What does it mean that Jesus “holds the Key of David” in Revelation 3:7?

The “key of David,” mentioned in Revelation 3:7, is part of Jesus’ message to the church in Philadelphia: “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.”

The speaker, the Lord Jesus, identifies Himself in Revelation 1:17–18, saying, “I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” In Revelation 3:7, He further identifies Himself as the one “who is holy and true.” Only the Lord Jesus Christ can rightly describe Himself in this manner.

Jesus’ mention of the key of David immediately calls attention to the book of Isaiah. In one prophecy, God calls out “Shebna the palace administrator” (Isaiah 22:15) with a warning of judgment: “I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position” (Isaiah 22:19). God’s replacement for Shebna had already been chosen:

For a time, Shebna bore the responsibility for overseeing David’s palace. But God promises that Shebna’s authority would be given to Eliakim (Isaiah 22:21). The symbol of that transfer of authority would be God’s placing “on [Eliakim’s] shoulder the key to the house of David.” As a result, “what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” (Isaiah 22:22)—the wording is identical to that of Jesus’ message in Revelation 3:7.

Having the key to the king’s house was to have open access to it and control over it. Everything from the gates of the palace to the treasure chambers within fell under the oversight of the holder of the key. He could close up the palace or open it as he pleased, choosing who was admitted and who was barred. David’s royal house was on Mount Zion. In Isaiah’s day, it was the residence of King Hezekiah. To have the “key of David” was the sign of high office. The holder of the key held a position of chief authority in Hezekiah’s royal court.

In the days of Isaiah, Eliakim was God’s choice to hold the key of David, replacing the proud Shebna. Based on Revelation 3:7, we could say that Eliakim was a type of Jesus Christ, God’s ultimate choice to hold the key of David. Eliakim had authority over David’s palace in Jerusalem, but Jesus holds authority over the heavenly city of New Jerusalem. Eliakim was “a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah” (Isaiah 22:21), but Jesus is the “Everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6). The government will be laid upon Jesus’ shoulders, and the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) will hold the keys to the kingdom.

The fact that Jesus holds the key of David points to the supremacy of His office. Christ opens the gates of the New Jerusalem to all who overcome (Revelation 21:7), and no one can shut what He has opened. And Christ shuts the gates against “the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars” (Revelation 21:8; cf. Revelation 22:14–15), and no one can open what He has shut. Christ alone has the authority to grant or deny access to the kingdom of heaven.

In His letter to the church in Philadelphia, Jesus encourages His people to continue in doing the Lord’s work. Jesus used His authority to provide them an opportunity for service: “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut” (Revelation 3:8). When God is using His church for His purposes, no one can stand against it.