Isaiah 22:22
"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."
Much speculation has come from this passage. Let us briefly examine it using the Bible as its own
commentary and see what Isaiah saw.
The key
A key is something that is used to allow entrance; it can also be used to bar
entrance. If a father gives his son a key to his house, then he has granted him free access to come in and go out. Our literal
understanding of a key helps us to understand this key in Isaiah. Such represents power and authority of various kinds.
The house of David
The house of David refers back to 2 Samuel 7:11-17 where God promises David that He would build
David a house (v. 11). This “house” was not of stone and brick, but was a royal dynasty of kingly descendants.
Previously, David wanted to build Jehovah a literal house or temple, but God refused his desire saying that his son would
build a house for the Lord’s name (vv. 1-13). Solomon immediately fulfilled this promise by building a glorious temple
of gold, but Jesus ultimately fulfilled it in building the church which is called the “house of God” in 1 Timothy
3:15. It is also called a “temple” and “dwelling place of God” in Ephesians 2:21-22. “Unless
the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. . .” (Ps. 127:1). To our shame, men who were not content
with God’s design, have authored and designed all kinds of churches, but the Lord only built and recognizes one today
(Eph. 4:4; 1:22, 23). This church operates within the authority of the New Testament. Jesus is also the fulfillment of God
building David an enduring house:
“He [Jesus, sjw] will
be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He
will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Lk. 1:32, 33; cf. v. 27).
Jesus-The Key Holder
"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." (Rev. 3:7)
Jesus is not only
the key to understanding the fulfillment of Old Testament passages like those in this article, but he is also the key to life
and godliness. By having the key of David, Jesus has all authority (cf. Matt. 28:18). Jacob observed after his vision
of a ladder extending between heaven and earth that,
"This is none other than the house
of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" (Gen. 28:17).
Yet, in the New Testament we see that Jesus is the ladder;
He connects earth to heaven and He alone has the key to open that heavenly gate for those who obey Him (Jn. 1:51; Heb.
5:9). This a narrow gate to life(cf. Matt. 7:13), is not found in any other person; therefore, have you been
baptized into Christ (Jn. 14:6; Gal. 3:26, 27)? Recall, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.
. .” (Jn. 10:9)?
