by Gary L. Evans
(revised 7/28/2023)
The Key of David — Part 1
Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
The name “Philadelphia” is from the Greek “fil-ad-el’-fee-ah” which is from the root word “fil-ad’-el-fos” which means “fond of brethren, that is, fraternal.” This word is the obedience to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Our Lord is speaking and declares that He has “The Key of David.” This Key will open, and after that, no man can shut. And this Key will shut, and after that, no man can open. This is a dark saying. Who can understand it?
Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Philadelphia was one of only two churches out of seven that our Lord found no fault with. The other was the church of Smyrna. The Lord has provided an open door, meaning that it has been opened, and now it cannot be shut.
Why has The Lord given this door to Philadelphia? Because they have a little “strength.”
This word “strength” is from “doo’-nam-is” which means “force.”
And they have “kept” His Word.
The word “kept” is from “tay-reh’-o” which means “a watch; to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon; a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), that is, to note (a prophecy; figuratively to fulfil a command); by implication to detain (in custody; figuratively to maintain); by extension to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively to keep unmarried).”
And they have not “denied” His Name.
The word “denied” is from “ar-neh’-om-ahee” which means “to contradict, that is, disavow, reject, abnegate.”
And we know that our Lord’s Name is called “The Word of God.”
Therefore with their power they have watched, guarded, observed, and have not contradicted The Word. So these are true, sincere Christians who know and teach The Name of The Only Begotten Son of God. They are not antichrists as were found in five of the seven churches or types of churches. And our Lord is rewarding them with this “open door.” Where does it lead?
Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
The word “Jews” is from “ee-oo-dah’-yos” and means “(from ‘ee-oo-das’ meaning ‘Judas’ as a country); udaean, that is, belonging to Jehudah.”
This word can mean a tribe of people, that is, those who are descendants of the tribe of Judah, one of twelve sons of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel.
Or it can mean the geographical region where Judah’s descendants lived which included Jerusalem. For example: when we call someone a Texan, we mean he or she is a resident of the geographical region called Texas, not that they are of some race or nationality.
Our Lord declares that those who are actually of Satan’s Church, who claim to be of Judah as descendants or as native residents of the geographical region of Judea, will be forced to worship Christ while bowing at the feet of those of this church of Philadelphia. Jesus also declares that those fake Jews are liars! They are not descendants of Judah and they are not native residents of the land of Judea.
Rom 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
We know when this event will occur, at the beginning of The Day of The Lord when all are gathered to Him. The Elect who will have Eternal Life will bow near to our Lord, and then those who have not overcome will bow at greater distance. Thus even the Kenites, sons of Cain, will be bowing at our feet when the gathering takes place.
The descendants of Cain managed to work their way into the temple, starting as laborers to cut wood and then became scribes because the work was so tedious and later attempted to pretend to be priests after Judah’s slavery in Babylon and subsequent return to Judea, because many had lost their family records while enslaved. But the Kenites were not of Israel and not of the tribe of Levi thus not eligible for the office of priest.
Our Lord provided an open door for us that no man can shut. That door has led us to this knowledge about those liars who claim to be Jews but are not and in fact are of The Church of Satan.
Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Our Lord promises to protect these faithful believers during “the hour of temptation.”
The word “temptation” is from “pi-ras-mos’” which means “a putting to proof.”
This will be the time of testing for all of mankind. But only those who have The Seal of God in their foreheads (minds) will be protected from deception.
Rev 3:11-12 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
For all who overcome, The Lord promises to write upon them The Name of God, The Name of God’s City, New Jerusalem, and The Lord’s New Name.
Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The Key of David — Part 2
Rev 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Our Lord was crucified, buried, and resurrected after three days. Smyrna was the second church (or type) that our Lord found no fault with.
The name “Smyrna” is a Greek word derived from “smoor’-nah” which means “myrrh,” which is used as a medicine.
Rev 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
The Lord warns us a second time about those liars who claim to be Jews but actually are The Church of Satan. The knowledge of these impostors is common to both churches our Lord found no fault with.
Rev 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Our Lord references The Fourth Seal, the imprisonment of The Elect by The Antichrist who will be That Old Serpent, Satan, The Devil. Note that The Lord explicitly declares who The Antichrist will be in this verse, The Devil. This is how certain we are that The Antichrist will not be a man born of woman, but will be Satan, a cherub. Because not only are we told by Paul that it will be That Wicked One, The Son of Perdition (Death), but also plainly by our Lord.
One other very important point is that our “tribulation” will last for “ten days.”
At some point during this set time, we must give our testimony, The Fifth Seal, The Testimony of The Elect. We will be given The Full Holy Spirit and The Lord will speak through us with The Tongues of Pentecost in all languages of mankind simultaneously. We must remain faithful to our Lord as we confront “death.” Satan is Death.
Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
All who overcome the deception of Satan will be in The First Resurrection and will not be in danger of The Judgement at the end of The Millennium.
1Sa 16:10-11 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
Jesse had shown seven of his eight sons to Samuel. These were no doubt mature and of fine stature. But The Lord had not chosen them. Jesse did have another son, David, the youngest, who was a shepherd.
1Sa 16:12-13 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
David, the youngest, a shepherd boy, was The Lord’s Chosen. And after being anointed with olive oil, he was filled with The Holy Spirit.
Therefore it is not according to age, size, strength, or outward appearance, but according to our Lord’s choosing that determines who will receive The Holy Spirit. This selection of David as King of Israel is a perfect example of Election.
Our Lord has The Key of David, and with it He can lock and no man can open, and He can open and no man can lock. Now a literal key has two sides, because we can flip it over in our hand and look at the other side which is the opposite image of the first side.
I use this fact to present an analogy, that The Key of David will teach us two precepts, one positive and one negative, one of the good and one of the evil.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
The Key of David — Part 3
1Sa 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
The word “cubit” is from the Hebrew “am-maw’” which means “properly a mother (that is, unit) of measure, or the forearm (below the elbow), that is, a cubit; also a door base (as a bond of the entrance).” A cubit is the length of the forearm beginning at the elbow, or about 21 or more inches. The word “span” is from “zeh’-reth” which means “the spread of the fingers, that is, a span.” It is about half of a cubit and so is about 10 and one half inches.
Goliath was a giant over eleven feet tall. He was one of the remnants of the offspring of The Fallen Angels after one of their secondary influxes among the races in this region of the world. Goliath was a hybrid, half human half angel.
Note the first influx of The Fallen Angels was before the flood of Noah when their mission was to defile all of the female descendants of The Man Adam to prevent any possibility for the future appearance of The Promised Messiah. But thanks to our Father’s intervention to preserve Noah and his family while destroying all the rest. So the Fallen Angels failed.
1Sa 17:5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
The word “shekel” is from “sheh’-kel” which means “weight” and is about one eighth of an ounce. So his coat of mail weighed about 40 pounds.
1Sa 17:6-11 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
Who would be willing to fight with Goliath, the giant?
1Sa 17:32-37 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
Faith is belief coupled with action. Belief without action is not much more than mere imaginations. Action because of belief makes it real having force and true effect.
Do you perceive David’s belief, his trust in The Lord? Do you perceive David’s action based upon his belief? Faith, my friends, is power. Recall this verse:
Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
This word “strength” is from “doo’-nam-is” which means “force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself).” From this word we get our modern day word “DYNAMITE!” Now this is what David had going against that giant, Goliath. We must have this “strength” when we confront The Antichrist. So we need The Full Armor of God, which is obtained by daily study in His Word. The Lord had Opened The Door for David, and he, without hesitation, walked right through it.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
The Key of David — Part 4
What did David believe?
Jos 23:1-10 And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age: And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you; for the LORD your God is he that hath fought for you. Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward. And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you. Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day. For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
David was convinced that his God, Jehovah, The Eternal, would fight the battle with Goliath, as long as David remained faithful and took appropriate action in belief of His Word. And he believed that it was impossible that God could lie, which was the faith of Abraham, David’s forefather.
Do you have the faith of Abraham? Do you think that it is impossible for God to lie? Then you believe that His promises are true, and so did David.
1Sa 17:40-43 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
Goliath cursed David by his false gods, because David carried a staff for herding sheep and with a slingshot, which was a flat piece of leather to hold a stone and with several long leather straps to hold while whirling it around ones head to gather centrifugal force before letting go. Naturally the art was to know when to let go.
1Sa 17:44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
Goliath’s prophesy by his gods was what David was waiting for. Remember, we are learning about The Key of David. Wait for the enemy to speak and to swear a prophesy.
1Sa 17:45-47 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.
David then gave his own prophesy by his God, The Eternal, The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And note that David used the very words of Goliath but turned them around against him and the Philistines. David also gave God the Glory by stating that The Lord was the One Who would fight this battle. So David took no credit for victory in this fight, and declared that The Most High would defeat Goliath.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
The Key of David — Part 5
With God Most High on our side, there are no giants!
1Sa 17:48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
David RAN TOWARD the Philistine army and TOWARD Goliath. Recall that David was carrying only a shepherd’s staff, a slingshot, and a pouch with five stones.
1Sa 17:49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.
One shot, one kill!
1Sa 17:50-51 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
David had no sword, so he used Goliath’s own sword to cut off his head, thus fulfilling the prophesy he had made against Goliath. And when the entire Philistine army saw what David had done, they all ran away in fear. Recall this verse:
Jos 23:10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
It was The Lord who had defeated the giant and caused the entire Philistine army to run away in fear of Israel by the hands of a young shepherd boy. But not just any boy. David had the faith of Abraham and the knowledge of how The Lord had saved Israel out of slavery in Egypt and brought them by many miracles into The Promised Land.
Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Our Lord is The Branch that would come from the descendants of David the son of Jesse. So we see that from King David would eventually come Christ, The Messiah, The Savior of everyone in this world who would accept The New Covenant between God and man.
Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
The word “spirit” is from the Hebrew “roo’-akh” which means “wind” or “breath” but figuratively means “spirit” or “mind.”
We do not use the word “spirit” anymore except regarding mystical or mythological things, so it is best to translate it as “mind” because that is the word we commonly use today, meaning the intellect.
We can see The Holy Spirit in David by observing his faith through his words and deeds when he was confronted by Goliath. And with The Messiah we would see even perfection, because He would have The Seven Spirits of God:
1) The Holy Spirit
2) Spirit of Wisdom
3) Spirit of Understanding
4) Spirit of Counsel
5) Spirit of Might
6) Spirit of Knowledge
7) Spirit of Reverence
Isa 11:3-4 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
The “rod of his mouth” is His tongue, and the “breath of his lips” are the words that come out of His mouth. With these He will strike the earth and destroy the lawless ones.
Do you see any resemblance between what Jesus did during His ministry and what David did when he ran into battle against Goliath?
David, by the power of The Holy Spirit, defeated that giant to save his people Israel. Jesus by The Seven Spirits of God defeated Satan and Death to save everyone who would believe.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.