says, I have set before you an open door. He says, I will knock this door for you.

It's open. You can go to the other side. But what does that go to?

See, this door is now open to all of us who are the true members of God's true church, which makes it vitally important to understand what this door represents and what it opens to. Is it a door that only opens to doing the work of God?

Or is it much more personal and much more far-reaching than that?

Now, why don't you notice somebody here in verse 7, most Bibles, in Revelation 3 verse 7. You'll notice that in most Bibles, the latter half of verse 7 is in italics. And it's also in quotes. It's in italics and it's in quotes. Why is that? Why is it in italics? And why is it in quotes? That is because there is a direct quote. It's a direct quote. This verse, verse 7 here, is a direct quote from the Old Testament. Wow! It's a quote from the Old Testament. So I wonder what we can find out by going back to that quote and looking at it in the context of where it's quoted and gain some extra meaning. It's actually a quote from Isaiah 22, verse 22. You can turn there now. I'll get there in a moment. I want to do a little bit of background first. In Isaiah 22, 22, to what is the key of David referring to? In Isaiah 22, 22, to what is the key of David applied? How is it applied in Isaiah 22? And why is Christ quoting Isaiah 22, 22 in Revelation 3, 7? See, what is the Bible's interpretation of the key of David?

Again, before I turn to you, you can already turn there, but before I turn to Isaiah 22, I want to first give you a little bit of historical context. Isaiah 22, verse 1, talks about the burden against the valley of vision, and it's getting into prophecies about the time that took place around Jerusalem, where the valley is. The valley of vision is right around Jerusalem. It's kind of referring to that area. And of course, when Isaiah was written, by that time the house of Israel had been divided into two kingdoms. It's the kingdom of Israel to the north and the kingdom of Judah to the south. And the context of Isaiah 22, I don't want to try to pin it down too much, but it was right around the time of the transition. It was probably right around the time when the kingdom of Israel was about to fall to Assyria. And of course, right after that, then the kingdom of Judah went on past that. So this is written here in Isaiah 22. It's the context, historical context, right about the time that Israel was about to fall to Assyria, and then Hezekiah was he was writing in Judah in the south. King Hezekiah at that time, Hezekiah was the king of Judah about the time leading up to Israel's fall. And of course, Hezekiah was a righteous king of Judah. Israel didn't have any righteous kings. All their kings were unrighteous. They all led people away from God. That's why they fell first on before Judah did. But it's interesting to see that there was a lot of things going on here. In fact, King Hezekiah was a righteous king. The king before him was not, and would appear that maybe there's a transition about taking place. All this kind of ties in when you will get to the core of the matter. By Isaiah 22, there's a prophecy concerning the house of Judah that takes place during the reign, probably during the reign of King Hezekiah, who was the king of Judah at that time, and right about the time that Israel was falling and going on past that. He was a righteous king who reigned over Judah for about 30 years, from somewhere around 724-723 BC to about 695 BC, somewhere in there. And this was King Hezekiah, and it probably was, if you will do a little research. We don't know for sure, but it probably was. But when the king was of Judah at that time, he had a faithful servant. Kings had to have servants. He had faithful servants, faithful stewards. And the king before Hezekiah probably did not have a real faithful steward. He was not a good king. But Hezekiah as a righteous king probably did appoint a different steward and had a righteous steward that he looked to, which kind of all ties in. But the steward that's mentioned here in Isaiah 22 was probably a faithful steward of Hezekiah. His name was Eliakim.

So with that beef background in mind, let's now pick up the story in Isaiah 22, verse 20. Isaiah 22, verse 20 says, "'Then it shall be in that day I will call my servant Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, I will call my servant Eliakim, and I will clothe him with your robe, God your prophesying, and strike me with your belt, and I will commit your responsibility into his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.' So Eliakim, a faithful servant or steward of God, and a faithful servant or steward to the king, probably King Hezekiah, the king of Judah at that time, was going to replace someone, and then be given that person that he was replacing, given that person's responsibility." It's like you have a change in government like we've had here to Donald Trump. He gets other people who have points of certain positions. But who was Eliakim going to replace, and why? And what responsibility was Eliakim going to be given? See, all this ties into the key of David. So I'm giving you this background. Let's go back just a few verses, Isaiah, to find out who this was that Eliakim was replacing and why. Let's go back to Isaiah 22 and begin in verse 15. Thus says the Lord God of hosts, Go proceed to this steward, to Shebna, so the steward, the faithful steward of the king, before Eliakim, his name was Shebna. Go to Shebna, who was over the house, who was over the house of the king. He was over the king's responsibility, who all went over the king's house as far as having responsibility of appointing servants and so on. Go to Shebna, who was over the house, and say, What have you here? And whom have you here? That you have hewn out a sepulchre here, as he who hews himself a sepulchre on high, as somebody else seems like straight language, but I'll explain to you in a moment, who carved a tube for himself in a rock.

Indeed, the Lord will throw you away violently, referring to Shebna, Almighty Man, who think you're a mighty man, you really not.

He will surely seize you, he will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball into a large country, and there you shall die, and there your glorious chariot shall be the shame of your master's house. He had a high position under the king, he thought he was in a glorious position. He was probably giving him all kinds of perks, things he had, and this using the money he was given, his net position. There you should die, and your glorious chair shall be your shame of your master's house. Master's house, of course, he was the servant of the king. He was his master. So I will drive you out of your office. He had this office, a very high office, under the king.

God says, I'm going to drive you out of your office, and I'm going to drive you from your position. And then my master says, he will pull you down. My margin is correct. He says, I will pull you down. That's a very better translation. I will drive you out of your office and from your position, and I will pull you down. Go on down to verse 20. Then it should be in that day that I shall call my servant Eliacom, the son of Hekiah, and I will close him with your robe. I'm going to give him your position, and I'm going to strengthen him with your belt, and I will commit your responsibility, and I will give it to him, and to his hand. And he shall be a father to the Nehemiah, the Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. I'll give him your office, and from his position, I will pull you down. So Eliacom was going to replace Shebna, who was over the house, verse 15. And Shebna was in the position of being the steward of the administrative office over the king Hezekiah's house, or the king's house over that was at that time, probably Hezekiah, and over the king's palace, if you will. And as a steward, Shebna would have appointed various officers and responsibility to others in his service to the king. But as you look at this, and you analyze, you think about it, you realize that Shebna here, in describing him, he was playing politics. He was serving his own interests and not the interests of the king.

And he was not serving the interests of God, he was serving his own interests, and he wasn't serving the interests of the people of Judah. He was trying to carve out a name for himself. And that's what verse 16 really means, as I think about it. What have you here, and whom have you here, that you have hewn a sepulcher here, as he who hews himself a sepulcher on high, a gravestone, who carves a tomb for himself in a rock. It looks like a gravestone. You carve your name carved in it. So the implication is clear. Shebna wanted his name carved out in a way by which you would never be forgotten, even as names are carved out on tombstones. And they're there permanently. Even after their day, you go back and there's that person's name carved in there.

So that was just the language being used here. Now, Shebna got his wish, his name is carved out still preserved today, but not in the way he wanted. His name now is forever etched in God's Word.

But not as someone to look up to and be admired.

As a steward over the king's house, Shebna alone could appoint key position under the king. If you go back and look at the history of it, he was the one who could appoint key positions.

And Shebna alone had the responsibility for determining who could get in to see the king and who would not be allowed to see the king. See, you could just go in and see the king, just walk in there. Just like you can't do that with Obama, can you? You can't just walk into Oval Office and see the president. You've got to have somebody you've got to go through get permission. You have to be cleared. That was Shebna's responsibility. Someone who wanted to have an audience with the king, whoever the king was, he had to go to the steward and get permission from this faithful steward to go in and see the king. And if the steward said, no, you can't see the king, that's it. You couldn't see the king. If he said, yeah, you can go in and see him, you're cleared. Nobody else could say he couldn't. So Shebna had the responsibility for determining who could get in to see the king and who would not be allowed to see the king. Very important point. But again, Shebna was taking advantage of his position and he was playing politics. He was trying to increase his power base by apparently, here, looking to think about behind the scenes, by appointing and showing favoritism to his friends and family members and cronies. At least that's the implication when you look into it deeply and think about it.

But now, Eliakim, a faithful servant, was going to be given that responsibility in place of Shebna, as we read in verses 20 through 22 or 21, I should say. Then it should be in that day, I'm going to call my servant Eliakim, the son of Elchiah. I'm going to quote him with your robe, Shebna, and I'm going to strengthen him with your belt. And I'm going to commit your responsibility into his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to the house of Judah.

He will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. He will care for them and serve their best interests, even as a father does for his own children.

And he will be a true servant to the people of Judah, having their best interests at heart, which is what a servant to a person in a high leadership position should have. It shouldn't be in it for his own glory or anything. He should be in it to serve the people.

Then comes the verse, which is quoted by Christ in Revelation 3.7, which Isaiah attributes to Eliakim. Isaiah 22, verse 22. The key of the house of David, I will lay on his shoulder, referring to Eliakim, his faithful servant. The key of the house of David, I will lay on his shoulder so he shall open and no one shall shut, and he shall shut and no one shall open.

So, Eliakim was now given the key and the responsibility as a faithful servant to be the one who would determine who would be admitted into King Ezechiah's presence and who would not be admitted. He was that servant, a steward over the king's house.

And Eliakim would now have the responsibility to appoint key positions under the king.

And it would appear it was King Ezechiah who was a direct descendant of King David. And thus, Ezechiah was now, at that particular time, over the house of David. So the key, this key, I should say, is really an authoritative key. This key and this authority as to who would be admitted to see the king and who would not be admitted was the key of a house of David, as it states here in verse 22 in Isaiah 22. And it was the key of David as Revelation 3.7 puts it. The key of the house of David and the key of David that went in the same. So this key of this authority as to who would be admitted to see the king or not was absolute authority. Eliakim said, you can't see the king. He couldn't see the king. And no one could override that command. If he said, you could see the king, he could see the king and no one could stop him. No one could shut that door.

Conversely, Eliakim said the door was open. If he said it was shut, I should say it was it was shut. You couldn't see. And conversely, if he said it was open, no one could close that door or bar that person's admittance to see the king. If he said it was open. Also, if Eliakim appointed someone to serve as the king's administration or some position under the king, no one could say otherwise. He had the sole authority to point key positions unless the king himself overrode it. So the key of David or the key of the house of David was a very authoritative key, which was only given to someone who had proved himself to be a faithful servant and a faithful steward. You count on to be faithful. Do what's right for the king and for the people of Judah and before God.

So of that understanding in mind from Isaiah 22, let's go back to Revelation 3.

Because we take that understanding, that background, is how it was applied in Isaiah 22 and the relationship between the steward and the king and carrying out responsibilities and so on, and allowing people to either get in and have an audience with the king or not. And then pointing positions and how that all ties into what Christ is telling us here in Revelation 3.7 in a very personal way. Revelation 3.7 again, and to the angel of the church and Philadelphia, right, thus, excuse me, right, these saying says, He was holy and He was true.

He was who He who has the king, excuse me, why, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens. So today, of course, in this prophecy, Christ is at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, as we know, and Christ is God's faithful servant, isn't He?

He carries out everything God the Father tells him. He is a faithful steward, a faithful servant who has proven himself totally 100% faithful. He's a faithful self-shrivener, a steward to Him all judgment and all authority has been committed. Christ tells us that, and He's all authority and all judgment is given to me by my Father. And Christ has absolute authority as to who will be admitted to where? His absolute authority is to who will be admitted into the kingdom of God and who will not be admitted. So today, the key of David has been given to Christ as God's faithful steward and God's faithful servant, and the key or sole authority that Christ has is for opening the door to the kingdom of God and to eternal life. And that key, that authority has been given to Jesus Christ. He has the key. Christ is the one who will say, who's going to be in God's kingdom and who is not? All judgment and authority has been given to Christ by His Father. And let's just read that for a second. Let's go to John 10. John chapter 10. We just look at two verses here, verses 7 and verse 9. John 10 verse 7. Then Jesus said to them again, Moses said to you, I am the door of the sheep. I'm the door.

I'm the entryway. If the door is locked, you're not getting into the door. If the door is open, you can go in. I am the door for all my true sheep, my true followers. You have to go through this door, but I'm the door. You have to go through Jesus Christ. He is the door. Verse 9. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, where's that door going to lead to? What is it open to?

If anyone enters by me, he will be saved. It's talking about eternal salvation. It's talking about eternal life in the kingdom of God. Christ is the door to eternal life. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and he will go in and out and find a pasture.

So the only door to the kingdom of God and the only door to eternal life is through Jesus Christ.

Christ is the door. As Christ himself says here, so I am the door.

And Christ is the one who possesses what? He possesses the key of David, which represents opening the door to the kingdom of God. When you get down to the real bottom line of it, because Christ is healed, and no one shuts, and who shuts him, no one opens. And that door that opens and shuts is the door that opens and shuts to eternal life in the kingdom of God, which has to be through Christ. Christ has a soul, authority, an absolute authority as to who will be admitted into the kingdom of God and who will not be admitted. So the question then becomes this. Who then will Christ admit and who will Christ not admit? To whom will the door be opened and to whom will the door be shut? Let's go to Matthew 25. We're very familiar with this part. I just want to read the first 13 verses. Matthew 25 verse 1, the words of Jesus Christ himself, who has a key to that door. Then the kingdom of heaven should be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were wise, five were foolish, and those who were foolish took their lamps but took no oil. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom, as referring to Jesus Christ, was delayed, seemingly, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight a cry was heard, Behold, the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and they trimmed their lamps, and they fully said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for all lamps are going out.

But the wise answer was, Say, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you, but go whether to those who sell and buy for yourselves.

You can't get God's Holy Spirit from us. You have to obtain that on your own, by your own ownership of God. And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came, also said, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Sure, I say to you, I don't know you.

Watch therefore, you know, neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

But why was the door shut to some of these individuals?

Why didn't Christ recognize them? Why didn't he know them?

See, Christ here is portrayed as being the bridegroom who is about to marry his bride, which is the church. We are the spouse and bride of Christ. Those of us called now. Let's go back a few chapters to Matthew 22.

Matthew 22, starting in verse 1. And Jesus has heard and spoke to them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son.

I'm just going to paraphrase the next verses and follow that.

It tells us basically that some were not willing to come because they felt they had too much to give up.

Others were not worthy, it says. And the implication is because they didn't display the real love for Christ that they needed to display.

They simply did not have the real love of God in their hearts. Let's pick it up in verse 9.

It says, well, some are not worthy and some are not willing. So he says in verse 9, Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite them to the wedding. Anybody who would be willing to come is not going to have a stumbling block in their way to make a commitment.

So those servants went out into the highways, and they gathered together, or everyone they found, bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?

And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servant, find a man in foot and take him away.

There's going to be a leaf in the nash of your teeth, for many are called, but few are chosen. It takes commitment. It takes staying the course, no matter what. So the door to becoming the bride of Christ will only be open to those who are properly attired.

What will Christ evaluate in determining who is properly attired? What's he going to evaluate? Determine that.

He will look. He will read the whole thing and put it together. Christ is going to look for a reflection of himself and those who are properly attired. He's going to look at them and see a reflection of himself. Are we becoming like Christ? Is Christ living in us? Do we have or are we striving to develop the mind of Christ? None of us are perfect, but are we striving for that? Do we have or are we working on developing the mind of Christ? Is Christ, we're striving to look at Christ with his life in us?

See, to those of us who are striving to be transformed into the spiritual image of Christ, for working on that, for trying that, for working at it, for staying in there, to those who are striving to do that, the door will be open.

Those who are not working on that, the door will be shut. That's the bottom line when it comes to the key of David. The real key of David is a judgment and authority given to Christ as God's faithful servant and faithful steward to determine who will be admitted into the kingdom of God and who will not be admitted. But I want to end now with a clue on a very positive note. I think this message really is very positive. I want you to take it in a negative way. I think it's very positive.

Let's go back and read it again. Revelation 3, beginning in verse 7.

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write that these things says, He was holy, He was true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, shuts and no one opens. And he says in verse 8, I know your works. And these are positive works he sees here in your context here. These are not negative works, these are positive things he's talking about, positive works. I see your works, I see you and I have sent before you an open door. The door is open. The door of the kingdom of God is open to you. I have sent before you an open door and no one can shut it. No one can shut that door. God has given each and every one of us an open door to eternal life in the kingdom of God. That's what he's saying. And what does Christ say here? He says that open door, He says no one can shut it. No one can shut that door or take that away from us as long as we stay on the road we're on. As long as we never give up and get discouraged, no matter how difficult life becomes. It's an open door for us. So I know your hearts. I know the things you've striven for. He says I know your works and he's talking about positive works. I, verse 8 also says, he knows we only have a little strength. I know you don't have a lot of strength, but I know you have just a little strength. And you realize that that's why you have to come to me for your strength. He also says he knows we have striven to keep his word, even though that's difficult at times. And we're challenged on that at times. He's become the son of God's laws and God's words in the face of all the adversity we face in the world today. It's in our personal lives and at work. I know you've striven to keep my word and you've not denied Christ's name.

You hang in there.

And he says he knows our works. He knows our struggles, our love, our dedication, our trials, our hardships, the sacrifices we have to make sometimes. Very difficult things we go through and have to put up with, but we stay in there. We don't give up. We don't leave.

He knows our prayers that we pour up to God every day. He knows the patience we have to have.

He knows how we have to persevere many things. He says, I know your works.

Again, verse 8, I know your works. So I sit before you and open the door. The door's open to you. So I know what a difficult time you live in. I know how the whole world is against you. I know how Satan is trying to destroy you in any way he can, to get to you in any way he can. But I know you recognize that and you keep fighting.

So I sit before you and open the door. No one can shut it. No one's going to take that away from you.

For you have a little strength and have kept my word and you have not denied my name.

And that is why Christ has given us an open door to the Kingdom of God.

And as a result of that, Christ says this, beginning in verse 9, Indeed, I'll make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie. Indeed, I'll make them come and worship before your feet. And to know that I have loved you. I've loved you. I've seen what you're doing. I've seen the hardships, the difficulties you have. But I'm watching you and I love you because of that dedication you have and the sacrifices you make.

Because you have kept my commandment to persevere. You've hung in there. You haven't let anything get you discouraged or to give up.

I will also then keep you from the hour of trial, once you go upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly.

Hold fast what you have. Don't let go now. Hold it fast as you have been.

That knowing may take your crown. Because he who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God. And I will write on him my new name. So never forget that God has set before us an open door to the kingdom of God, and that no one else can shut that door. No one else can take that away from us. Because Christ is he who has the key of David, who opens and no one shuts, and who shuts and no one opens. And that is the real key of David.