"And
to the angel of the Church at Philadelphia write: Thus says the Holy
One, the True One, he who has the "Key of David". he
who opens and no one shuts, and who shuts and no one opens: I know thy
works. Behold, I have caused a door to be opened before thee which no
one can shut, for thou hast scanty strength, and thou hast kept My Word
and hast not disowned My Name." Rev 3:7-8
The "Key of David",
what is the significance?
"And it shall come to pass in that day,
that I will call My servant Eliakim the
son of Helcias, and I will clothe him with thy Robe, and
I will strengthen him with thy Sash, and will give
thy Power (authority) into his hand; and he shall be as a FATHER
(the word 'Pope' means 'Father') to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
to the house of Judah. And I will lay the Key of the House of
David (the symbol of primacy) upon his shoulder; and he shall
open and none shall shut; and he shall shut and none shall open. And I
will fasten him as a peg in a Sure Place(the Papal
Office), and he shall be for a Throne of glory to
the house of his Father. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of
his Fathers house, diverse kinds of vessels, every little vessel, from
the vessels of cups even to every instrument of music." Isaiah 22:20-24
"My
servant" means "Faithful to GOD". "Eliakim" means "GOD will establish".
Here we have a figure who is faithful to GOD and someone whom GOD will
exalt. In several verses in Scripture, whenever this "Eliakim" is
mentioned, he is also shown to be "Over the Household", 2Kings 18:18,
2Kings 18:37, 2Kings 19:2, Isaiah 36:3, Isaiah 36:22, Isaiah 37:2.
In
Isaiah 36:3, he is described as being "Over the House". The Pope is
certainly "Faithful to GOD", and he is "Over the House of GOD", the
visible Church on earth.
So what do we have here? We
have an OFFICE, a SASH, a ROBE, a THRONE, a KEY, a PEG, and a SURE
PLACE.
The House of David is the Davidic Kingdom.
David is a figure of Christ.
The OFFICE is the
Papacy, the Holy Father, the Pope, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
to the House of Judah, (the Church), the Vicar of Christ, the Bishop of
Rome, the successor of Saint Peter, the visible head of the Catholic
Church on earth.
The SASH, The ROBE, the THRONE,
and the KEYS are symbols of his authority.
The
SASH is what separates the prime priest from the other priests,
"Therefore,
to the various expert workmen whom I have endowed with skill, you shall
give instructions to make such vestments for Aaron as will set him
apart for his sacred service as My priest. These are the vestments they
shall make; a breastpiece , an ephod, a Robe, a brocaded tunic, a
miter, and a SASH." Ex 28:3-4.
"He(Aaron) shall wear the
sacred linen "Tunic", with the linen drawers next to his flesh, gird
himself with the linen Sash and put on a linen Miter (the Pope wears a
Miter)." Lev 16:3
The ROBE symbolizes his authority
as The Bishop of Rome, the Supreme Pontiff, the High Priest of the
Visible Church on earth.
"As an olive tree budding forth, and
a cypress tree rearing itself on high, when he put on the ROBE of
Glory, and was clothed with the perfection of POWER. When he went up to
the Holy Altar, he honored the vesture of Holiness. And when he took
the portions out of the hands of the priests, he himself stood by the
Altar. And about him was the ring of his brethren: and as the cedar
planted in mount Libanus, and as branches of palm trees, they stood
round about him, and all the sons of Aaron in their glory. And the
Oblation of the Lord (the Holy Eucharist) was in their hands before all
the Congregation (Church) of Israel. And finishing his service on the
Altar, to honor the offering of the Most High King, he stretched forth
his hand to make a libation, and offered the Blood of the grape (wine
transformed into the Blood of Christ)." Sir 50:11-16
"Now
therefore we make thee this day High Priest (Vicar of Christ) of thy
nation, and that thou be called the King's friend (and he sent them a
Purple ROBE, and a CROWN OF GOLD (Miter)), and that thou be of one mind
with us in our affairs, and keep friendship with us." 1Macc 10:20
The
THRONE is the Chair (Seat) of Saint Peter from which the Vicar of
Christ proclaims to the whole world, infallible statements on faith and
morals.
Moses, the Leader of GOD's chosen people had a Seat
of Authority.
"The Scribes and the Pharisees have sat on the
Chair of Moses." Matt 23:2
"This Propitiatory (Mercy Seat) you
shall then place on top of the Ark. In the Ark itself you are to put
the Commandments which I will give you. There I will meet you and
there, from above the Propitiatory, between the two cherubim on the Ark
of the Commandments, I will tell you all of the commands that I wish
you to give the Israelites (Ex-Cathedra)." Ex 25:20-22
"He
took the Commandments and put them in the Ark; he placed poles
alongside the Ark and set
the Propitiatory upon it." Ex 40:20
"...the
Lord spoke to Moses and said to him, "Tell your brother Aaron that he
is not to come whenever he pleases into the sanctuary, inside the veil,
in front of the Propitiatory on the Ark; otherwise, when I reveal
myself in a cloud above the Propitiatory, he will die (GOD will speak
to His chosen Visible Leader on earth only, His Vicar)." Lev 16:2
"When
Moses entered the Meeting Tent to speak with Him, he heard the voice
addressing him from above the Propitiatory on the Ark of the
Commandments, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to
him...(Ex-Cathedra)" Num 7:89
The Mercy Seat thus becomes the
protector of the Ark and its contents. In the Ark were the Stone
Tablets handed to Moses, Aaron's staff, and the Manna from Heaven.
These are prefigurements of the New Ark of the Covenant, the Blessed
Virgin Mary, as she carried within her womb, the Word of GOD, the Power
of GOD, and the Body of Christ, the Manna from Heaven.
The KEYS are symbolic of His Authority, and
over the Binding and Loosening powers of sin, and as a symbol of
discernment.
The PEG is symbolic in Hebrew
tradition, as the main tent peg into which all other lines ran.
The
SURE PLACE, of course, is The Vatican in Rome, the Papal Office.
"With him is wisdom and strength. He hath counsel (the
Magisterium in conjunction with the Holy Spirit) and understanding
(discernment). If he pull down, there is no man that can build up. If
he shuts up a man, there is none that can open (Papal authority, Rome
has spoken, the matter is settled)." Job 12:13-14
"And I say to thee, thou art Peter, and upon this 'Rock' I will build
My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I
will give THEE the KEYS of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatever thou
shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever thou shalt
loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven." Matt 16:18-19
Jesus
Christ addressed Peter and Peter only in these two verses. He gave
Peter alone, the KEYS to the Kingdom of Heaven, and the power of
"Binding and Loosening" of sins, or if you prefer, the "Sacrament of
Reconciliation". Clearly, when Jesus addressed Peter only, and at the
same time gave him a name change from Simon to Peter, he had appointed
Peter as the "prime" Apostle. Later in Matt 18:18, Jesus gave the power
of "Binding and Loosening" to all of the Apostles. After Jesus had
risen from the dead, He appeared to all of the Apostles and again gave
them the power of "Binding and Loosening" in John 20:22-23.
To further strengthen the "Primacy of
Peter" Jesus addressed him only, in John 21:15-17, when He commanded
him to "Feed My Sheep". As another example, Jesus commanded Simon-Peter
to strengthen his brethren in Luke 22:31-32.
Peter
acknowledged his primacy, when at the Council of Jerusalem, he stood up
and said, "Brethren, you know that in early days GOD made choice among
us, that through MY mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the
Gospel and believe." Acts 15:7
Peter's statement was singular
in that the truth of the Gospel would come from the primacy of the
Catholic Church, and that primacy is the Papacy.
"But if thy brother sin against thee, go and show him his fault,
between thee and him alone. If he listen to thee, thou hast won thy
brother. But if he do not listen to thee, take with thee one or two
more so that on the word of two or three witnesses every word may be
confirmed. And if he refuse to hear them, appeal to the CHURCH, but if
he refuse to hear even the CHURCH, let him be to thee as the heathen
and the publican. Amen I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall
be bound also in Heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be
loosed also in Heaven." Matt 18:15-18
Here,
right out of Holy Scripture is an outline for a system of appeal. How
do you appeal to the Church unless there is a system of arbitrators
pre-existing in that Church? To whom does one appeal in civil life? We
appeal to a higher court of our government. What do you suppose would
have happened if our founding fathers had not set up a system of checks
and balances; a system with lots of laws, but no 'hierarchy' to
interpret those laws for us? What would happen if our founding fathers
wrote our constitution and made no provision for a Supreme Court to
have the final say on interpretation of the laws within it? What would
have happened if they left it up to the people and said, "Interpret the
law of the land as you see fit?" Immediately, there would be conflicts
and chaos and splits in the unity of the country. Isn't this exactly
what our Protestant brothers and sisters did to the 'Law of GOD', the
Bible? The reformers rejected the authority of the Catholic Church and
immediately there began conflicts and chaos, infighting within their
ranks, and splits in the Body of Christ which number over 28,000 in
Protestantism today.
Where is the 'supreme
court' of Protestantism? Who or what is the authority in their ranks
which arbitrate disputes in Bible interpretation? The prefigurement of
final authority of such matters was recorded in detail in the Old
Testament, and it fits perfectly with Papal authority and the
Magisterium of today in the Catholic Church.
"The
next day Moses sat in judgment for the people, who waited about him
from morning until evening. When his father-in-law saw all that he was
doing for the people he inquired, "What sort of thing is this that you
are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone while all the people
have to stand about you from morning till evening?"
Moses
answered his father-in-law, "THE PEOPLE COME TO ME TO CONSULT GOD.
Whenever they have a disagreement, THEY COME TO ME TO HAVE ME SETTLE
THE MATTER (MOSES HAD SPOKEN, THE ISSUE WAS SETTLED) BETWEEN THEM AND
MAKE KNOWN TO THEM GOD'S DECISIONS AND REGULATIONS."
"You
are not acting wisely," his father-in-law replied. "You will surely
wear yourself out, and not only yourself but also these people with
you. The task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Now, listen
to me, and I will give you some advice, that GOD may be with you. ACT
AS THE PEOPLE'S REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE GOD, BRINGING TO HIM WHATEVER
THEY HAVE TO SAY. ENLIGHTEN THEM IN REGARD TO THE DECISIONS AND
REGULATIONS, SHOWING THEM HOW THEY ARE TO LIVE AND WHAT THEY ARE TO DO.
BUT YOU SHOULD ALSO LOOK AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE FOR ABLE AND GOD-FEARING
MEN, TRUSTWORTHY MEN WHO HATE DISHONEST GAIN, AND SET THEM AS OFFICERS
(CARDINALS AND BISHOPS, THE MAGISTERIUM) OVER GROUPS OF THOUSANDS, OF
HUNDREDS, OF FIFTIES, AND OF TENS. LET THESE MEN RENDER DECISIONS FOR
THE PEOPLE IN ALL ORDINARY CASES. MORE IMPORTANT CASES THEY SHOULD
REFER TO YOU (PAPAL AUTHORITY. ROME HAS SPOKEN, THE ISSUE IS SETTLED),
BUT THE LESSER CASES THEY CAN SETTLE THEMSELVES. THUS YOUR BURDEN WILL
BE LIGHTENED, SINCE THEY WILL BEAR IT WITH YOU. IF YOU DO THIS, WHEN
GOD GIVES YOU ORDERS YOU WILL BE ABLE TO STAND THE STRAIN, AND ALL
THESE PEOPLE WILL GO HOME SATISFIED."
Moses followed
the advice of his father-in-law and did all that he had suggested. HE
PICKED OUT ABLE MEN FROM ALL ISRAEL AND PUT THEM IN CHARGE OF THE
PEOPLE AS OFFICERS OVER GROUPS OF THOUSANDS , OF HUNDREDS , OF FIFTIES,
AND OF TENS (CARDINALS, ARCHBISHOPS, AND BISHOPS, AS WE HAVE IN THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH TODAY). THEY RENDERED DECISIONS FOR THE PEOPLE IN ALL
ORDINARY CASES. THE MORE DIFFICULT CASES THEY REFERRED TO MOSES, BUT
ALL THE LESSER CASES THEY SETTLED THEMSELVES."
Exodus
18:13-26
Rome has truly spoken.
If
Exodus 18:13-26 isn't enough proof, here is another reference which
reinforces it.
Moses said,
"I cannot carry
all this people by myself for they are too heavy for me. If this is the
way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at
once, so that I need no longer face this distress."
Then the
Lord said to Moses, "Assemble for Me seventy of the elders of Israel,
men you know for true elders and authorities among the people, and
bring them to the Meeting Tent. When they are in place beside you, I
will come down AND SPEAK WITH YOU THERE. I WILL ALSO TAKE SOME OF THE
SPIRIT THAT IS ON YOU AND WILL BESTOW IT ON THEM, THAT THEY MAY SHARE
THE BURDEN OF THE PEOPLE WITH YOU. YOU WILL THEN NOT HAVE TO BEAR IT BY
YOURSELF."
Numbers 11:14-17
Exodus
18 and Numbers 11 depict a "type" of the hierarchy of the Catholic
Church of today. We see a system of arbitration and a final authority
to settle inevitable disputes which arise from time to time. We see a
'type' of the Magisterium in the seventy elders. Rome has truly spoken.
The blueprint was drawn in the Old Testament.
"Now you are the Body of Christ, member for member. And GOD indeed has
placed some in the Church, first Apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly
TEACHERS (The Pope is the foremost teacher); after that miracles, then
gifts of healing, services of help, POWER OF ADMINISTRATION, and the
speaking of various tongues." 1Cor 12:27-28
ADMINISTRATION:
Management, especially of business affairs. The activity of a sovereign
state in the exercise of its powers or duties. This is how one
dictionary defines the word.
This is a good description of
the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, which certainly does include the
Pope and the Magisterium, and over 3500 Bishops.
Every
government, every corporation, and every institution, has a POWER OF
ADMINISTRATION.
The Federal Government has an Executive
Branch, a Legislative Branch, and a Judicial Branch.
Corporations
have a Chief Executive Officer, a Board of Directors, and Stockholders.
Why
then, should the largest and oldest institution on earth, the Catholic
Church, not have a Pope, a Magisterium, and thousands of Bishops, all
guided in truth by the Holy Spirit?
"If in your
community there is a case at issue which proves too complicated for you
to decide, in a matter of bloodshed or of civil rights or of personal
injury, you shall then go up to the place which the Lord your GOD
chooses, to the Levitical priests (Magisterium) or to the JUDGE (Pope)
who is IN OFFICE (the Papacy) at that time. They shall study the case
and then hand down to you their decision. According to this decision
that they give you in the place which the Lord chooses, you shall act,
BEING CAREFUL TO DO EXACTLY AS THEY DIRECT. YOU SHALL CARRY OUT THE
DECISIONS WHICH THEY GIVE YOU AND THE VERDICT THEY PRONOUNCE FOR YOU,
WITHOUT TURNING ASIDE TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT FROM THE DECISION
THEY HAND DOWN TO YOU. ANY MAN WHO HAS THE INSOLENCE TO REFUSE TO
LISTEN TO THE PRIEST WHO OFFICIATES THERE IN THE MINISTRY OF THE LORD,
YOUR GOD, OR TO THE JUDGE, SHALL DIE (now, Spiritual death). THUS SHALL
YOU PURGE THE EVIL FROM YOUR MIDST." Deut 17:8-12
"In
this breastpiece of decision you shall put the Urim and Thummim, that
they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the
Lord. Thus HE SHALL ALWAYS BEAR THE DECISIONS FOR THE ISRAELITES OVER
HIS HEART IN THE LORD'S PRESENCE."
Ex 28:30
Now,
just what do these verses prefigure? This is exactly how the Pope and
the Magisterium work in conjunction with the Holy Spirit today.
Now that we have a Church Hierarchy guided by the Holy Spirit, one of
their primary duties is to hold periodic Church Councils. These
Councils are called in order to define revealed truths in Scripture and
to address rising heresy, and other problems of the time. The Councils
are attended by the Pope and the Bishops.... And they are Biblical.
"Where
there is no Governor, the people shall fall; but there is safety where
there is much Council." Prov 11:14
"The way of a
fool is right in his own eyes; but he that is Wise harkens unto
Councils." Prov 12:15
"Designs are brought to
nothing where there is no Council; but where there are many Counselors,
they are established." Prov 15:22
"Hear Council, and
receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end." Prov
19:20
"Designs are strengthened by Councils, and
wars are to be managed by governments." Prov 20:18
"Because
war is managed by due ordering; and there shall be safety where there
are many Councils." Prov 24:6
"Take Council, gather
a Council..." Isa 16:3
"And that they had made
themselves a senate house, and consulted daily three hundred and twenty
men that sat in Councils always for the people, THAT THEY MIGHT DO THE
THINGS THAT WERE RIGHT. And that they committed their government to One
Man every year, to rule over their country, and they all obey one, and
there is no envy nor jealousy among them." 1Macc 8:15-16
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