holding the keys of the kingdom

"what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open"
(Revelation 3:7)

i have to respectively differ from mr. stott's understanding of this passage, in which he sees the open door as the door of opportunity for missions. i took it to mean the door to eternal life.

Jesus describes Himself as the One "who is holy and true, who holds the key of David". what is that key? i wonder if it meant the key to the kingdom of david, namely, God's kingdom, namely, eternal salvation.

"what He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open" (verse 7).

right now, Jesus says to the church in philadelphia, "See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut". Jesus alone has the power and the authority to open the door to salvation. it is an open invitation to the philadelphian church to enter into eternal life, to persevere in the work of God, "to endure patiently" (verse 10).

the door will not be open forever. no one else can shut it but Jesus, but once He shuts it, no one else will ever be able to open it.

i understood this passage as both an encouragement and a warning. the time to enter eternal life is now while the door is open. there will be a time, however, when the door will be decisively shut and no amount of pleading, weeping and gnashing of teeth will induce Him to open it.