The Keys of the Kingdom
Today is 2/2/22, a great day for me to do a teaching on Isaiah 22:22: “Then I will put the key of the house of David on his shoulder; When he opens, no one will shut, When he shuts, no one will open.” (NASB) This verse has been used often by intercessors over the last several years, and rightfully so. However, like any scripture, we must know how it works in conjunction with other scriptures/biblical principles in order to use it successfully. Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive,” (Matthew 7:7), yet everyone knows that not everyone who asks God for things receives them. Obviously, promises such as these are not arbitrary, given to us to use any time and for anything we choose. Other passages of scripture give us principles we must also understand and walk in, in order to receive answers to prayer. The same is true of Isaiah 22:22. Let’s look at this.
The passage speaks of a man named Eliakim, who is about to replace Shebna as the royal steward in the reign of king Hezekiah of Judah. Shebna, filled with pride and selfish ambition, had been unfaithful to the king, using his authority for personal gain and notoriety. Because of this, his position was being given to Eliakim, who would now possess the keys to the king’s house.
Like other passages of scripture, this verse has a double meaning. It speaks not only of Eliakim, but also pictures Christ. In the Bible, as well as in many cultures, shoulders symbolize governmental authority. Isaiah 9:6 speaks of the government of God’s Kingdom being on Christ’s shoulders. Keys speak of authority to open and close. Used together in this passage, it is easy to see how the verse could be used to describe Christ’s Kingdom authority. And indeed, the actual words of the verse are quoted regarding Him in Revelation 3:7.
In Matthew 16:18-19, Christ delegated His Kingdom authority to the church (ekklesia), giving us His “keys.” “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (NASB) Ekklesia, translated “church” in this passage, was a governmental term, referring to a legislative body, as are the words “bind” and “loose.” They were judicial terms, referring to that which was legally binding, and to dissolving/releasing someone from that which was legally binding. There can be no doubt that the church (ekklesia) was being called to function in Christ’s Kingdom, governmental authority.
As with all promises in scripture, this authority is not arbitrary, allowing us to demand and decree whatever we want. We represent Christ, carrying out His will and instructions, delivered to us by Holy Spirit. This is but one of the reasons prophetic gifts and anointings are so vital. We must discern the times and seasons (1 Chronicles 12:32), keeping in step with God’s timing. We must also discern His will and strategy in any given situation. Only then can we know how to release the authority we’ve been given. This is also why we must know God’s Word, basing all we do on the Scriptures. Combining the two - Word and Spirit - is essential to our success.
For example, a government may be doing things that aren’t consistent with scripture. Does this mean we have authority to immediately bind or stop its leaders from doing what they’re doing? No. If satan has been given a legal right to operate through them - what Ephesians 4:27 calls giving “place” to the devil - that legal right must be removed before the activities of the unrighteous government can be stopped, using spiritual authority. The removal of this “place” or right for satan to operate is accomplished through repentance, whether by the government officials themselves, or through identificational repentance and cleansing. Nehemiah repented of Israel’s sin, as did Moses, Daniel and others. Ezekiel 22:30 instructs us to do this, also. When the sins of a nation are ongoing, however, this repentance and intercession can take time, even a considerable amount of time. When dealing with nations, God has to work with many people’s hearts and wills, turning them toward Him and to truth. When this has sufficiently occurred, He can heal and redeem. Holy Spirit uses the prayers of His people for all stages of this process, but only when sufficient cleansing has occurred can we successfully “bind” satan’s activity, close the door to him, and see complete breakthrough.
Much identificational repentance has occurred for America. Over a span of 20 years or so, millions of believers have asked for forgiveness, grace and mercy. God has heard our prayers. Recently, the phase we have been involved in has been praying to expose and remove evil. Holy Spirit has led us in this way because He wants, not only to forgive America, but also to eradicate sin and evil. The first phase of this is exposure. Once this has been accomplished, we can begin to declare and decree removal, breakthrough and turnaround, which we are now doing.
Decrees and declarations are simply saying what God says regarding a situation. We decree His Word, which is called a sword (Ephesians 6:17), and also agree with Him by declaring what Holy Spirit says to us prophetically. His words will never return to Him void, but will always accomplish what He has assigned them to do (Isaiah 55:11). Let’s do this now.
Pray with me:
Father, You have done much in the last several decades to turn the heart of a rebellious nation back to You. You have plowed deeply through prayers of repentance and humility. We have repented many times for the sins of this nation. We believe You are faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us.
You have also been exposing evil. You’ve uncovered the motives and evil schemes of the wicked, and shown how foolish and depraved their plans are. We ask for this to continue. But we also step into our role as kingly intercessors, moving in the authority of Christ Jesus. He gave us His authority to speak for Him and release His will in the earth. He gave us keys to bind and loose, open and close. We do this now.
We bind the powers of darkness that have been operating in America. We declare that the strongholds of death, murder, immorality, idolatry, humanism, atheism, and every other evil system are bound in Jesus’ name. We forbid them to continue their hold on America. We declare that revival is here and coming, our nation’s heart is turning, and millions of Americans will come to know You in this great revival.
We also ask and believe for this to occur among the nations of the earth. The time is right, and we boldly ask You to do it. Amen.
Our Decree:
We decree that we have authority to open doors no one can close, and close doors no one can open. We close the door to evil forces controlling America, and open the door to the Spirit of light and truth.
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