The Letter to the Church at Philadelphia: A Description of Christ

"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;" (Revelation 3:7 - King James Version)

As in the other letters, Jesus begins by emphasizing some aspect of His character that is fitting to the message to the church. To this church, He first states that He is holy. This refers to His pure and sinless nature.

Then He says He is true. This means not only that He never lies but also that He is genuine; He is the One and only God, the true God. He is stressing to this church that He is dependable, able to sustain them even in their weak condition.

Jesus says that He has the keys of David. This seems to be a reference to Isaiah chapter twenty-two verse twenty-two. In that verse, God is speaking of Eliakim and He says, “I will put the key to the house of David around His neck. If he opens a door, no one will be able to close it. If he closes a door, no one will be able to open it.” (International Children's Bible)

Eliakim was given this position by God because He was trustworthy and faithful. He would use this position to help the people of God. Eliakim is a picture of Jesus Christ, a dependable administrator of the affairs of God's people. We can be sure that Jesus is directly involved in His spiritual kingdom.