The King and the Key
July 25, 2021
Preached by David McHale
Scripture Reading
Revelation 3:7-13
7 “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.
8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 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. 10 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. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, 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 from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Everyone has keys. Right now, you most likely have a pair of them in your pocket (or purse). I have my keys here. I have my car key, a key to the church, and a key to our apartment. A key implies access, but it also implies the authority to determine who has access. Only my wife and I determine who comes and goes from our apartment. But that isn’t entirely true. In reality our landlord, Chris Bryce (a member of our church) has the real keys. At one point, I locked us out of our apartment. We were at the mercy of Chris and his keys. We thought he might be on vacation. Tension was very high. Frustration and anxiety plagued us because we had just bout a massive armoire and thought we might have to sleep in the church van. We needed access and were at the mercy of the only one who could give it to us. This is true for a lot of our lives.
We long to be welcomed into the right places and we fear being shut out – even with the Lord, we can often feel outside and wonder if we will ever make the cut to be welcomed in, either because of how we have been treated in the past or because we know that we have thought, said, and done things that warrant us being locked out of the presence of God. And even if we are welcomed in, do we have a stable place there.
We receive good news in this letter to the church in Philadelphia. Jesus introduces himself in this way:
7 “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.
Keys of the Kingdom
David was the anointed king of Israel – the government over God’s people was upon his shoulders – He had been endowed with the authority to welcome whoever he chose to welcome and cast out whoever he chose to cast out – He sent out his army and conquered kings and kingdoms in his name – He had the keys of the kingdom
And he sat with those keys upon his throne in Jerusalem, the central hub of Israel’s life, which came to be called the city of David. His name was written on the city for years to come because he had conquered that land. It was also a symbol of God’s faithfulness to Israel through David and the promise he made to him.
God had promised to David that his throne would endure. In 1 Chronicles 22:10, God promised to David an offspring, a son, who would carry his name and authority:
“He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.’ – 1 Chron. 22:10
David’s son would carry his father’s keys. He would build a house for God’s Name. He would enjoy an intimate relationship with God as His Father. And his reign would never end. And this promise was fulfilled in part through Solomon, David’s son, who did just that.
Solomon reigned over Israel. He built the temple, a place through which God, the Holy One, would dwell with His people – but in the temple, God dwelled behind doors, a layer of doors, through which only certain people, in certain circumstances, in certain ways, were allowed to enter into God’s presence – the door was shut to those who didn’t have the right role, the right clothes, the right ethnicity, the right gender – the door was locked to many.
But this temple was never meant to be forever, and David’s son, Solomon, was never meant to be a king forever – rather, both were preparing the way for what was to come – the Lord had promised to David that his throne would endure forever – God had promised a greater king, an everlasting king, one who would come, conquer Israel’s enemies, reign over them and ultimately, rule the nations – one who would carry the keys of the kingdom
Here, as Jesus writes to the church in Philadelphia, He is calling upon the story of David. He declares that He holds the key of David, which means that he is the promised descendent of king David who reigns in heaven, the Holy One, who is God Himself – The good news he offers is that He is Lord. He is the King in whom man meets with God, the King who calls the shots, who decides who is in and who is out. He says so to encourage the believers in Philadelphia.
Patience in Persecution
8 “‘I know your works….I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. (10a Because you have kept my (the) word about (my) patient endurance )
The church in Philadelphia was weak (with little power). They were a small church, a young church, poor, unimpressive, lacking in influence. Or maybe the preaching was bad, maybe the music was awkward. They probably didn’t have a cool logo outside their door, or a well-manicured website, or three full services on a Sunday morning. What we do know is that they were persecuted and pressured to deny the name of Christ
Nevertheless, despite their weakness, they did not relent in their witness to the living Jesus. They did not deny the name, but remained devoted to declaring and demonstrating the gospel. They followed the “word about his patient endurance” – for he endured persecution and violence for declaring the gospel of the kingdom, which is the declaration that He was, is, and will be King forever – And He is has the authority to welcome all who would come to him in faith and surrender to Him as king – that is why he was persecuted and that is why they were persecuted – As King, Jesus declares to the church in verse 8:
8 (Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.)
Jesus had welcomed them into the kingdom of God and no one could steal them away from the King. He opened the door and locked them in, or better yet, locked out those who were persecuting the Christians (the Jews). The Jews despised Christ’s radical declaration of divine kingship and his authoritative gracious welcome of those who were not Jews, but Gentiles.
9a Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—
This is ironic. In verse 9, Jesus names them as “those who say that they are Jews and are not” – The Jews, those that held their religious position over the Gentile Christians in Philadelphia had no religious position at all. Rather it was those who submitted to the true King of Israel, Jesus Christ, that were considered God’s people.
Jesus refers to the Jews as worshippers of Satan, liars. What does a synagogue of Satan look like? Pagan symbols on the walls, dark and ominous corporate chants, skulls, cross bones, figures with horns and hell fire. No. This synagogue of Satan most likely had the appearance of holiness, stars of David, festive colors symbolizing the Jewish holidays. But Jesus calls it Satanic. They were deemed demonic because they opposed the true King and His good news of welcome to the Gentiles.
He may have aligned them with Satan because, as was customary in that time, the Jews aligned themselves with the Roman government, another King à It was through Roman rule that the Jews often enjoyed economic prosperity and security – their religious life had become politically enmeshed with the surrounding culture – the Jews opened their doors to the wrong people and closed them to those that the Lord in His grace was drawing to Himself – all in the name of God. That is the meaning of demonic.
Have we closed the door of salvation to those that God might be drawing to Himself (or just simply left the door unopened)? A neighbor, someone who is different than you, a family member, or someone who has harmed you in the past.
Have we closed the door to fellowship? Maybe it is someone in the church who has wronged you and you have resolved to remain at a distance from them because it feels safe or it leaves you room to hold onto your bitterness.
Have we opened the door of our church to political enmeshment, in which we interpret the world and Christ through the lens of the political landscape of our nation rather than seeing the current culture of politics through the lens of Jesus Christ who is the King of Kings.
The Jews had found solace in being the keepers of the keys of God’s kingdom – the Christians threatened both the religious tradition of the Jews and their security with the Roman government – so the Jews wanted to rid the city of them. But, persecuted and despised, the Christians remained faithful to the name of King Jesus. And Jesus promises vindication.
Promise of Vindication
9b behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.
In the movie, Just Mercy, Jamie Fox plays a man, Walter McMillian, also known as “Johnny D,” a man who, in 1988, was wrongfully convicted of the murder of a woman. He was sentenced to death. The movie tells the tale of Walter McMillian’s pursuit of justice, with the help of his attorney, Bryan Stevenson. The story is agonizing as you watch the wrong perpetrated on this man. But after 5 years of fighting, Walter McMillian was vindicated and set free. The keys of justice unlocked the door of wrongful persecution.
Jesus promises the same to these Christians. The persecuted will be exalted over their accusers, not that the Christians would gloat, but that the Jews would know the love of Jesus and give glory to the King of Kings. What is ironic is that this is a reversal of what was promised to Israel in the book of Isaiah. In Isaiah 49:23, the Lord declares that the pagan nations, the gentile nations, that oppose the people of God will do the same:
“With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame” (Isa. 49:23; cf. 45:14, 60:14).
God promised to the Jews that the Gentile nations would come and bow at their feet and know that God is King. Now, Jesus promises to the Church, of Jews and Gentiles, that the faithless Jews will bow at their feet and know that Jesus has loved them. Jesus promises vindication, but also preservation.
10b I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon.
Not only will Jesus bring the Jews before their feet, but he will preserve them and their witness when the hour of trial comes à He promises a unique presence of comfort and protection in the face of suffering – furthermore, he promises his full presence when he comes – what must they do?
11b Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
This is the only command in the whole passage. One command: hold fast. Jesus, the one who holds the keys of heaven, will hold them fast in the trial, and they are called to hold fast to Him until he comes, which will be soon.
It is easier to endure pain when you know relief is coming soon. Maybe you have run a 5k. The last half mile is usually the most painful, but it is also the most motivating. The finish line is close! It is easier to keep going (and even go faster than you were before) because you know the end is coming. And the end that is coming for the church that endures is a finish line like no other.
12a The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it…
In verse 8, Christ says, “Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.” Only a few verses later, immediately following the last of the letters to the churches, we read Revelation 4:1. John says, “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! – 2b and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne” (Rev. 4:1a, 2b). Jesus will not just welcome the church into His kingdom; He has unlocked the door to the throne-room of heaven, in which the Father, Son, and Spirit reign over the universe. And we will reign with Him.
He promises to make them a pillar in God’s temple – a symbol of absolute permanence – they will never leave God’s presence, neither will they be cast out – And yet, the temple in heaven is not a place, but a person. In Revelation 21:22, John says, “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” – Christ isn’t just promising citizenship, access, or permanence, but union with the King – we will be pillars in the heart of God forever
12b… And I will write on him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
Where do you write your name? The front page of your Bible, the title to your car, your homework, an email. To write your name on something shows that it belongs to you. Like when Andy writes his name on Woody’s boot in Toy Story. Woody is now Andy’s and, in some way, Andy is now Woody’s. J.I. Packer has a magnificent quote describing this in terms of marriage.
“In English society, a commoner who marries a Lord thereby becomes a Lady, and one who marries a Duke or a Prince becomes a Duchess or a Princess, simply by virtue of who her husband is; his dignity now embraces her, so that hers now matches his…(he goes on to say)…the Father’s present and ongoing embrace of his incarnate Son as perfectly righteous, to be honored accordingly, embraces us with him, for his sake, by virtue of what he has done for us…”
This is what Christ is doing when he writes his name on us. He is declaring to the world that we belong to Him. And now, his home is our home, his honor is our honor, his purity is our purity, his perfection is our perfection – his dignity now embraces us.
It can be so, because Christ patiently endured persecution, affliction, and death, that we might be vindicated in Him – the King conquered by becoming an outsider that outsiders, those locked out of God’s presence, might be brought in. On the cross, the doorway into heaven was shut before him, that we might freely enter into the presence of God – but he was raised from the dead by the love of His Father, and with the keys of David, the keys of the kingdom are in his hand – he bears a new name for he has a new identity as the Risen King – and He has signed his name on you. No sin, no suffering, no harm can scrub it off. You are his, He is yours, and we are joined together with him forever – he opens and no one can shut, he shuts and no one can open
Christ opened a door for the church in Philadelphia (and he does so to us today), but it wasn’t just a doorway into heaven, but a doorway to ministry. We are brought in, that we might go out and proclaim that good news of Christ’s Kingdom to a world that is fraught with sin and weakness. Whether they realize it or not, the world longs for a King who is good, merciful, and just. This letter is an encouragement, but also a call – that we might declare and demonstrate the character of the King until He comes
