Reading: Matthew 16:5-19
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There is much debate over Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew 16:19 – “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Some believe this is the beginning of Jesus’ establishment of apostolic authority that would be passed down through the Church. Others believe that this is an authority specific to Peter that designates his mission to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
In the letter to the Church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3, we have another mention of keys. This time it is referring to the key of the house of David. Note the similarities between Revelation 3:7 and Matthew 16:19. “These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”
Similarly, in Isaiah 22, we read some of the exact same words found in Revelation 3:7. “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah. I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” Who is this Eliakim son of Hilkiah that the Lord says will have the key to the house of David? While he was an administrator under Hezekiah, some point to his name (Eliakim means “Resurrection of God” and Hilkiah means “Portion of Jehovah”) as an indication that this is a type of Messianic prophecy. Whether one or both are true, there is something more significant about these passages that commands our attention.
There is a theme that runs through this letter. It is the theme of authority and truth. In Revelation 3:9, Jesus tells this Church in Philadelphia, “I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.” We can imagine what is going on here. There are some Jews in Philadelphia who are causing problems for these Believers. No doubt they are using similar tactics that the Pharisees did with Jesus: claiming authority by citing their succession from Abraham like the Pharisees did in John 8 or discounting Jesus’ authenticity by pointing out that He did not follow their traditions like the Jewish leaders did in Mark 7.
In both circumstances, Jesus fires back. In John 8:39, Jesus said, “If you were Abraham’s children, then you would do what Abraham did.” In Mark 7:8, Jesus defends His authority by telling the Pharisees, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” What is Jesus telling us? He’s telling us that those who are of Him, act like Him. Jesus warns us in Matthew 7, “You will know the tree by its fruit.”
In this letter to Philadelphia, Jesus identifies Himself as “Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David.” In a city where Believers were told that they were not of God, not God’s true children, or not going to heaven, Jesus assures us that all authority has been given and is found in Him. In Isaiah 22 and Matthew 16, the Lord gives authority to others to do His work, but that is only possible because it is the Lord Himself who holds the keys. There is a difference between having the authority to give and being given. One is the owner the other is the receiver. One is the owner and the other is the servant.
Beware of false prophets and false churches. Beware of those who claim authority but do not bear the fruit of God. As Jesus explained Himself – neither succession nor tradition are marks for authenticity. Beware of those who try to hold fear of salvation over you because you are not a member of their church. Acts 4:12 assures us that salvation is found in no other name under heaven but of Jesus Christ.
Take a look at God’s promises. First, He tells the Believers in Philadelphia that He will make those who are deceiving them acknowledge that God loves the Believers. Then He promises those who are victorious permanency in God’s Kingdom and tells us that He will write on them the name of God, the name of the city of God, and His own name. In other words, He’s telling us that, despite what others might say in order to deceive us, we belong to Him. In an era where there’s so much talk of identification cards that demonstrate legal status, these promises should resonate with us. These are promises of our citizenship in Heaven – children of God and in His heart.