What is the key of David? Why is it important?

It is specifically mentioned only two times in the Bible. Yet this key has been central to the Philadelphia Church of God’s beliefs from the beginning of our work in 1989. God inspired us to name our television program The Key of David back in 1993. I was giving sermons and writing articles on this subject even before then. I first published this message as a booklet in 2002. I have expanded it several times over the years, including this present edition, which is the largest version to date.

Why such focus on the key of David?

Our understanding of this subject originated in Revelation 3 and the prophecy of the successive eras of God’s Church. To the messenger of the Philadelphia era, Jesus Christ refers to Himself as “he that hath the key of David” (verse 7). He gave this important prophetic key to that era, which was led by Herbert W. Armstrong. After Mr. Armstrong died in 1986, his successors and most of God’s people threw away that key. But we have held on to it.

Very few people—even those who consider themselves deeply religious—know anything about the key of David. Yet the book you hold in your hands will prove to you how this key actually identifies the one Church that is doing the very Work of God on Earth today!

Possession of this key unlocks tremendous biblical understanding and the knowledge of how God is working with humanity. It opens up a profoundly inspiring vision of mankind’s place of honor in the exciting plans God has in store for the entire universe!

The truth in this book is deeply important to God’s Church. I am especially excited about it at this time because of a very special honor bestowed on God’s Church that elevates the importance of the key of David even higher.

One truth expounded on in this book centers on the extraordinary covenant God made with King David in 2 Samuel 7. Read that whole chapter, especially verses 12-16. God concluded His promise to David with these words: “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” It is this “throne of David” that Jesus Christ will inherit when He returns to Earth in glory to rule the nations as King of kings (Luke 1:31-33; Revelation 11:15).

Mr. Armstrong wrote extensively about this covenant in his landmark book The United States and Britain in Prophecy. We own the copyright to this book, and we publish it to give it away freely to anyone who asks for it. I encourage you to request a copy if you don’t already have one, and we will happily send it to you at no charge. That book explains how God kept His promise to David down through the ages—even preserving it when it was displaced from the kingdom of Judah in the final days of King Zedekiah in the sixth century b.c. God transplanted David’s throne to the British Isles and preserved it to modern times in the British royal family. This is an astonishing, inspirational story you need to know! It forms the foundation of much of what you will read in this present book.

Though God promised to preserve David’s throne perpetually, in several other prophecies He warned that that throne would be erased. God dramatically revealed the explanation for this apparent contradiction in January 2017. I explain this thoroughly in my book The New Throne of David, published in 2018. In essence, God preserved the throne of David by removing it from the British royal family and establishing it within His true Church in another descendant of King David.

That is obviously a bold claim, and I do not expect anyone to believe it without proving it from the Bible. God commands us, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The New Throne of David is filled with scriptural proof to support that claim, and it shows that every word and promise of God is absolutely reliable!

The fact that God’s Church now possesses not only the key of David but also the throne of David makes the truth unlocked by this key all the more exciting and personal to us!

The book you are now reading is really part of a trilogy that all lock together beautifully: The United States and Britain in Prophecy, The Key of David and The New Throne of David. When you master the revelation from God expounded in these books, you will have a profound comprehension of the deepest, most expansive ambitions of the God of the universe and the positions that human beings like you and me and King David can receive in these ambitions!

Most of this present book was written long before God gave His Church the new throne of David. Nevertheless, I find it inspiring to go back and study this revelation that God was giving His people—about David, the throne of David and the key of David—many years before we had any idea of His intention to plant that throne in His Church in our day, before Christ’s return. As you read this book, it becomes abundantly clear that God was preparing His people to receive that precious gift.

Along with the revelation in those other two books in the trilogy, this book forms a big part of the “key of David” that Jesus Christ has given to His Philadelphians in this end time.

The present edition of this book preserves nearly all of the material as I wrote it before the new throne of David was made known to me. We have made some edits and added new sections to specifically address the new throne. But the overall story is one that God has been giving to His faithful people in this final era of His Church for decades now—in active preparation for the time when Christ, “he who has the key of David,” will return to Earth and inherit “the throne of his father David.”

We are extremely close now to that glorious event! And you are part of the groundwork preparations!

When Herbert W. Armstrong was being called into God’s Work, something really puzzled him: The church he affiliated himself with had more of God’s truth than any other, but the work it was doing was insignificant. He could not understand why God wouldn’t have a more powerful work!

Mr. Armstrong recognized from Scripture that individuals must accept correction from God in order to grow. He believed the same principle must also apply to a church, but he never heard of a church publicly admitting error and making changes. He decided to test this church to see if it was the same way.

Mr. Armstrong recognized a clear error in this church’s teaching, though it was a minor point. He wrote a 16-page manuscript explaining it and sent it to the church leaders. The president of the church’s general conference wrote him back—and admitted Mr. Armstrong was correct! But he also said they couldn’t correct the error publicly because members would be upset and would not accept it. So they felt they had to continue to preach the error.

That was quite an admission from what Mr. Armstrong later recognized to be the Sardis era of God’s Church.

That incident really shook Mr. Armstrong’s confidence. He saw that these church leaders feared the people more than God!

Mr. Armstrong wondered, If this is not the true Church, then where is it?

“A little later I tried the second test,” he wrote in his autobiography. “After exhaustive study and research, I had found it proved that the so-called ‘lost 10 tribes’ of Israel had migrated to Western Europe, the British Isles and later the United States—that the British were the descendants of Ephraim, younger son of Joseph, and the United States, modern-day Manasseh, elder son of Joseph—and that we possessed the national wealth and resources of the birthright which God had promised to Abraham through Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

“This truth was written in a lengthy manuscript of close to 300 typed pages, and mailed to this editor and leader of this church. I explained that although this new truth seemed to be proved beyond doubt, yet I was still comparatively new in Christ and scriptural knowledge, and wished the judgment of one more mature and experienced in things biblical.

“I think it was some six months before the reply came. It was written on a train late at night. This church leader stated in his letter (which I still have) that I was most certainly right—that this was a wonderful new truth revealed by God, and that God surely had a special reason for revealing this new truth to me. However, he stated he did not know what use, if any, he could make of it at that time, but was sure I would hear more of it later.

“Did this church accept and proclaim this vital new truth—the key that unlocks the doors to all prophecy? Here was the key to understanding one third of the whole Bible. But this church refused then to accept it or preach it or publish it though their leader frankly confessed it was truth and revelation from God!

“Yet here was the church which appeared to have more truth, and less error, than any other. It did ‘profess’ the commandments of God and have ‘the testimony of Jesus Christ.’ It did have the true name of the Church Christ built. Its members did love what truth they had and sacrificed for it! In spite of the fact this church did not appear to be dynamically alive spiritually—in spite of its little or no accomplishment—still it came closer to the biblical characteristics of Christ’s true Church than any I knew!

“Truly, this was bewildering!”

That 300-page paper was the draft of what became The United States and Britain in Prophecy. The leader of that church, Andrew Dugger, said in that letter to Mr. Armstrong dated July 28, 1929: “You are surely right, and while I cannot use it in the paper [the church publication] at the present, you may be assured that your labor has surely not been in vain.”

That statement was absolutely true. Mr. Armstrong’s labor surely was not in vain. Mr. Armstrong continued to associate with that church for a few more years, but he never became a member of it.

‘Be Watchful’

“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (Revelation 3:1).

These are God’s words to the Sardis Church, the church that received that revelation from God through Mr. Armstrong, acknowledged it was correct—and then simply walked away from it. God called it a dead church! What a terrible condemnation. It was the attitude of the Sardis leaders that caused the church to die!

Few crises are greater in magnitude than the death of one of God’s churches!

“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. …” (verses 2-3). The Sardis Church had a good history at one time but had forgotten it. Be watchful! God said. I’m going to send you the truth! I will warn you and give you an opportunity to change! God did that through Mr. Armstrong, but they didn’t heed. And what did God say would happen if they failed to “be watchful”?

“… If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee” (verse 3).

Individuals die spiritually. So do churches. But God always warns us—and Scripture shows that He usually warns through an apostle or prophet whom He has chosen (Amos 3:7; Luke 11:49; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5; 2 Peter 3:2).

Realize what was happening at this point in the Church’s history. The Sardis era had died—yet God sent a man with special revelation to give the Sardis people an opportunity to revive—a chance to repent and turn things around! He always does that when we go off track.

This Sardis leader even admitted that this was truth “revealed by God” and “that God surely had a special reason for revealing this new truth” to Mr. Armstrong. Yet sadly, he did not accept the correction. That is a decision with grave consequences! But God says there were a few in that era who made it and were worthy to enter His Family (Revelation 3:4).

“He that overcometh [conquers], the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (verses 5-6). The implication is that if you do not conquer, your name will be blotted out! That is the worst horror that could befall us.

God speaks to His Church primarily through new revelation. What happens if we reject God’s message? The Sardis people, because they rejected new revelation, were in danger of having their names blotted out of the book of life—as if they had never lived!

This is dangerous knowledge!

God was actually giving the Sardis Church an opportunity to receive understanding that lies at the very heart of the key of David!

The truth in The United States and Britain in Prophecy is at the core of the key of David vision, which God gave to the Philadelphians (verse 7). This was the loving God reaching out to His Family! What that would have done for the people of the Sardis Church had they accepted it!

God was trying to save the Sardis era! How could a loving Father not reach out and try to save His Family when He sees them going astray? Everything is at stake! God doesn’t want to see any of His beloved children have their names blotted out of the book of life. They rejected God’s correction—His new revelation—and the era died.

Members of God’s Church can die. It’s all too common! In a sense, God’s faithful people today are sandwiched in between the Sardis people, who died spiritually, and the lukewarm Laodiceans, 50 percent of whom will die forever! (see Matthew 25:1-12). It shouldn’t be that way at all. God does everything He can to prevent that.

When you see the way those leaders responded to Mr. Armstrong, you understand why the Sardis Church died! God decided He couldn’t work with those people, so He raised up His Elijah.

A Life-and-Death Choice

The key of David involves a rulership opportunity that will never be offered again to any of God’s people. God doesn’t make this extraordinary promise to those in Sardis or to the Laodiceans. But to the Philadelphians, who have this key, God says, “Him that [conquers] will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out …” (Revelation 3:12). These blessed individuals will be at headquarters in Jerusalem throughout eternity!

Can you imagine if the Sardis era had listened to Mr. Armstrong and turned it around? If it had accepted the key of David, how dynamically alive it would have become! Instead, most of the members embraced leaders who were dead spiritually. With all that power available, they were dead! Many of their names were blotted out of the book of life. What a missed opportunity. God delivered the warning to the leaders, but they ignored it. So they can’t claim later that they didn’t understand the seriousness of the issue. God holds us accountable for every word He gives us!

“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; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (verses 7-8). This is how an end-time Christian lives or dies. He must embrace the key of David vision or he dies!

This royal key of David vision brings God’s kings and priests alive! This vision fills us with dynamic spiritual life. We must labor spiritually through prayer and Bible study to keep ourselves energized by this vision.

There is no mention of the Sardis members being in the Jerusalem headquarters ruling with Christ and the Philadelphians. Why? Because they rejected this vision and failed to prepare and qualify for the most majestic opportunity that God has ever offered or will ever offer one of His church eras!

What a missed opportunity! What eternal glory they rejected.

Look how this vision brought the Worldwide Church of God alive under Herbert W. Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong broadcast on over 400 television stations and his Plain Truth magazine had a circulation of over 8 million—greater than Time and Newsweek combined at the time. Mr. Armstrong was reaching the largest audience possible.

It was the strongest global message God’s Church has ever delivered to this world!

What the key of David vision can do for individuals and organizations is hard to measure.

Soon this vision will fill the Earth with unparalleled joy. Finally the world will pulsate with excitement as people understand and live as the Father and Christ have lived for all eternity.

Individually, we probably need to re-prove some of the truth in The United States and Britain in Prophecy today. It is vital understanding. Are we as certain about that truth as Mr. Armstrong was when he approached Sardis with it?

God wanted those in the Sardis Church to live! He wants all of us to live now and forever! God wants our names written in the book of eternal life. That is why we are here: to learn to live and live, and never stop living.

Look how dramatically alive the Philadelphia era became because one man yielded himself to God and God was able to surround him with supporters. God used Mr. Armstrong to build beautiful buildings—the crown jewel was God’s house in Pasadena, California, the most beautiful building of its kind on Earth.

God truly gives His people the opportunity to really live and to have a powerful impact on this world. How inspiring to see what God will do if only we will yield to Him. The Philadelphia era was throbbing with spiritual life—and it all flowed from the key of David vision.

In the current Laodicean era, God is using the Philadelphia Church to “raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen” (Amos 9:11). Why is it called the tabernacle of David? Because we have the same key of David message that Mr. Armstrong had. Only people with that vision could raise up God’s Work again in this end time—to give one final warning to this dying world and to broadcast a message of unparalleled hope.

Most people have no hope or an empty hope. But our hope is based on the almighty power of a loving God. It can never fail. Only men who don’t have that hope, or have it and then lose it, can fail.

The only people who understand the key of David vision today are God’s very elect. This vision actually identifies God’s very elect today! Those who hold this key are qualifying to rule from God’s headquarters for all eternity. They will go no more out (Revelation 3:12).

Today, we have built another house for God. It is the ultimate message to the Laodiceans and this world in our day. The Head of this Church, the one who gave the key of David vision, has a house and lives on the Herbert W. Armstrong College campus in spirit! That house is testimony that God is alive on this campus and in God’s very elect. It is the greatest sign of hope on Earth! That hope is embodied in the key of David vision, the dominant vision emanating from Armstrong Auditorium. Those who understand and proclaim this vision are the only ones empowered to do God’s worldwide Work!

What Is the Key of David?

Christ has the key of David—and He wants to give it to us (Revelation 3:7). If we accept that and step out in faith, then He opens powerful doors so we can tell the world about it (verse 8). The purpose of the open door is so the Philadelphians can publicize the key of David to the world!

It takes Philadelphians in the last two eras of God’s Church to fully explain that key—those in the Philadelphia era and the faithful Philadelphian remnant in the Laodicean era. The understanding of the key of David always comes through Philadelphians in this end time.

What is the key of David? It is the royal gospel viewed through the eyes of the Father and the Husband and the headquarters Bride—the highest level of God’s government through all eternity.

That’s right—the headquarters Bride. That Bride consists of the Philadelphian overcomers who are protected from the Great Tribulation, who become pillars in the headquarters temple, who will go no more out from God’s headquarters temple—those who rule with Christ there, in Jerusalem, forever (verses 10-12). Verse 21 shows that it is the Philadelphian overcomers in the Laodicean era who share Christ’s throne. That is the highest calling for a body of God’s people ever! That is the resplendent reward awaiting those who teach the key of David. They will sit on the headquarters throne of David forever! The level of royalty of God’s Philadelphians is hard to fathom! So this is the gospel viewed through their eyes too.

Laodiceans who reject the key of David will lose out on that reward. Thankfully, 50 percent of them will repent and be in God’s Family—but they will not have headquarters positions because they rejected the key of David, the greatest vision of the Bible. Verse 16 warns that God will spew them out of His mouth and into the Tribulation; they will not be stationed at God’s headquarters.

We must develop a deep understanding of this prophetic key of David. The Laodiceans’ example shows that our personal spiritual lives are in grave danger if we lack that understanding.

Only 5 percent of God’s own people in the Laodicean era have remained faithful to God—and only that 5 percent will qualify for that level of royalty in this end time. We cannot drift into such an exalted position. We must work hard and fervently support God’s Work today.

Consider this carefully: The royal key of David gospel is understood now only by the headquarters kings and priests in embryo! If you fully understand and submit to this teaching now, you will reside in Jerusalem forever.

In past ages, God has prepared only a small number of His people to rule from Jerusalem headquarters. But in these last two eras of His Church, He has given us unparalleled training in administering His government from headquarters. God has shared with us knowledge He did not give to the other eras, because today He is specifically training His headquarters personnel who will teach the key of David vision to the world. That is why God gives us that vision from the perspective of headquarters in Jerusalem forever! He is revealing this vision with greater clarity all the time. Christ personally gives it to the Philadelphia era and to the Philadelphians in the Laodicean era. But only a small percentage of both eras qualify for headquarters rule in Jerusalem.

Armed with this key of David knowledge, we will be better able to support the prophets, apostles and leaders that God prepared in past ages.

The very elect today comprehend God’s family government far better than most of God’s people ever have. The big question is this: Will you understand and submit to this government—today, during this age of man’s rule—and act while there is time? The reward for doing so staggers the imagination!

David’s Honor

The biblical account of King David’s life unlocks the key of David message. As king, David united and ruled over all 12 tribes of Israel. We are going to rule with Christ on David’s throne and unite the world.

King David is a great example of the way God works. God bestowed incredible honor on David. He gave him the honor of actually starting Christ’s throne on Earth.

Read closely this extraordinary passage. The angel Gabriel brought an astonishing message to Mary: “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:31-33). This prophecy shows what Christ will be doing throughout eternity. And it also gives us some exciting history.

Think about the fact that God calls the eternal throne He will give to Jesus Christ “the throne of his father David.” David’s throne will directly connect all mankind to God! That is why it is called David’s throne—not Christ’s throne, which it is. It is named after an ordinary mortal man.

When we understand the depth and magnitude of those three verses in Luke, it is truly mind-boggling what God plans to do with mankind. David’s life is an inspiring example of what God plans to do with all humanity! David—a man—represents all people who will have ever lived.

Verse 31 shows that Mary was to give birth to a son who was to be named Jesus. He was not to be any ordinary son. He was the Son of the Highest! He was the only Son who was eternal before His birth! Verse 32 shows that He was born to be King, and the throne that He was to ascend was David’s throne. Verse 33 shows that, once Jesus takes that throne, He will rule over the house of Israel forever.

How did Christ’s throne begin? It began with one man—David. And it began in the humblest of ways. David was a shepherd boy and the youngest son of Jesse. He was the least likely to assume the throne. Yet God had the Prophet Samuel anoint him king (1 Samuel 16:1-13). God used this young boy to start revealing His vision for mankind.

David was not perfect; in fact, he made some serious mistakes. For example, he committed adultery with Bathsheba; when she became pregnant, he arranged the murder of her husband, Uriah, to conceal his own sin. How could God still give him such honor?

David was an unusually humble individual. He did struggle with many temptations, but he knew how to repent before God. When he sinned, he knew that he was sinning against God (Psalm 51:4). It was God’s law that he transgressed. He also recognized that he almost lost it all (Psalm 73:2). This is the great beauty of David’s life and the key to his righteousness: David mastered repentance. David made some serious mistakes in his life, but he did not get caught up in foolish human reasoning to avoid repentance! When God sent a prophet to correct him, David didn’t argue. He repented! True repentance is the most noble and royal attitude any human being can learn.

God described David as “a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will” (Acts 13:22). David did all of God’s will. Whatever God asked of him, David did everything possible to do it. Not 80 percent of it, or 90 percent—not even 99 percent of God’s will. David strove with all his heart to do 100 percent! That is quite an attitude. He sang for God—he danced for God—he dressed for God—he served for God. It was all for God!

That beautiful attitude has a lot to do with the key of David. God calls this glorious, all-encompassing vision “the key of David” because this is the profound understanding He wants all of us to have!

The House of Jacob

That passage in Luke 1 also shows us the royal gospel through the eyes of the God Family at the highest level: Christ is referred to as the Son of the Highest. This is a Father-Son relationship. Soon, Christ’s very elect will be with Him, sitting on David’s family throne in Jerusalem forever.

Why does God say Christ will reign over the “house of Jacob”—rather than the house of Israel? Jacob was Israel’s name before he was converted. The main reason is to show that when we receive our positions of authority, we will begin by dealing with unconverted people. This is the house of Jacob, and we will have to teach them how to become converted—how to become spiritual Israel! That is our calling: to help Christ convert all humanity!

This is why it is so critical for God’s people to be educated today in how to be teachers. This world doesn’t know God! All those billions of unconverted people are Jacob, spiritually speaking. They desperately need to be taught! This is a monumental job. And Christ is calling us to help Him do it.

How do you teach people to become converted if you are not converted yourself? How do you teach them to become spiritual Israel if you are not spiritual Israel?

Jesus Christ died for the world. Soon, all those people will need education to become converted. Can you see why Christ needs a wife to be His helpmeet?

God did not call you only for your benefit. We are preparing to share the throne of the King of kings and assist Him in spreading this truth and converting every person who has ever lived, if they want to be in God’s Family.

This truth ties in with another key of David prophecy, given through Jeremiah: “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness [Jesus Christ] to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 33:15). The “land” refers to the whole Earth! The Messiah is about to return and sit on David’s throne and rule the Earth!

Judah and Israel are about to be reunited under that throne (verse 16). In fact, this world is about to become spiritual Israel, united by the throne of David. All mankind will be looking to that one throne, the “key of David” throne. The key of David unites everyone who has ever lived—if they choose life.

God’s Church today has members in nations all over the world—because we are going to teach the whole world!

This practical plan of God’s will absolutely bring peace and joy to this evil and violent world. How wonderful to be able to help Christ achieve that goal!

That throne will eventually unite the whole universe! “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever …” (Isaiah 9:7). This is the key of David message. What a vision! That prophecy is about Jesus Christ; but again, as Luke 1 brings out, He is the Son of the Highest. The Father is always at the top.

The key of David unlocks the fact that God intends for every human being to become part of His royal Family. What a future mankind has because of that throne of David!

Princes in All the Earth

Those called now who remain truly Philadelphian will have the opportunity to sit with Christ on His throne—as His Bride in the future headquarters at Jerusalem. Jesus Christ stated, “To him that overcometh [conquers] will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame [conquered], and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21). We must conquer Satan as Christ did. When we do, we become God’s precious royalty. This fact should be the inspiration and motivation behind our spiritual lives.

The key of David vision represents God’s plan for all mankind. It is not just for the adults of God’s Church; it is a message also for the youth.

Psalm 45 is a royal prophecy. Verses 2-8 describe Christ the King. Beginning in verse 10, it addresses His eternal Bride. Verses 15-17 read, “With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever” (Psalm 45:15-17). Verse 16 shows that the children of God’s Church members will be placed in royal positions in the Millennium!

Even though our youth are not yet baptized, God’s Philadelphia ministers must teach them by example and with words that they are royalty now. God’s ministry must begin now to help shape our young people into princes and princesses—God’s royal youth! We must help our young people implant the key of David vision into their minds.

We must continually remind our young people that they are God’s princes and princesses of the Earth. But they won’t remain princes and princesses. They are to become God’s kings of the universe! The most exalted calling in all eternity!

They must be taught and encouraged to uphold that royal standard—behave like God’s royalty today. That is how they qualify for those supremely exalted offices.

Mr. Armstrong dedicated many resources to train the young people of God’s Church. He fully understood that young people (and adults) must be taught how to be God’s royalty. One of the ways we instruct our young people on their royal calling is through our summer camp programs, an annual tradition started by Mr. Armstrong. One session of summer camp lasts only three weeks, however. For the rest of the year, parents and the ministry must reinforce and teach the key of David vision to the youth. All of us, working together, must make the vision real for our precious youth.

How do we all learn to be royalty? “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well” (James 2:8). We learn to be royalty by fulfilling the royal law—the Ten Commandments. We should have no doubt in our minds about this truth. Jesus Christ stated, “[I]f thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). All of our young people should be fully instructed in keeping the Ten Commandments. Like the adults, if our youth want to enter into eternal life and become God’s royalty, they must keep the commandments. The ministry must set the example, but parents hold the major responsibility for this teaching. Each one of us needs to diligently study this message, many times, if we are to truly comprehend it!

The main lesson we need to get across to our young people is how to live the rich and abundant life now. Then they can help teach the whole world. This world is full of glitter and glamour and sinful “fun.” But it is only “fun” temporarily—not truly joyous living. When Jesus Christ returns and sets up the Kingdom of God, abundant living will begin for the whole world. No human being can truly imagine what life will be like in the Millennium, unless we let God show us through the key of David vision. The ministry and adults of God’s Church must grow in understanding this vision. When we do, then we can help our young people also grow in that understanding.

All of this paints such a beautiful picture. Jesus Christ reveals that those who are truly a part of His Church are already royalty. “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:6; see also Revelation 5:10). If we as God’s Philadelphians continue to do our part, spiritually we are already God’s royalty! By working to deepen our understanding of the key of David vision, we are preparing not only for our own eternal life but also to bring real spiritual life to our children and to every person on Earth!

Be prepared for your mind to be stretched and expanded by this magnificent vision—the key of David! There is no vision to compare with it!

Most of God’s Laodicean churches say that the seven Church eras of Revelation 2 and 3 are only history. How could that be true? Smyrna and Ephesus were 50 miles apart. One is in tribulation (Revelation 2:10)—one is not. Why, if this is only history? The Sardis Church is dead (Revelation 3:1). A few miles down the road is Philadelphia, one of the best churches (verses 7-12). It doesn’t make sense if this is only history.

One Laodicean group says “the seven churches could also represent the progressive state of God’s Church through the centuries.” “Could,” they say. But they don’t know. They should know, because Herbert Armstrong taught and proved this subject forcefully.

Successive Church Eras

In Mystery of the Ages, Mr. Armstrong wrote, “The book of Revelation records seven messages to seven churches that existed in Asia Minor toward the end of the first century a.d.

“These churches—Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea—were located along one of the mail routes of the old Roman Empire.

“Riders would follow the route—carrying messages from town to town.

“The messages to the seven churches have words of both encouragement and correction, and they clearly show the dominant characteristics of each of the congregations at that time.

“But these messages were intended for a wider audience than the Christians in these small towns.

“They are a series of remarkable prophecies, by which the future of the true Church was foretold in outline form, from the day it began on Pentecost, a.d. 31, until the Second Coming of Christ.

“The history of the Church would fall into seven distinct eras—each with its own strengths and weaknesses and its own special trials and problems.

“Just as a message could pass along the mail route from Ephesus to Laodicea, so would the truth of God be passed from era to era.

“It was like a relay race—in which the baton is passed from runner to runner, each one doing his part, until the finish line is reached.

“Some time during the early decades of the second century, the baton was passed from the Ephesian era to the people that God had called to the Smyrna era of His Church.”

This progression has continued down to the present.

Church Eras Are Prophetic

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” (Revelation 1:1). God revealed this truth to show His servants things that must shortly come to pass. That is prophecy of the future.

Christ says His messages to the churches are to show us the future. They are not just history, as the Laodiceans say they “could” mean. Church eras are to reveal the future to us, from the time of Christ to His Second Coming. Otherwise, why are they included in the book of Revelation?

The purpose of Revelation is to put prophecy into a time frame. The seven seals unfold from Christ’s first coming to the Second Coming. They show us the seven successive resurrections of the Holy Roman Empire. Seven different times a political beast and the great false church emerge to bring savage destruction on the world. The final beast is forming right now! We can see that because of the time frame in the book of Revelation.

The history and prophecy of the great false church is included. Isn’t it logical that God would also reveal the far more important history and prophecy of His true Church in the same book?

The book of Revelation is prophetic. Church eras are discussed because they are prophetic. God puts the eras of His true Church into a time frame too. The Laodiceans say could be because they lack faith.

We can only understand the book of Daniel, Matthew 24 and many other Bible prophecies because of the time sequence laid out in the book of Revelation.

The subject of the seven churches would not be in the book of Revelation if it weren’t prophetic! This is a book of prophecy! That is what the 22 chapters are all about.

Revelation is a book of revealing. Those who fail to understand do not have God revealing truth to them. They are in the dark.

Philadelphians in the Laodicean Era

When Christ introduced the end-time Philadelphia era, He emphasized the key of David vision. It was with this key that He began His message to the Philadelphians: “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; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation 3:7-8).

This is the one vision that identifies God’s end-time Philadelphia Church. This is critical understanding. Christ introduces the Philadelphia era by saying He has the key of David. Then He relates how He opens the door for God’s Work. Today, Christ opens the door only for the very elect who have the key of David vision. That clearly implies that Christ wants the Philadelphians to deliver His key of David message through the door He opens. So we must know what that message is!

Christ gives the Philadelphians the key of David because this key unlocks the whole Bible! It opens up everything in the Bible, beginning with the third of the Bible that is prophecy. The knowledge of Israel’s modern identity unlocks prophetic understanding. But even more, the key of David makes it possible for us to fully see God’s master plan for the Earth and the universe.

Why do the Philadelphians understand this vision? Christ gives three essential points in these two verses. First, there is the key of David vision; second is the open door (television airtime, the Internet, magazines, books and booklets) through which to deliver that message. Third, these Philadelphians are given this understanding because they have not denied God’s “name.”

God praises all the Philadelphians for not denying Christ’s name. The Greek word for name here is onoma and means a name, authority or character. The Philadelphia messenger never denied Christ’s authority, or government! This is a vital lesson we must learn in this end time. The only way men can successfully do God’s Work is through God’s government. We must realize that the key of David vision and the knowledge about God’s government are intimately tied together. The key of David vision is all about God’s Family government.

Those members who do not deny God’s government are Philadelphians, in both the Philadelphia and Laodicean eras. The Philadelphians are the only members of God’s Church who submit to His government, or rule. That is the major characteristic that sets the Philadelphians apart as God’s very elect.

That is why Christ provides an open door and the whole world can see the Philadelphian work—the message is sent around the globe.

The open door for the work is what identifies God’s true Church to Earth’s inhabitants!

The Laodicean, or lukewarm, church (verses 14-20) has no key of David vision and no open door to the world. That is because the Laodiceans have rejected God’s rule, or government, over them.

The Philadelphians keep God’s Word and do not deny God’s government. God has given them an open door, and they are proclaiming the key of David vision. That is why they will teach it to all humanity in the World Tomorrow: because they are preparing for that job today.

The Laodiceans do neither of these things. If they do not repent soon, they will lose their headquarters crown. God says He is going to make them see what they did and recognize the opportunity they squandered (verse 9). They will have to acknowledge that God has exalted those who kept His Word and government to the top echelon of God’s rule in Jerusalem!

The key of David vision is the ultimate, all-encompassing vision of the Bible. That vision is intimately tied to Christ’s return and His rule over the world and the universe from David’s throne (Luke 1:30-33; Isaiah 9:6-7).

What could be more profound? What an uplifting and wondrous vision! Only the Philadelphians of this end time will share David’s headquarters throne. Philadelphian will be a very exalted name in the World Tomorrow.

The Philadelphia Church of God’s television program is titled The Key of David. We believe that title was inspired by God.

We follow the twofold formula for loving God—keeping His Word and obeying His government—so God has given us a powerful open door to proclaim the key of David vision. Then God prophesies that no man can shut that door. Many men have tried and failed.

If men attack our message going through that open door, they are attacking the living God!

Behold! Lo! Lo!

“[B]ehold, I have set before thee an open door …” (Revelation 3:8). Behold can read, “Behold! Lo! Lo!”

Christ Himself opened that door so we can prepare for His Second Coming, and He wants God’s message strongly emphasized! “Behold! Lo! Lo!” The key of David is being trumpeted to the world.

God decided to intervene dramatically in world affairs in the last two eras of His Church. He opened a door to send His key of David message around the globe.

Since Mr. Armstrong began his ministry in the early 1930s, God has been substantially more involved than before in world affairs, bringing prophecies to pass and working conditions out for His Church.

All the terrifying problems we see in this world are a sign that Jesus Christ is about to return. “Behold! Lo! Lo!” Soon the whole world will focus on David’s throne forever. The world should be shouting for joy. Instead, Satan leads some to try to shut that door—a direct and dangerous affront to their Creator.

Because of our loyalty and obedience, God is swinging doors open for this Work! We started in 1989 with $80, and in 2010 we completed a $20 million house for God! A mighty door simply opened for this Work. Who did that? God did. And when He throws a door open, He challenges anyone in this world to shut it!

Only the Philadelphians do God’s Work in the end time. They are God’s last Church to be loyal to Him before the Great Tribulation. Christ gives the key of David message to His end-time Philadelphians because they are ruled by Him. They will help Christ teach it to all humanity.

The end-time Philadelphians have more truth than any other church ever. They are going to work at headquarters in the World Tomorrow (verse 12). They will be better equipped to teach God’s complete vision than any other group. They will probably have more revealed knowledge than all the other Church eras combined.

All that knowledge is unlocked by the key of David. The Philadelphians have a deeper understanding of this vision than members of God’s Church in any other era. When you find a Philadelphian, you find the key of David vision!

Christ heavily emphasizes this vision. You and I must know why. Our eternal lives depend on this understanding!

Laodiceans Have Lost This Vision

God’s own Laodicean Church has lost this wonderful vision. Tragically, this is 95 percent of God’s people today!

Revelation 3:17 characterizes the Laodiceans as being blind. This means they have rejected Bible knowledge. A large portion of what they have rejected includes the knowledge about the key of David. The Laodiceans have lost God’s greatest vision, if they ever did “get it.” Unless they quickly regain that vision, they will lose everything—forever.

The Laodiceans today are disgracefully divided. They don’t want Herbert W. Armstrong’s book The United States and Britain in Prophecy, which reveals the truth about David’s throne and is the core teaching within the key of David vision. (Request a copy if you do not have one. All of our literature is free.) That knowledge could unite them. In 1987, the year after Mr. Armstrong died, the Worldwide Church of God (wcg) chopped out 70 percent of that book. A year later, wcg leaders shelved it completely (while officially saying they were only “reviewing” it). Neither do they want Mystery of the Ages, which also discusses the key of David. The real reason they reject these important books is that they don’t want God to rule them! These books were removed from publication by faithless, liberal ministers who took over after Mr. Armstrong’s death.

Mr. Armstrong warned the Church against such liberalism after it crept into the Church in the 1970s. He wrote, “Gradually, subtilely, systematically, while I was in other parts of the world carrying Christ’s gospel message, doctrines were being watered down, the college was being made secular, God and Christ were being cast out, and a conspiracy was in progress to get rid of Christ’s chosen apostle, unless he accommodated the conspirators by dying.

“Church teachings were being changed. The most resultful booklet of all, The United States and British Commonwealth in Prophecy, was attacked, greatly deleted and later put out of circulation—the same with a number of other basic and important booklets written by Christ’s apostle.

“This group of liberals assumed the authority of setting Church doctrine. The one who primarily wrote the Systematic Theology Project later wrote, ‘My only goal in coordinating the project was to bring doctrinal consistency, stability and unity to the ministry’—that is, unity in watered-down doctrines that older loyal ministers did not and never would accept! That was not unity—it was division!” (Worldwide News, Feb. 19, 1979).

Today, only one church fully supports The United States and Britain in Prophecy as written by Mr. Armstrong: the Philadelphia Church of God (pcg). One Laodicean Church has its own version, which was not inspired by God. It falls far short of the revealed version published by Mr. Armstrong.

A 1945 version of The United States and Britain in Prophecy had no copyright and was therefore free to reprint. Yet the pcg was the only church that did so. We also stood alone in our fight for the 1980 edition, which we acquired. God wants this truth revealed, not hidden! Jesus Christ taught the disciples, “[F]reely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). It was Mr. Armstrong’s sincere desire to give this book, free of charge, to all who requested it.

The Laodicean Church casually gave up the greatest vision in all the Bible! And look at the confusion in those churches. They are confused about Herbert Armstrong’s work. They are confused about God’s government. They are confused about doctrine. And though they have a certain amount of wealth and many ministers, they are accomplishing little. They do not have God’s blessing. None of this would have happened to them if they had remained true to the key of David vision established by God.

Some of them ask, Why can’t we all get together? The only way that would be possible is if we all united under David’s throne. I have been saying this for years—long before God revealed the truth about the new throne of David that God has placed in His Church. That throne, and the vision it embodies, brings genuine unity. The key of David vision will unite this whole world! It will unite America and China, Arab and Jew.

It truly angers Satan when we talk about David’s throne. He knows his reign is about over. He is composed of pure hatred and has nothing to lose. Thus he is stirring up all kinds of hatred in this world—racial and other problems that can only be solved with the key of David revelation. The tighter we hold on to that vision, the angrier he gets—but the less he can harm us.

In terms of historical religious tragedy, the present Church crisis far outweighs the destruction of Solomon’s temple. It is the worst crisis in this end time because so many eternal lives are at stake!

What a serious lesson for us. All those who wish to be true Philadelphians must concentrate their prayers, thoughts and studies toward understanding the key of David vision. You and I must stretch our minds to grasp this greatest of all visions! Please try to focus on this vision as never before. God will deepen our understanding when we faithfully do this.

Nothing will change your life as this vision will!

The Philadelphian Messenger

Malachi 4:5-6 prophesied that God would send a man in the office of Elijah to this sick world just before Christ’s return. This Elijah would teach about God’s Family. Matthew 17:10-11 also show that this man would restore all things to the Church. (To learn more about this prophecy, request our free booklet A Pivotal Sign of the End Time.)

Herbert W. Armstrong was that man. The many wonderful truths that Christ originally gave to the Church had been lost by the dawn of the 20th century. But God used Mr. Armstrong to restore the truth about government, the Sabbath, the holy days, the Family of God and much more. Mr. Armstrong faithfully taught these precious truths to the Church. Yet after he died, only a small remnant preserved them: the Philadelphia Church of God, in the Laodicean era.

God also used Mr. Armstrong powerfully to preach the gospel of the Kingdom around the world as a witness. Jesus Christ prophesied of that colossal task in the Olivet prophecy (Matthew 24:14). Revelation 3:8 shows that Mr. Armstrong had an “open door” to fulfill this commission. An open door is always synonymous with the preaching of a message. God opened the door for Mr. Armstrong to preach this message throughout the world.

Revelation 3:7-8 are part of the message to the Philadelphia era. Speaking of Himself, Christ states that He is holy and true. He holds the key of David. Verse 7 shows that the key of David vision is really Christ’s vision. He is the one who revealed it to the Philadelphians.

The key of David vision includes the history about Christ’s physical family—the lineage of David—and the prophecies concerning His future rule as King of kings in the world to come. Included in the key of David vision is the knowledge of our own mind-expanding future of sharing Christ’s throne. We must realize that the history and prophecy concerning David’s throne is the essence of Christ’s gospel message, with a weighty emphasis on the God Family royalty. The most royal of all those positions will be given to the firstfruits—those called and chosen before Christ’s Second Coming.

Verse 8 shows that Christ opened the door for Mr. Armstrong to receive revelation and teach the foundation of this incredible knowledge. Mr. Armstrong faithfully walked through the doors Christ opened. When he did this, the Work always grew. And Mr. Armstrong always gave God the credit. One of the scriptures he quoted most was Zechariah 4:6: “… Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”

The Daily Sacrifice

One of the most important questions we must ask in this end time is, Did the Work die with Mr. Armstrong? To answer that question correctly, we must look at the situation from God’s perspective. Otherwise, we will fall short every time.

Anciently, God’s Work was directed from the temple in Jerusalem. The daily sacrifice was offered continually, showing the close connection between God and His people.

Today, the Church is God’s temple on Earth (Ephesians 2:21). In this end time, Mr. Armstrong built God’s spiritual house. He often used a specific end-time prophecy to teach this truth to the Church: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you” (Zechariah 4:9). Like Zerubbabel of old, Mr. Armstrong built God’s temple.

Mr. Armstrong even built a physical “house” in our day. He always referred to the auditorium on the Pasadena campus of Ambassador College as God’s house. The Work flowed from that physical temple. We built a similar auditorium at our headquarters in 2010. God always has headquarters buildings if there is a thriving Work.

The work of the Church represents the “daily sacrifice” spiritually today (Daniel 12:11). (I explain this truth in detail in my booklet Daniel—Unsealed at Last!) The words “daily sacrifice” can be translated as continual. This should teach us that the Work does not stop with the death of a human being. It is God’s Work. God is eternal. Jesus Christ and God the Father gave Mr. Armstrong authority to do the continual in this end time.

The ministers who were taught by Mr. Armstrong should have remembered what God accomplished through that man. He did the Elijah work in this end time. When he died, the Elijah work should have continued. Instead, those ministers who were to continue Mr. Armstrong’s work cast away all his major writings.

God raised up the Philadelphia Church to continue the work established by Mr. Armstrong. No other group that emerged from the wcg is doing that today, although most of them claim to carry the mantle of Herbert Armstrong. It doesn’t take a scholar to figure out who truly is continuing in the traditions of Mr. Armstrong. All one needs to do is examine the magazines and other printed materials of the various groups. Only one has consistently stayed true to what Mr. Armstrong taught: the Philadelphia Church of God. Only we have the daily, or continual, spiritual sacrifice.

Conquer or Be Conquered

“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee” (Revelation 3:9). This verse reveals that there was a “synagogue of Satan” right in God’s Church—a church within a church. Even while Mr. Armstrong was alive, Satan conquered a great many members! The devil was right there even while God’s apostle was alive! He had a synagogue! Those in this synagogue did not keep God’s Word, and they denied God’s government. Consequently, they lost the key of David vision and were overcome spiritually. Satan established a beachhead in the strong Philadelphia era. These rebels were conquered by the devil, instead of them conquering him.

When Mr. Armstrong died, Satan used his synagogue to conquer 95 percent of God’s Church. The Laodicean era had begun. It is now comprised of many different churches. Unless those Church members repent before the Tribulation, they cannot qualify to rule in the Jerusalem headquarters.

Do you see why we must overcome? (The word conquer as used in the Revised Standard Version is better.) Either we conquer Satan as Christ did (Matthew 4; Luke 4), or we cannot qualify to rule at headquarters with Christ. The Laodiceans who repent during the Great Tribulation will not rule from headquarters because they are not qualified.

Satan is still working feverishly today. He was cast down around the time Mr. Armstrong died, perhaps on that very day. He knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12). He is on a violent rampage of spiritual and physical destruction. He now wants to take over the pcg. We must do all we can to make sure that doesn’t happen.

We won a bitter six-year court battle with Satan the devil. We have had to fight and conquer Satan in many battles. For God’s very elect, this is a way of life.

God expects us to conquer the devil as Christ did so we can share David’s throne! (Revelation 3:21). He gives us the power we need to conquer the devil because we cling to the key of David vision.

The Jerusalem Dig

The pcg is deeply involved in Jerusalem today. We have participated in and even sponsored several archaeological digs; we founded the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology and maintain a full-time office there; we publish a website and a bimonthly magazine aimed at an Israeli audience; and we are involved in other developments and have plans for even greater projects in the Holy City.

I will cover the significance of these activities in Chapter 13, “Behold Your God!” But let’s briefly look at their connection to the key of David in the context of the “open door” of Revelation 3:8. Because our activities in Jerusalem are a giant open door for God’s Work!

We are digging in the very spot where David’s throne once sat—and upon which Christ is about to establish His throne forever! We’re helping to clear away the rubble to make way for Christ’s throne—the throne we are about to share with our Husband! God has laid up a crown for us (verse 11). If we deeply understand the key of David vision, we will be thrilled by that project in Jerusalem. Behold—LO! LO! There is something truly special here!

What do our activities in Jerusalem have to do with the gospel? Everything! Within just a few short years, every city and country around the world will be focused on Jerusalem! When they are, we’ll be teaching them the same thing we are teaching now: the key of David. God wants the whole world to understand this vision.

The entire description of the Laodicean era (verses 14-22) says nothing about the key of David—because the Laodiceans have lost it. That is why they are lukewarm or worse. Mr. Armstrong undertook projects in Jerusalem and tried to get God’s people excited about it for many years. If only they had latched on to that vision!

Satan knows what we are doing in Jerusalem, and he is raging like a mad dog in his attempt to stop it. He knows what it meant for us to build a house for God—it is simply another sign we are in the final phase of this Work. He is deeply disturbed by these developments. All he lives for is to try to destroy what God is building. The world is quickly moving into its worst suffering in history (verse 10). But God will protect His very elect. Even now, we see Christ’s hand at work; as the economy gets worse, we are doing our greatest work.

Remember, the Philadelphians will be pillars in the Jerusalem temple forever (verse 12). The human mind cannot grasp this reward without the Spirit of God. We must pray and ponder to understand this key of David vision. We have a crown and will sit in Jerusalem forever. After the Millennium will come new Jerusalem! Everyone who still lives will be in the Family of God—and we will proceed out into the universe! The key of David is about endless rule! That is majestic leadership we must never lose sight of! What a King! What a crown! What an opportunity!

Isn’t it logical God would have our work involved in Jerusalem today? It’s our city forever! We are going to rule the world from there—the headquarters of the universe, the most exciting city in the cosmos—forever!

When Christ gives the key of David vision to a man, the people supporting that man must hold on to it. If that man dies, the vision must be preserved by those left behind through another man whom God chooses.

Christ always reveals truth through one man at a time.

Let’s look at a companion verse to Revelation 3:7. “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open” (Isaiah 22:22). In Bible prophecy, a key unlocks knowledge to human understanding. The key of David vision involves a message for all mankind. This verse speaks of laying that key upon the shoulder of one man, but the message is not meant for him only. It is meant for the whole world. Thus, a work has to be done in order to deliver the message. That one man could not do such a monumental job alone.

Herbert Armstrong was Christ’s end-time messenger. Christ used him to raise up a work to deliver the message. It was his responsibility to give Christ’s message to the whole world (Matthew 24:14). This commission was supported by those who worked under him.

As discussed in the previous chapter, Jesus Christ opened the door for Mr. Armstrong to preach His message. Mr. Armstrong faithfully fulfilled his commission. While he was alive, those under him followed his lead. Yet when Mr. Armstrong died in 1986, those leaders rejected the message.

If the messenger dies, should the message be buried with the messenger? God’s people must answer this question in this end time. Only a few today understand that the message must be kept alive and continue to be delivered.

Mr. Armstrong repeated key facts from The United States and Britain in Prophecy in his most important book, Mystery of the Ages. So Mystery of the Ages also teaches the key of David vision. When Mr. Armstrong published the book in 1985, he said it needed to reach “the largest audience possible”—worldwide! Yet the wcg discontinued distributing it as early as 1988.

In 1996, the pcg, true to Mr. Armstrong’s intentions, printed Mystery of the Ages so we could distribute it freely. The wcg sued us for doing so. They wanted to use their copyright to suppress and stop the distribution of Mr. Armstrong’s book—something God and Mr. Armstrong never intended.

Mr. Armstrong repeatedly warned the Church not to allow his message to be stopped or suppressed. Why? Because it is Christ’s message! Mr. Armstrong fully understood this. The majority of those with him did not.

Christ’s Own Vision

Jesus Christ not only owns the message, He also opens the door for the preaching of the message. Both Isaiah 22:22 and Revelation 3:7 state clearly that no man can shut the door!

If Christ holds the key and then gives it to a human messenger, it is crucial that we also keep hold of that key!

Ever since Jesus Christ walked the Earth as a human, men have been trying to stop His message. Jesus’s own life is proof that the message cannot be stopped unless God allows it. Christ faithfully preached His message for 3½ years, and then God allowed Him to be killed. Scripture is clear on this fact. “Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come” (John 7:28-30). Jesus Christ brought God the Father’s own message, yet men wanted to stop that message. They even killed Christ. The message was not stopped, however. Through the apostles, it spread even wider.

Mr. Armstrong was given Christ’s message to deliver. He fulfilled prophecy as the Philadelphia messenger. He did his part, and Christ praises him highly for that: “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8). Mr. Armstrong did a great work, and he always gave God the credit for what was accomplished. When Christ opened a door, Mr. Armstrong walked through it in faith. For about 60 years he lived that way.

He never claimed perfection in his work; he recognized his own human shortcomings. He was known for admitting error when it was proved to him. But one thing was certain: He always kept the message that was delivered to him. Why? He knew Christ was behind the message. Christ’s authority always reigned supreme!

One Vision of the Future

How many visions of the future are there in the Bible? There is really only one: the key of David vision. Holding true to this vision makes one a Philadelphian. Can you imagine how bleak the future would be without this vision? The key of David vision is humanity’s only hope.

Only God’s true Church is willing to teach this vision to the world. Thus, it identifies Christ’s very elect. The Laodiceans refuse to teach it. It is an embarrassment to them. Yet the greater evil they commit is that many of them want to suppress it! They do not want anyone on Earth to learn about the key of David. That thinking is out of the devil’s mind! They are trying to shut the door that God has opened.

How does God answer the Laodiceans? “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee” (Revelation 3:9).

The Laodiceans act like they have everything together spiritually. But Christ says they are liars. They are lying to themselves and others about their true spiritual condition. They are very sick spiritually.

This verse addresses an important concept. The Laodiceans “say they are Jews.” This is referring not to their physical race but their spiritual genealogy. The Apostle Paul stated that “… he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Romans 2:29). We will discuss this subject in detail in Chapter 9.

Revelation 3:9 reveals the presence of a “synagogue of Satan” in God’s Church during the Philadelphia era! After Mr. Armstrong died and the Philadelphia era ended, the Laodicean era followed; the Laodiceans turned away from God (verses 14-20). But even before that, in the 1970s, the Church had serious problems. This was a sign that the Laodicean problem was extant before Mr. Armstrong died. The synagogue of Satan was the Laodicean era in embryo!

God inspired the term synagogue of Satan in verse 9 because they were spiritual Jews but were led astray by Satan. They have turned away from the key of David vision.

There is still hope for them (verse 19). Their only hope is for God to correct them severely. Unless they repent soon, they will go into the Great Tribulation.

Today’s Laodiceans must return to what Christ revealed to Mr. Armstrong and accept what He is revealing to God’s very elect today. The key of David vision not only has a message about the future, it is a message that must be believed now in order for us to take part in that future! The Laodiceans will have to admit that Mr. Armstrong was Christ’s messenger. And they will have to believe the message the way Mr. Armstrong did. This is the intended meaning of the expression, “I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” The Laodiceans will have to prove to God that they believe what He revealed through a man. They will have to give up their lives for the message Mr. Armstrong taught and what the Philadelphians are proclaiming today. If they cannot prove that to God, then there is no future for them.

Blind Laodiceans

The key of David vision summarizes the royal gospel. It places special emphasis on the firstfruits’ government role in God’s coming Kingdom. Remember, the true gospel of Christ focuses on the coming Kingdom of God, which involves a king, a throne, a ruling Family, a set of laws, a government to implement those laws, a territory and a people over which the royal government will rule.

Satan’s greatest attack against the Laodiceans involved turning them away from this vision! This began to happen while Mr. Armstrong was still alive. Satan has now blinded them to this incredible truth.

“And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot” (Revelation 3:14-15).

Jesus Christ reveals Himself to the Laodiceans as the “faithful and true witness.” This is Christ’s way of emphasizing their disloyalty and deceit. They have been unfaithful and untrue! They have fallen into this sad spiritual condition because they lost the key of David vision.

Christ says, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (verse 17). Christ describes the Laodiceans as spiritually destitute—wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Yet they do not recognize their own terrible condition!

There are a lot of God’s own people who believe they are in great standing with God, but they are sorely mistaken. How can you know the truth? To answer that question, you must answer another question: Which group of people is truly connected to Christ? It is the group that is connected to Christ’s message.

Several groups today claim to carry the mantle of Herbert W. Armstrong. But the group that is connected to Mr. Armstrong must hold great respect for him and what he taught. That must mean direct quotes and references to the original works by Mr. Armstrong. We fought a six-year court battle to win Mr. Armstrong’s writings, and we are the only Church that proclaims and gives these works to the world. The location of Mr. Armstrong’s mantle should be clear, even to the casual observer.

For their failure, the Laodiceans are promised rebuke and punishment. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (verse 19). The words rebuke and chasten indicate severe correction and punishment.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (verse 20). Remember, these are God’s own people. At one time, Christ was inside their lives. They have moved the great God outside their spiritual house. Is there any greater tragedy? Spiritually, this is the most colossal tragedy of all! This is why God says the Laodiceans are blind—so blind that they don’t see the ultimate spiritual disaster that has struck their lives.

Christ tells them, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (verse 16). The Laodicean era is the final era of God’s Church. Because of their sins, God has to spew the Laodiceans out of His mouth into the Great Tribulation. This is a prophecy that the majority of God’s own people would go astray in this end time! How could this happen? They lost the vision God revealed from the beginning. Verses 20-21 reveal the vision they have lost.

Spiritual-sounding talk is all meaningless unless we have this key of David vision inside us. The Laodiceans talk endlessly about Christ and love. But their words have no substance because they have rejected Christ’s own vision. They have rejected Christ. They want to tell Him how to lead His Church.

The Laodiceans are talking back to God. “I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness” (Malachi 1:2-3). These verses are just one example from the book of Malachi of how the Laodiceans talk back to God. Study the entire book. You will find many more examples of Laodicean disrespect. (Request my book Malachi’s Message to fully understand the book of Malachi and the Laodicean rebellion.)

Reward for Overcoming

Christ is knocking on the Laodiceans’ door (Revelation 3:20). How? Through His faithful remnant. Only the Philadelphia Church of God is knocking on the Laodicean door on Christ’s behalf. Through the pcg, Christ is giving them ample warning.

The Philadelphians who fully support Christ’s message during the Laodicean era are promised a royal office. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (verse 21). This is referring to our glorious future as kings and priests. Those who remain loyal to Christ and His message during this Laodicean crisis will share Christ’s throne, which is the throne of His father David.

Here the key of David vision takes on thrilling reality!

Christ warns us in verse 11 to never let a man deceive us into giving up our crown. We are promised a place at Christ’s headquarters on David’s throne. “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name” (verse 12). God’s temple is His headquarters. The Philadelphians are promised pillar status at God’s temple. We will be given significant positions in the coming Jerusalem and, after the Millennium, in new Jerusalem. We shall have the glorious honor of sharing Jesus Christ’s rule and direction over the entire Earth and, ultimately, the universe! We “shall go no more out” means we will hold our positions at headquarters forever. This promise is mind-stretching in scope and magnitude!

The Laodiceans could reserve their place on David’s throne, but they fail to do so—a grave spiritual tragedy! Scripture shows that the Laodiceans who repent in the Tribulation will share Christ’s rule but will not have headquarters positions.

Christ in You

Unless Jesus Christ is living in us, our spiritual talk is empty. Paul taught the Colossians that Christ living in us is one of the greatest mysteries revealed in the Bible. “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). How can we expect to have Christ living in us if we reject His message? Any talk of love has a hollow ring unless this great Being is living in us.

The Bible is Christ in print. We must eat and digest the Bible to let Christ live in us.

When Christ is living in us, we are always growing and changing. Peter expected this of all Christians. “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ …” (2 Peter 3:18). Mr. Armstrong taught emphatically that spiritual growth is one sign of the true Church. God’s Church is constantly growing in knowledge and grace. All who have held on to what Mr. Armstrong taught have joined the pcg. We are continuing to change and must change deeply. New truth is consistently revealed to us.

What does it mean to have Christ in us? It should mean the same thing that Christ meant when speaking of His Father. “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works” (John 14:10). Jesus Christ was completely under His Father’s authority.

When we personally claim that Christ is in us, we are saying that we have unconditionally surrendered to Jesus Christ and His government. It means He rules us totally. Having Christ rule our lives is the only way we can truly grow and make the necessary spiritual changes.

Our spiritual growth is not just for this time. Our spiritual changes now are leading to the ultimate change: mortal man becoming God—a son of God! This will be a universe-shaking change. And it is certain to happen in our future—if we cling to the key of David vision!

Archaeologist Scott Stripling is excavating the Shiloh area in central Israel, 30 miles north of Jerusalem. He has discovered a site with dimensions, dating and characteristics that he believes match the site of the tabernacle located there in the days of biblical Israel.

Shiloh was central to ancient Israel during the history recorded in Joshua and Judges. These books are part of the former prophets section of the Bible, and through their authors, who were prophets, God emphasizes the prophecy in these books. The history is important, but the prophecy is always far more important.

Some truly great prophecies were inspired in that area of Shiloh. And they beautifully amplify the Bible’s key of David message. This history takes us back to the time before King David entered the picture.

The Error of the Judges Era

When the Israelites first reached the Promised Land, they set up the ark of the covenant in Gilgal. But after conquering the Canaanites, they moved the ark to Shiloh. “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them” (Joshua 18:1). Shiloh was the headquarters of the entire nation. The Israelites were led there by Joshua, a strong, courageous leader. During his lifetime, there was stability and peace throughout the nation. Spiritual matters were dealt with in Shiloh. The ark symbolized God’s presence in Israel. In that ark were the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod (a symbol of the government of God) and a golden pot of manna, signifying how God fed His people.

But after Joshua died, everything began to unravel for Israel.

God commanded the Israelites to clean out the whole land of the Canaanites. He warned that if they didn’t, they would invite serious problems. Yet some of them did not heed. Right away, the tribe of Judah felt they couldn’t “drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron” (Judges 1:19). That is a terrible excuse! God had told them, I am with you! Go in and drive ALL of them out!

Judah failed because the people feared. They lacked faith. This was deeply disappointing to God.

It is also recorded that the tribe of Benjamin failed to drive the Jebusites out of Jerusalem (verse 21). The Benjamites didn’t want to take them on because they had an imposing fortress situated on a steep hill. The notion of conquering that fortress was too daunting. But they probably reasoned that it was more merciful and loving to leave them there.

The Benjamites failed to do exactly what God had commanded, so the Jebusites remained embedded in Israel’s midst for four centuries! For all that time, they possessed Jerusalem and caused enormous problems. Satan must have been delighted to have such a terrible thorn in the Israelites’ side right there in Jerusalem!

In our lives, what happens if we fail to do what God says? If you have a problem that He has directed you to overcome, then you must overcome it, or the trouble that God warned you about will remain and intensify. We have to suffer until we learn our lessons. When God gives us a really difficult trial, test or spiritual battle, we must take it on! If you have a serious trial and you don’t pass that test, God will give it to you again until you do. We must overcome. That shows God’s fatherly love for His children.

As we will see later in this chapter, when David came years later, he found a way to conquer that city immediately! (2 Samuel 5:6-7). He possessed the faith that the Benjamites lacked!

Remember, this is all recorded for our benefit. We must learn lessons from this history. We will all encounter problems in life. But it doesn’t matter if you are opposed by chariots of iron or elevated fortifications: If God is with you, there is nothing you cannot conquer! God was trying to teach Israel this lesson at that time. But this and the other lessons of that period are more for God’s people today than they ever were for the people anciently—because for us, eternal lives are at stake.

Because of Israel’s failures, the nation descended into the period of the judges. It was a terribly bloody time. There was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6; 21:25). There were a few good judges during that period, such as Jephtha and Gideon. But they were disgracefully rare.

Judges 4 tells of Deborah the prophetess and how the men wouldn’t fight unless she went with them. Israel lacked the kind of men a nation must have if it is to conquer: “men of war fit for the battle” (1 Chronicles 12:8). Deborah said, “I arose a mother in Israel” (Judges 5:7). She was an outstanding lady. But shame on those men! This woman had to lead because nobody else would do it!

With few exceptions, Israel lacked real leadership. Everybody was doing that which was right in his own eyes, and the nation cannot make any progress doing that.

But God began the process of turning the situation around. And it all centered on Shiloh.

Hannah’s Prayer

The turning point begins in 1 Samuel 1, with the history of Elkanah and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. “And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh …” (verse 3). Shiloh was still the center of everything—Israel’s politics and religion.

Hannah was deeply distressed over her childlessness. So she went to the tabernacle in Shiloh and prayed, imploring God to give her a son. She vowed to dedicate that son to God! And God answered that passionate prayer. A child was born, and his name was Samuel, which means “heard of God.” God hears prayers of faith! He performs miracles because of such prayers. We need faith in this end time!

When Samuel was born, Hannah prayed again. It was a prayerful psalm of prophecy, and I think one of the most profound prophecies in the Bible. It is recorded in 1 Samuel 2—part of the former prophets.

Verse 8 reads, “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar [or needy] from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.” Hannah said that God will take people from the lowest places on Earth and set them as royal rulers! She was talking about a time when God will set the whole world on these pillars—people strong in faith, who pray in faith. This is an end-time vision. God’s people today are in training to become these world-supporting pillars.

“[T]he Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed” (verse 10). What king was Hannah speaking of? This is a specific prophecy about King David. Hannah passed right over Saul. This was decades before David was even born, and this lady was praying to God about David! She wanted her son to interact with that king, and that is part of the prophecy.

In verse 10, Hannah is talking about David’s throne and the house of David, but she is really talking about the coming of the Messiah! She envisioned David’s throne and the coming of Jesus Christ. That is where we need to be looking as well. That throne is not just about elevating the physical descendants of one man—it is ultimately about the salvation of all mankind!

Hannah understood that transcendent truth. What a vision this woman received at Shiloh! God gave her that vision because she was so dedicated spiritually.

Verses 12-17 describe terrible corruption in the priesthood at the time. The high priest, Eli, allowed his two sons, also priests, to commit some unthinkable crimes. They stole food from the Israelites when they came to Shiloh to offer sacrifices, and they committed other heinous sins. That had to be corrected.

But there was hope, and Hannah saw that. She looked to God and was determined to dedicate her son to God. In so doing, this woman began to change the course of history! And she did it right there in Shiloh.

Young Samuel followed his mother’s instructions and kept himself free from that depravity. And God worked with him closely. 1 Samuel 3 shows how God spoke to him even as a teenager. “And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him …. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord” (verses 19-20).

To correct such serious problems, you must get rid of the corrupt priests. Anciently God killed some of them because they were so reprobate! 1 Samuel 4 describes how the Philistines attacked Israel, captured the ark—a symbol of God’s presence—and killed Eli’s crooked sons; Eli himself died right after the defeat. God did not protect Israel because of its corruption, and that was the end of the ark’s presence in Shiloh.

But God used Hannah’s son to turn around the priesthood and, eventually, the nation! Remember, this is prophecy specifically for our day. The Laodicean era is a time of terrible corruption in the priesthood of God’s own Church today. Shiloh is being uncovered today, and all this history is becoming increasingly alive to us.

Ichabod: Our Greatest Warning

The battle of Ebenezer occurred early in Samuel’s life. The Israelites took the ark of the covenant into battle with them because they believed God would help them win the battle. But the ark was only a symbol of God’s presence. Israel had been sinning greatly, so God would not protect the people.

The results of this battle were disastrous. “And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain” (1 Samuel 4:10-11). When the high priest heard the news, he was so shocked he fell over and snapped his neck (verses 15-18).

The Israelites felt safe because they had the ark and the tabernacle, and they were in Israel’s capital, the great city of Shiloh. But they didn’t have God! Because of their sins, God was no longer in their presence.

What good is a temple of God, or the Church of God, without the presence of God? Can we go out and fight a battle in the name of God if we’re not close to Him and obeying Him? If you do, you will lose your spiritual battles!

Yet if you are with God, then you have His presence and you will experience many miracles in your life!

Phinehas’s wife was near the end of her pregnancy. When she heard that the ark was taken and her husband and father-in-law were dead, she went into labor. She died while giving birth (verses 19-20).

“And she [the midwife] named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband” (verse 21). They had lost the glory of God! That is the worst thing that could happen.

What is Shiloh without God? The Israelites were fighting in the name of God, but God wasn’t with them because they weren’t with Him. If you are with God and God is with you, but then you lose that, you have lost everything spiritually.

This history is for us in this end time to learn from. I think it is one of the most instructive examples in your Bible.

Lesson for Today

“When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men” (Psalm 78:59-60). God simply left the place where they worshiped. He is perfect in righteousness, and these people had turned from Him. They forsook Him, so He forsook them.

“And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy’s hand” (verse 61). That is what happened to Shiloh! Read verses 62-64: God allowed His people to be conquered; their young men were burned; their priests were killed. God was truly angered by their sin, and He punished them severely! He really wants us to learn a lesson from what happened at Shiloh.

After its destruction, Shiloh became a warning. Centuries later, God said through the Prophet Jeremiah: “[G]o ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel” (Jeremiah 7:12). Jeremiah warned Jerusalem: That history is actually prophecy for you!

“Then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. … This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant …” (Jeremiah 26:6, 9). That prophecy was fulfilled: Jerusalem was wiped out in 585 b.c., and God let it happen.

Jeremiah delivered this message to Judah—but he addressed his book to Israel even though Israel had already been taken captive over a hundred years before and he personally spoke only to Judah. So his book is for three nations of Israel in this end time.

Jeremiah went right to the people as they were heading into the temple and warned them that what happened at Shiloh would happen to Jerusalem! The destruction of Shiloh was so extreme that Jeremiah was talking to the Jews about it 500 years later! He said the same fate would come on Jerusalem if they didn’t repent. And how did the people respond? They wanted to kill him for telling the truth right out of the Bible!

This all foreshadows the fate of the modern nations of Israel in this end time. All these books are prophetic—not just Jeremiah but also the former prophets like Samuel. They are primarily for this end time!

Go unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel, God says. Remember Ichabod: God’s own people lost the glory of God! This man illustrates that to us for all time! It is especially important in our day, when so many people will be killed if they do not heed God’s message. God warns us of this over and again.

Ichabod is our greatest warning today! This example stands out and will stick in your memory, and it can teach us a great lesson.

Jeremiah’s message for the Jews of his day foreshadowed the message going out from God’s Work today. “Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard” (verse 12). God sent him to deliver this message! He would have punished Jeremiah if he had not followed through. That message had to go out to Jerusalem at that time.

Today, that warning must go out to three modern-day nations of Israel. We have a crucial job to do! And yet, 95 percent of God’s own people have turned away from Him. They are in the outer court, not the inner court where God dwells! (Revelation 11:1-2). They have turned away from God, and He is no longer in their presence! They have lost God! The same thing is happening to us today that happened to Shiloh all those millenniums ago.

In Revelation 10:11, God tells the faithful remnant who are still doing His Work, You must go and prophesy again. That is our responsibility in this end time.

We must learn the lesson of Shiloh. We will never complete God’s Work—in fact, we will never have peace and security—until we learn what happened in Shiloh and what it teaches us. We must stay close to God and allow Him to remain in our presence always—so we can retain His protection, His mercy, His joy and happiness and unity, and enjoy His blessings and miracles!

Cleaning Up the Priesthood

Samuel institutionalized God’s law in the nation. “And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places” (1 Samuel 7:15-16). As I explain in my book The Former Prophets: How to Become a King, these were the locations of schools that Samuel established. There he taught the truth required to clean up the priesthood and the nation. (I encourage you to request a free copy of my book to learn more about this. It is a fascinating study of a truly towering biblical figure.)

Samuel’s schools influenced a whole generation of prophets and leaders to come. Later prophets like Elijah and Elisha looked to Samuel’s example of education. The Prophet Jeremiah wrote about him right alongside Moses (Jeremiah 15:1). He is grouped with Moses in Psalm 99:6. The Apostle Peter described Samuel’s message of prophecy (Acts 3:24). The account in the former prophets describes the cultural activities of Samuel’s schools, including music and poetry. It was an extraordinary achievement that lifted Israel out of the dark period of the judges.

Samuel’s responsibilities likely pulled him away from his family a lot. His sons were not like their father, and the people grew upset by their behavior. But sadly, rather than looking to God, the Israelites told Samuel they wanted a king, just as the nations around them had. This discouraged Samuel greatly.

God told him, “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7).

In our day, the Laodiceans have not rejected Herbert W. Armstrong and they have not rejected me: They have rejected God! Mr. Armstrong restored all things (Matthew 17:11), yet most of the people turned away from God almost immediately after he died. That is inexcusable! They have rejected God as their King and as the God of His own Church.

God used Samuel to establish the monarchy in Israel and to anoint Saul as its first human king (1 Samuel 10). God gave Saul an incredible opportunity. But he became willful and did not submit to God. After several incidents of Saul’s disobedience, God rejected him from being king (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

God then instructed Samuel to anoint a king from among the sons of Jesse. When God made David Israel’s king, that fulfilled Hannah’s prophecy—and it was her son who anointed him.

Once David was anointed, Satan tried to do everything he could to kill this young man. When David slew Goliath, he earned both national fame and Saul’s jealousy, which turned violent. David had to run for his life, roaming the wilderness. From the time he was anointed to the moment he finally sat on his throne was about 17 years! (The astonishing story of how God prepared David for kingship can be found in my book The Former Prophets.)

Like Samuel, David loved the law. These two men became close and worked together. Samuel provided tremendous support when David was running from Saul.

David’s Zion

David had great courage. For the first seven years of his reign, he ruled from Hebron. Then, when he approached Jerusalem, the Jebusites taunted David and his men: Even the blind and the lame could defend our fortress. David decided to take radical action. He said that anyone who found a way to conquer the Jebusites, he would make his field marshal. His nephew Joab took up the challenge: He found a water conduit that he could get his men through, and they infiltrated the fortress and wiped out the Canaanites. Joab became David’s military leader.

After David conquered Jerusalem, he made it his home. That area (where we have been participating in archaeological digs since 2006) became his headquarters, known as the City of David (1 Chronicles 11:2-8). Then he did something that I believe was just beautiful: He also called it Zion (2 Samuel 5:6-7).

Why “Zion”? Because God has a Zion fortress up in the northern heavens. David said, The Jebusites had their fortress on a steep hill, but we were able to conquer because we have our fortress far, far above theirs, and far more powerful!

If you have that fortress—whether you are an individual or a group—you are going to win battles! God will make certain of it. We will get God’s Work done and have a powerful impact in this world.

We are spiritual soldiers, and we must have a fortress. Each of us individually has a fortress. God will protect us from all kinds of threats and help us in so many ways. But He will also try us and test us just as He did David. We have human nature we must overcome.

God’s fortress is mighty! Satan and all the demons tried twice to overthrow that fortress. And this last time, God cast all of them down to Earth and confined them here! (Revelation 12:7-9). That makes things much harder for us on Earth. We truly need a fortress! We must have God fighting our battles for us. God had no trouble at all handling Satan. We will have no trouble either—if we use our fortress.

Look how quickly Satan conquered the Laodiceans. When he was cast down, the first thing he did was attack the Church (verse 13), and the members capitulated and lost almost everything! That should never have happened. But they were not serving God, and they did not have a fortress.

This remnant Church, however, has a fortress called Zion! We need to realize that we must have that fortress.

In this world, to have a strong nation, you must have a strong military. And to have a strong Church, you must be strong soldiers for God—soldiers of faith like David.

At one time, David was thirsty and expressed a longing for water from a well in Bethlehem. His men risked their lives to bring him that water. When he realized what they had gone through to get the water, he poured it on the ground. He didn’t want his men risking their lives for him personally like that. Such is the unselfish example David set. He drew many followers who were real men, fit for battle! Read about them in 2 Samuel 23. These men followed the example of a teenager who took on Goliath.

We need this kind of courage. We are soldiers for Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). Realize that God is behind us if we are behind David’s throne! Are we men and women fit for the battle? God wants to know! Soldiers have to fight and sometimes have to die. It takes time to develop such skill and courage, and we are all lowly and sinful—but if we are drawing on God’s power and relying on Him, He will make us the boldest people in this world!

Westminster Abbey in London, England, holds the bones of the men and women who once ruled from the British throne. The abbey is a memorial to the British belief that a good king or queen can only be made through understanding the history of the throne. A walk through Westminster makes history come alive. No other nation on Earth has such a monument! No other nation has such a precious view of history.

But today, this history is written only in the memorial, not in the minds of the British people.

The key of David vision teaches us a similar belief. To be a good king or queen for God, we must understand the history of David’s throne—and its prophecy.

The world and many British themselves wonder why Britain has clung to its throne through the generations. The amazing answer to that question can only be understood by God’s people: Jesus Christ kept the British throne alive.

Many people, including God’s people, wonder why the Philadelphia Church of God is so successful. Many wonder how we are operating on such a royal level. There is only one reason: Jesus Christ is behind the pcg.

How real is this truth for God’s Philadelphians? Do we see the royal Christ behind us?

How well do we know the history and prophecy of David’s throne? We should know the details of this throne intimately. After all, God’s very elect are destined to share this throne with Jesus Christ.

An Unbreakable Promise

2 Samuel 7 shows David in Jerusalem after bringing the ark of the covenant there, a symbol of God’s presence. David lived in a beautiful palace, and he realized that something was wrong: He needed to honor God by building a house for Him and for the ark! This was an inspired thought. David truly loved God and wanted to give all he could to honor Him.

God was pleased with David’s desire, although He wouldn’t let David build that house because of his bloody history. But God responded by making a covenant with David that would change history!

God promised: “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. … And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever” (verses 12-13, 16). God established David’s throne to endure forever!

It is that throne that Jesus Christ will inherit when He comes to rule as King of kings. Isaiah 9:6-7 prophesy that in God’s coming Kingdom, Christ will rule “upon the throne of David … for ever.” Luke 1:31-33 prophesy that “the Lord God shall give unto him [Jesus] the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

An understanding of David’s throne unlocks eternity!

This throne is a family throne. It was passed from David to his son Solomon. Of Solomon, God said, “I will be his father, and he shall be my son” (2 Samuel 7:14). In Hebrews 1:5, the Apostle Paul quoted these words as God talking to Jesus Christ! God was talking to David just as He did to Christ.

Study the subject of David’s throne carefully and you see that God is building Father-son relationships with His Spirit-begotten children today. He is building His Family. We have a Father-son relationship with Him the same as Christ Himself has. If we repent now, we have the unparalleled opportunity to share God’s throne forever! God will not have kings who are not His sons—His Family.

We must cherish this message: God is building a family.

Understand the importance of God’s Family and this royal calling. The human family is a type of the God Family. Families and marriages are God-plane relationships. The marriage institution was created to bring us into the God Family. The firstfruits—those called out before Christ returns—are called to be Christ’s Bride. This is the highest calling God has for any human being!

What could be more important than getting your marriage and your family on the God plane? It worked for Hannah, and it certainly worked for Samuel and David.

Luke 1:32 says that God will give Jesus Christ “the throne of his father David.” It also says that Christ is the Son of “the Highest,” God the Father. So Christ was a son of David and also the Son of God the Father. This is a royal family throne. God is building a family government that will rule the universe forever! The space and time are staggering: the universe and eternity!

Son of David

The expression “Son of David” is used 16 times in the four Gospels. Fifteen of these refer directly to Jesus Christ. Matthew begins his Gospel, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David ….” Luke 3:23-38 list Jesus’s physical genealogy through His mother, Mary, back to David (verse 31). Matthew’s genealogy shows that Jesus’s stepfather, Joseph, was also a descendant of David (Matthew 1:6-16). Jesus was clearly of the physical house of David—a son of David.

Many people called Jesus “Son of David” (e.g. Matthew 9:27; 15:22; Luke 18:38-39). Why? They knew the Old Testament prophecies of a Messiah who would be a descendant of David and inherit the throne of David (see also John 7:42). The people who were looking to Christ for healing or mercy were calling him “Son of David” as a Messianic title. This outraged the Jewish religious leaders (Matthew 21:15).

Matthew, Mark and Luke all record a fascinating exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees regarding this title. Here is Matthew’s account: “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David” (Matthew 22:41-42). These men were certainly familiar with those prophecies. But Christ then quoted an Old Testament passage—written by David himself—that adds a deeper dimension to this picture.

“He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?” (verses 43-44). Here Christ quoted Psalm 110. There David wrote, “The Lord said to my Lord” (verse 1). Who was David’s physical Lord? No one. His “Lord” was God Himself—who, in the Old Testament, was the Being who later became Jesus Christ. But in this extraordinary psalm, David is speaking of two God Beings—who later became Father and Son. David was describing the Father speaking to Christ, promising that He would sit at His (the Father’s) right hand at His throne in heaven, “until I make your enemies your footstool”—that is, until Christ becomes King of kings! In quoting this psalm, Jesus Christ was referencing the future time when He will rule the Earth.

The vision Christ was showing to these Pharisees is truly magnificent! Yes, the Messiah is a physical descendant of David. But here Christ was showing that He is more than that—since David himself called this Being “my Lord.”

Christ then asked these men, “If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” (Matthew 22:45). That is an important question, and Christ’s physical lineage tracing back to David is only part of the answer. Christ’s question was focused more on the spiritual. How can the King of kings be a son of David? To fully understand this question, we must include Christ’s spiritual genealogy as well.

Even while He walked the Earth, Jesus Christ’s primary concern was on the spiritual. His gospel message focused on the time when David’s spiritual family would govern the Earth and the universe.

The expression “Son of David” contains the most hope-filled vision in all the Bible! Why wasn’t Christ referred to as the son of Joseph? Because that would have concealed the truth about God’s plan for man.

Son of the Highest

Jesus Christ was a physical Jew. The Bible shows that He devoted His ministry to His fellow Jews. For 3½ years, He took God’s message to that one family.

More importantly, Jesus Christ is a spiritual Jew. He is destined to rule from David’s throne forever.

Read Luke 1:31-33 again. This passage describes Jesus Christ’s spiritual genealogy. Mary was to conceive a son through the power of God’s Holy Spirit (verse 35). Her son was to be the Son of the Highest—the King of the universe. Can you imagine how this must have impacted Mary’s mind?

The key of David vision has much to say about Jesus Christ’s relationship with God the Father.

Jesus Christ came to Earth to reveal the Father. “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him” (Matthew 11:27). Do we know God the Father? Jesus Christ’s express purpose on Earth was to reveal the Father. He is doing that same work even now—today. Otherwise it is not God’s Work! If we don’t have the Father revealed to us, then the family portrait is shattered! God the Father is the central figure in Christ’s message (John 1:18).

Jesus Christ didn’t come to exalt Himself—He came to reveal the Father. Christ is the Son of the Highest! God the Father is the living Head of the entire Family and will always be in charge, ruling over the God Family forever. Jesus Christ came to make this fact known.

We will never understand the key of David vision if we do not understand the role of the Father. (To learn more, request a free copy of my book The God Family Vision.) Pushing the Father out of the Family picture shows a serious government problem.

God wants to teach us family government. One man—the father—should always head the physical family. This is the structure of family government that will be in force for eternity! God will not use collegial government. He will not use a republic. He will not use a democracy. He will use family government. God the Father will rule over His Family forever. And that Family will rule the universe forever.

The truth that God is a Family is so clear in Scripture. Luke 3:21-22 show that when Jesus was baptized, a voice came from heaven saying, “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” Jesus was God’s beloved Son. Before Christ became a man, God the Father and Jesus Christ shared a perfect family-type relationship. When Jesus lived on Earth as a human, they shared a perfect Father-Son relationship. Christ always does those things that please the Father (John 8:29). Never forget that within God’s plan there is a Father, there is a Son, and there is Family. We must clearly grasp this point so we can remain in a close relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

The fact that Christ is a son of David and the Son of the Highest reaffirms that He is the one who gives us the key of David vision. The Father gave Him that responsibility.

King of Kings

The prophecy in Luke 1 shows that the Father, the Highest, will give Christ the throne of His father David. This is a throne on Earth today. Christ is not returning to a nonexistent throne!

The beauty of the prophecy in Luke 1 does not end with Christ. We must see that these verses are also prophecies about the greatest royal Family in the universe.

Our future is tied directly to Jesus Christ and David’s throne.

Revelation 17:14 describes Christ as being “Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” The familiarity of this scripture could cause us to overlook its deep, deep meaning. Jesus Christ is going to be King of the firstfruits, who will become kings under Him. He will be Lord of the firstfruit lords. This prophecy does not apply to just anybody; it is only for those who follow Christ before His Second Coming.

Envision Jesus Christ and the firstfruits ruling on the throne of David! In the World Tomorrow, the firstfruits will rule with Jesus Christ as kings and lords—governing both Church and state. We will rule it all! God the Father plans to give us awesome power because we will have a big job to do. This is the vision of the Bible.

Throne That Unites

In the near future, at Christ’s return, a momentous occasion will occur. “And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first” (Jeremiah 33:7). Before God can build, He must destroy. That is what modern business people would call creative destruction. After punishing Israel in the Tribulation, God will reunite all of Israel into one powerful nation.

Today, the physical nations of Israel are extremely divided. In fact, most nations of Israel have lost their identity.

Anciently, at the death of Saul, the nation of Israel was terribly divided and fell into civil war. David was crowned king in Hebron and ruled Judah from there for seven years. Yet he was finally able to unite the nation, and he moved the capital to Jerusalem. He ruled from Jerusalem for 33 years, making his reign 40 years in total.

That history foreshadows what Jesus Christ will accomplish as King. When His Kingdom is set up, He will reunite the nations of Israel as a first step to uniting the world. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness [Jesus Christ] to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land” (verses 14-15). This is God the Father speaking. He is the “I” in verse 15. He is establishing a family throne. He will use Christ, sitting on the throne of David, to shower blessing after blessing upon Israel.

As King, Christ will go to work immediately. “In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness” (verse 16). Judah will be saved. Jerusalem, the capital of ancient Israel and a biblical symbol of all Israel today, will dwell safely.

Can we see the wonderful parallels? David, a Jewish king, used his throne to unite all of Israel. Jesus Christ, the spiritual Jew, will take David’s throne and unite the whole world!

Christ will accomplish this unity globally by grafting all the Gentile nations into Israel. Paul wrote about this principle in his epistle to the Romans. He described how, when physical Israel stumbled, God opened up salvation to Gentiles. He compared the Gentiles to a “wild olive tree” that was grafted into the “olive tree” of Israel (Romans 11:17). Paul was applying this analogy to the Church—the spiritual nation of Israel (1 Peter 2:9). Christ’s Church is not just for natural-born Israelites, it is for all people whom God calls—no matter the nationality or race. All members of God’s Church are citizens of spiritual Israel.

What is happening in the Church today is a type of what will happen globally in the World Tomorrow. From David’s throne, Jesus Christ will start uniting the whole world beginning with the nations of Israel.

God focuses on Christ being a Son of David because of this truth. Jesus Christ, while sitting on the throne of David, will convert all men into spiritual Israelites. To be in God’s Family, all men must become spiritual Israel—one united spiritual Family.

This is the kind of unity only God can give—the unity God and the Word have had for all eternity! What a mind-opening time that will be for mankind. This glorious unity will expand into all nations and, later, into the limitless universe. What an incredible future lies just ahead!

What unites spiritual Israel today? It is the mind of Christ. Paul wrote, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). After His return, Christ’s mind will be extended to the whole world. That is how the world will be united. What fantastic unity!

A Second, Related Covenant

Jeremiah 33 goes on to describe not just the covenant God made to preserve David’s throne forever—but a second, related covenant. “For thus says the Lord, David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn cereal offerings, and to make sacrifices for ever” (verses 17-18; rsv).

These two verses reveal two distinct covenants concerning David’s throne. Verse 17 reiterates God’s phenomenal promise concerning David’s descendants on his throne: that David’s throne would exist perpetually. His throne exists even today.

Yet read verse 18 carefully: God also promised that there would always be one leading minister proclaiming His message about the eternal throne of David!

This Levitical or ministerial covenant is made with a man. Just as there is one man at a time sitting on David’s throne, there is one minister at a time with whom God covenants to teach about that throne. Of course, that minister urgently needs the help of God’s ministers and God’s people. The message cannot be delivered by one man alone. Nevertheless, the covenant here is made specifically with one man alone.

Certain as Day and Night

A covenant is an official agreement between two parties. When God makes a covenant with man, no man can change or stop what God plans to do.

“And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers” (Jeremiah 33:19-21). God tells us that we can rely on these two covenants—about David’s throne and about a minister who will always be there to proclaim the message about that throne. They are as certain as day and night. No one but God could change the day from being day or the night from being night. The same applies to God’s covenants concerning David’s throne and God’s leading minister.

It is vital that God’s physical leader remain focused on this vision, since it is to be preserved until Christ’s return. But look at what the Laodicean ministers have done to it. They have deemphasized the key of David vision. Some have removed it altogether. One Laodicean Church has written its own uninspired version of The United States and Britain in Prophecy. It has nowhere near the power of Mr. Armstrong’s version, which was inspired by God. Mr. Armstrong alone was the end-time Elijah to restore all things (Matthew 17:10-11). He alone was the end-time Zerubbabel with Christ’s authority (Zechariah 4:9-10).

All the Laodicean churches are in disarray. They all suffer from disunity. Satan has dealt them a blow that will be fatal unless they repent. Some are saying that Jesus Christ is working through all the wcg offshoot groups. But this passage in Jeremiah 33 says differently. God made two covenants, the second of which ensured that His message concerning the throne of David was taught. There is only one leading minister in each of the last two Church eras with whom God has made this covenant. Only one man in the Laodicean era has kept this perpetual covenant.

This is the means by which God ensures that the key of David vision is always taught!

On May 6, 2023, at the coronation of King Charles iii in London, “Zadok the Priest,” an anthem by George Frideric Handel, was performed. Do you know why? Anyone who studies deeply into that question would find an incredibly inspiring truth!

Charles’s mother, Queen Elizabeth ii, was crowned Queen of the British Commonwealth on June 2, 1953. Leading up to the coronation, one of Britain’s leading historians at the time, Lawrence Tanner, released a series of articles condensed from his book The History of the Coronation, which explained what the coronation is, how it developed through hundreds of years, and how it would be done for Queen Elizabeth in 1953. Here are excerpts from Mr. Tanner’s material as it appeared in the Elyria, Ohio, Chronicle-Telegram.

The May 21, 1953, installment read, “The communion service after the opening ‘recognition’ ceremony changes the atmosphere of the coronation to one of devotion and deep religious significance. It is from this point that the sovereign, having dedicated herself to the service of her peoples, is solemnly consecrated, like a bishop, for her task. … Meanwhile the choir sings, as they have sung at this point in the ceremony since the earliest known English coronation service, the anthem ‘Zadok the Priest.’” A song about Zadok the priest has been sung every time a king or queen has been crowned since “the earliest known English coronation service.”

Why a song about Zadok? If we study into the history of this priest in the Bible, we will find proof of what happened with David’s throne in modern times. How many people who attended either of these coronations understood why a song about Zadok the priest was sung? Probably very few. Yet the significance behind this song involves far more than the royalty in Britain.

The story about Zadok and his sons is very inspiring, especially for God’s very elect. Let’s look into this amazing story.

Zadok Anoints Solomon King

Because of his rebellion against God, Saul lost the throne of Israel to David, who began his reign at Hebron. Saul reigned from 1051 to 1011 b.c. Many men came to assist David when he took over the kingdom after Saul’s death. Zadok the priest was among these courageous men (1 Chronicles 12:26-28).

When David’s son Absalom tried to overthrow his father (2 Samuel 15:13-16), Zadok and his family remained firm in their support for David. Toward the end of David’s life, when many of his closest companions left to support another rebellious son, Adonijah (1 Kings 1:5-6), Zadok remained faithful (verse 8). David was getting old and many were beginning to doubt his leadership abilities. But not Zadok! Throughout David’s life, Zadok remained loyal because he knew God was behind this man! He had the faith to recognize whom God was using.

The Prophet Nathan warned David of Adonijah’s revolt. The king’s son had summoned many high-ranking people to a feast where the people said, “God save king Adonijah” (verses 23-25). After explaining how Adonijah had proclaimed himself king, Nathan listed those who had remained loyal to David: “But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called” (verse 26). Zadok the priest topped the list.

David called Nathan, Zadok and Benaiah to him and instructed them: “Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah” (verses 33-35). David instructed Nathan to make Solomon king. And he gave the honor of anointing Solomon to Zadok.

“So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon. And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon” (verses 38-39). Solomon was made king and all the people cheered, “God save king Solomon.”

Notice that Zadok personally anointed Solomon—truly a great honor. What a reward for Zadok’s unyielding loyalty!

Let’s now look at how similar this ancient tradition is in British royal custom.

British Royal Traditions

Of Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, Mr. Tanner wrote: “At 7:33 a.m. in Westminster Abbey, where for 900 years British sovereigns have been crowned, the archbishop of Canterbury gently lowered the jeweled crown of St. Edward to her dark hair.

“Then with a great roar, the peers and peeresses and heads of state in the abbey cried: ‘God save the Queen.’

“The guns of Hyde Park, Windsor Castle and the Tower of London boomed 41 times. As the sound echoed throughout London and was relayed around the world by radio, in Britain, the nations of the Commonwealth and the colonies, the same shout went up among many of her 600 million subjects: ‘God save the Queen.’

“It was more than a prayer for the 27-year-old Queen. It held the hope of austerity-ridden Britons that this—as under former reigning queens—would be an era of greatness, happiness and prosperity.

“There to see his mother crowned was 4-year-old Prince Charles. He was clad in a white satin party suit.

“At the other end of the span of empire was 78-year-old Winston Churchill, most illustrious of the mighty assemblage of statesmen, peers, soldiers and foreign guests. …

“From the vast multitude of more than 2 million crushed into London’s center echoed the shout: ‘God save the Queen.’

“Thus was perpetuated in the person of this girl of 27 a monarchy reaching back through the centuries to foundations begun shortly after the Roman legions left this island. …

“To others it was a deeply moving religious moment, a queen anointed in holy oil and thereby sanctified in the eyes of God.”

At Solomon’s coronation, all the people cheered, “God save King Solomon!” When Elizabeth ii was crowned, all the people cheered, “God save the Queen!” King Solomon was anointed with oil, in a religious ceremony, setting him apart in the eyes of God. So was Queen Elizabeth.

Is it mere coincidence that the coronation of the kings and queens of Britain so closely parallels that of Israel’s kings?

On May 19, 1953, this was printed: “The actual place of coronation has a history of 900 years behind it, but the ceremonies and rites wherewith our sovereigns are consecrated have a history which is older still.”

The British people recognize that their coronation traditions go back centuries. What they don’t realize is that their traditions actually go back much further than when the Roman legions left the island. They go back all the way to King David!

Here are more highlights from the coronation ceremony: “[T]he crowning was made the final and principal act of investiture, and it was immediately followed by a striking innovation when the Bible was solemnly presented to the sovereign as ‘the most valuable thing that this world affords’” (May 18, 1953). The Bible does contain much hidden treasure. It reveals the truth about the origins of the British throne and the solutions to Britain’s problems. Within the pages of the Bible lies the hope for Britain.

“The Bible, paten and chalice, and the regalia are placed on the high altar. … The Queen, with her crimson robe and her cap of state removed, takes her seat in King Edward’s chair, wherein she is anointed …. The Lord Great Chamberlain presents the spurs and the Queen is girt with the sword. … The Queen seated in King Edward’s chair is crowned with Saint Edward’s crown by the archbishop of Canterbury. The Bible is presented to the Queen. … The homage ended, the drums beat and the trumpets sound and all the people shout, crying out: ‘God save Queen Elizabeth! Long live Queen Elizabeth! May the queen live forever!’” (June 2, 1953).

Over the centuries, there have been many attempts to remove the religious aspects from Britain’s coronation ceremonies. But the religious significance of the coronation has been preserved. Mr. Tanner continued, “It can at least be said that the service which will be used at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth ii descends directly from the service used by Archbishop Dunstan at the coronation of King Edgar at Bath in 973. … The coronation of 1821 was held in the full time of the Romantic Movement, and George iv, with his extravagant ideas, succeeded in turning it into a magnificent pageant almost completely devoid of religious significance. … So little was the religious side of the coronation appreciated at this time that in 1838 the Times, in discussing the forthcoming coronation of Queen Victoria, announced that ‘the anointing is a part of the ceremony more recommended by antiquity than delicacy, and will probably be omitted altogether.’ But better counsels prevailed.”

Queen Elizabeth’s coronation was filled with deep religious significance. It was certainly meant to give great honor to God. Most of that honor of God is lost in Britain today.

Today, the throne in England is very unstable. Though most of the traditions were preserved for King Charles iii’s coronation, something drastic has changed. The British have forgotten God and have lost their connection with these ancient traditions. Some in Britain might know that the royal family’s ancestry can be traced all the way back to King David, but it is not intellectually fashionable to proclaim that today.

The solutions to Britain’s problems can be found within the knowledge of the true ancestry of the British throne. The rich traditions surrounding the coronation point to a significance greater than most people realize.

We need to recognize that much of the tradition surrounding the British throne comes directly from 1 Kings. This is one of the books of the former prophets, which means it contains prophecy for today and has great meaning for us. Our job as Philadelphians is to teach the British and ultimately the whole world about the significance of David’s throne.

Let’s now move back to the history of 1 Kings.

Solomon Reigns

The people of Israel made a great noise when Solomon was crowned. The cheering was so loud that Adonijah and his rebellious company heard and felt the clamor. “And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?” (1 Kings 1:40-41).

Abiathar’s son, Jonathan, brought the news that David had appointed Solomon king (verses 42-46). Of course, Abiathar and Joab would have rather heard different news.

King David was too ill to attend Solomon’s coronation. David’s loyal servants excitedly returned to tell him that Solomon was now king. “And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. And also thus said the king, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it” (verses 47-48). David was thrilled that God had allowed him to see his successor to the throne.

Meanwhile, Adonijah’s coronation feast soon changed from one of joy to one of fear. Hearing Jonathan’s report, all the guests fled (verse 49). The loyalty of Joab and Abiathar to Adonijah was short-lived. Isn’t that the way it is with disloyal people? Adonijah was left to himself.

Desperate to save his own life, Adonijah rushed to the temple. “And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword” (verses 50-51). All Adonijah’s arrogance in proclaiming himself king was gone. He knew he was facing execution for his revolt. He sought mercy from his younger brother, Solomon.

What was Solomon’s reply? “And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die” (verse 52). Solomon did not execute Adonijah at this time. He sent him to his house (verse 53).

Zadok Made Chief Priest

David had great hope for Solomon. Nearing death, he gave excellent advice to his son about ruling Israel. “Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself” (1 Kings 2:1-3).

David taught Solomon that the key to his success as king would be how well he kept the law of God, which included the Ten Commandments, the statutes and judgments. David ardently wanted a son who would truly obey God.

After David’s death, Solomon began to deal with the rebels. He had Adonijah executed because he clung to the belief that he deserved the throne (verses 15, 19-25).

Solomon did show mercy toward Abiathar. “And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord; that he might fulfil the word of the Lord, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh” (verses 26-27). Though Solomon showed mercy because Abiathar had suffered many afflictions with David over the years, his disloyalty still deserved punishment. Solomon removed him from his office as high priest. This brought shame on Abiathar and his family. Also, according to David’s final instructions, Solomon had Joab executed (verses 5-6, 34).

What happened to Zadok? The outcome for him and the rest of the men loyal to David was far different.

“And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar” (verse 35). Zadok was put in Abiathar’s place as chief priest. What a fantastic reward for loyalty! What an honor!

Zadok’s undying loyalty is still being praised today. Look at the words of the song “Zadok the Priest,” sung at British coronations. The words are adapted from 1 Kings 1:38-40: Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king. And all the people rejoiced and said: God save the king! Long live the king! May the king live forever. Amen, alleluia, amen.

This song was composed in 1727. Of course, the history goes back to about 1000 b.c. Just the fact that this song about Zadok the priest is sung at a British coronation strongly indicates that the throne in England originated with David and Solomon. Britain’s enemies throughout the ages would have exposed it if these scriptures had been used fraudulently.

This song should also teach us a vital lesson about loyalty to God, His government and His leadership. God uses Zadok and his sons as a symbol for all Philadelphians today. Our future coronation as kings in the future will be far more glorious than Solomon’s. We may even hear the song “Zadok the Priest”! We need to ask ourselves, Are we intensely loyal to God, His government and His leadership?

Zadok in Prophecy

In 1 Samuel 2:27-36, a man of God delivered God’s judgment to Eli, the corrupt high priest. “And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever” (verse 35).

This is a prophecy about Zadok, the man who, amid terrible betrayal, remained loyal to David’s throne to the end. This man of God was prophesying about the priest who would replace Abiathar about a hundred years after Eli died.

The book of Ezekiel was written for this end time. It carries important messages, primarily for God’s people today. And it contains prophecies about a special group of people called “the sons of Zadok.”

Ezekiel 40 describes the future temple to be built in Jerusalem after Christ’s return. (Request a free copy of Ezekiel—The End-Time Prophet.) The sons of Zadok are assigned special rooms in that temple. “And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the Lord to minister unto him” (verse 46). There is great heritage in Zadok! Notice that the sons of Zadok have a special distinction among the other Levites. They are privileged to inhabit the chamber that faces the north. Several scriptures imply that the northern heavens are where God’s throne is (Leviticus 1:11; Job 26:7; Psalm 48:1-2; 75:6; Isaiah 14:13).

These priests are uniquely special to God. They are the keepers of the charge of the altar, which means they are in charge of the ministry—a highly exalted position. They are able to come near to Jesus Christ’s throne. This is a similar description of the reward promised to the Philadelphians in Revelation 3:12 and 21.

Those in God’s Church will be priests in the millennial Kingdom of God (Revelation 5:10). Those of us who remain loyal to the end will be pillars in the temple and share Jesus Christ’s throne on Earth. Ezekiel 43:19 shows that the Levites of the seed of Zadok will be in charge of the ordinances at that future temple. We need to fully understand what it means to be of the seed of Zadok!

Strangers in the Sanctuary

Ezekiel 44 describes the future temple’s sanctuary. Verses 1-4 describe the sacredness of this holy place. No human being will be allowed to enter into it.

In prophecy, the sanctuary refers to God’s end-time Church. This chapter also describes the state of God’s sanctuary today, and it is terribly tragic!

“And the Lord said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations” (verses 5-7).

Ezekiel was told to “mark well” the activity in the sanctuary. God was very upset with what was happening there. He expected Ezekiel to deliver a message to “the rebellious,” referring to God’s Laodicean ministry today. Remember, it was the priests who were in charge of the sanctuary.

These end-time, rebellious priests have allowed “strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh,” to enter God’s sanctuary. This means that God’s Church has become polluted in this end time, which also means there was a time when it was not polluted. We witnessed this tragedy in God’s Church in this era. These verses can only refer to the Laodicean ministry!

By letting strangers into the sanctuary, this rebellious house of Israel has broken God’s covenant. The verses here are similar to those in Malachi 2.

God continues His indictment of these priests: “And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. Thus saith the Lord God; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel” (Ezekiel 44:8-9). These priests are disloyal to God. They have not “kept the charge” of God’s holy things. Which priests are doing this today? In Revelation 3:10, Christ says the Philadelphians have kept God’s Word.

Why were strangers let into the sanctuary? Why was God’s covenant broken? “And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord God, and they shall bear their iniquity” (Ezekiel 44:10-12). The Levites, or priests, went far from God.

This is a prophecy of the Laodicean ministers in this end time. God showed Ezekiel that the Levites caused the people to “fall into iniquity.” This means there was a time when these ministers were leading the people into righteousness. Laodicean ministers are leading God’s people into iniquity. God has strong words against these end-time Laodicean ministers. They will pay the penalty for what they are doing.

Sons of Zadok

Amid this terrible falling away, a little group remains loyal. God commends these individuals because, even as everyone else turns away, they don’t look to human beings or follow the multitude.

Notice the title God gives them: “But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me, to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God” (Ezekiel 44:15). God showed Ezekiel that when the other Levites went astray, the sons of Zadok remained loyal.

Only the family of Zadok remained loyal through the entirety of David’s rule! David experienced several trying rebellions. Zadok and his sons remained completely true to David’s throne. In this end time, as the Levites went astray, only the sons of Zadok remain faithful to God. Can you begin to see the importance of this knowledge?

In David’s day, very few were in danger of losing their eternal lives. Today, however, the eternal inheritance of tens of thousands is in jeopardy! The stakes are far higher today than they were anciently, and God is mainly concerned about today. We must not forget the Laodiceans and stop loving them. God hasn’t! He keeps reaching out to them—and He does so through the sons of Zadok!

The book of Revelation shows that only the true Philadelphians remain loyal to God all the way to Christ’s return. Only the Philadelphians can be the sons of Zadok today. We show that we are sons of Zadok in many ways: We have kept God’s Word; we are loyal to David’s throne; we have The United States and Britain in Prophecy; we are digging in Jerusalem; we have staged musicals about Jeremiah, David and his throne; we are doing all we can to proclaim the key of David message to Israel and the world.

Only the pcg teaches the truth about God’s family government. Though some Laodicean churches teach about the United States and Britain in prophecy, what good is that knowledge without the knowledge of the government that will rule from that throne? In reality, only we are remaining loyal to David’s throne. This makes us the sons of Zadok in spirit. We are fighting the same battle Zadok fought!

It is a great honor to be designated as a son of Zadok. This is God’s evaluation, not any man’s. It does not matter what any Laodicean leader states about us. God is the Judge of His people; judgment is on us today. God wants to know who is a son of Zadok. The sons of Zadok have a vital role to play in the future. God must measure and prepare us for that role now.

Our supreme test is to keep all that God revealed through Mr. Armstrong and remain loyal to the leader God is using today. If we are true sons of Zadok, then we will remain loyal to God’s truth and will know which man is being led by God.

Zadok was with David from the beginning. He knew David intimately. He remained by his side after David sinned with Bathsheba. He witnessed Absalom’s revolt. He saw Adonijah’s uprising. Zadok could have said he had had enough of David. But he remained loyal. Zadok stood by David because he knew David sat on God’s throne. Zadok never betrayed God’s throne! No wonder British royalty honors such unusual loyalty.

We have also witnessed much in these end times. We saw Mr. Armstrong and the wcg go through many trials. The pcg has also faced its share of adversity throughout its history. We must examine ourselves. Do we have the intense loyalty that Zadok did? We must remain loyal to that truth and God’s government. God loves Zadok for that loyalty—so much, in fact, that He honors the faithful 5 percent in the last hour with the title “SONS OF ZADOK”! That is the title of God’s highest nobility in the last era of His Church!

Sons of Zadok is another way of saying the Philadelphians today. These sons of Zadok can only be those who experienced Israel’s turning away on a mass scale yet who remained loyal to God. Not even Mr. Armstrong was a son of Zadok! We continue the Elijah work, and I believe Mr. Armstrong will still be over us in the Kingdom of God. But God truly has high praise for this one little group of His very elect.

The New Throne of David

The United States and Britain in Prophecy traces the history of David’s throne all the way down to the British royal family in modern times. Yes, King Charles iii is a literal descendant of King David via that royal line that God preserved through the generations. That is why it is so fitting that British coronations have that connection with biblical coronations in the Davidic line.

However, in 2017, God made a dramatic change! He moved that royal line out of Britain. Queen Elizabeth ii was in fact the last British monarch who sat on David’s throne. Near the end of her life, God erased that line and planted a new throne of David within His faithful Philadelphian remnant Church in a different descendant of King David.

Your Bible has a great deal of prophecy showing that God would do this and details why He did it. I explain it thoroughly in my book The New Throne of David (request a free copy). God placed David’s throne right in His Church—among the sons of Zadok! What a magnificent honor!

The sons of Zadok possess the throne of David today. Among all of the very elect within God’s Church eras, God has given His sons of Zadok unparalleled majestic royalty! There has never been anything like it until now.

How God rewards the sons of Zadok who see the God behind the throne of David! We have the new throne of David. Is that not a big part of why we are called the sons of Zadok? Think about this noble title! This is a tremendous honor that God has given us. Surely He did so because He knew we would have the throne of David in this end time.

Notice this command: “And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord God, a young bullock for a sin offering” (Ezekiel 43:19). God is instructing people to give His precious sons of Zadok everything they need to get their work done!

God shares His throne so its occupants can serve Him and serve mankind. The sons of Zadok understand that truth: Above all, we are here to SERVE. That is actually what makes us priests. That title is meaningless if we don’t understand that.

“They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge” (Ezekiel 44:16). These sons of Zadok will be headquarters personnel forever. In the millennial temple, they are going to come near to God, ministering to Him, doing the Work of God.

Look again at Ezekiel 40:46. This “altar” refers to the ministry in the World Tomorrow—the sons of Zadok. We will come near to God, receive our instructions directly from Him, and carry those instructions out, directing operations from headquarters throughout the universe and for eternity! The reward God will give these sons of Zadok is magnificent and astounding!

Like Zadok, these individuals stay with the key of David. They hold on to the understanding about David’s throne. They remain excited about the honor of ruling with Christ in Jerusalem forever! They love that vision and won’t let anyone take it from them! Even when 95 percent of God’s own people turn away, they remain loyal.

How could we possibly get wrapped up in material things in this dying world—or be ambitious for ourselves—if we keep this glorious vision in mind? If we stay true to the key of David, we are going to rule from the highest mountain forever!

Inside Westminster Abbey in London, England, sits the old coronation chair on which the kings of Ireland, Scotland and England were crowned. There was a stone under that chair until 1996, when it was moved to Scotland. The stone was returned to London in 2023 and placed under that chair for Charles iii’s coronation, but then returned to Perth, Scotland.

This stone is rich in history. Like Britain’s royal family, it too points back to Britain’s inspiring connection with King David and biblical Israel. Beyond that, what has happened with that stone in recent years is a great warning to Britain—and a gigantic sign of where God is working today!

Some people take issue with the idea that God would put such emphasis on a physical rock. But before you dismiss the idea, read the biblical history. The fact is, God does use physical objects at times to convey crucial spiritual truths!

Arrival in Ireland

God’s Church has been talking about this stone for decades.

Herbert Armstrong wrote in The United States and Britain in Prophecy: “[I]n 569 b.c. (date of Jeremiah’s transplanting), an elderly, white-haired patriarch, sometimes referred to as a ‘saint,’ came to Ireland. With him was the princess daughter of an eastern king and a companion called ‘Simon Brach,’ spelled in different histories as Breck, Berech, Brach or Berach. The princess had a Hebrew name Tephi—a pet name—her full name being Tea-Tephi. …

“This royal party included the son of the king of Ireland who had been in Jerusalem at the time of the siege. There he had become acquainted with Tea-Tephi. He married her shortly after 585—when the city fell. Their young son, now about 12 years of age, accompanied them to Ireland. Besides the royal family, Jeremiah brought with them some remarkable things, including a harp, an ark, and a wonderful stone called ‘lia-fail,’ or ‘stone of destiny.’ A peculiar coincidence (?) is that Hebrew reads from right to left, while English reads from left to right. Read this name either way—and it still is ‘lia-fail.’

“Another strange coincidence—or is it just coincidence?—is that many kings in the history of Ireland, Scotland and England have been coronated sitting over this stone—including the present Queen. The stone rests today in Westminster Abbey in London, and the coronation chair is built over and around it. A sign beside it labels it ‘Jacob’s pillar-stone’ (Genesis 28:18).”

Years after that was written, English officials removed the stone from underneath the old coronation chair, returning it to Scotland. Why? Because England has degenerated in its faith. The once great British Empire has lost the knowledge of its identity as Ephraim, one of the most important tribes of Israel.

Why is this stone called the “stone of destiny”? No other nation in history has had a coronation stone like England does. No other nation on Earth can claim such a breathtaking, rich history for its throne.

A Miracle Stone

The remarkable origin of this stone is described in Genesis 28:10-22. There is something special here that commentaries struggle to explain. But let’s just accept what the Bible says!

Jacob, tired after a long journey, stopped for the night. “And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep” (verse 11). Notice that he took of the stones—plural—and put them—plural—for his pillows, probably covered with his coat or some animal hide.

“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not” (verse 16). What made Jacob think that?

“And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (verse 17). These are profound words! Jacob was commenting about something that had happened. He realized God was there, and the way he viewed it, there was a gate into heaven!

“And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it” (verse 18). Notice—those “stones” from verse 11 are now one single “stone.”

These stones became one stone! There is no other way to read the Hebrew. Surely no small part of Jacob’s excitement was about this miracle! “How dreadful is this place” is a poor translation. Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon defines the word dreadful as “to fear; to reverence as one’s parents; … to tremble for joy; … stupendous; admirable; wonderful.” Jacob was filled with wonder and joy at what had happened! He realized that God had performed a tremendous miracle! These stones had literally become one stone: Jacob’s pillar stone.

Thus began the history of England’s “stone of destiny”!

What had been a pillow, Jacob turned into a “pillar.” The word for pillar, matstsebah in the Hebrew, means a memorial stone. What does God want us to remember about that stone? What is it a memorial of? This was an event where God was personally involved, performing miracles! Jacob knew it was something to really get excited about!

If you want a gate right into heaven—or if you want contact with this God of miracles and of great power—here is how to do it.

Why don’t more people believe this history? Why is it so hard for scholars to understand this? It shows how strong Satan’s power is that he could obscure such a wonderful miracle.

Jacob changed the name of that place to Bethel (verse 19), which means house of God. This stone was called the house of God, and that place where the stone was located was also called the house of God. God actually dwelled there, in that house!

This stone—which you can visit to this day—had great symbolism. God called that place His house because He was right there with that stone and performed a miracle to turn the stones into one stone. That stone represented something very special that points out into the universe and eternity!

Jacob vowed, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee” (verses 20-22).

He is talking about how God will protect us. This is really about how a nation can either survive or not survive, or how an individual can survive or not survive. That is how important this is! If you understand it, you can see that it is a great promise—and also a very great warning!

Why did Jacob do this? Because there was no temple or even a movable tabernacle in his day. Yet he was given an incredible vision of the future about the place in which he slept. Jacob realized that God was going to have a house built to conduct His Work from that place—so he called the stone God’s house. The stone on which he slept would have great significance throughout Israel’s history. This is why it is so appropriate to call Jacob’s pillar stone a “stone of destiny.”

During Jacob’s lifetime, the stone was used to show where God was operating from. Do you realize that Great Britain still possesses that very stone? The English people used to recognize that the stone under the old coronation chair was Jacob’s pillar stone written about in Genesis 28. The history of that stone goes all the way back to the beginning of Israel’s history as a nation!

This knowledge has become embarrassing to the British because of their degenerating faith. Even prior to giving the stone to Scotland, they had removed the sign identifying it as “Jacob’s pillar stone.” Removing a sign does not change history! God has made Himself so well known throughout Israel’s history that they are without excuse!

There were 12 tribes in the nation of Israel. Mr. Armstrong taught us from Scripture that Ephraim (one of Joseph’s sons) was prophesied to be one of the main tribes. With his brother Manasseh, Ephraim was also to carry the name Israel (Genesis 48:16). God changed their grandfather Jacob’s name to Israel when he was converted. And today, we see a stone that could identify where Israel is, if only the people would prove it from the Scriptures.

Jacob’s Name Changed to Israel

Genesis 35 records where God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. “And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel” (verse 10). Do you know where this landmark event took place? In Bethel, where the miracle had occurred with the stone of destiny.

Right in this context, God issues a landmark prophecy for the end time: “And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land. And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him” (verses 11-13). What a prophecy! This dovetails with other scriptures to show what the nations descended from Jacob would be like in our time. It reveals essential understanding about the birthright nations of Israel, which were to become “a [great] nation,” meaning the United States, and a “company of nations,” meaning Britain and its Commonwealth.

What did Jacob do when God revealed this knowledge to him? “And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel [which means house of God]” (verses 14-15). Jacob set up a pillar of stone and poured wine and oil on it. Jacob’s pillar stone is directly associated with these two great end-time nations!

This passage shows a sacred promise from God to Jacob that his family would include two great nations in the end time. This promise is made in the context of a stone—or, you could say, in the context of God’s house (Genesis 28:18, 22). But there is also an implied promise from God that at the end time, if you look closely into one of these two great nations, you will find a stone associated with this prophecy!

Jacob’s Name Passed to Joseph’s Sons

At the end of Jacob’s life, his beloved son Joseph visited him with his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (Genesis 48). At that meeting, Jacob reminded Joseph of that history: “… God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people …” (verses 3-4). Mr. Armstrong proved in The United States and Britain in Prophecy that Ephraim is Great Britain and Manasseh is the United States. He also showed that these verses applied to the end time.

Jacob—or Israel—adopted these two grandsons (verse 5). He asked Joseph to bring them before him so he could bless them. In his prayer of blessing, Israel said, “The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name [Israel] be named on them [Ephraim and Manasseh], and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth” (verse 16). At the same time Jacob was blessing Joseph’s two sons, he was also teaching a history lesson—a lesson we need to be reminded of. He was cementing in the boys’ minds the importance of the pillar stone by reminding them of the “Angel” who helped him. He was also showing the boys the significance of their roots. Their heritage came from Abraham and Isaac.

Can you hear the detractors of that day criticizing Jacob? They very well could have said Jacob was worshiping Abraham and Isaac! But Jacob wasn’t. He was carrying on a name and a tradition, passing on God’s promises that had come through Abraham and Isaac. Jacob’s prophecies for Ephraim and Manasseh were to reach through the centuries to our time now.

That stone is a witness of God’s promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel. What a stone of destiny!

“And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations” (verses 17-19).

This remarkable event foretold the history of England and the United States. God revealed to Jacob what would happen to the descendants of his two grandsons during our time now! Collectively, they were to grow into a multitude of people on Earth. Ephraim, the younger son, was to be a “multitude of nations.” No other nation could fulfill this prophecy but Britain, with its Commonwealth. Ephraim’s older brother, Manasseh, was to become one great nation in the end time. Only the United States could fulfill this prophecy. The offspring of these two young boys was to assume great wealth and power. Who could deny that this refers to the United States and Great Britain?

What mind-staggering truth!

Joshua’s Stone of Witness

Jacob’s pillar stone subsequently followed the nation throughout its history.

Dr. Herman L. Hoeh wrote about this stone in the July 1953 Plain Truth magazine: “[The stone is] steel gray in color, mixed with red veins, 22 inches long, 13 inches broad and 11 inches deep.” He then pointed back to its origins with Jacob, particularly a crucial statement he made by calling it a “shepherd”:

“Notice Genesis 49:1. Jacob called his sons together and told them what would befall them in our day, ‘in the last days.’ In verse 24, when speaking of Joseph’s descendants, he interjects by saying that from the tribe of Joseph—not Judah—will be found ‘the shepherd, the stone of Israel.’

“This same rock—the coronation stone—accompanied the Israelites during their 40 years wandering in the wilderness. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:4 that just as the Israelites had manna as a type of Christ, so they had, as a type of Christ, a rock which gave them water and which followed or went with them in their wanderings! Christ provides spiritual waters—the Holy Spirit, and Jacob’s shepherd stone, a type of the divine Shepherd, miraculously provided material water in the wilderness. …

“During those 40 years the stone accompanied Israel. That is undoubtedly why the two iron rings fastened to either end are so worn.”

Here is an interesting chapter in the history of Jacob’s pillar stone: “And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem” (Judges 9:6). In the time of the judges, a king of Israel was being crowned “by the plain of the pillar.” This phrase is better translated “by the oak of the pillar.” This “oak of the pillar” is related to Jacob’s pillar!

Let’s rewind to another incident that happened in the days of Joshua: “And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God” (Joshua 24:26-27). Joshua was pronouncing an important covenant in the same location where the crowning in Judges 9:6 occurred. Which stone did Joshua mean? It is the same stone as the one described in Genesis 28:18: Jacob’s pillar stone (the King James center reference makes the same connection). To which oak do these verses refer? The oak in Judges 9:6.

The stone is to be a witness to all of Israel. Why? Because it heard “all the words of the Lord.” The stone doesn’t actually hear, but it does represent God’s house, which has recorded much of that history. What Joshua was really saying was that the stone and what it represented, and “all the words of the Lord,” would be a witness against Israel!

It all started with Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel at his conversion. So this stone was taken into Egypt and through the wilderness until Joshua’s death. But that is not all. Joshua 24:27 states: “it shall be therefore a witness unto you.” The word “shall” includes the future as well as the past. It continues to be a witness to the people of Israel until their birth into God’s Family.

Let’s not forget that the book of Joshua is part of the former prophets, so it is prophecy for today and the future. What Joshua spoke here is important for all of God’s people today.

Some religious critics scoff at this history and prophecy. But that only condemns their lack of faith: They don’t believe their own Bibles!

So we can see that Israel—especially the British people—have had a powerful witness against them by having the throne of David, with the stone of destiny. God holds them accountable for that exceptional witness.

More importantly, the Eternal holds His lukewarm Church today far more accountable for rejecting that precious truth!

A Coronation Pillar Stone

When Israel was rent in two, the stone stayed with the kingdom of Judah. 2 Chronicles 23 records a coronation that took place many years later, in the ninth century b.c.: “Then they brought out the king’s son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king. Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord: And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar …. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason” (verses 11-13). Isn’t it interesting that God records this coronation of a king taking place next to a pillar stone?

How many pillars do you think would be used in a coronation ceremony? Are there 5, 10, 50, 100? There is only one—Jacob’s pillar stone! After the king was crowned, the people shouted, “God save the king”! That sounds very English! Or should we say Jewish? It is a very biblical statement! Remember, this famous shout was made in the presence of the pillar stone.

This is the story of Joash’s coronation. At that time a great civil war raged in Israel. Athaliah was an evil queen who had usurped her authority by slaying all the princes. She ruled from 843 to 837 b.c. But Joash was hidden from her. These verses describe Joash’s coronation in a religious service by a pillar, of all things. The people had had enough of this evil queen and were becoming more religious. They were weary of the horrible times. They realized they had to get back to their roots—back to the religion and promises associated with Jacob’s pillar stone. If they did this, they knew God would back the nation.

There is a great lesson here for us today. We need to be sure we know where God’s house, or God’s pillar, is. If you are standing in God’s house, or with God’s pillar, and you get things right with God, then you will be standing on a rock. It will not matter how many evil kings or queens there are—the Rock will be with you.

Jesus Christ—the ultimate symbol of the pillar—is behind the Church collectively and behind you individually! You must locate God’s house! Jacob’s pillar stone shows that God’s house can be a 2-foot piece of rock. It can be an executive condominium, such as where our original headquarters was located. God can make it so! Then He backs it up, if we trust Him. We need to learn to trust God whether He gives us a rock or a condo! If God is with us, and we show Him we trust Him, then we really have the Rock with us!

The stone represents God’s house, or God’s Church, and salvation for the entire world. Eventually the whole world will learn about this pillar stone and live by the covenant of God!

Britain to Lose the Pillar Stone

Remember Jeremiah’s prophecy: “For thus saith the Lord; David shall never [lack] a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel” (Jeremiah 33:17). That is a promise from God! That throne is on Earth today, and it will continue forever. Then, verse 18 says there will always be a man proclaiming the truth about that throne. That twofold covenant is all part of the key of David, and it is absolutely binding (verses 19-22).

That covenant is interesting to consider in light of a prophecy in Hosea 3:4: “For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim.”

This is describing a very tragic period—the Great Tribulation—that is almost upon us. It is a prophecy about Ephraim, Manasseh and Judah, when they no longer have a king or a prince. Jeremiah wrote that David’s throne would never lack a man sitting on it—yet here it says that for a time, Israel will have no king or prince. How can this apparent contradiction be reconciled? Remember, the very elect of spiritual Israel are being protected by God at this time.

Consider this as well: The word image in verse 4 refers to Jacob’s pillar stone—the stone Jacob called “God’s house” that stayed with Israel for generations and that to this day resides in Great Britain. God revealed to Hosea that in this end time, Ephraim is going to lose that stone.

We have already explained that England returned the stone to Scotland on the condition it be sent back for the next coronation. But this prophecy indicates that England will eventually lose total control of the stone.

Verse 5 confirms the end-time setting of this prophecy: “Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.” After the children of Israel lose their king, royal family, religion and stone, they will seek God and King David. This verse is a continuation of the thought in verse 4, which ends with a colon. It is a prophecy for the latter days.

Imagine the peoples of Israel going into captivity and finally coming to their senses. When that happens and they emerge from slavery, David will be right there facing them—resurrected as a fiery God being! That is a truly inspiring “key of David” prophecy! At last, the peoples of Israel will believe God. They will believe and understand the key of David! They will realize that David, who was just a human being, has been exalted into God’s Family. And they will recognize that they too have an avenue into the Family. They will see their incredible potential!

But again—consider this apparent contradiction between God’s promise to preserve David’s throne and this prophecy about them losing their king and the stone of destiny. How can this mystery be unriddled?

In my first edition of this book in 2002 (based on articles that appeared in the Trumpet magazine in 1996), I wrote: “We know England is going to lose its king and queen. The royal family will be killed or taken into captivity. What will happen to that stone in the Tribulation?

“What if God worked out a way for the very elect to obtain possession of that stone just prior to the return of Jesus Christ? This is what He did in Jeremiah’s time. God never let the stone fall into the hands of the Gentiles in the time of Jeremiah.”

I speculated about how that would occur. But then in 2017, God put that speculation to rest and showed me exactly how God’s faithful Church would receive the stone of destiny!

Before we look at that, we’ll look at more of what I wrote in that original edition of this Key of David book, specifically a prophecy in Isaiah.

Hiding God’s Outcasts

In the Soncino commentary, Isaiah 16:1 reads, “Send ye the lambs for the ruler of the land From the crags that are toward the wilderness, Unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.”

“Lamb” in the King James Version is better translated lambs. It is a collective noun. Crags is translated from the Hebrew Sela, meaning rocky fortress. The equivalent word in the Greek is Petra.

A special tribute is being sent to the ruler of the place. In other words, there is a group of people who are respectful to the local government. And they are located in Sela, a rocky place situated toward the wilderness—unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. The daughter of Zion is there—God’s very elect! This is a picture of God’s own Church in a rocky fortress, presenting a gift and paying respect to the government of the land.

“Like fluttering birds, like scattered nestlings, so are the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon” (verse 2; rsv). From the context you can see that these events take place during the Tribulation. So the whole region, and the world, is seized with turmoil—and it is affecting Moab, which is modern-day Jordan. “Fords of the Arnon” means that the Jordanian people are trying to get out of there by crossing a boundary at the shallow part of a river. Regarding “the daughters of Moab,” Soncino says, “The inhabitants of the provincial towns, uprooted from their homes and in search of a resting place.” That is Tribulation-associated imagery. At this point, the king of the south has already been conquered by the king of the north (explained in our booklet The King of the South).

There will be violent turmoil in the Middle East, and some of it will spill over into Jordan. The Earth’s inhabitants will be experiencing World War iii!

Will the preliminary turmoil open a way for God’s people to escape to a place of protection?

“Give counsel, grant justice; make your shade like night at the height of noon; hide the outcasts, betray not the fugitive” (verse 3; rsv). Here God is telling Moab to take care of some people who have been cast out. The Hebrew word translated “outcasts,” nadach, means to thrust forth, expel or drive away. How can Moab hide these people in darkness, as if it is night, even though it is high noon? It seems that hiding them in caves would do so.

God is telling these people that there is a very special group of people in their midst. Don’t betray these people! He says. I want you to hide them! Though we can’t be sure, this certainly looks like the place where God’s very elect will be protected during the Tribulation.

“Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land” (verse 4). The context shows why most translations read “my outcasts.” God calls them my people who have been cast out—my Church. And He tells Moab to hide them while others—extortioners and oppressors—are receiving hard correction from God. God appears to be correcting the people of Moab, probably to make them receptive to God’s people.

Revelation 12:14 shows that God’s people will be protected from “the face of the serpent.” God uses the Moabites to protect His very elect from “the face of the spoiler” (Isaiah 16:4). Serpent and spoiler refer to the same being, and it is the same place of safety in both scriptures! Satan is trying fanatically to get at us! We will need protection. He is after us—he always has been and always will be until God puts him away. He will come after us head-on in order to destroy us. We must respond by using God’s power to conquer him!

Now look at verse 5—where God has revealed some new truth to me.

The Throne Shall Be Established

“And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness” (Isaiah 16:5).

This is the same tabernacle of David as the one in Amos 9:11. The Anchor Bible says these two verses are about the same “tent,” or “booth,” of David. The tabernacle here means a hut, or temporary dwelling. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible says, “The most common use of the term had to do with the yearly booth made in conjunction with the Feast of the Tabernacles.” Amos 9:11 states that this temporary dwelling has fallen, and Christ will raise it back up through the very elect.

So in the midst of worldwide upheaval, there will be a tabernacle in the Middle East. It is there for an important reason. In this context, it is clearly where God is. If it’s the very elect tabernacle, God is right there leading His people. You can see that by the way God is talking to Moab in Isaiah 16—and I have a strong feeling that the people of Moab are going to obey! They will recognize that God is in charge. But still, it is a temporary dwelling. The Kingdom of God has not arrived yet.

Now—look again at Isaiah 16:5. There is an added expression not found in Amos 9:11: “the throne.” This says that the throne will be established in addition to the tabernacle. What throne is this? David’s throne! The same throne that Jeremiah 33:17 says will always be occupied!

This is the only throne on Earth that will last forever! “The throne,” indeed!

Now, here is what the original version of this book said after this point:

That throne of David is in Britain today. For millenniums, the kings and queens who have been crowned on that throne have done so over Jacob’s pillar stone, also called “the stone of destiny.”

How could that throne be established in the context of Isaiah 16? Only the stone of destiny could firmly establish the throne of David!

Is Isaiah 16 telling us that God will somehow give us that stone when God’s people go to the place of safety? After all, we are going to be sharing that throne with Christ in a matter of just a few years!

The stone of destiny is really the symbol of David’s throne—not the chair that sits in Westminster Abbey. That chair was constructed by men rather recently—but the stone has been around for millenniums! It goes all the way back to Jacob! It was at one time called God’s house—where God dwelled!

Where will that stone be during the Tribulation? Again, Ephraim is going to lose it, according to Hosea 3:4. Where will that rock be? Will God give it to the Gentiles? I don’t believe for a minute that He would. He didn’t give it to the Gentiles when Judah was taken captive. Jeremiah was in a prison in Jerusalem—and yet somehow he ended up with the stone, and he eventually took it with him to Ireland!

Wouldn’t God want us to save that marvelous stone of destiny or to gain possession of it? I can’t see this verse as anything but a strong statement about where that rock will be.

God says THE throne will be ESTABLISHED—and it’s in the context of a tabernacle, or temporary dwelling. The word “established” comes from the Hebrew word kuwn, which is used 25 times in Scripture to refer to the establishment of a dynasty. In this passage, it must be talking about the Davidic dynasty! God said there would never lack a man to sit on that throne—and here He says the throne will be established in a temporary, Tribulation setting, with God’s loyal people dwelling in a rocky fortress!

We must have faith to believe what the Bible says! This is an exciting prophecy!

Right now, the pieces seem to be falling into place for us to assist in uncovering the very place where David’s throne was and where Christ will sit on His throne. Do you suppose God might also get us involved with that stone? Does it seem illogical that God would use His people, who have the key of David and are about to sit on the throne of David, to get that stone, which is a symbol of that throne and of Christ? Certainly not to me.

I first wrote the above paragraphs in 2009. I was simply looking at these scriptures in faith. I knew that God would fulfill these prophecies, though I did not know how.

A New Stone of Destiny

Then in 2017, God gave us possession of a new stone of destiny. I explain the details of this change in my book The New Throne of David. Please request a free copy.

It shows that God actually prophesied not just three overturns of David’s throne, symbolized by Jacob’s pillar stone, but then its ceasing. For example, in Ezekiel 21:26-27, God says, “… I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is [Jesus Christ]; and I will give it him.” There is a dramatic change here! Yet—even after “it shall be no more,” God says He will give it to Christ. We now know this is because there is a new stone of destiny that replaced the one now in Scotland. And this stone is in God’s Church today.

The stone that we have is the prayer rock of Herbert W. Armstrong, a rock that he prayed at during the period he called “the start of the present Work.” It is a tangible symbol of how God built this Work through Mr. Armstrong on a foundation of fervent prayer, which is how God’s Work is conducted to this day.

Some critics accuse us of idolatry because we have this rock. Would they have made the same accusation against the Israelites for transporting Jacob’s stone through the centuries? That rock symbolized Jesus Christ Himself being with His chosen people! God has a history of using such physical objects at times to teach and inspire us. He has been directing our attention to the importance of Jacob’s pillar stone since Mr. Armstrong’s day. And the Bible’s prophecies about that stone, and about the throne of David, show that He had in mind from long ago to supplant that symbol with a new stone of destiny in this end time.

This is a crucial doctrine that can be proved from many scriptures, and The New Throne of David will help you do that. The stone of destiny is in the possession of God’s Church today. This is a major step toward establishing the rule of God on Earth, and it shows just how close we are to Jesus Christ’s return!

Great Symbol of This Stone Today

One of the most electrifying prophecies in the Bible shows Jesus Christ coming to Earth to supplant the kingdoms of this world and establish God’s government. This is described in several passages. One of the most vivid is in Daniel 2. And it too describes Jesus Christ as a stone.

“This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (verses 32-35).

The stone of destiny pictures Jesus Christ and God’s Kingdom. Today, Britain, the United States and all of biblical Israel need the strong government of Jesus Christ. Our governments are wickedly corrupt. When Christ returns, He is going to destroy all the rebellious governments on Earth. They will become as chaff and drift away with the wind. The stone of His Kingdom will grow and fill the whole Earth.

This is the Stone backing and supporting the Church today! And He has given us a physical symbol representing Him, just as He did with the ancient Israelites. We have that stone on our campus—a symbol of Jesus Christ and the throne of David. There is great power behind God’s true Church because we have remained true to the Stone, or Jesus Christ. All we have to do is believe God!

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (verses 44-45).

A related prophecy of that beautiful future appears in Zechariah 3:9: “For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” When Christ establishes His government, He will remove the iniquities of Israel! “In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree” (verse 10). This Stone (Christ) will finally bring peace and prosperity to all nations—far beyond human comprehension today.

This is the ultimate fulfillment of this “stone of destiny.” These are promises on which we can stake our lives! Christ says to the Church, “the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” What a stone of destiny! What a key of David! How blessed we are to be here and be a part of it. We must make sure we get it. We must not let this vision escape us.

Spiritual Meaning Behind Stone

The Apostle Peter also spoke of Jesus Christ being the Stone. “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner” (Acts 4:10-11). He cited Psalm 118:22 here. Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the ultimate meaning of the stone of destiny. Christ is our Rock. He is soon to reappear to take over the reins of world government.

“Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded” (1 Peter 2:6). The greatest gift God has given the Church is Jesus Christ. He is the chief cornerstone. If we follow Him, we cannot be confounded. Because of His great power, we do not have to fear deception or the world.

Do we believe this with all of our being? We have a great Stone in which to put our faith and trust! As God’s people, we operate from a position of strength! The Philadelphia Church of God has this Stone as our support and our Head.

Christ Himself spoke of the need to build our lives on this Rock: “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). This is the Stone, or Rock, to which we should anchor everything in our lives. If we build our lives on this Rock, we will never be confounded. These verses are a promise from the Rock, or God’s house. Do we have the faith to believe Jesus Christ?

We have heard great words from Herbert Armstrong and we are staying true to them. Why has the pcg grown stronger? Because we are founded upon the Rock! Ephesians 2:20-21 show that the true Church is founded upon the Stone—Jesus Christ.

“And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:26-27). Whether it is an individual, a nation or a church, unless it is founded upon Jesus Christ, it will fall. The Laodicean Church will fall greatly because it has rejected the sayings, or knowledge, of Jesus Christ.

The Laodicean churches no longer represent the Stone, God’s house or the Work. Read Matthew 21:42. Jesus Christ said we should hold Him and His Work as a marvelous thing before our eyes. Is the Work Jesus Christ is doing through the new stone of destiny, David’s throne and Mr. Armstrong marvelous in our sight? It should and must be if we are going to make it into the Kingdom of God. Christ’s Work is not a marvelous thing to the Laodicean Church, or it would not have rejected such precious knowledge.

“Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isaiah 28:16). God has given us vital knowledge. We hold fast to the knowledge of Jacob’s pillar stone because it represents the Work of Jesus Christ throughout thousands of years. Those who believe the Bible history of Britain’s “stone of destiny”—and the new stone of destiny God has given His Church today—act from faith, not from fear. God says we have a tried stone—a sure foundation. Everything works out right for those who have the faith of Christ.

The whole world will have to come to understand what this stone is all about! Jesus Christ will soon return to this Earth and sit over that stone as King of kings and Lord of lords! Do you really comprehend what this stone means? It really does have to do with surviving as a nation, a Church or an individual. That stone ought to give you a special relationship with God.

When you view the whole story, you can see why Satan wants to destroy this important knowledge. Satan wants God’s Church to get away from The United States and Britain in Prophecy—so he can move the Church into paganism.

These truths are not that difficult to prove. It takes faith to trust God, to look into the Bible and believe what it says. It takes faith to stake our lives on this knowledge!

Sidebar: Establishing the Throne

Here I will include some material that was printed in the previous edition of this book before the revelation God gave about the new stone and new throne. I think it is valuable to see how God was directing me to consider how He would fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 16, particularly verse 5: “And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.” Remember, this is in the context of God’s people being protected during the Great Tribulation.

When you read this section in light of God placing the new throne of David in His Church today, so many details of what I wrote then take on increased significance. And the mystery I was puzzling over is perfectly clear.

What follows comes from the previous edition of this book:

Who will sit on that throne at the time described in Isaiah 16? I don’t know—but I do know that someone will be on it, and it will be established—and it appears to be there in the Middle East during a terrible time on Earth.

At the time of Jeremiah, he had with him a queen from the royal family to sit on that throne. Maybe there will be a member of the royal family with us in the place of safety. However, considering Isaiah 16:5 says he will be “seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness,” that doesn’t seem likely.

There is much here we don’t know, but the context seems to imply that the “he” who “shall sit upon” that throne is a man from this Church.

As I point out in Who Is ‘That Prophet’?, Micah 2:13 refers to the office Christ has given me as that of “their king.” That couldn’t be referring to Christ, because the same verse separately mentions “the Lord.” The word king in that verse means the leader, or one in charge—but the word king is appropriate.

In Micah 4:8-9, God asks the Laodiceans, “[I]s there no king in thee?” They don’t have a king. (You can also read about these verses in our free booklet Micah—God’s People Rise Up as His Enemy.)

These scriptures are talking about a man who leads a breakaway from a rebellious church! It’s end-time prophecy in your Bible!

It shouldn’t be too upsetting to think of God calling a man in the Church a “king.” After the 3½-year period of the Tribulation, every converted member in God’s Church will be a king and a priest forever!

Among the jewels of the British crown used at the coronation ceremony, there is a scepter. Genesis 49 (a prophecy for our day, as it shows in verse 1) says that the scepter will not depart from Judah, and that there will always be a lawgiver, who also descends from Judah (verse 10). God’s law is certainly not emanating from the throne of David today.

It did, however, come from Herbert W. Armstrong during his more than 50 years in the ministry. And since Mr. Armstrong died in 1986, God has given me the responsibility of continuing in that same law He established through Mr. Armstrong.

Some of you might remember how surprised Mr. Armstrong was to find that the ancestry on one side of his family could be traced back to King David. I too was shocked to discover this fact concerning my own lineage, also on one side of my family. Is there a reason why Mr. Armstrong and I both can follow our roots back to David’s kingly line—to the tribe of Judah? Does it have anything to do with this “lawgiver” coming from Judah’s feet—or Judah’s descendants—in the last days, “until Shiloh [Jesus Christ] come”?

Mr. Armstrong had to establish God’s law and government. He was the Elijah who restored all things just before Christ’s return. I have continued the same law and government that he taught. No other church can truthfully make that claim!

We must believe God’s Word. I don’t know exactly what God is going to do—but I know He made a promise to David that there would never lack a man to sit on that throne. Could that man be inside the Church of God, helping us to get ready to sit on that throne as kings and priests?

The word throne does not always refer to a literal throne, but the context here sounds very literal to me. It specifically says, “he shall sit upon it.” Someone will be sitting on something real. Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon says of the word sit, “Specially, to sit is used of judges, where they sit to give judgment …, kings sitting on their thrones ….”

In that place, there will be the tabernacle—and the throne. There is only one throne on Earth that has such meaning for God and His people. Christ discussed it specifically with the Philadelphia and Laodicean eras in Revelation 3. This is all about the key of David, including the throne of David.

“And in mercy shall the throne be established.” What mercy God will shower upon this evil world. Yes, people will suffer. But so soon, they will receive abundant mercy from that throne, and that stone, which is a symbol of Christ Himself. Truth and justice will come from that throne in Jerusalem forever.

Why would God be revealing such details now? We must be getting awfully close to the fulfillment of these prophecies!

The throne of David is the primary theme of the book of Chronicles. This book is a vision that revolves around David’s throne. We need to understand it deeply.

Ezra, who wrote both Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah, based it on material from the former prophets. Prophets do teach history, but their primary purpose is to prophesy. We certainly want to learn what we can about history. But if these books were written by prophets, that means they are prophesying, and that is their most important message. That is what Chronicles is all about. Ezra is prophesying. He was quite a powerful prophet.

As I explain in my booklet The Book of Chronicles (free upon request), the inspired order of books in the Bible places Chronicles as the last book in the Old Testament. And it links with the last book in the New Testament, Revelation. Though Chronicles contains a lot of history, it is a profoundly spiritual and prophetic book.

God’s Church received new revelation about the book of Chronicles just before we received the revelation about the new stone and the new throne. God gave us the truth about Chronicles to prepare us to receive that throne! That gives you a sense of how important this book is.

1 Chronicles 10 through 29 are explicitly about the key of David—20 chapters! People wonder why Chronicles focuses so much on David. The answer is that this entire book is a key of David message, and at the heart of that is the throne of David.

Adam

The book of Chronicles begins with a genealogy that goes all the way back to the first man, Adam. We need to know that history. Remember Adam and the opportunity God gave him: He had direct contact with God and was offered the tree of life. But he rejected it. He and Eve chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or the tree of death. Look where the world is today as a result! Because we are eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we are about to destroy all human flesh on Earth (Matthew 24:21-22).

But the “Adam” at the beginning of Chronicles isn’t only physical. This biblical book has a deeply spiritual message. The reference to “Adam” has a dual purpose.

This is not really about Adam, the first man. This book points to the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, who came and gave His life for this world! You can recognize this profound truth if you are thinking spiritually. (I also explain this in more depth in that Chronicles booklet.)

This book is very spiritual if we look at it as people who have the Holy Spirit today. If Adam were alive today, he wouldn’t understand this truth because he turned away from the tree of life. That is what this is about: eating from the tree of life. How wonderful when God makes that available to you! Very few people have this opportunity today.

Prophecy for Today

Lange’s Commentary says, “[T]he author of Chronicles confines his attention to David and the kingdom founded on the promise made to him in 2 Samuel 7.” That is an outstanding insight into this profound biblical book. Even carnal-minded people can see this. But they don’t understand why. Why does Chronicles have so many chapters on David?

Nobody understands this book except the people of God today. God didn’t even reveal it to Mr. Armstrong. It is specifically for our time, and we need this information.

Remember God’s promise in 2 Samuel 7:12-16: “… I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. … And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” That is a beautiful promise and prophecy from God! Clearly there is a direct physical fulfillment in David’s royal line.

But again, we need to view Chronicles spiritually. God’s reference to an eternal throne, “established for ever,” and a God Family—being a Father to human beings who are sons—is obviously directed to God’s people spiritually! We are God’s royal Family, preparing to share that throne with Jesus Christ forever. And the throne of David currently resides in God’s true Church. Chronicles truly has special meaning for us today!

Chronicles also talks a lot about building, about how we need to build and raise the ruins. Ezra was trying to inspire people after they had returned from 70 years of captivity. That too is very significant for us. From our beginning in 1989, we have been raising the ruins of Mr. Armstrong’s work that was destroyed after his death.

1 Chronicles 13-16 focus on the ark of the covenant, a symbol of God and His throne. God communicated with the people from there. You’d think they would be eager to be close to God, but they turned away. Even David didn’t treat that ark with enough respect in the beginning. God had been clear in His instructions on how to transport it, but David neglected those instructions. When it lurched as they were moving it, Uzzah touched it to steady it, and God struck him dead. That got David’s attention! He realized he had committed a great sin: “[T]he Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order” (1 Chronicles 15:13). God was preparing David and teaching him how to rule for eternity. What a lesson this is: When God speaks, we must do exactly what He says, in due order. We have a structured government, and we follow that. We step out and obey God, and wherever we find that we’re not doing something right, we try as hard as we can to do what God says. We strive to be like David, doing things exactly the way God says to do it and in due order. That brings such joy and happiness into our lives.

David’s biography is the longest in the Bible. The Ferrar Fenton translation subtitles the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, “History of the House of David.” Several commentaries agree. One says that to understand Chronicles, you need to understand its focus on David and his throne. They keep calling it history, yet it is a book of prophecy! It isn’t merely the history of the house of David—it is prophecy about the house of David. They cannot understand that without the Spirit of God. Only we really understand God’s prophecies.

The key of David message concludes the Old Testament and leads right into the New Testament. The book concludes, “The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up” (2 Chronicles 36:23). Go up where? To Jerusalem. This points directly to the New Testament, where the most important events of Christ’s life occurred in that city. And the first verse of the first book of the New Testament speaks of “Jesus Christ, the son of David.” There is David again!

Ezra ended Chronicles pointing directly to the message of the Gospels and the majestic truth about “Jesus Christ, the son of David.”

Chronicles is a very spiritual book that we need to understand. Let’s see the connection it makes with the end-time prophecy of Jeremiah.

The 70-Years Prophecy

This connection appears at the end of the book. 2 Chronicles 36:20 describes the historical setting—Babylon taking Judah into captivity: “And them that had escaped from the sword carried he [the Chaldean king] away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia.”

Now notice: Ezra brings Jeremiah into the picture. “To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten [70] years” (verse 21). The margin points back to prophecies in Jeremiah 25:9-12 and 29:10. That is history we need to remember.

We must understand that Jeremiah played a role here. His prophecies are central to the pcg’s commission and relate closely with the throne of David. God has revealed a lot more from the book of Jeremiah to us. These are crucial truths God wants us to understand that connect with Chronicles.

God has revealed more to me to add to our understanding. It is critical for understanding the connection between Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah and Jeremiah. As I said, Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah are to be understood and applied spiritually, and even the 70 years Jeremiah prophesied of is spiritual.

Jeremiah warned Judah about that coming captivity. That is now history, but Babylon’s ancient destruction of Judah is a type of much more than that. Today there is a modern Babylon. It is almost formed, and we are facing it right now! God wants us to tie that in with this 70-years prophecy and look at it spiritually.

That 70 years is a type of the modern-day Babylon taking Judah captive, along with two nations of Israel: Manasseh and Ephraim. It will take 2½ years of the most horrific crises ever on Earth, including a nuclear attack and captivity, to help these people repent, unless they repent now. God will give them that much time to repent of their sins. The first captivity is a type of the coming second Babylonian captivity.

Once those people learn that lesson, we will all be raising up the ruins. That is mostly spiritual! We are raising up a lot of the ruins spiritually today, and it is leading into the wonderful World Tomorrow.

Why did Jeremiah write a book? Because his message was not only to Judah but also to the two prophetic nations of Israel, the United States and Britain (Jeremiah 30:1-2). This is a book for the end time. “For, lo, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah …” (verse 3). Who will take them into captivity? Babylon—the Chaldeans (Habakkuk 1:6-15). Jeremiah 30:4 goes on to again talk about Israel and Judah.

“For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?” (verses 5-6). Everybody in these nations is pale with terrifying fear. That is the future of our peoples if they don’t repent! We don’t like to think about that, but at times we must.

“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day [the day we are now living in], saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him” (verses 7-8). There is hope! Even if Jacob—unconverted Israel—rebels, God still has compassion for him.

Then God brings David’s future position into the picture. “But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them” (verse 9). God promises to raise David (and the other firstfruits as well) from the dead! And He will give him an impressive position: king over all Israel!

Why does God keep emphasizing David? He is a wonderful example to us. And we are going to be right there beside David, working with him. We will be teaching a lot about David in the World Tomorrow because we have learned so much from him today.

The Tribulation God describes in verses 5-8 before David’s future kingship is exactly what this world will soon experience if people don’t repent. But then He gives us the very zenith of hope! Above all that bad news is the good news—so good that people with a carnal mind cannot believe it!

Believe God’s Word. Believe what Jeremiah said about ancient Babylon and about modern-day Babylon and these two captivities. Believe God will do what He says, as He has always done!

A Seething Pot

Note Jeremiah’s commission: “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant” (Jeremiah 1:10). The Ferrar Fenton translation reads, “See! I have appointed you today over nations, and kingdoms; to pull up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to erase; as well as to build, and to plant.”

That is worded very simply: Pull up, break down, destroy—these are the three overturns of David’s throne. Mr. Armstrong taught us that Ezekiel 21:27 shows the throne was overturned three times. But then what happens? The throne is erased! Other Bible study aides use the expression “ruin utterly” or “destroy utterly.” Those three overturns are history. What replaces it? Where is David’s throne? It has to remain because God promised it would continue from the time of David to the Second Coming and forever! Now we begin to see why God set up a new throne. God says clearly that He erased the throne of David that used to be. He replaced it with a new throne, and we have it!

Tie this in with that 70-years prophecy. We must see what Jeremiah prophesies about this final Babylonian captivity. It is prophecy for us today if we look at Jeremiah spiritually, just as we do with Chronicles.

“Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1:11-12). God says, “I will hasten”; He will speed up events. I think that shows a certain level of Christ Himself being involved on Earth at times. It seems God is performing this act in person. Events in the world and in God’s Church are moving faster and faster. We are in that gun lap at the very end of our race!

“And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. Then the Lord said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land” (verses 13-14). That is speaking of a modern-day Babylonian empire! God says this seething pot is about to boil over on three nations if they don’t wake up. This is an impending attack by the Holy Roman Empire that includes nuclear warfare. No wonder people’s faces turn pale!

“For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah” (verse 15). This attack is coming! Europe is yearning for strong leadership. European leaders want to position the Continent as another world superpower. In the end, these leaders will try to blot out the name of Israel! We have to be ready: This pot is seething as never before!

Linking With Ezra-Nehemiah

Chronicles also strongly links to the book of Ezra-Nehemiah, another prophetic book. I write about this in the Chronicles booklet, and will briefly summarize this truth here.

The concluding verses of Chronicles are: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia [Babylon had been conquered by Persia], that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up” (2 Chronicles 36:22-23).

These are the same verses Ezra began Ezra-Nehemiah with, a book he had written years before. The commentaries can’t understand why he pointed back to his earlier book. But clearly Ezra deliberately tied these books together.

If you don’t look at this spiritually, you will never understand it. Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah are spiritual, and they are linked. Ezra-Nehemiah says a lot about Zerubbabel, Joshua, Haggai and Zechariah. I have written booklets on two of them (Haggai and Zechariah), and Zerubbabel and Joshua are also important end-time prophetic personalities. These are prophecies for today! God discusses these men in detail because these books are end-time prophecy, specifically for the pcg.

Why did Ezra point back to Ezra-Nehemiah? Here are two reasons.

First, it underscores the fact that Chronicles is an end-time message specifically for the pcg, which is raising up the ruins. That is the message of Ezra-Nehemiah. The Jews who returned to rebuild Jerusalem would work with a spade in one hand and a sword in the other (Nehemiah 4:17-18). As we do God’s ruin-raising Work today, we must wield our spiritual sword, the truth of God, to combat anything that gets in our way. We have to be building like those people were. Those Jews’ hearts were in the Work! And as Mr. Armstrong said, if our heart isn’t in the Work, we won’t grow.

God wants us to realize that there are ruins to be raised. This whole Church has been doing that for years and continues to raise the ruins of what Mr. Armstrong had built. We are here to build and build and build. God says the whole universe is waiting. It is groaning, waiting for the liberty of the sons of God! (Romans 8:18-23). We are going to be raising ruins for eternity. This is our future! Chronicles points to that ruin-raising message to emphasize that it applies to us.

Second, this link brings the key of David message and the throne of David into Ezra-Nehemiah. We must keep in mind that what is missing in Ezra-Nehemiah is the throne of David. God has provided that for us. This makes the message of Ezra-Nehemiah even more relevant to us.

The link between these two books is further reinforced in Nehemiah 12:23, which mentions the book of Chronicles. This drives the commentaries crazy, because when Nehemiah was composed, Chronicles hadn’t been written yet! Of course not, because this is prophecy for today. Ezra expressed that himself in his edits, adding this reference to Chronicles and fortifying the link between these two books. He explicitly tied Ezra-Nehemiah to Chronicles, and Chronicles to Ezra-Nehemiah. This is a sign that people could see and understand if they would let God lead them. If you don’t have the Holy Spirit of God, you don’t get it. And it wasn’t revealed in Mr. Armstrong’s time because it is for today.

David in Ezra-Nehemiah

Here is some important context that shows how Ezra-Nehemiah is a spiritual book, not simply history. When the Jews returned to Jerusalem, they did not have the throne of David with them. Yet they were intensely focused on David. That great king’s presence is pervasive throughout Ezra-Nehemiah. Ten times David is mentioned by name. Let’s look at some examples.

Ezra 3:10 says, “And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.” David had ordained that this should be done and in this way, and they followed that. This is a tremendous example for us today. We follow David’s example to the best of our ability. We produce music that has messages from and for God! We sing from a hymnal with beautiful psalms, many of which David wrote. God has us sing them over and over so these wonderful truths are ingrained in our minds. This example is specifically for us today because we are going to teach this in the World Tomorrow. We need to be ready when Christ arrives.

In Ezra 8:20, Ezra speaks of some people he solicited help from, “whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites ….” Ezra always referred back to what David had done for direction on how to conduct matters.

Ezra focused so much on David, and this is for the pcg specifically, as is Chronicles. The new throne has everything to do with building and raising up the ruins. We will sit on that throne with Christ forever and ever if we put our heart in this Work and build everything spiritual we need to.

Nehemiah 3:15-16 show that as the Jews rebuilt Jerusalem, they knew all about the city of David and even “the sepulchres of David.” That is an important reference to the tombs of the kings. We expect those tombs to be found soon (more about this in Chapter 14, “The Father’s Vision”).

Nehemiah 12 has several references to David. Verse 37 says, “… they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.” When these people were raising up the ruins, they knew where David’s palace had been, just like today we know where it was. But this history is recorded for our benefit. Those Jews didn’t have God’s Spirit. This is for us spiritually. That is what Ezra was prophesying at the end of Chronicles.

Verse 24 reads, “And the chief of the Levites … with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God ….” This was a commandment of David, the man of God, and they obeyed it! They loved David. They brought him into the picture all the time. They built the way David built. We want to do the same.

David continually praised and thanked God in the temple and anywhere he could. He had enormous choirs and ensembles lined up to offer continual praise and thanks, and the whole nation could look to that example. It isn’t natural to think this way. We are naturally self-centered, but we must become God-centered. We must learn to think like God, act like God, work like God, and build the very character of God! We strive very hard to do that. We have made praise and thanksgiving part of our educational program from kindergarten through college. We work to teach our children to be princes and princesses for God, where they dance and sing for God, as the adults also do. We are building that way of life at God’s headquarters and around the world. That is what David did, and God is going to set him over all the tribes of Israel! What leadership they are about to be blessed with.

Verses 27-29 describe them celebrating with music, praising God. They played the musical instruments David, the man of God, had made. David made musical instruments! That takes skill. But what a beautiful sound to have music like that. God loves that!

“Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, according to the command of David and Solomon his son” (verse 45; New King James Version). David and Solomon taught that we have to be purified. We all have human nature and must get rid of that.

“For in the days of David and Asaph [the song leader] of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God” (verse 46). This is the way it will be in the World Tomorrow. God says we have to be building and preparing to show the world what transpired during the reign of David and put it on a spiritual level. Can you imagine the music, singing and dancing we will have in the World Tomorrow? It is going to be breathtaking! Thinking about all of that the way God wants us to understand it brings these books alive.

All Ezra-Nehemiah needs is the new throne of David. What a spiritual book it is! How spiritual Chronicles is, and how spiritual Jeremiah is. We have to get our focus on the spiritual, and we have to build and build.

God builds churches that really support His Work; this is the way we accomplish things. God’s Church today is small, but we have loyal supporters. Look at the impact we are having on the world because we are building this key of David vision. As the inscription in the lobby of Armstrong Auditorium explains, it is made possible by the support of the people of God. That $25 million edifice couldn’t have been built without people who really support and believe in what God is doing! We all have to be unified and do it together. We must love and support each other and build the love of God and the fellowship of God between us. We are God’s Family, the royalty of God! We are most blessed among all people.

Sidebar: Revelation and the Key of David

In the inspired order of the Bible, Chronicles is the last book of the Old Testament. It ties in beautifully with the last book of the New Testament, Revelation.

There is an outline in Chronicles that parallels the first three chapters of Revelation. Chronicles is built around the key of David message, as are Revelation 1-3.

Chronicles begins with a genealogy. In a sense, Revelation does as well.

The book of Revelation begins, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God [the Father] gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” (Revelation 1:1). This book is from God the Father, who gave it to Christ, who gave it to an angel, who gave it to John.

In verse 10, John says he heard “a great voice, as of a trumpet.” This is Jesus Christ speaking! Chronicles began by mentioning the first Adam. Here we get a brilliant description of the Second Adam! (1 Corinthians 15:45).

In Revelation 1:11, Christ touches on another aspect of this spiritual genealogy—the seven Church eras: “… I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.” There is a lot about the God Family that God wants us to see in this spiritual genealogy.

But first, there is a greater description of the Second Adam.

Christ in the Midst

“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks [lamps]; And in the midst of the seven [lamps], one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle” (Revelation 1:12-13). Jesus Christ is right in the midst of His Church. What a difference it makes in a Church when Christ is in your midst! That means that, as long as the people will submit to Him, Christ is leading it, and terrific events will unfold!

“His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength” (verses 14-16). This is the Second Adam! He is radiant and glorious—and scriptures reveal that is the way God’s people are going to look when we are glorified! (1 John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 15:49; Philippians 3:21).

“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Revelation 1:18). This is the Leader of our Church! When He is in the midst of this Church and we do our part, He will accomplish astounding things. That is for certain!

This magnificent Being is called “the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David,” and He opens up the entire book of Revelation! (Revelation 5:5). And He is the “Root of David.” It is from the root that life proceeds! What a wonderful blessing it is to have this Root of David, and the very life of God, in our lives!

Then in Revelation 22:16, He says, “… I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” How stunning that Christ is not only the root, but also the offspring of David. Again and again He points back to this human king, through whom He founded the throne upon which He will sit for eternity.

After this spectacular description of the Second Adam in Revelation 1, the seven Church eras are explained.

The Seven Eras

Christ said to the first-century Church, “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden [lamps]” (Revelation 2:1). Those seven lamps represent the seven Church eras. Christ walks right in the middle of them!

The Ephesus era was doing well for a time, but then there were problems. The people lost their first love. And Christ admonished them to “repent, and do the first works” (verse 5).

“… To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (verse 7). Here is a reference to the first Adam and the tree of life that he rejected. God says that if you want to eat from that spiritual tree, you must overcome. He will not let you eat from that tree otherwise. So we must overcome. We must be doers.

After the first-century apostles died, the Smyrna era strove to faithfully follow God during a dark period. This era too had a “synagogue of Satan” (verse 9), like the Philadelphia era (Revelation 3:9)—people who claimed to be spiritual Jews but were apostate. During the Smyrna era, Emperor Constantine converted to Catholicism and began to enforce Catholic doctrine such as Sunday-worship. True Christians were persecuted, imprisoned and even martyred (Revelation 2:10).

The Church during the Pergamos and Thyatira eras was on the run from persecution from the several incarnations of the Holy Roman Empire. The prophecy in Revelation 12:6 depicts this period: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” That represents 1,260 years that the Church was the target of terrible persecution and warfare from Satan’s false church. The story of the accomplishments of God’s saints during those centuries is truly inspiring. (You can read far more about the “spiritual genealogy” of God’s Church in my book The True History of God’s True Church.)

The Sardis era began toward the tail end of those 1,260 years in the wilderness. It made the transition from England to the United States, where people could practice freedom of religion for the first time in generations.

As I wrote in Chapter 1, God called Herbert W. Armstrong during the time of the Sardis Church. Mr. Armstrong knew they had the right name and that certain doctrines were right, but it appeared to him that they were not dynamically alive spiritually the way they should be. Sure enough, Christ’s message to this era is, “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (Revelation 3:1). What an indictment! You have a name—Church of God. But you are dead. God wants us all to be dynamically alive! Are you dynamically alive spiritually? We need dynamically alive people to support this Work.

God used Mr. Armstrong to fulfill the role of the end-time Elijah, who would “restore all things” (Matthew 17:11). That is a powerful work to accomplish—and Mr. Armstrong did so in spite of the process starting during a Church era that was dead! Oh, how the truth of God can bring us to life!

Christ’s message to Sardis continues, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life …” (Revelation 3:5). Christ says, If you overcome and do as I tell you, I won’t blot your name out of the book of life! The reverse of that—what happens if the people don’t overcome—is obvious. This is a fierce warning for us.

To the Philadelphia era under Mr. Armstrong, God gave the key of David (verse 7), and those who remain loyal to God during the Laodicean era (verses 14-22) hold tight to that key.

‘The City of My God’

Revelation 4 describes God’s throne room. God the Father is surrounded by majesty on a scale we can scarcely imagine! We need to get that picture in our minds—because that points to our future.

The key of David vision is all about the gospel of the coming Family of God. Jesus Christ and God the Father lived for a prior eternity, only the two of them—and they deeply, deeply desired a family. They have done more for the sake of having a family than we can truly conceive! The Father is the Head of the Family, and He is heading this entire process. We are called by our Father. Then Jesus Christ takes over and makes certain we have the power we need. The good news of that coming Family is what the key of David vision is all about.

God wants to bring every last one of us into that eternal royal Family. Revelation 2:10 says, “… I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelation 3:11 says, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” That is a command from Christ our Husband: Let no man take your crown.

“[A]nd I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name” (verse 12).

Read God’s description in Revelation 21 and 22 of that new Jerusalem from which we will be ruling with Jesus Christ (more about this in Chapter 14). It is spectacular beyond comprehension! And it is real! This life we have today is just a physio-chemical existence, made from earth. God is offering us a place in His eternal royal Family, clothed in glory, honor and majesty. The key of David vision is all about the royal Family of God!

Before his death, Jacob called together all his sons to reveal to them what would happen to their descendants in our time. “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days” (Genesis 49:1). We saw in Chapter 7 how God had revealed knowledge about Joseph’s future generations: They would become “a nation and a company of nations”—the United States and Britain (Genesis 35:11). Here we see that God also revealed what would happen to the descendants of all of Jacob’s sons “in the last days.”

Jacob’s fantastic prophecy revealed knowledge about his sons’ tribes, which have become nations in this end time. It is truly stirring once we let this fact take firm hold in our minds. Here in Genesis, the Bible’s first book, we have a prophecy about what would befall the nations of Israel in this end time!

All 12 tribes, or nations, are named. Who and where are these modern nations today? We are living in “the last days” and must know, or we will be blind to God’s end-time prophecies!

The last book of the Bible, Revelation, is also full of prophecies about Israel. So we have prophecies about Israel from the beginning to the end. The key of David vision has been spoken about for thousands of years. And we will be speaking about it forever.

In this chapter we will look at the specific prophecies about the tribe from which David emerged: Judah.

Prophecy About the Jews

“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?” (Genesis 49:8‑9). These two verses give us great insight into the people of Judah, the Jews in the Middle East. In verse 9, God uses two phases of a lion’s life to describe them. God talks about a whelp, or cub, then a lion, which would be best understood as a violent young lion, and then an old lion.

Historically, and even in our time, the Jewish people have exhibited many lionlike qualities. God warns that all should be careful not to rouse the lion of Judah. In other words, leave him alone if he is at rest, or you will awaken his wrath.

Verse 8 states that Judah’s brethren would praise him, primarily because of the scepter promise (which we will explain in this chapter). But it is also referring to the many benefits that Judah’s warlike qualities have brought to the nation. This verse also prophesies that Judah will have its hands on the necks of its enemies. Historically, Judah has had a rousing, warlike quality that gave security to the nation. From Numbers 2:9 we learn that while in the wilderness, Judah was assigned to take the lead in all marches. This was an impressive position of honor. Judah received the first lot in the Promised Land. Caleb, a great-grandson of Judah and one of the original 12 spies, had skill and mighty strength as a warrior (Joshua 14:11). And of course, the greatest Jewish warrior of all time was King David. There is no doubt he fought like a lion.

In modern times, since the inception of the Jewish state in 1948, the Jews have exhibited that warrior spirit. They certainly did in the Six-Day War of 1967. It was also evident in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The Jews were a terror in the Middle East. Then they went through a long stretch where they grew weaker as a nation and placed their faith in peace negotiations, with disastrous results. Sadly, that portends their future, according to prophecy (request a free copy of Jerusalem in Prophecy to learn why). Still, more recently—after the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023—they have again demonstrated remarkable courage and ferocity in defending themselves against their enemies.

This prophecy takes on added significance when you think on God considering true Christians as spiritual Jews. There are many spiritual lessons we can learn from the physical characteristics God created in the Jews. For example, we should be lionlike in our fight to preserve the truth. Studying the Jews’ lionlike qualities also helps us to better see the qualities of the real Lion of Judah—Jesus Christ. True spiritual Jews exhibit the Lion’s qualities.

God does use physical people to teach us lessons. And we must be humble enough to learn these lessons. It should make no difference from whom we learn these lessons. Of course, we must emphasize the spiritual not the physical. But God wants to use the Jewish people for a high purpose.

The Scepter Promise

Study this additional statement in Jacob’s Genesis 49 prophecy about the descendants of Judah: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (verse 10). Remember that this verse is prophecy for the end time.

What does it mean that the scepter shall not depart from Judah? It means that a royal lineage, Jesus Christ and salvation are to come through the Jews. It is a continuation and further clarification of the seed promise made to Abraham (Genesis 28:14). The word scepter refers to David’s throne and Jesus Christ’s rule in the World Tomorrow.

Something about Judah caused God to give him the scepter. He must have displayed exceptional leadership qualities. The physical blessings of greatness and wealth were bestowed on Joseph’s sons—but the throne belongs to Judah. The United States and Britain in Prophecy follows this royal line through the centuries and proves how that throne ended up in Britain. The British people are descendants of Ephraim—but the royal line traces back to King David and, ultimately, to Judah!

Notice that Genesis 49:10 also prophesies of a lawgiver who is a descendant of Judah. This is actually a prophecy that the scepter and lawgiver would be united in a single office in this end time. (This is explained in The New Throne of David.)

The verse concludes, “… until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” This refers to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the King of kings. He will inherit the throne of David and is the ultimate fulfillment of the scepter promise. All people will gather unto the scepter of Judah. The Hebrew word translated gathering is yiqqahah and means obedience, submission. What a wonderful picture! Why do God’s people submit to and obey the government of God now? So we can be right alongside Christ when He gathers all people unto Himself! This gathering is pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles. All people will be gathered to the scepter of Judah and to Christ the Lawgiver.

God is preparing His Church for that future. Matthew 17:10-11 state that an Elijah would come and restore all things. Mr. Armstrong fulfilled this role—but he restored all things only to the Church. Compared to the number of people in this world, very few listened to Mr. Armstrong. Jesus Christ will return soon and restore all things to the world. Christ’s return is described as the time of the “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:20-21). Jesus Christ is coming to restore the government of God over the whole Earth. In the near future, all the world will learn to submit to Christ as He sits on David’s throne. This will require humility, obedience and submission on everyone’s part. The change in this world will be wonderful and truly miraculous.

An Elijah came and restored God’s government to the Church because Jesus Christ wants His government already here when He returns, so we can help Him implement His law. Ruling under the Lion of Judah will be a whole administration bringing salvation to all of mankind! So think on that: This opportunity to rule with Christ is given only to spiritual Jews. It all comes through Judah.

Jesus Was a Jew

Consider again how remarkable it is that Jesus Christ was a son of David. He was the Word made flesh, born of a human woman, a descendant of David, of the tribe of Judah.

The prophecy of Genesis 49:10 says Jesus Christ would be born of the tribe of Judah, a Jew. This is profound to consider. It shows that here, all the way back in Genesis, God’s plan was to send the Word to Earth to become His Son; it foretells that God would turn His glorious, eternal spiritual companion into a single physical sperm cell and implant Him within the womb of a Jewish woman!

In his Gospel, Luke brings this out beautifully: “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. … [T]hou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:26-32). This is at the heart of the key of David vision.

Joseph was not Christ’s father. Mary’s pregnancy was from God. This angel told Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (verse 35; nkjv).

In the Plain Truth magazine, Dr. Herman Hoeh wrote about these verses: “In the case of Jesus, the Logos was transformed into a physical sperm from the Father in heaven and was united with the ovum in the womb of the Jewess Mary. Therefore Jesus partook of the human [characteristics] of the tribe of Judah—Jewish flesh and blood” (“Was Jesus a Jew?”, June 1956). That sperm cell meeting with the ovum produced the very Son of God in the flesh! That is such a wonderful truth.

In unparalleled humility, the great God Being called the Word was willing to give up His glory and be transformed into a human sperm cell—the tiniest of cells—that impregnated a Jewish woman.

“Jesus possessed characteristics both of Mary’s ancestry and the characteristics of the Father in heaven. Jesus looked like other Jews, yet He had the express facial resemblance of the Father Almighty—‘Who hath seen me,’ said Jesus, ‘hath seen the Father’ (John 14:9)” (ibid). Obviously that is true spiritually—but it appears Jesus also meant it physically.

Think for a moment about the spiritual parallels of the miracle that happened here!

A Miracle Birth

Herbert W. Armstrong explained how human conception and begettal is a type of God begetting us spiritually with the Holy Spirit. “Each adult human is, spiritually, an ‘egg’ or ‘ovum.’ This spiritual ‘ovum’ has a very limited life span of itself …. But spiritual, divine immortal life may be imparted to it by the entrance into it of the Holy Spirit, which comes from the very Person of God the Father,” he wrote. “… Now, as the physical male sperm finds its way to, and unites with the nucleus in the ovum, so God’s Spirit enters and combines with the human mind! … [W]e are, now, the children of God (Romans 8:16)” (The Missing Dimension in Sex; emphasis mine).

So Mr. Armstrong compared the male sperm cell to that first bit of the Holy Spirit that God imparts when we repent and are baptized with the laying on of hands from God’s true ministry. We are spiritually begotten by that Spirit and are on the way to being born sons of God!

Only once in history has God actually physically begotten a Son. However, Jesus’s extraordinary miracle pointed to the miracle taking place in the lives of every begotten son of God! When you are baptized, you receive “the power of the Highest”—God’s Holy Spirit. It truly is every bit as much a miracle for your mind to receive that Spirit as it was for Mary to become pregnant by the power of the Highest!

And though that spiritual seed from God starts very small, “This divine Spirit of God imparts to us also the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4),” Mr. Armstrong wrote (ibid). It gives us the spiritual characteristics of our Father! Much like an embryo has the physical dna of his physical father, we are actually formed in our heavenly Father’s image! He reproduces Himself in us!

“As the physical fetus must grow physically large enough to be born, so the begotten Christian must grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ … must overcome, must develop in spiritual character during this life, in order to be born into the Kingdom of God!” Mr. Armstrong explained. “And as the physical fetus gradually, one by one, develops the physical organs, features and characteristics, even so the begotten Christian must gradually, continually, develop the spiritual character—love, faith, patience, gentleness, temperance. … He must develop the divine character!” (ibid). The Holy Spirit, the power of the Highest, transforms us!

What a marvelous picture! This spiritual transformation of human beings into God’s character image is, in fact, at the heart of God’s plan for mankind—His master plan!

‘Salvation Is of the Jews’

Jesus Christ grew up as a Jewish lad. God gave the Jews a very prominent place in His plan. From these facts we must assume that God the Father and Jesus Christ have a close connection to the Jewish race—but only to further their spiritual plan.

Given all these facts, Dr. Hoeh made this interesting observation: “The Jews, then, more than any other race, must resemble the dominant personality of the heavenly Father. God is Supreme Ruler. … Judah must have had special physical qualities for rulership” (op cit). This is particularly fascinating when you consider what God is doing spiritually with His begotten saints.

Remember, the royal line of David continues all the way to the present day. If you want to face the truth, Jews sit on the throne in England. Physical Jews have always sat on that throne, and for a very symbolic reason. If we are to have a future position of rulership with Christ, then we must become spiritual Jews!

Christ affirmed that the Jews play a vital role in salvation. To a Samaritan woman He said bluntly, “Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). Christ told her that she did not know how to worship God. He told her directly that if she continued to worship in her way, she could not obtain salvation. He told her salvation was of the Jews, which would have been salt in the wound for any Samaritan.

Jesus Christ was not ashamed to say that Jews had a crucial role in God’s plan. That message upset a lot of people. In fact, Christ was killed for preaching the message God the Father sent! But that didn’t make Christ wrong. Do you understand the truth He was communicating?

God is concerned most of all with the spiritual. All truly converted Christians become spiritual Jews. Mr. Armstrong wrote, “Salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22). Salvation, however, is for everyone that believes (in living faith, not dead faith)—to the Jew first, and, through Christ, also to the Gentile (Romans 1:16)” (Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath?). Read that verse, which the Apostle Paul wrote to the congregation in Rome, which was made up primarily of Gentiles. The wonderful truth is that everyone on Earth will be offered salvation. Historically it was offered to the Jews first. Many of the original Christians were Jews who believed the gospel of Christ and were baptized.

Mr. Armstrong continued, “You can have no salvation unless you become, spiritually, a Jew! (Romans 2:28-29). Of course, through disobedience, all natural-born Israelites have been cut off from the promises and God’s salvation—but they may receive it, like all others, through Christ! (Romans 11:17-18, 23-26)” (ibid).

Paul also wrote, “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands” (Ephesians 2:11). Prior to our conversion, we were spiritual Gentiles. We were outside of God’s promises. But now, as Paul stated, “… ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (verse 19). Because of Christ, we now have a future.

If you are converted, then as far as God is concerned, you are a Jew! If you are in God’s Church, you are a Jew! Even our young people are Jews inwardly because God’s Spirit is working with them. God says that a true Jew is one inwardly. Circumcision is of the heart.

Jesus Christ is predominantly concerned with the creation and development of spiritual Jews, not physical Jews. He wants to focus our attention on the spiritual Jew, Jesus Christ the Lion of Judah, who will bring us into the Kingdom, or Family, of God. God’s Family will be a Family of spiritual Jews.

The Oracles of God

In his epistle to the Romans, Paul wrote: “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1-2). One of the greatest gifts committed to the physical Jews has been the preservation of the Old Testament Scriptures. God also committed to the Jews the preservation of the sacred calendar, the knowledge of the Sabbath covenant and holy days, and the law of tithing. These are the “oracles of God,” which could be translated divine utterances. Many faithful physical Jews kept these on the letter-of-the-law level—a physical level.

God always intended that the oracles entrusted to the Jews be understood by the Church. Acts 7:38 says of Moses: “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.”

Today, God does not give new revelation about the oracles to physical Jews but to His spiritual Jews—the Philadelphians.

The name Philadelphian is synonymous with spiritual Jew. Our name, Philadelphia Church of God, is not a coincidence. God gave it to us because we value His revelation. The Philadelphians have the key of David. They are not embarrassed by it or ashamed of it. They proclaim it to the world. They do not look to men—they look to the God who possesses the key of David vision (Revelation 3:7).

True spiritual Jews understand the vital importance of God’s revelation.

We know that God revealed His key of David vision to the spiritual Jews. The oracles of God are included in the context of that vision. What God revealed to Herbert Armstrong, He has given to His spiritual Jews to preserve. God has “committed” to the pcg what He gave Mr. Armstrong. This verse applies to us today in that way. (Edmond, the city where the pcg is headquartered, means “preserver of wealth.”)

This is why we fought a battle in court for the right to print and distribute Herbert W. Armstrong’s books and booklets. We really had no choice. This literature was given to the Philadelphians, whether we are in the Philadelphian or the Laodicean era. So where you find all of God’s truth that was revealed to Herbert Armstrong, you will find the spiritual Jews!

We continue the Elijah work. God’s Church cannot die (Matthew 16:18). Each one of us has the responsibility to know where that Church is.

Faith of God

As Paul states in Romans 3:3, we must understand what God has revealed and then use the faith of God to preserve that truth. Think about this. What is the faith of God? It is believing what God says. What brought people into God’s Church under Mr. Armstrong? The faith of God. We believed that Mr. Armstrong taught what God revealed. What gave us the courage to move to the pcg? The faith of God. What keeps us in God’s Church? The faith of God.

We must use that same faith to preserve God’s oracles, never to reject or diminish them. We can be in God’s true Church physically and still not be a spiritual part of Christ’s Body. God lives in His oracles. Luke (who wrote Acts) referred to God’s oracles as the lively oracles.

The pcg fought in court for God’s truth in faith. We cannot preserve the key of David vision without faith! That is what Romans 3:3 explains. Through faith, the spiritual Jews knew precisely why they were in a court battle, fighting for God’s truth. The Laodiceans did not fight for God’s truth because they do not have Christ’s faith! That is why He is on the outside knocking on their door (Revelation 3:20).

Preserving God’s oracles requires great spiritual depth. It requires a spiritual Jew. Only the spiritual Jews have the faith of God.

God’s primary focus is always spiritual. The physical Jews fulfilled a critical role for God in preserving the oracles. But the role God has given spiritual Jews is far greater. All of God’s people who remain close to the divine utterances cannot be hurt by Satan the devil. Spiritual Jews have their heart, or their inner man, circumcised (Romans 2:29). They have been deeply converted to value what God values. They seek God’s praise, not the praise of men. They can detect Satan’s deceit and reject it. They are inspired by the key of David vision.

Why Anti-Semitism

Understanding the importance of physical and spiritual Jews in God’s plan, you can know absolutely that Satan will do everything he can to attack the Jews. And history and current events demonstrate just how fierce that attack can be.

Look at the Middle East today. The Jews of the tiny nation called Israel are despised by their neighbors. Many Arabs want to see the Jewish nation destroyed. The Jews are hated in Russia. Anti-Semitism has risen to shocking levels in many European nations—the very place where the unthinkable evils of the Holocaust were perpetrated against the Jews just last century. Even in the United States and other nations of Israel, you see appalling hatred of the Jews displayed publicly. Where is all this hatred coming from? A thinking person has to wonder!

We know the Jews, like all humans, have helped create some of their own problems. But we must see that there is something deeper behind anti-Semitism.

Satan the devil has a great hatred for God, and he understands the plan of God. Because of that plan, the word Jew can really stir up Satan’s wrath. The Jews are a type of what all men are to become spiritually. God’s association with the Jews has turned Satan even more violently against them! Hatred for the Jews has been inspired by Satan. He knows he was never offered what God has offered mankind. He wants nothing more than to destroy God’s plan.

Satan can stir up vicious hatred. He loves to use out-of-control emotions. A religion taken to the extreme—such as radical Islam—gives him a great field to work in. Nazi Germany exhibited fanatical hatred for the Jews. The Nazis also used emotion to stir up a repugnant hatred. The coming beast power will exhibit the same hatred for the Jews as well.

Most people who hate the Jews don’t even know why they do. Can we see Satan behind such lies and hatred?

Satan deeply hates physical Jews. But we must recognize the chilling reality that Satan hates spiritual Jews most of all.

Satan in a Rage

Revelation 12 prophesies of a war in heaven in which Satan and his demons were cast down to this Earth (verses 7-9). Verse 12 delivers this hair-raising warning: “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Yes, the devil is about to be kicked off his throne—and he is frothing mad about it!

Satan was cast down at the time of Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986. Notice the first target of Satan’s wrath once he was confined to Earth: “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman [a symbol of God’s true Church] which brought forth the man child” (verse 13). Satan went after God’s Church—the true spiritual Jews!

Never forget that Satan’s primary goal is to destroy God’s Work and Church. Within four years of Mr. Armstrong’s death, the Church suffered a serious split! This came as a devastating shock to many of God’s people. The destruction of the Worldwide Church of God happened with alarming speed, especially after the pcg started in December 1989. Today it is completely bereft of its former glory.

During the decades since, Satan has also stirred up terrible trouble for the nations of Israel. America has experienced terrible leadership, especially the destructive rule of Barack Obama and his vice president. (I explain this, and Satan’s part in it, extensively in my book America Under Attack.) The Jewish state of Israel, in addition to being targeted by its Islamic neighbors, has also been attacked from within by leftist forces. Britain and its Commonwealth partners like Australia and Canada have been subjected to corrupt authoritarian rule that has deeply oppressed these peoples.

The British royal family, which has the royal Jewish heritage of King David himself, has been so battered, bruised and beaten, it will never recover the dignity it once had. The walls of the palace have been riddled with scandal. Who has been the driving force behind the defamation of the royal family? Satan the devil. He desires to subject that throne to as much indignity as he can. Do we realize that the British royalty could stop all of the gross degeneration and its painful consequences? All they would have to do is be guided by God’s spiritual Jews.

Synagogue of Satan

To better understand the connection between Philadelphians and spiritual Jews, read these important words again: “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; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name [government]. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee” (Revelation 3:7-9).

Here, spiritual Jews are mentioned in the same context as the key of David vision. It is their understanding of this vision that makes them spiritual Jews! This separates the Philadelphians from the Laodiceans, a group that sprang from the “synagogue of Satan.”

These verses show that the Philadelphia era was truly a jewel in God’s sight. God gave it the key of David, the single greatest prophecy and vision in the Bible. Mr. Armstrong and true Philadelphians have always treasured this key. God provided Philadelphia an open door that no man could shut. And though small by this world’s standards, the Church kept God’s Word and government.

Verse 9 exposes the astonishing fact that while the Philadelphia era was doing its great work, the synagogue of Satan was growing within its ranks. God has revealed that this synagogue of Satan was the Laodicean era in embryo. He revealed this only after the Laodicean era was already born.

What a harsh name God gives the Laodicean fetus: the synagogue of Satan! This means that some within God’s own Church were falling prey to Satan, getting into devil worship even while Mr. Armstrong was alive! In verse 9, God calls them liars. He says they were acting like Jews but were not true spiritual Jews at all.

Only the pcg understands Revelation 3:9 today—this means that most of God’s own people don’t understand God or the devil! The Laodicean era is described as spiritually blind (verse 17). The overwhelmingly dominant trait of God’s people today is blindness!

Only those saints who have the key of David vision truly understand God and the devil!

One of the most important questions of our time is, Who are the true spiritual Jews? There are members of God’s Church who say they are Jews but whom God calls liars. And there is a group of God’s people who are true spiritual Jews—they do not lie! We must know the difference.

This knowledge also reveals Satan the devil. A full understanding of the key of David vision must include knowledge of Satan the devil and his attack on God’s Church in this end time!

To the Philadelphians, God promises that all those people pretending to be Jews, He will make “to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” Christ uses the expression “I will make” twice in reference to the synagogue of Satan. God will force the lying, false Jews, today’s Laodiceans, to admit that Mr. Armstrong was right. He will make them admit that the Philadelphia Church is right. He will force them to know that He loved Mr. Armstrong and loves the pcg.

Do we doubt God will do this? Christ says, “I will make ….” This is a very personal statement. If they refuse to admit Mr. Armstrong was right—if they refuse to admit the pcg is right and that God loved Mr. Armstrong and loves us—then they won’t be in the Family of God. How will God force them to do this? Through the terrors of the Great Tribulation. It would be far better for them to repent and admit this today, which is why warning the Laodiceans is a large part of our work.

In these verses, Christ shows clearly that the true spiritual Jews are deeply loved by God. Why? Because they are loyal to His key of David vision. They keep God’s Word, which includes the astonishing knowledge about David’s throne. They maintain God’s government and walk through God’s open door. How do we determine who are the spiritual Jews? By seeing who holds fast to the key of David. That vision not only gives us incredible understanding, it also identifies true spiritual Jews.

Now look at what the Laodiceans are about to face—the Tribulation and the potential loss of eternal life.

War Against the Jews

Only true spiritual Jews will be protected from the Tribulation soon to come upon the whole world. This is a promise from God.

When Satan realizes that we are protected from him as we flee, he will direct all of his violent efforts against the Laodiceans—even as they are beginning to repent because of the Tribulation. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17). Satan’s anger is directed most of all at God’s Church. He detests our fantastic potential. In the Tribulation, the Laodiceans will recognize how wrong they were. Half of them will repent and return to God. They will return to the understanding they had rejected. They will reject Satan’s deceit.

Because of their repentance, they will feel the full force of Satan’s wrath. At that time, he will have gained full control of all the negative and destructive forces on this planet. All Laodiceans who repent and obey God during the Tribulation will be marked for destruction.

This is why it is so important to repent and obey God now.

Why does God offer His faithful spiritual Jews protection from the Tribulation? “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10). The answer is simple. God always protects those who keep His Word. The Philadelphians are held in high esteem by God for their loyal obedience. God wants to protect such people.

Understanding the truth about the Jews—both physical and spiritual—helps you to better see the spiritual war between good and evil playing out in world events and in God’s Church. It is already intense, but it is going to grow far more so in the time ahead! We urgently need the protection that God promises to supply to His faithful people, true spiritual Jews.

As chancellor of Ambassador College, it was Herbert W. Armstrong’s tradition to host a dinner for the senior class in his home. By the late 1960s, the Work had grown so large that it had become more difficult to get to know Mr. Armstrong. The senior dinner was considered a big night at Ambassador College. On the night of our senior dinner, my wife was seated next to Mr. Armstrong.

Mr. Armstrong oversaw the preparation for the occasion, magnificent beyond description. The place settings for this dinner had been the Russian czar’s gold flatware and china. Seeing the grandeur of the occasion, one student remarked, “This dinner is fit for a king.”

Mr. Armstrong responded, “You are a king.”

As I remember it, Mr. Armstrong’s comment ended the conversation. Yet his comment should have started an inspiring discussion!

I imagine Mr. Armstrong was the only one at the table that night who deeply understood that statement.

Has Made Us Kings

Mr. Armstrong was used by God to deliver the key of David message in this end time. He understood the vision. But God has added new revelation about the key of David vision since his death. Do we fully understand what the key of David vision means for us?

Those of us in God’s Church are already kings in embryo! “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6). Jesus Christ, the faithful witness—He cannot lie—states that we have been made kings. Notice this is written in the present perfect tense: This means that He made us kings at a certain point in the past and this appointment continues to the present time and into the future. As long as we remain faithful, we are kings. And there is even more. Verse 6 states emphatically that we are also priests. This means, in the future, we will be over church and state. We will be a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:5).

Are you preparing to share David’s throne? How real is this vision to you? Understanding this vision is what salvation is all about.

Many have trouble believing the full extent of this vision. But realize: The key of David is the only true vision of the future!

How often do our conversations focus on subjects like “You are a king”? If you think about it, the key of David vision was more real than even the food we ate at Mr. Armstrong’s dinner!

An Eternal Crown

Attaining the eternal glory encapsulated in the key of David vision is no easy task. We will have to endure a lot of suffering in this life to enter into that awesome future (Acts 14:22).

Jesus Christ told the Smyrna era, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). God’s people in that era suffered tremendously. They were severely persecuted for holding true to the message entrusted to them. Yet Christ promised them a crown of life for enduring what they suffered. God’s kings will have crowns!

Christ tells His Philadelphians, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Revelation 3:11). Christ tells us we already have a crown. In other words, we are already kings—but we must remain faithful. Jesus Christ warns us that a man could take our crown.

Mr. Armstrong believed these scriptures and lived them! He had the seniors of Ambassador College over to his home, in the most royal setting possible, to drive home the lesson that they were royalty. He created a very special occasion as a spiritual teaching tool. God’s Philadelphians must seize every occasion possible to embed this vision into their minds. Teaching the key of David vision was Mr. Armstrong’s life. It must become ours as well.

With this vision etched into our minds, we will then recognize the opportunities to teach it to others. After Jesus Christ returns and puts the vision into effect, we don’t want to look back with regret and wonder what could have been. We must actively teach this vision. Now is the greatest moment in the history of the Church. We have more truth than any Church era has ever had, and Christ is about to return!

Woman Clothed With the Sun

God’s Church is about to step into one of the most exalted offices for all eternity. A sense of the glory that awaits us is depicted in the vision of Revelation 12:1: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.”

Mr. Armstrong taught for years that the woman in this verse represents God’s true Church. Satan’s great false church is represented by the whore in Revelation 17. The woman in Revelation 12 is clothed in a way no man could clothe her. She is dressed in apparel bright as the sun. Her clothing is a sign of righteousness. She is dressed the exact opposite of the fallen woman in Revelation 17, who is clothed in “scarlet” (verse 4), which represents sin (Isaiah 1:18).

God’s true Church has the moon under her feet. This vision shows this woman has rule and authority. She holds a royal position. She is crowned with 12 stars, which represent the 12 tribes of Israel. This vision holds the key to understanding Israel’s past and the Church’s future. The depth of meaning in this verse is incredible!

Who is to rule the tribes of Israel in the future? Jeremiah tells us clearly: “… they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them” (Jeremiah 30:9). David has already been appointed to rule over the 12 tribes of Israel—forever! Can we see the breathtaking glory that is coming?

There is more. Who will sit on David’s throne? Jesus Christ, the King of kings. Jesus Christ will rule over David, Israel and all Gentile nations. Who will share in this rule? The firstfruits. For a millennium, Jesus Christ and His royal Family will work to graft all Gentile nations into the family of Israel.

What inspiring, royal offices the firstfruits will have. God’s firstfruits will be the only group with the Bride of Christ title (Revelation 19:7). Christ and His Bride will bring multiple billions of children into the Family. David’s life and reward are a symbol of how men have the opportunity to become a part of the Father’s royal family Kingdom.

The key of David emphasizes how majestic and royal the firstfruit positions will be. It focuses on how royal the gospel is.

Remember, the Kingdom of God is the Family of God. In God’s Kingdom there will be no spiritual Gentiles—no rebellious children. All will become converted spiritual Jews. Can we see the end result of the key of David vision? All willing human beings will be converted into the spiritual nation of Israel. God the Father and Christ will rule over them joyously for all eternity. The creative work accomplished will be mind-staggering!

But the near future is fraught with grave spiritual danger.

The Great Red Dragon

The vision of Revelation 12 continues: “And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” (verses 2-3). This dragon is Satan the devil. He has seven heads, 10 horns and seven crowns—symbols of the authority he wields in the world. In fact, right now Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). He holds such sway over the nations, he has deceived the whole world! (Revelation 12:9). He rules over men—but only as God allows.

Satan hates God. He proved that by trying to kick God off His throne (Isaiah 14:14). His punishment will be the blackness of darkness forever (Revelation 20:10).

“And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne” (Revelation 12:4-5). Satan tried to destroy Jesus Christ before He could deliver the good news of God’s glorious plan. When Christ was a baby, Satan inspired Herod to kill all baby boys 2 years old and younger (Matthew 2:16-18).

Christ’s stepfather, Joseph, was warned of this in a dream and fled with Mary and the boy into Egypt (verses 13-15).

Satan tried to destroy Christ spiritually through temptation (Matthew 4:1-11). In that pitched spiritual battle, the devil offered Christ all the nations of this world: “And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine” (Luke 4:5-7). Christ rejected Satan’s offer—but He did not deny that these nations were Satan’s to give.

Jesus Christ preached the gospel for 3½ years before He was crucified by Satan-inspired men for delivering this message. Yet Christ successfully destroyed Satan’s works. “… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

We must overcome Satan as Christ overcame him. We do this by supporting the messenger and the message—by doing God’s Work.

Satan hated Christ and tried desperately to destroy Him. Should Christ’s Church expect anything less? The devil holds great hatred for the people who do God’s Work today. He hated Mr. Armstrong and worked constantly to stop him. Our work today has detractors and enemies trying to discredit us, showing how Satan hates us.

Satan hates the message of the key of David vision because he knows he has no part in God’s plan. He wants to destroy that plan and prevent us from taking our place as royal sons. The key of David vision contains a message so beautiful that only a very sick mind would hate the message. Satan is full of wrath against God’s people who hold true to the vision.

We must never underestimate Satan’s hatred for God’s Church. He rabidly hates each member and desires to do us great harm. Each faithful member of God’s Church is a terrible threat to Satan the devil! We are about to take his crown and rule the Earth with Christ from David’s throne. Satan knows his days are numbered (Revelation 12:12). He will soon lose his rule and authority. Our coming rule is more certain and more real than Satan’s is today.

The Holy Roman Empire

Read again the description of Satan in Revelation 12:3. Mr. Armstrong explained in his booklet Who or What Is the Prophetic Beast? (request a free copy) that “seven heads and ten horns” is prophetic language for four world-ruling Gentile empires. The Prophet Daniel described four beasts, representing four world-ruling empires, one of which had four heads, making a total of seven heads (Daniel 7:1-7). Revelation 12:3 reveals that Satan has ruled over every resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. The final resurrection is now almost fully formed.

The fourth beast of Daniel 7 represents the Roman Empire. The head of this beast has 10 horns, representing 10 kings (verses 7, 24). The 10 horns represent the 10 resurrections of the Roman Empire. The last seven of these horns represent the Holy Roman Empire, which is guided by Satan’s great false church!

If Christ is King of kings, then Satan is king of beasts! Revelation 13 shows that man’s rule over man is like the brute beasts running wild and dangerous. Satan is the inspiration behind man’s wicked rule.

These scriptures depict God’s Church in direct conflict with Satan’s church. They are the worst of enemies.

Revelation 12:6 shows that Satan persecuted God’s Church, forcing it to flee: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” These 1,260 prophetic “days” refer to the 1,260 years during which, because of intense persecution from Satan’s agents on Earth, God’s true Church was forced into exile in the wilderness!

This is a reality of Church history. It shows what a fierce trial it can be for God’s people in Satan’s world! The Holy Roman Empire achieved its fame by maiming and slaughtering—in the name of God! That violence has been inspired by Satan, who has used that system to advance his purpose of destroying God’s plan.

Yet in spite of all the destruction, men still act like that system is a gift from God! Mankind has learned far too little from history. And look at the cost of that ignorance: Its soon-coming final resurrection will cause more destruction than any before—more than all of them combined!

God’s people have suffered more persecution from the devil than anybody else in man’s history. And it will be that way until the seventh head of the so-called Holy Roman Empire is destroyed. (This is explained in our book The Holy Roman Empire in Prophecy.)

We must make sure we are not one of Satan’s casualties. We have nothing to fear if we use God’s limitless power.

Jesus Christ is about to return and destroy the Holy Roman Empire forever. Daniel prophesied, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44). In the end, all Satan’s plans will fail miserably.

Soon, under the guidance and instruction of the Family of God, everyone will worship God. “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever” (Micah 4:4-5). When Christ returns and we are installed into office, peace will burst into full bloom over the entire Earth. Satan-inspired violence will end. The mass of humanity will no longer be deceived. All will be able to come to a true understanding of God and His family plan for man—most of them after a resurrection from the dead!

Place of Safety

We must know our enemy. Satan has one great goal: to destroy the Church of God. He is a master strategist. Even during a period of relative calm, we must never forget that Satan is hard at work. His attacks on the pcg will continue as we fulfill our commission. His negative pressure will become much more intense.

Look how the prophecy of Revelation 12 continues: “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent” (verses 13-14).

Satan’s attacks on the Church will become so intense that the Church will have to be taken to a place of safety. God’s people will be “cast out” of their own nations (Isaiah 16:1-5). It should be obvious then that, leading up to this event, there will be a perfect storm of persecution!

The woman in Revelation 12:14 is the same as the one in verse 1, where she is pictured with a crown of 12 stars. What enables her to withstand Satan the devil? She sees the crown of 12 stars. She sees the throne of David ruling over the tribes of Israel. Her mind is focused on the key of David vision. She is so inspired by the magnitude of the vision, nothing can dissuade her from it.

Our individual lives must be totally wrapped up in this vision, or there will be no place of safety for us.

War Against the Saints

God’s Church is in a war with Satan. What is the fighting all about? The battle is over ruling the Earth.

In the near future, Satan will be forced to face the fact that his life is a miserable failure. The war is real to Satan. It should be real to us. If we have the key of David vision firmly planted in our minds, we will understand the titanic battle raging against the Church.

Today our war with Satan is mostly spiritual. However, it is about to become physical. Satan is going to bring an army of this world against us (Revelation 12:15). In Bible symbolism, a flood usually represents an army. This will undoubtedly be the army of the European political combine now coming to power.

This power is described in Revelation 13: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy” (verse 1). This political power is the seat of Satan’s kingdom and church.

Notice, this power has 10 crowns. God’s Church is the greatest threat to this political power because we are going to take those crowns away.

Satan and his human agents will use all violence to keep their crowns. Revelation 12:16 shows that Satan’s final move to destroy the Philadelphia Church of God will come to nothing. His final attack will fail. The earth will open up and swallow that army.

This will anger Satan so much that he will turn all his wrath against the Laodiceans. A great slaughter of God’s people will occur for the last time.

How important is the key of David vision to you? Remember, it is the only true vision of the future. God has called each one of us to prepare to rule with Jesus Christ. We are destined to share Christ’s own throne—that of His father David. We are kings. With this vision firmly planted in our minds, we will be able to overcome Satan and take our place in the Family of God.

Here is probably the best single verse in the Bible to explain the key of David vision: “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7).

What a vision! God is going to bring peace to the cosmos forever—and He will administer that peace from the throne of David.

Notice: The government, administered from that throne, is what ushers in the peace. There will never be peace on Earth, or anywhere else, unless it is administered from David’s throne.

This scripture shows that there will be no end to this glorious rule. No end of time—no end of space. Clearly, the throne of David represents extraordinary loyalty. You can see why, if we are to share that throne, God must try and test us so severely today.

One definition from Gesenius’ Lexicon of one of the Hebrew words for increase (which shares the same root as the one in Isaiah 9:7) is “progeny, increase of a family.” Does this mean that the Family of God will keep growing forever? It very well could! (Request our Prophesy Again booklet for a full explanation.)

The key of David is a marvelous key. David’s life unlocks something grand and wonderful! If we understand his life, it unlocks an unparalleled vision! David was a king ruling over Jerusalem and all Israel. This vision is about God’s people today becoming kings, also ruling at Jerusalem and over all Israel—which will include all the Gentiles in the future. The whole world will be ruled from Jerusalem. We will be governing from that throne and will help extend peace that goes on and on, with no end! That is something to spend a lot of time thinking about.

Of course, David’s throne is really God’s throne. And just as David used it to unite Israel, we will use that throne—under Christ and under God the Father—to unite this world in peace. That is a spectacular feat considering how disunited, hateful and violent the world is today. That coming utopia should inspire us forever.

God’s people today must always remember that they are kings and priests in embryo, and must conduct themselves accordingly. This isn’t just what we shall become: God calls us kings and priests today! (Revelation 1:6; 5:10).

This is a vision, right out of the mind of the great God, that demands everything we have and more simply to grasp it!

Fantastic Training for Isaiah 9:7

Today, God, through His very elect Church, is raising the ruins of a work that was destroyed. He calls that work “the tabernacle of David.”

“In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: That they may possess the remnant of Edom …” (Amos 9:11-12). “In that day” is our time now; “the days of old” was the time of Herbert W. Armstrong. The “remnant of Edom” means everything Mr. Armstrong left behind that was dismantled by Edom, or the Edomite Laodiceans (this term is explained in our Obadiah booklet).

Now God tells His very elect today, I will use you to raise those ruins right back up.

That is an enormous job, lifting and raising up the worldwide Work God did through Mr. Armstrong. And though we will never match the size of that Work, nevertheless God commands that we work toward that end. We are great weightlifters—raising up these ruins as in the days of old. We must be excited and stirred if we are to succeed in such a monumental calling.

Our work has raised up one after another of the projects Mr. Armstrong built: the periodicals, the books and booklets, the television program, the headquarters campus, the college, the radio program, the academy, the cultural foundation, the regional office in England, the work in Jerusalem, and so on. Building God’s house, Armstrong Auditorium, is perhaps the crowning achievement in raising those ruins.

Wouldn’t you say that raising the ruins of the tabernacle of David is fantastic training for fulfilling the job described in Isaiah 9:7? We must see the connection between the temporary tabernacle of David and the throne of David graphically described there.

God has also made us stewards of the new throne of David today—another marvelous opportunity to train for our eternal calling. Jesus Christ is going to rule from David’s throne. There is going to be an endless building program throughout the universe for all eternity—administered from that throne!

As we “raise the ruins” of the tabernacle of David today, we are being prepared to rule on David’s throne as the Bride of Christ. Satan has wrecked the Earth, the universe and God’s Church. As we raise up the ruins in God’s Church, we are qualifying to raise up the ruins on this Earth and in the universe. Christ is getting His wife ready to rule on David’s throne forever and ever. We are going to make this Earth and the universe resemble the Garden of Eden.

The Philadelphia Church of God has already started on that endless building program. The tabernacle of David is the key of David vision that propels God’s very elect—getting them ready to rule in the Jerusalem headquarters forever. This is the hope of all hopes—endless joy throughout the universe.

Our lives will be in ruins if we lose that vision!

To Help Us—Christ Personally Appears!

Look at the sobering truth that precedes the “raising the ruins” prophecy. The last part of Amos 8:14 says, “… even they shall fall, and never rise up again.”

So when this tabernacle of David falls, it is the most dreadful catastrophe in this end time and one of the greatest ever.

Many thousands of God’s saints are going to die forever! The most powerful Work of God ever, in terms of numbers, has collapsed. God’s greatest Work has fallen from the highest mountain ever and been dashed, shattered on the rocks below. Never before has there ever been such a catastrophic fall.

Fifty percent of God’s people are going to fall, never to rise again. Their names will be blotted out of God’s book of life. Surely this is one of the strongest warnings in the Bible.

Amos’s prophecy of the Laodicean failure continues in the next verse: “I saw the Lord standing upon [should read by] the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered” (Amos 9:1).

What a remarkable picture: The Eternal is standing by the altar—not just any altar. The Anchor Bible explains that “[God’s] presence in the sanctuary, where normally the priest would be standing or officiating, would indicate that something out of the ordinary, something ominous, was about to happen.”

That extraordinary, ominous thing DID happen! As I wrote in my booklets The Lion Has Roared and Habakkuk, in order to deliver His very elect in our court battle against the Laodiceans over Mr. Armstrong’s writings, Jesus Christ personally appeared! Even worldly commentaries studying these verses recognize that they describe God personally doing something very dramatic for His people!

This is one of the rarest miracles in all the Bible. It is some of the most dramatic revelation God has given this Church. As we raise the ruins of the tabernacle of David, we should never forget or take it lightly! Read, or reread, those booklets to renew your appreciation for what God did.

Christ knows He has given us a mountain-size responsibility. He is the Head of this Church. So it shouldn’t surprise us that, as these scriptures reveal, He had to come personally—in spirit, of course—to intervene on our behalf. Christ’s personal involvement in this Church is what makes us different from every other church and religion. This is why the Church experiences such miracles!

When that tabernacle—a temporary dwelling—becomes permanent at Christ’s imminent return, it will never fall again!

Another Personal Appearance

Remember in Habakkuk 3:1-3, the prophet asked God to “revive thy work in the midst of the years,” and then “God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran.” My Habakkuk booklet explains that this is not referring to the future when Christ will return from Mount Paran—which is probably within the area where the biblically prophesied place of safety will be—with 10,000 saints (Deuteronomy 33:2). The Habakkuk passage states that He came in the middle of the crisis years; there is no mention of 10,000 saints.

Why was Christ in Mount Paran at that time? We can’t be certain about the details, but He was probably there to look after the area where He will protect His people in the future. It appears He personally took care of that! So there must have been a serious crisis, a situation with no margin for error. (Shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S., terrorists tried to bomb Petra, Jordan. However, the attack failed. Christ’s appearance could have been related to such an event.)

This is as dramatic as anything in the Bible! Here is scriptural evidence of two appearances Christ makes on Earth: one that had to do with saving the Work of God; the other involved the place of safety.

There was an all-out attack on the pcg by Satan the devil. He tried to destroy God’s Work through a six-year court battle. He also apparently tried to destroy the area or take control of the country where the place of safety will be.

In both battles, Christ personally came to Earth and stopped Satan! That may give us a good idea of how much more dangerous Satan and the demons are after they have been cast down and confined to this Earth. They are full of wrath and know that their time is short! (Revelation 12:12).

Our war against the devil is vividly real. Those saints who fail to understand this are going to be conquered by him.

As Satan intensifies his warfare, God empowers His Church accordingly. Expect God to perform more and more miracles for His very elect in this end time.

Do you believe the Scriptures? Do we realize how ACTIVE God is in His Church today? This is reality! This is the real world of the Philadelphia Church of God. Christ, our Head, is deeply concerned about His Church!

After all, His remnant Church is made up of the 5 percent of His people who—even as the tabernacle of David was being reduced to ruins—did not deny Him (Revelation 3:8).

And think about this: If Christ is that involved with His people as a collective body, how active do you think He is in your personal life? How concerned is He about helping you through trials, for example?

Jesus Christ knows exactly what is going on with His people. We should be sobered and honored and overjoyed about that truth. We are never alone. Do you really see the fathomless love God has for you?

How powerfully and completely our Husband provides for and protects His wife!

Habakkuk 3:4 says, “And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.” Many times God hides His power, and we don’t see it.

But here is the reality: When God opens a door for His people, no man can shut it (Revelation 3:8). That is a challenge God hurls out to anyone who would defy Him. I am opening this door—and you just TRY TO SHUT IT! If the Church’s enemies understood what they were up against, they would be scared to death!

Nobody can ever stop you from obeying God! They can kill you—but you can die obeying God.

How mighty is God! If we have that power living in us, how can we not raise up the ruins? We must succeed!

God Challenged Baruch

One biblical example shows how easy it is for us to lose sight of the reality of God’s power.

Baruch was the Prophet Jeremiah’s scribe. He took the words from Jeremiah’s mouth and wrote them down. This became the book of Jeremiah.

“The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch” (Jeremiah 45:1-2). This is a message directly from Christ. Jeremiah delivered it to Baruch—a “Thus saith the Lord” message.

Jesus Christ is the Head of His Church. He directly leads it. The Philadelphians understand that. The Laodiceans do not. When Christ sees one of His workers who was hired to do the Work get into a bad attitude, that is serious. Christ often deals directly with the problem.

Somehow, Baruch was doing far-reaching damage to God’s Work. This scribe was actually writing the Bible—not an insignificant responsibility! Perhaps he was neglecting his writing that was to become canonized. That would have caused acute problems for Jeremiah.

“Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest” (verse 3). Baruch was enduring a serious trial, and God held him accountable for how he handled it. Here God parroted Baruch’s words right back to him. God was thoroughly aware of everything that was happening in Baruch’s life.

In verse 4, God brought Baruch right back to the purpose of his calling. He reminded him of the commission He had given to Jeremiah (recorded back in Jeremiah 1:10), which Baruch should have been supporting! “Thus shalt thou say unto him, The Lord saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.”

The King James Version says “I will pluck up”—but the original Hebrew is written in the present tense. God was saying, I am plucking it up! I’m in the process of plucking up the throne of David right now! This was electrifying prophecy being fulfilled right before Baruch’s eyes—and he should have been passionately supporting God’s man! Instead, Baruch was wrapped up in HIMSELF!

Perhaps he got off track because Jeremiah was in jail so often. Clearly, to some degree, he had drifted from his calling and was out doing his own thing. God challenged him, “And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey [or prize of war] in all places whither thou goest” (verse 5).

Nebuchadnezzar was about to conquer Judah. Baruch was about to enter into the holocaust of 585 b.c.—yet he had become ambitious for himself somehow. Whatever he did, God was very upset by it.

How would you like to have God deliver a message to you personally through His prophet? And on top of that, God had it recorded in His Word as a lesson for all time.

The correction God gave to Baruch is primarily for us today. God didn’t “bring evil upon all flesh” at that time—but He is about to do so today!

The good news is, Baruch turned it around. He did end up accompanying Jeremiah to Ireland. He made it to a place of safety.

God makes the same promise to us that He made to Baruch: I will give you your life as a prize in this war—even as everyone else loses theirs. We must remember that we are in a war with Satan in his worst wrath. God strongly emphasizes that unparalleled war (Revelation 12:9-12). And considering the horrors ahead, the place of safety is a wonderful PHYSICAL prize. That is a promise from God—so He has to look after that place of safety, wherever it is, to ensure He can fulfill that promise. God will never break a promise.

Baruch thought his trial was too much to bear—but God loved him and saved him by correcting him. If we trust God, He will get us through every trial we experience.

Like Baruch, we are all prone to allow our thinking to get off track at times. But look at the big picture: Evil is about to come upon all flesh. Almost all humanity is about to be destroyed! How important is your life? How important, really, are the things you are concerned about? This is no time to have some great ambition for yourself.

Baruch had to get his mind off himself. Sometimes we must do the same. It saved Baruch, and it will save us—sometimes physically, sometimes spiritually.

Always remember: God gives us trials not to destroy us, but to save us!

The Key of David Perspective

The world today is saturated with depressing problems, heavy with hopelessness. But even as the nations approach a nuclear Armageddon, God’s people must keep their spiritual balance and remain filled with hope. We must be positive people.

Look how Christ teaches us this invaluable lesson using the key of David. This is a perspective that our ministers and all of us must remember as we do God’s Work.

In Revelation 3, beginning in verse 7, when Christ speaks of the key of David, He is so inspiring and positive. Even when He gives bad news, He puts it in a positive context.

For example, read verse 9: “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie”—that is very bad news, but notice—“behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” Half of the Laodiceans are going to make it into the Family of God! That is wonderful news we must keep in mind.

You find more bad news in verse 10, about the Great Tribulation. But again, Christ supplies the positive perspective: “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” God’s faithful Philadelphians will not have to go through the Tribulation; God promises us a place of safety. That too is good news.

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (verse 11). This verse is directed to all of God’s people. Sadly, only 5 percent of them will hang on to their headquarters crown!

If you have that crown, you had better hang on to it! You are going to be in Jerusalem forever! (verse 12). Don’t let anyone take that away from you! God wants every last member of His Church to hold on to their crown! But so many have lost it, and so many others have let someone take a big slice of that reward.

Those who hold on to their crown will be stationed right at headquarters in new Jerusalem, with God’s very name written upon them. What wonderful news. Even the bad news needs to be viewed from the inspiring perspective that the key of David vision provides.

There is a lot of darkness in this world. But don’t look at these as days of darkness—recognize them as the days when the darkness is about to end. Mankind has suffered horrendously for 6,000 years! God the Father, Jesus Christ, the great host of angels and the creation have all been waiting and waiting for this day—and now it is almost here!

Herbert W. Armstrong made some fascinating comments about a prophecy in Zechariah. Those comments help us understand more deeply what the key of the house of David is.

“The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first [in the latter days—now just ahead of us], that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day [now soon to come] … he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel [messenger] of the Lord before them. … And I will pour upon the house of David … the spirit of grace …” (Zechariah 12:7-10).

Mr. Armstrong wrote about this passage: “Plainly the apostle (one sent forth—or messenger of God) God would use in these perilous last days would be of the house of David. The house of David is NOT one of the tribes—but those individuals descended from David.

“I have mentioned that some years ago I was contacted by a foundation, formed for the purpose of maintaining the genealogy of a certain family. My great-grandfather Armstrong, who had a biblical name, father of my grandfather Nathan Armstrong, had married into this family. So the foundation has my genealogy back to the kings of France, and King Edward i of England. The genealogy of the royal family of Britain carries every generation back to King David of ancient Israel. Therefore, God has preserved my ancestry every generation from David, and I am of THE HOUSE OF DAVID!

“Plainly, in these tumultuous last days, God would raise up one who would know he is of the house of David, as Christ’s chosen apostle and messenger to the kings of the Earth, to carry the true message of Christ’s gospel, which was suppressed from the world from mid-century 1 to the middle of the 20th century” (Good News, May 1980; emphasis mine throughout).

I had a similar experience to what Mr. Armstrong had in tracing my genealogy back to King David. My aunt gave me what she and others had done to compile our family genealogy. It cost me $50 just to photocopy the typed material. There is one significant difference between my genealogy and Mr. Armstrong’s: My genealogy is traced back to the royal family of Ireland. The genealogy of the royal family of Ireland is one single dynasty, which also carries “every generation back to King David.”

So I can say as Mr. Armstrong said, “Therefore, God has preserved my ancestry every generation from David, and I am of the house of David!”

All of God’s new revelation for His end-time Church has come through Mr. Armstrong and me. God’s Work has been done through supporters of that revelation.

Here is another statement Mr. Armstrong made, this one in his book The United States and Britain in Prophecy: “Of course it is well understood that the scepter went to Judah and was handed down through the Jews. King David was of the tribe of Judah. All succeeding kings of David’s dynasty were of the house of David, tribe of Judah. Jesus Christ was born of the house of David and the tribe of Judah.”

Christ was also a descendant of David, or of the house of David. So we can see a lot of emphasis placed on the house of David in these verses.

At an archaeological dig in Jerusalem, Herbert W. Armstrong College students helped uncover David’s palace. We are clearing debris away from that site. We believe that Christ will rule from the very spot where David did anciently. I am certain that Christ is going to place His throne exactly where David’s throne was! And it is going to be there forever. That is truly exciting. We are getting ready for the imminent return of Christ!

That is the majestic conclusion of the succession of kings that was prophesied to sit on David’s throne!

The palace adds a most royal dimension to the house of David. David’s palace was where the throne was located when David ruled. So David’s palace is a powerful symbol of David’s house, with the emphasis on the dynasty of kings from David to the Second Coming of Christ!

Jesus Christ will share that headquarters throne with the very elect—spiritual Jews (Revelation 3:9, 21). We are getting ready to rule on that throne at our Jerusalem headquarters with Christ and God the Father forever!

We can clearly see that the highest royalty in God’s Kingdom revolves around the throne of David.

The Key to the House of David

Only two places in the Bible mention the key of David: Revelation 3:7 and Isaiah 22:22. However, in Isaiah 22:22 it is called the key to the house of David.

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah” (Isaiah 22:20). Two names are mentioned here. Eliakim is doing God’s Work in this prophecy. He is the son of Hilkiah.

The time frame is “in that day,” which always refers to this end time. So we are spiritually blind if we don’t understand these prophecies.

“And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah” (verse 21). The government of God was eventually passed from Mr. Armstrong, a type of Hilkiah (a Jew), to my office, typed by Eliakim (a Jew).

“And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open” (verse 22). There is an open door connected to the key of David. That means there is always a powerful work associated with that key. God has given real power to a man.

There are three personalities discussed in these verses: Hilkiah, Eliakim and the man from whom the robe, girdle and government were taken. His biblical name is Shebna (verse 15). They all appear “in that day”—or the end time.

Christ told the Jews that He personally sent prophets to them. But the Jews often persecuted them and His messengers were forced to flee. Many of them were killed.

So no matter what people think, God does send personalities through whom He does His Work. We cannot understand these prophecies unless we know who these men are. Today they are types of those historical figures. (These three men are thoroughly discussed in my free booklet Who Is ‘That Prophet’?)

Eliakim today is “a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.” Eliakim could only be a spiritual father today. So these verses are primarily to be understood spiritually.

These “inhabitants of Jerusalem” are members of God’s Church.

Eliakim is also the father of “the house of Judah”—not the inhabitants of Judah. That means Eliakim is the father of a work in Judah. God says there will be inspiring open doors. And it all revolves around the scepter promises.

The Lawgiver

Look again at the prophecy in Genesis 49:10: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” Remember, this entire passage is for “the last days” (verse 1), the time we are living in now. So in the last days, God said there would be a scepter, or a ruler on David’s throne, at the same time that there is a lawgiver who has a message about David’s throne. My book The New Throne of David explains how, in our day, these two offices are combined into a single office.

Verse 10 says this lawgiver is from between Judah’s feet, which means he will come from Judah’s descendants (Companion Bible).

The lawgiver is a Jew who is here when Christ returns. Traditionally, we have believed this lawgiver to be Christ. In principle, that is true. Christ always gives the law; He is the source. But notice, the scripture says this lawgiver would not depart from Judah’s feet “until Shiloh [Christ] come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” It does not make sense that Jesus would not depart from Judah’s feet until Jesus comes.

Shiloh refers to Christ, so this “lawgiver” must refer to another individual. This lawgiver is a man who is teaching God’s law—right up to when Christ comes! The people doing this Work are going to introduce Christ to the world! And this man who has the law will be teaching about the scepter and the scepter promises.

Mr. Armstrong had to establish God’s law and government. He was the Elijah who restored all things just before Christ’s return (Matthew 17:10-11). I have continued the same law and government that he taught. No other church can truthfully make that claim! So today, where is the human lawgiver descended from David and the tribe of Judah? Who administers the same law that Christ will teach when He returns to sit on the throne of David? Those are questions you must be able to answer!

Can you find that on Earth today? Can you identify a group of people that give the law to the world? There is only one. God has always worked through one man at a time. Since this prophecy about the lawgiver was revealed to me only after Mr. Armstrong died, it specifically refers to my office today.

This man will be teaching about the scepter—the kingly line, or David’s throne, and the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is the same throne that Christ will soon take over forever (Luke 1:30-33).

The Scepter Promises

Herbert W. Armstrong explained both the birthright promises and the scepter promises in The United States and Britain in Prophecy. He wrote, “Now we come to a most vital distinction, and a bit of Bible truth known to but a very few. Very few, indeed, have ever noticed that the promises to Abraham were twofold. But the Bible itself makes sharp distinction between these two phases of the promises.

“The spiritual promises—the promises of the ‘one seed,’ Christ, and of salvation through Him—the Bible calls the scepter. But the material and national promises relating to many nations, national wealth, prosperity and power, and possession of the Holy Land, the Bible calls the birthright.”

Mr. Armstrong quoted the Standard Dictionary definition of scepter: “kingly office; royal power; badge of command or sovereignty.” “The promised kingly line culminates in Christ, and involves grace to all,” he explained. “We have seen how both sets of promises, right of birth and gift of grace, were unconditionally made by God to Abraham. Both the birthright and the scepter were repromised by the Eternal to Isaac and to Jacob. But the fact that should open your eyes, as a joyous truth newly discovered, is that from that point these two sets of promises became separated! The scepter promises of the kingly line culminating in Christ, and of grace through Him, were handed on to Judah, son of Jacob and father of all Jews. But the astonishing truth is that the birthright promises were never given to the Jews!”

He then quoted Genesis 49:10: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah …” and 1 Chronicles 5:2: “[B]ut the birthright was Joseph’s.”

“Of course it is well understood that the scepter went to Judah and was handed down through the Jews,” he continued. “King David was of the tribe of Judah. All succeeding kings of David’s dynasty were of the house of David, tribe of Judah. Jesus Christ was born of the house of David and the tribe of Judah.” Christ is going to sit on David’s throne, and God’s firstfruit saints are going to share that throne with Him! (Revelation 3:21). So we are tied in to the scepter promises.

We get to tell the world about those wonderful promises! But I think God wants us to emphasize the scepter promises more than we have. I believe He particularly wants us to emphasize them to the Jews and make them see their key role.

The wonderful promises of grace were handed down through Judah! What an honor! That really ought to galvanize the Jews and electrify God’s people.

God has used the Jews to do amazing things in this world and given them, in a sense, the most exalted honor of any race on Earth. Mr. Armstrong expressed that so powerfully: “The scepter promises of the kingly line culminating in Christ, and of grace through Him, were handed on to Judah, son of Jacob and father of all Jews.” The Jews received the scepter promise. What an honor! Could any race be more honored? We must tell the Jews what it should mean to them. It’s one thing to know about the scepter promises. It’s quite another to have them handed down through your race!

To be a part of those scepter promises must be the greatest honor given to any race of people on Earth! But how much do they understand, and how much are they willing to understand?

What good is it to know about the birthright but not about the scepter promises? The birthright promises are physical, but the scepter promises are spiritual. That is what God is really concerned about. Scepter has to be one of the most illustrious words in the Bible!

God commissioned the end-time Eliakim to be “a father … to the house of Judah.” God wants us to emphasize the scepter promise that comes through the Jews. The kingly line of Jews leads us to the return of the Messiah, whose rule from David’s throne continues forever! (Isaiah 9:7).

The Jewish nation, America and Britain need to hear this most inspiring and precious message now so they can remember it when they are experiencing the holocaust of all holocausts!

Holocaust

Satan deceives in every way he possibly can. The Jewish nation calls itself Israel, but that is a horrible deception. The Jews don’t even know who they are! How can they know about the scepter promises being passed on to Judah when they don’t really know who Judah is? That blinds them to this wonderful role God has given them to play, even in this world.

When a race receives honor as God has honored the Jews, Satan hates them for that. He inspired enemies to rise up and strip them of all dignity! The Nazis often shaved their heads, took their clothes, beat them, and used them for medical experiments. God says it will be far worse the next time around. Do you believe God?

The pain of that first Holocaust was so bad, some Jews don’t want to talk about it ever again. But many said they discuss it in order to help others. Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, has videos of survivors relating their horrifying experiences. One man, who was in a concentration camp with his father, said his exhausted father fell down to his knees. The Nazis would kill anyone who helped a person up; he said, I didn’t even help my own father. I’ve had to live with that the rest of my life. It is hard to even imagine how difficult that would be.

The Jews say, “Never again!” Sadly, we have to tell them they are dead wrong. It is going to happen again, and it’s going to make the Holocaust look like a dress rehearsal.

The Jews suffered horribly in World War ii. That history is a stark warning of what is about to come upon them!

They also need to know the scepter promises. They need to know what an exalted role God has given them! They need hope! This whole world needs hope.

Spiritual Jews Must Understand

Look at the opposite of how Satan persecutes physical Jews: the way God honors His spiritual Jews. God gives us so much dignity we can hardly comprehend it!

How much do you spiritual Jews understand about the scepter promises? When God addresses the house of Judah, most of all He is speaking to the elite of the house of Judah, the spiritual Jews. We must understand these scepter promises of salvation through Christ—that kingly line that culminates in the return of Jesus Christ, and then grace through Him to the whole world—promises that were handed to the Jews. These promises really have to do with royalty! That message will be taught to the whole world, and we will be right there ruling on the throne of David with Christ, teaching the world about the scepter promises.

We must deliver this message today. God says, I want you spiritual Jews to understand these scepter promises, deliver a message about them and emphasize them, especially to Judah!

We must make these promises real and practical to ourselves and to the Jews.

Ultimately, we are talking about salvation for the spiritual Jews! We need to be stirred and moved by this! It’s almost time to receive these spiritual promises and rule with Jesus Christ!

We, of all people, ought to really relate to the scepter and its kingly offices. We are the kings of the Earth—the Kingdom of God in embryo!

We need to deepen our understanding of these scepter promises. I hope our ministers will speak about this more, and that you will strive and struggle to get every crumb you possibly can—because this is worth dying for! Nobody will take it from the Bride of Jesus Christ!

Those wonderful scepter promises came through Judah. When you understand those promises, you can see how Satan hates the Jews. But he hates spiritual Jews far more. He would really love to throw you and me into a holocaust. We must use the power of God, or there is no way we can survive in this world where we are such a target! Be strong in the Lord! Understand these scepter promises and use the power of God—or Satan will destroy you!

God is creating spiritual Jews within His Church. We have the opportunity to be a part of the scepter promises spiritually. Do you realize how close we are to the fulfillment of the scepter promises? We’re not just learning about these promises—we are going to receive them! We are going to be saved and then help God save all humanity! They will never have to experience another holocaust!

Think about the whole world receiving these wonderful scepter promises!

People don’t want to listen today, but we have a message for this world. We not only have to teach the world about the scepter promises; we have to go back and again teach the Laodiceans—95 percent of God’s people—about those promises and about how God wants them to be a king and a priest! They don’t think very much of the most awesome promises in the Bible; they have turned their backs on them and chosen the holocaust instead. And that is what they are going to get. And then, thankfully, 50 percent of them will have a change of heart.

This man is father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah, which spiritually is focused on us. We need to tell the Jews about that kingly line that culminates in Jesus Christ—the one they killed, whom we all killed—and then about grace through Him. We need to tell them what their role was, and is, in this world today.

In Isaiah 22:21, God distinguishes between firstly “a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” and secondly “a father to the house of Judah.” This is also the order in Isaiah 40. I believe God expressed it that way because, as we are so close to Christ’s return, He wants to emphasize the scepter promises—certainly to the Jews but also to the spiritual Jews.

We must understand why we are here: God really is going to wipe away all tears, and mankind will never have to experience another holocaust! That is what God has wanted all along, but we have chosen the holocaust.

Vessels in David’s House

“And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open” (Isaiah 22:22). God says He will lay the key of the house of David—the key that unlocks this palace of David—on the shoulders of this “father” to the house of Judah.

What is that key going to unlock? It will unlock a great deal more than the palace, the walls of which have already been uncovered. When God gives a rare, royal key, you know it’s going to unlock a lot!

“And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house … all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons” (verse 24). These vessels were used in the ancient temple service; today they refer to all the books and booklets, written by Mr. Armstrong and by me, filled with all the revelation God has given us.

God revealed the meaning of Isaiah 22 the very same day that the Supreme Court declined to hear our appeal in our court case to win the rights to print Mr. Armstrong’s literature—the darkest hour in that battle. When the Supreme Court refused to hear us, God quickly showed us that all the “vessels”—those wonderful pieces of literature—would come. Remember, we didn’t technically win, but the outcome was that we received way more than we thought we would or even asked for! How about that for Supreme Court justice? The real Supreme Court let us know that everything was on track. And sure enough, we got all those spiritual vessels God had given to His end-time Elijah.

I wonder, though, whether there might be another physical application of this verse as well.

The pcg has been involved in exciting archaeological excavations in Jerusalem. The late archaeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar discovered David’s palace and uncovered some of it, including walls that are 16 feet wide. These are huge finds! After our college students joined the dig, they discovered Nehemiah’s wall and several other significant artifacts from the time of David and Solomon.

You have to wonder, in all this digging, will we find some more physical vessels as we did spiritual vessels? This palace is physical. The vessels in the temple are physical and spiritual. We have already acquired the spiritual vessels. Will we find physical vessels as well? I will discuss this in the next chapter.

After the Holocaust, many Jews said they couldn’t wait to go to Zion, the land of David. Now we have a message for them about Zion and the land of David. We can explain to them from the Bible about the significance of the city of David and what will ultimately happen there for all humanity. We can show how they will never have to see their children experience another holocaust ever again!

The Second Coming of Christ is almost here! He will bring peace to this Earth. Looking at the terrifying problems in this world, you know our leaders cannot solve them! Christ is going to stop the madness and the suffering once and for all! God knows we need that stopped. We are digging in David’s palace and making fantastic discoveries because we are preparing—even in a physical way—for Christ’s return!

Trust the ‘Rock of Israel’

The land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. That is where their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped. That is where they first attained statehood.

On May 14, 1948, at the founding of their nation, the Jewish People’s Council approved a proclamation saying that Israel’s founding fathers had placed their trust in the “Rock of Israel.” Israel’s birth certificate begins with the Bible and ends with faith in God.

Most Jews do not believe that today! The Jews gave the eternal Book of books to the world. They preserved what we call the Old Testament for the world! I doubt that the leaders in Israel today understand that. They don’t believe the Bible is a Book of books or that God is the Rock of Israel! Oh, if only they believed that today!

The Oslo Accord was the death knell of Israel. That 1993 peace pact literally divided the nation into a fighting camp. But it did even more: It destroyed much of the faith the Jews did have. There was a tremendous breakdown in Judah because of that. Shimon Peres was part of that process almost from the beginning. In 1993, he tried to broker a deal to have two mayors of Jerusalem, one each from the Palestinians and from the Jews, and to let the pope rule over Jerusalem! In other words, both mayors would submit to the Vatican. Peres wrote that into the Oslo negotiations! Look what prophecy says about that in Revelation 17:13! Leaders in Israel were willing to hand the city over to whom? Read Revelation 17 and see who the beast worships! They will do anything except trust in the Rock of Israel! God is the only solution and the only salvation for the Jews—physically and spiritually!

At a conference in Jerusalem I attended in 2008, one rabbi named Yisrael Ariel described Jerusalem as a mother. Ariel means lion of God. “Where is the joy in Jerusalem, the City of God?” he asked. He must have known about those prophecies—of little children playing in the streets, and elderly people watching over them and delighting in them. What a world that will be—and it’s almost here! Where is the joy in Jerusalem, the city of God? It’s about to come, but they can’t imagine how.

He said, “Today we must ask God for peace in Jerusalem.” We have to tell them, To have peace, you have to keep the law!

‘’Angels oversee other places on Earth, but God oversees Jerusalem,” Rabbi Ariel said. Maybe he was right to some degree. God has chosen Jerusalem; He has a special interest in that city, and He watches over it much more than He does other cities. Oh, how God loves Jerusalem! Mainly He loves the Jerusalem that is going to come, but He certainly has a strong interest in that land area where He plans to establish that city.

However, that city is going to become one big cemetery! All of Ephraim, Manasseh and Judah will become one vast cemetery—a holocaust not in a museum but in reality! This is the way it will be because we don’t listen to the Rock of Israel!

Ariel said, “Two thousand years of exile and murder could not extirpate Jerusalem from being engraved in the minds of the Jews.” That’s right, and that’s wonderful. Cling to it. It’s wonderful that they love Jerusalem and keep its image in their mind. But they also need to ask themselves, Why were we exiled? Why were the Jews driven out and not allowed to come back until 1948? Think about why God, the Rock, would allow that to happen to the City of God!

Jerusalem is not the City of God today!

The same Christ whom they killed prophesied exactly what they’re seeing today.

Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem.

Isaiah 40:9 describes a commission of proclaiming the scepter promises to the Laodiceans and to Jerusalem, or the nations of Israel, and then lastly to the cities of Judah. The kingly line is about to culminate in the return of Jesus Christ. It’s getting close. He is about to return, and we need to put more and more emphasis on the scepter promises.

It will take another holocaust for the Jews to finally repent and accept the scepter promises and the spiritual promises—so they can understand how God loves Jerusalem and has chosen that city, and will love it forever and ever.

Verse 10 describes the reward God has for the spiritual Jews when He comes back. They will be the very Bride of Christ and share that throne and teach the whole world these magnificent scepter promises. The key of the house of David adds an exhilarating dimension to that great message.

How blessed we are, the people of God, to be a part of this and to understand the scepter promises!

Three Specific Commissions

Read Isaiah 22:22 again: “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” God gives the key of the house of David to Eliakim. That strongly indicates that he is of the house of David, or in the lineage of King David.

That gives us a constant reminder of the kingly line that sits on David’s throne from the time of David until the return of Christ. Then the world will be filled with spiritual blessings!

That is why God opens a door for this Work. We have a universe-shaking message to deliver to all mankind!

“O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, Get thee up into the high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, Lift up thy voice with strength; Lift it up, be not afraid; Say unto the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’” (Isaiah 40:9; Jewish Publication Society). That one scripture mentions three different jobs God has for us in this end time. First, we have a message for Zion, God’s sinning Laodicean Church. So the time frame is after the Laodicean rebellion. Then we have a message for “Jerusalem,” which is a type of all the nations of Israel, especially America, Britain and Judah. Finally, we need to go directly to the “cities of Judah,” the Jewish state in the Middle East called Israel. Judah must be warned in a special way—and notice the positive approach God tells us to take: “Behold your God! Good tidings for Jerusalem and the world! Your God is about to return!”

God has given me a commission and supporters to do a work in Judah. Our archaeological dig is a constant reminder that God is finally about to sit on David’s throne!

We are to “say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” Our archaeology project will help us deliver this message. And because the Jewish nation will not heed the warning, it will experience the Tribulation holocaust.

Hopefully, many Jews will repent.

Now the Jews must hear the scepter promises. Salvation for the whole world is on the immediate horizon. We must put more and more emphasis on the scepter promises. The kingly line has continued for about 3,000 years to its grand smashing climax—the Second Coming of Christ!

The Messiah is about to return with His reward for His loyal saints (verse 10). That illustrious, mind-stirring moment is almost here—at last!

Mr. Armstrong was given the key of David! We are honored to have been given the key of the house of David and more. We need to realize that this work in Jerusalem is tied directly to our salvation and our reward in the Kingdom of God. We can’t think of it as merely interesting or fun. Our involvement in what God is doing there has a lot to do with our salvation!

Why are those three commissions all linked in Isaiah 40:9? I believe there may be a special reason for this.

We have been working diligently to fulfill those first two commissions for many years. God may have mentioned them in this context because they are now winding down.

Now, consider how those first two commissions might lead directly into our fulfillment of the third.

God’s people today must consider the implications of an end-time prophecy delivered by the Prophet Amos.

“And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword” (Amos 7:9). My booklet on Amos explains that “the high places of Isaac” is a coded expression referring to the Laodiceans—a religion that started with God’s great power and then turned away from God (request my booklet on that subject, The Lion Has Roared). The religious places of Isaac are going to be desolate. They need to be warned about this. Of course, that won’t be a popular message. In fact, Amos shows that this message will lead to a direct confrontation with the Laodiceans.

“Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words” (verse 10). This verse prophesies of a major governmental attack against God’s very elect in the end time. The “priest of Bethel”—or God’s own house—is sending this message to the king of the land: Amos has become a traitor! The Amos booklet explains how this describes a direct confrontation between the Laodicean and Philadelphian churches.

There is a reason Amos uses the name Jeroboam for the leader in this scenario. Anciently, this message went to Jeroboam ii about 35 years before Israel fell. He was the last king of Israel the prophets appeared to directly. The name also points back to the Jeroboam who assumed rulership over the 10 tribes of Israel when they broke away from Judah in the time of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. From that time forward, Israel never again had a righteous king! (Judah had several and was able to last longer.) Jeroboam changed Israel’s day of worship away from the Sabbath and moved the days on which Israel kept the festivals, among other anti-God acts.

This indicates the kind of leader the United States has when God’s people flee to a place of safety! Though he may appear religious, that individual is going to come in the evil, anti-God spirit of Jeroboam! We must face this; we shouldn’t be surprised when it happens.

The fact that the land can’t bear all our words must mean the problems are so serious that people can’t ignore what we are saying! But if the people cannot bear the message, what will they do to the messenger?

Prophecy shows that they will cast out God’s people (Isaiah 16). “Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there: But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel, and it is the king’s court” (Amos 7:12-13). For some reason, they want to exile us to the land of Judah, called Israel today. This may be how God’s people begin their journey to the place of safety.

It appears God puts that thought into the minds of our persecutors. It is also quite possible that they know we have an important work in Judah. How would they know about that? Could it be because of an impressive archaeological find? Is it because of the key of the house of David, what we are doing over in Jerusalem even now, and what that will lead us into? Perhaps that is why they will say, Look, you’re doing a work over in Judah—get out of this country and go over there and prophesy!

Would such events flow directly into Isaiah 40:9?

Perhaps, after being booted out for prophesying to the Laodiceans and Israel—the first two of the three commissions—we will be sent to Judah on our way to the place of safety. God may say to us, You’ve been kicked out of that country—now I want you to go to this country and lift up your voice—in person—and tell the Jews, “Behold your God! He is coming to sit on David’s throne—right where David sat on it!” I don’t know exactly how things will play out, but this passage in Amos 7 has an interesting connection to Judah.

‘Be Not Afraid’

In Isaiah 40:9, God tells us, “[L]ift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid”! Don’t be afraid! Don’t be timid! Use the Spirit of God, and tell them the Messiah is about to arrive!

We must have strong courage to lift up our voice and not be afraid!

Will you be afraid? Will I be afraid? Will we be Laodicean—or will we be Philadelphian? These are important questions. If we are not Philadelphian now, how will we be then? If we are acting carnally now, how are we going to be spiritual then, and not be afraid? The only way to do God’s Work is by using the power of God! We need to be growing in that power today!

Though authorities disagree on exactly how Amos died, several sources say it was some kind of martyrdom. One says that Uzziah killed him by hitting his forehead with a glowing iron. Another says Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, fatally struck him in the head. Whatever happened, it gives you an idea of just how fierce the opposition to God’s message can get. It will take a pretty tough Christian to be able to endure.

Could God rely on any of the Laodiceans to deliver His message? They can’t do it—they are too weak! What about us?

In Isaiah 22:22, when God says He will lay this key on a man’s shoulder, that is a symbol of this message being a burden. Several scriptures show why this message may be somewhat of a burden. Proclaiming this message won’t be all smooth sailing. This world doesn’t want to listen to God. Can you see why this will be a burden on Eliakim’s shoulder? We all need each other’s prayers.

Verse 25 also refers to a “burden” on Eliakim’s shoulder. There is a burden in doing the Work of God. There is a burden on me, and really on all of us. We have to take on the responsibility God has given us; that is how we grow. He gives us whatever weight we need to lift to make us good weightlifters, spiritually.

But this is not a negative message—it is a message of good tidings! We can’t be timid about it. We’re telling the Jews and everyone else that the Messiah is about to arrive!

Mighty Captivity

Notice something else that God connects to the key of the house of David in the context of Isaiah 22: “Thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say” (verse 15). This modern type of Shebna is a man “over the house” in the last days. Who is that?

The message is, “What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?” (verse 16). This man is trying to carve out his own salvation and his own place of safety, like most religious people. But God says it is a vain, futile effort.

“Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee” (verse 17). God says He’s going to give this man a sepulcher—but not the type that man thinks. He’ll take that man away in a captivity in the Tribulation, and bury him! This mighty captivity is about to befall Judah (the Jewish nation), Ephraim (Britain) and Manasseh (America) simultaneously (Hosea 5:5).

“He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord’s house. And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down” (Isaiah 22:18-19).

It is right after this that Isaiah speaks about Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah (verse 20), receiving the key of the house of David (verse 22). Lange’s Commentary says, “On the day when Shebna must quit his post, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah will occupy his place. … He was in all probability of the priestly race. For Hilkiah, as his father was called, was a common name of priests.” We are looking at that spiritually, but it is all connected.

There is a captivity associated with the key of the house of David. Shebna’s authority is stripped from him and given to Eliakim, and Shebna is carried away in a mighty captivity. This is a serious warning—to all of us.

Jerusalem is about to be trodden underfoot by the Gentiles into the muck and mire in the worst captivity ever known to man! (Luke 21:24; Revelation 11:2). That is a chilling prophecy about Jerusalem—and it applies to all Israel! The stormy, outer edges of the “times of the Gentiles” Christ spoke about are already here!

The Message of the Key

Lange’s continues: “[T]he key opens the entrance to the house, to the apartments and to all that is in them. He, therefore, who alone has this key, has alone also the highest power [or authority]. The expression reminds us … of Isaiah 9:[6] (‘on his shoulder’ is a symbolical representation of the office as a burden to be carried) …” (emphasis mine).

This key is a burden on this man’s shoulder. It is specifically about the message of the key of the house of David!

One door that God has clearly opened up for His Church today with this key is our work in Jerusalem. The archaeological excavations we have participated in and the finds we have promoted have revealed a lot about King David and Israel’s history. Dr. Eilat Mazar often said, “Let the stones speak!” And so many artifacts she and other archaeologists have found in recent years are speaking loudly—with a powerful message especially for the people of Judah.

There is quite a message in these artifacts and what they mean for Judah. There is such a story—such a history and such a prophecy—being uncovered by biblical archaeology in Jerusalem today! It is surely one of the most incisive, piercing messages the Jews could possibly hear. True, the message is for all Israel, but the Jews who live in the land can understand it far better than the peoples of Britain and America.

In The United States and Britain in Prophecy, Herbert W. Armstrong proved that David’s throne did not perish with Zedekiah, as so many people think. God kept His promise, and that throne still exists—with a Jew sitting on it! The Jews need to know that history! They need to know about David’s throne and how and why it left Jerusalem. When Jeremiah emerged from the dungeon, he had to take that throne to another country because Judah was going into a mighty captivity and the temple was going to be utterly destroyed!

The Jews need to know about David’s throne, its history and The United States and Britain in Prophecy. They need to know why we are so excited about a dig in Jerusalem: because it connects to the coming of the Messiah! We also need to explain what is prophesied to happen before He gets here. There is a powerful warning about a mighty captivity! And it’s all connected to that dig.

They need to know why we are helping to dig and to clear all the rubble away. They are about to suffer the mightiest captivity ever inflicted on mankind! How can you endure such a brutal and horrifying captivity unless you KNOW the Messiah is about to come? This message may agitate them today—but the time will come when it will give them hope! They need hope and inspiration, and so do America and Britain.

Let’s look at one powerful example of archaeological finds with a strong warning for the people of Judah.

Royal Seals of Jeremiah’s Accusers Found

During the last days of the kingdom of Judah, the Prophet Jeremiah warned the residents of Jerusalem of their impending captivity at the hands of the Babylonian army. Instead of heeding that warning message, the princes of King Zedekiah’s administration attacked the messenger and plunged him into a miry dungeon (Jeremiah 38:1-6).

The name of one of Jeremiah’s accusers, Gedaliah the son of Pashur, is stamped on a small clay seal that was discovered about 600 feet south of the Temple Mount. Dr. Mazar found the bulla in early 2008, in mint condition, while wet-sifting debris excavated from under a tower at the north end of the City of David—the original site of ancient Jerusalem.

In 2005, Dr. Mazar had found another seal bearing the name Jehucal the son of Shelemiah on it—mentioned twice in the book of Jeremiah. The Jehucal bulla was found on the platform above the Stepped Stone Structure, where Dr. Mazar had uncovered a section of King David’s palace.

Both princes, the Bible relates, unsuccessfully petitioned for Jeremiah’s execution and were responsible for his imprisonment on two separate occasions.

Incredibly, the Prophet Jeremiah survived the destruction and captivity.

Mazar’s two clay seals survived as well—buried under 2,600 years’ worth of debris. “It’s not often,” Dr. Mazar said, “that such discoveries happen in which real figures of the past shake off the dust of history and so vividly revive the stories of the Bible.”

Remember Jeremiah’s commission: “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant” (Jeremiah 1:10). This verse reveals Jeremiah’s commission and the main subject of this whole book.

Jeremiah not only had a commission. He understood the greatest vision in the Bible: the key of David.

The United States and Britain in Prophecy explains how that commission centered around the throne of David—warning Judah of its impending captivity and the overthrow of that throne in Judah, and then building and planting that throne in Ireland. Still later, it was moved to Scotland and England.

The Jews and all of us need to know what happened to Jeremiah in the process of rooting out the throne of Judah. For years he was warning Judah as the Jews violently persecuted him. This was part of the rooting out process!

Just finding the two small clay seals reminds us of how much Jeremiah suffered in rooting out David’s throne from the rebellious Jews and fulfilling the commission God gave him.

Jeremiah also prophesied that David’s throne would return to Judah when the Messiah comes. And here is the terrifying part: What the Jews suffered under Babylon is only a type of their suffering and captivity during the Tribulation before the throne is returned to Jerusalem at the Messiah’s coming. The Jews will experience the worst suffering ever on this Earth! They received a tiny foretaste of that suffering on October 7, 2023, when the butchers of Hamas attacked them.

Anciently, Jeremiah had a strong warning for Judah. “Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people …” (Jeremiah 38:1). Here are the two princes whose names were on the royal seals: Gedaliah, the son of Pashur, and Jucal (or Jehucal), the son of Shelemiah. Both of them hated Jeremiah’s message.

“Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt” (verse 4). These princes tried to have Jeremiah put to death!

It is phenomenal that we found the clay seals of these two princes. What a hideous warning it is for the Jews today!

God’s end-time prophecies warn the Jews of a much greater catastrophe than Nebuchadnezzar had inflicted on them. The coming modern Babylon is going to create the holocaust of all holocausts!

Jeremiah was imprisoned and nearly starved to death (verses 6-9). There was no more bread left in Jerusalem. That is only a type of the famine about to strike in three nations of Israel: the United States, Britain and the Jewish state.

Our Relationship With the Jews

I went to Ambassador College in 1967, the same year that the Six-Day War broke out in Israel. God intervened miraculously to help Israel win. The Jews gained control of the whole of Jerusalem.

The very next year, the Israelis began what they called the “Big Dig”—a massive archaeological excavation on the southern part of what the Jews call the Temple Mount. In November of that year, Mr. Armstrong visited Jerusalem on a fact-finding trip to consider a joint participation on Prof. Benjamin Mazar’s archaeological dig. He wasn’t sure whether to do it at first. I’m sure he thought, Well, let’s see. I’m to get this message out to the world. Does God really want me involved in Jerusalem in an archaeological dig? I can understand why he didn’t make an immediate decision.

He returned to Jerusalem a few weeks later and decided to proceed. This time he met with Israel’s president, along with those involved in the dig. “It was a memorable—perhaps a historic—meeting with President Zalman Shazar and our Israeli friends at the preceding visit,” Mr. Armstrong wrote. “On that date we formally entered into the joint participation with Hebrew University and the Israel Archaeological Society. Some little time after that we entered into participation in the iccy (International Cultural Center for Youth), founded by Eleanor Roosevelt and Minister of Tourism Moshe Kol. We have continued both participations. Beginning with the summer of 1969, we sent students every year during summer vacation to work on the dig—some years up to 100 students” (Good News, February 1979).

Within two years, Ambassador College had 78 students over there digging, and Professor Mazar was asking Mr. Armstrong to triple that number.

Having hundreds of students on that dig over the years was impressive. But where are they today? Did they learn what they were supposed to learn from that dig? What good did it do them? Not very much, if you look at the whole picture.

The Jerusalem dig was an open door for Mr. Armstrong. God also used the dig itself to open many more doors in Israel. Mr. Armstrong’s contacts in Israel flourished in the ensuing years.

The mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek, visited Ambassador College in Pasadena and was very impressed—then he wanted to show Mr. Armstrong his own efforts to beautify Jerusalem.

Receptions and dinners were held in Mr. Armstrong’s honor. Mr. Armstrong funded the construction of a children’s playground at Liberty Bell Park in Jerusalem to promote friendly relations between Arab and Jewish children. In some ways, that was a minor project—but Mr. Armstrong really did know the way to peace. Here he showed that in a practical way by reconciling Arab and Jewish children. Also in Jerusalem, there is a courtyard measuring about 75 by 100 feet named the Herbert W. Armstrong Square.

Mr. Armstrong developed close relationships with many Israeli leaders, including President Zalman Shazar, Prime Minister Golda Meir, President Ephraim Katzir, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister Menachem Begin, President Yitzhak Navon, President Chaim Herzog and Prime Minister Shimon Peres. (Request a free copy of A Warm Friend of Israel to learn more about Mr. Armstrong’s activities there.) Those Israeli leaders wanted that friendship to continue perpetually! But the Laodiceans let that relationship die. In fact, they killed it.

How did Mr. Armstrong became such close friends with all those prominent people in Israel?

Notice this end-time prophecy in Hosea 11:12: “Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.”

Was Mr. Armstrong’s relationship with the Jews prophesied? You try to develop friendships like that in 10 years, and see what you can do in reaching that level with a government in this world. God says in this prophecy that the people of God would find favor with the Jews. That is the primary reason those contacts developed so quickly and deeply.

Look at the work God’s Church is doing in Israel today. We too are finding incredible favor over there. Was that prophesied as well?

Our work in Jerusalem is one of the greatest open doors God has given us—doors unlocked by that key of David. And based on prophecy, we expect even greater miracles ahead of us.

God is so deeply involved in these events! After all, the Messiah is about to return to Jerusalem and rule from David’s throne!

The Tel Dan Stele

For years, many critics and scholars argued that King David was a fictional character, or at best an insignificant leader of a tiny group of people—nothing like the Bible’s description of his life. Then in 1993, Israeli archaeologist Avraham Biran discovered a large fragment of a basalt stele (inscription) at the Tel Dan excavation in northern Israel. Subsequent excavations the following year revealed two more fragments. When archaeologists put the pieces together, they revealed an extraordinary message. It stunned the world and sent an earthquake through the archaeological community.

The inscription was made by King Hazael of Syria in the mid-ninth century b.c. Hazael had recently led his Aramean forces into battle against the allied forces of Jehoram, king of Israel, and Ahaziah, king of Judah (2 Kings 9). Hazael’s campaign was successful, and he boasted about his military victory on a basalt “victory stele” that he set up as a monument in the northern Israelite city of Dan.

On the ninth line of the stele, this is recorded: “[killed Jeho]ram son of [Ahab] king of Israel and kille[d Ahaz]iah son of [Jehoram kin]g of the House of David ….”

The expression “house of David” is used 26 times in the Bible.

This discovery provided the first conclusive archaeological evidence pointing to King David’s existence as a true historical figure. It also proved that he was the head of a royal dynasty, as described in the Bible. It showed that his dynasty was so well known that a Syrian king living more than 150 years after David still referred to that line of kings as belonging to David’s dynasty.

This is one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever found! It is uniquely special because of how powerfully it proves the accuracy of the Bible and what it reveals about King David.

The Tel Dan Stele belongs to the State of Israel and is one of its most important and celebrated artifacts. Under the care of the Israel Museum, the stele is one of the museum’s signature pieces. “The Louvre in Paris has the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci—we have the Tel Dan Stele, by King Hazael,” stated Pirchia Eyal, curator at the Israel Museum.

In 2024, we hosted an archaeological exhibit in Armstrong Auditorium at our headquarters campus in Edmond, Oklahoma, called Kingdom of David and Solomon Discovered. The assemblage of dozens of artifacts told the story of this phenomenal period in Israel’s history, proving that the biblical record is in fact true! The Tel Dan Stele was the most notable and impressive of these finds, and for two months we displayed it in our auditorium, courtesy of the Israel Museum and Israel Antiquities Authority. The stele had been to America only once before, when it was briefly on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The Daily Mail and Jerusalem Post published an article about the stele going to Armstrong Auditorium. The quip said, “Israel’s most important archaeological find ever to go on display in the U.S.” The fact that we were able to host this artifact was a miracle from God. It was one in a long line of miracles He has performed as we work to fulfill His command to reach the people of Judah.

More than any other artifact, the Tel Dan Stele points to the house of David and God’s covenant with David. God brought it to our headquarters in Edmond as further evidence that we have the throne of David in God’s Church!

The Palace ‘Established Forever’?

Mr. Armstrong believed that Christ’s throne will sit on the same spot where David’s throne sat anciently. If you look for the location of David’s throne in Jerusalem, how could you find it if you couldn’t find David’s palace?

Another scripture seems to indicate that not only will David’s throne last forever but also the palace—though not in its original form. This is speculation, but it is based on a passage that seems to be more than just speculation. These verses made me think again about the fact that so much of David’s palace has been preserved, only to be uncovered in our day—as if it was just waiting for us to find it!

In 2 Samuel 7, God gives the Prophet Nathan a message to deliver to King David. It draws specific attention to the palace of David. In verse 11, for example, God promises David that “he will make thee an house.”

Verse 12 reads, “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.” That is referring to Solomon. “He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (verse 13). God’s reference to a “house for my name” means a temple for God. The house of God is the temple of God, which Solomon built.

God’s message to David continued: “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever” (verse 16). This is a promise of a throne being established forever and of a king to sit on that throne throughout the ages and eternity. The throne symbolizes the royal office, and the kingdom refers to the royal family sitting on the throne of David.

But notice! This verse also says that David’s house, or his palace, would be established forever. The word house is the same as the one in Isaiah 22:22. Gesenius’ Lexicon calls it “a royal house, a palace” or “the house of God.” The house of God is the temple. But this is spoken to David, and it says not only “your kingdom” and “your throne,” but also “your house.” It’s not God’s house, but David’s.

David certainly seemed to understand that God meant, at least in part, a physical house. “[W]hat is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?” he asked. “[T]hou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come …” (2 Samuel 7:18-19). David was amazed at how much emphasis God put on a palace for David.

Read how David continued talking to God about this in verses 25 to 29: “And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said. … [L]et the house of thy servant David be established before thee. For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house …. [T]hou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant: Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it: and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever.”

We know, from this passage in 2 Samuel 7 and also Isaiah 9:7 and Luke 1:30-33, that David’s throne will remain forever.

Perhaps the palace will last forever as well. Why else would God say David’s palace will be established forever? It certainly looks like that is what this is saying—though again, I would still consider this speculation. But this scripture is difficult to explain any other way.

That palace didn’t remain whole, but somehow it was preserved, just waiting for us to uncover it. I am absolutely certain that God had a hand in preserving that palace, particularly in light of Isaiah’s prophecy that He would give the key of that palace (a symbol of the house of David) to Eliakim in this end time!

Again: We cannot find where the throne was if we cannot find the palace! You must have the palace in order to locate the throne room where Christ is going to establish His throne when He returns. Christ had to preserve that. He could easily also preserve a palace for David throughout eternity.

2 Samuel 7:25-29 is a very interesting passage. Will David’s palace always exist, as well as David’s throne? I’m not sure, but I think it could fit within the temple in the Millennium—perhaps in the center of it or on the top of it. I don’t know how else these scriptures can be read. Of course, there would be changes; it would be a different kind of palace when the new Jerusalem arrives on Earth, but there could still be a palace of David.

When God is ruling this Earth, many people who were human like David will be members of the God Family, eternal sons of God, ruling from David’s throne with Christ. That should not seem peculiar. After all, men and women were created to enter God’s Family and rule with Him forever!

Perhaps these new God beings will dwell in David’s palace forever.

“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:31-32). David bridges the gap between God and man. We must not forget that the throne of David is really the throne of God! God wants to bring men into His Family and make us royalty of the highest level.

This is all tied to the Jerusalem dig. Mr. Armstrong prepared for it in a spectacular way. Those who took over after him showed nothing but contempt for the work he did there, and look where they are spiritually today. Consider the vision behind that project, and you can understand why God would say that they are unfit to be His royalty!

That project is to prepare the way for Jesus Christ’s return to sit on David’s throne! Mr. Armstrong was given the key of David, and God has further expanded our understanding of this all-important key since Mr. Armstrong died. Now He has also given us the key of the house of David! We are getting so close to the end of this age of man, to the point where we are clearing off the very spot where Christ is going to put His throne!

The Father, Christ and His angelic helpers are already well into planning and organizing for the Second Coming! Why do I say that? Already Christ has used His Church to help uncover David’s palace, which is a symbol of all the kings who are to sit on that throne. We are helping to clear away the debris from where David’s throne sat 3,000 years ago; that throne will surely be standing on the same spot when Christ returns! We are helping to get that area ready for Christ’s imminent return! We are preparing Jerusalem—physically and spiritually—for its King.

That is what our archaeological dig is all about. It’s about Christ ruling the Earth for a thousand years—then ruling the universe for eternity under God the Father!

This is a key part of why Eliakim is the father of Judah. The Eliakim work plays the crucial role for God today.

The Throne in the Millennium

Here is a picture of the Messiah reigning from the throne of David in the Millennium: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 33:14-15). All of Israel will unite around that throne. Everyone will become a part of spiritual Israel.

The archaeological excavation of King David’s palace is actually the beginning of this prophecy! We are preparing—even in a specific, physical way—for the imminent return of Jesus Christ. Christ is going to sit on that throne, which will undoubtedly be right where it stood when David ruled from it, and that area needs to be cleaned up. God is helping us grasp and prepare for that future by involving us in a physical project, anticipating Christ’s return.

Jerusalem above is the mother of us all (Galatians 4:26). So we are concerned about physical excavations that have such profound spiritual meaning. God the Father and His Son have a vested interest in that place—after all, the greatest event ever to occur in the universe is about to happen in Jerusalem! The Son of God is coming. Then, a little over a millennium later, the next greatest event ever to occur in the universe will happen in Jerusalem! The Father is coming. World headquarters is going to be in Jerusalem shortly—and then, when God the Father comes to Earth, universe headquarters! It’s all about Jerusalem!

Revelation 3:12 says that God’s people will be pillars in the temple and will have the name of new Jerusalem written on them. Jerusalem is truly special to the people of God! We are going to be there with Jesus Christ, and then with God the Father, forever!

Can you see why God will not give any Laodicean a part in this? God is going to put us at headquarters forever because we have remained loyal to David’s throne—and because we’ve been given so much that we can teach!

How much do we thank God for this wonderful, exciting future?

Do you understand what is happening? God has been getting us focused on Jerusalem. It’s not about Jerusalem today. In fact, it’s not even about Jerusalem during the Millennium. The ultimate goal is new Jerusalem, when God the Father comes down and all converted people enter into the Family of God and begin to rule the universe. That is what the Jerusalem dig is ultimately about!

The Jerusalem dig is only a tiny beginning. It introduces us to what is about to explode on the world scene!

This world is about to become a God-ruled utopia. All the dreadful evils of this world are about to disappear forever. God’s majestic glory is about to fill this Earth!

The building program for the entire universe is about to begin in Jerusalem!

What a wondrous dimension to this prophecy God has added through this archaeological dig. We are so close to the end! The key to David’s palace is an inspiring conclusion. God is making it vivid and tangible. The whole world can see it! We’re getting ready for the spectacular return of Jesus Christ, and we have students digging with their hands in the dirt to prepare for Christ’s throne. He is about to come back, and we are on schedule.

That is a real message! That is the conclusion to all that we’re doing on this Earth today. What an honor God has given us to be a part of this inspiring, wondrous Work!

Sidebar: The Key of David in Isaiah 33

The Prophet Isaiah offered an inspiring vision of a glorious future. Yet he prefaced it with a strong warning to God’s lukewarm saints whose participation in that future is in doubt. You can read this prophecy in Isaiah 33.

Isaiah prophesied, “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” (verse 14). In prophecy, Zion means the New Testament Church. Today there are sinners in Zion whom God calls hypocrites. A hypocrite pretends to be something he is not. This verse refers to the Laodiceans today. They scoff at our message now, but soon they will be extremely afraid.

Bible prophecy shows that the period known as the Great Tribulation is almost upon us—the most devastating time in human history (Matthew 24:21). Nuclear World War iii is imminent. Yet God promises His people a place of physical refuge. Shortly before the Tribulation begins, God’s faithful Church will be taken to a place of safety (Revelation 12:14).

Sadly, most of God’s people will not escape this coming crisis. The Laodiceans will have to “dwell with the devouring fire” caused by nuclear bombs. A nuclear holocaust will wake them up to their tragic spiritual condition. What an incredible price they will have to pay to get back in step with God! When the Tribulation closes in on them, they will suddenly realize how wrong they have been. The Laodiceans have deceived themselves, but deep down they know they are hypocrites! So God must punish them. That is their only hope of making it into God’s righteous Family.

Many Laodiceans have a casual attitude about the coming Tribulation. Some have even stated that they can handle it when it comes. How unwise! God is giving His people a choice. No one need go into the Tribulation. Even though prophecy indicates that 50 percent of the Laodiceans will repent in the Tribulation, they will still have to suffer and then die physically! Their reward will also be much diminished. Of course, the far worse tragedy is that the other 50 percent will perish spiritually—forever!

King in His Beauty

Isaiah clearly shows who will escape the coming nuclear nightmare. This passage continues, “He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil” (Isaiah 33:15). What a crucial scripture! Those members of God’s Church who live righteously now, and who view evil the way that God does, will escape.

Revelation 3:10 shows that those who live true to God’s Word will be protected from that time of shattering trial. They have remained faithful to what they were taught concerning the key of David vision.

Isaiah gives more details of this promise: “He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off” (Isaiah 33:16-17). “Munitions of rocks” is better translated “strongholds of Sela,” referring to the famous city of Petra. This rock fortress was a well-defended stronghold for many centuries. It is the perfect place for God to protect His people from nuclear fallout and other dangers of nuclear war. Still, we don’t know for certain where that place of safety will be.

Notice that God also promises His obedient people food and water. God’s Philadelphians will not suffer hunger and thirst. Verse 17 says that the protected people will see the “king”—Jesus Christ—“in his beauty.” And they will be able to see into “the land that is very far off.” From their mountain stronghold they will be able to see into the holy land—Judah. At Christ’s return, they will witness His ascension to the throne of David in Jerusalem. This will be a truly beautiful moment.

Look at what the Laodiceans will miss. All of us would agree that losing eternal life is the single greatest loss for any human being. But even the physical loss for those who repent is tremendous. They will suffer in the Tribulation as no people ever have. They will also lose their reward of being a pillar in God’s headquarters temple forever!

Meditate Terror

It does not have to be that way. God pleads with His Church through Isaiah, “Thine heart shall meditate terror …” (Isaiah 33:18). He tells us to meditate on the terror to come. We must face it.

Today the cities of the United States and Britain are plagued with appalling evils. Natural disasters are taking their toll on lives and properties, and economies are overtaxed with the clean-up. Gangs, drug pushers and acts of terrorism have turned our cities into war zones. Hatred among peoples is exploding into violent crime, riots, terrorism and other threats.

World crises are also mounting. Tensions among nations are growing, and war roils in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere. Modern technologies like drones and hypersonic missiles are making warfare deadlier. Innocent lives are being wiped out by the multiple thousands. And this is all just the beginning of sorrows.

God promises to protect His faithful people from the coming destruction. It is not difficult to understand why: These people have a universe-shaking vision of God’s Family growing into eternity. They recognize the Father as the Head of His Family. They believe and obey their Father. Those who truly believe the key of David vision know there is an awe-inspiring Father building a family.

Tabernacle That Shall Not Be Taken Down

The next several verses in Isaiah 33 describe the far-reaching vision that the righteous in Zion have. “Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby” (verses 20-21).

This city, “a tabernacle that shall not be taken down,” is not the Jerusalem of the Millennium, which will be taken down in the final fire before Christ delivers the Kingdom of God to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:14-15). This Jerusalem is “a tabernacle that shall not be taken down.” This can refer only to the wonderful beauty of new Jerusalem, which will last forever.

Referring to this “tabernacle,” Isaiah 33:20 says “not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed.” The word for stake here is the same word for nail in Isaiah 22. Gesenius’ Lexicon explains that “a nail or pin is used metaphorically of a prince, from whom the care of the whole state hangs …; the same person is also called [a] corner stone, on whom the state is builded.”

Understand the depth here! The people of Zion in the place of safety not only see the land that is very far off—they not only see the King in His beauty—they see the time when not one nail will be removed from the tabernacle! What an extraordinary vision!

Not one of the leaders in God’s Family will ever be removed. Revelation 3:12 is a companion verse: “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out ….” God’s family government will be permanently established. It is important that we see not only the nail in God’s holy place today, but also the nail in the land very far off as well. When we expand our minds in this manner, we finally begin to see God the Father’s vision for His Family.

God the Father’s plans for His Family reach into eternity. God has revealed His plans to His Church. The unveiling of His plan officially began with the birth of Jesus Christ, and it will eventually involve all human beings who submit to Almighty God.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not” (1 John 3:1). Though we are still in the flesh, God calls us sons. We are sons of the Father. Think deeply about this: If we are sons of the Father, then that makes us Family. This spiritual fact is more real than our own physical families. This is truly mind-boggling.

The Apostle John was awestruck by this incredible revelation. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (verse 2). We are destined to be spirit beings, just like the Father! God the Father will always be the Head of the Family—and just as physical children share the characteristics and nature of their parents, we will share God the Father’s divine nature and spirit form.

How well do we grasp our extraordinary future? It is difficult for any human being to fathom what God the Father is offering to humanity. The Father desires to deepen our vision and understanding of His family government. For Him to be able to do that, we need a childlike attitude toward Him.

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (verse 3). This verse has great depth. We will not be motivated to change our evil human nature to God’s nature without this hope. We will not be able to face and conquer our God-given tests! John is telling us that if we have this hope in us, we will change. And there can be no change if this hope is absent.

Getting the key of David vision deeply into our minds is the great source of hope for us. The key of David vision is filled with hope. All too often, people bog down in their trials. When we have the hope of the key of David vision in us, no trial can stop us.

The main job of the Philadelphia ministry is to fill the lives of God’s people with hope. The key of David vision is that hope.

Christ—the Everlasting Father

Let me repeat two of the most incredible verses in the Bible: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

God’s plan for restoring His government on Earth began with Jesus Christ. It started out in the smallest of ways. And Isaiah 9:7 shows that the increase of God’s government and peace will never end. God’s government will expand forever. In other words, the throne of David will expand eternally.

God the Father, rich in mercy, planned to give Jesus Christ as a Savior to a failed humanity. This shows the depth of the Father’s love for man (John 3:16). When Jesus Christ walked the Earth, He was God’s only begotten Son. He was the only Son who could make it possible for the Father to have many more sons. God gave the world His Son. That means family.

Through His Son, the Father established His government. Isaiah 9:6-7 show that God has placed His government on Christ’s shoulder. The primary spiritual centerpiece for all humanity is God’s government—God’s family government. It is the same government that rules God’s true Church today. That same government will rule the Earth and then the universe. When we talk about the true gospel, we are talking about God’s royal Family, which administers God’s government forever.

Jesus Christ has many names: “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” One of His names is the everlasting Father. Jesus Christ is a type of God the Father.

The Apostle Paul states about Christ in Colossians 1:17-19: “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.” Creating for God the Father, Jesus Christ was the beginning of all life. He is the Head of the Church. He is the firstborn from the dead. His position in God’s plan is much like the Father’s. But we must never forget that He is the Son, not the Father.

A Family Throne

The key of David vision has ROYAL FAMILY written all over it. When we fully understand this, the vision begins to explode with excitement.

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21). Christ now shares the Father’s throne. Two personages share the same throne. Yet soon, Christ will be given David’s throne, and He will share that throne with His Bride. Christ and His Bride will work to teach all humanity to be obedient and loyal to that throne. When that is completed, the Father and Son will rule from that throne for eternity!

What an awesome project God has started! We will be able to share the family throne as members of the first Family of the universe! We are in the process of preparing for that job now. Do we understand what God is offering us?

During the Millennium, we will assist Christ in bringing the rest of humanity into submission to the throne of David. At the second resurrection, all who qualify will become spirit beings. For all eternity we will share David’s throne, which had its origins in the evil age of man. This will be a reminder that we once were lowly men. We will be able to appreciate deeply what God and Christ have planned for us. We will have intense joy because of our godly, royal responsibility.

Think about how much history and prophecy is carried in the name throne of David. This incredible knowledge reveals how God and Christ create their royal Family. It all began with one begotten Son—Jesus Christ. All humanity would have lived in vain if Christ had failed. As humans change into spirit, we will never forget how God worked out His plan of salvation. We will always remember that God was able to convert sinful flesh into immortal God.

Remember, in Luke 1:32, David’s throne is discussed in the context of a Father and a Son. Jesus Christ is described as the “Son of the Highest,” or the Father. David’s throne is a family throne. The key of David vision is about family. It shows that both physical family and God Family are vital. Our physical marriages and families must be strong. Human families are God-plane relationships. Our physical families are a type of the God Family. The Church is going to marry Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:7), typed by physical marriage. The God Family will never end. This understanding requires that we live according to this vision now!

When new Jerusalem comes down from God to Earth, the whole God Family will be ruling from the throne of David. There will be one throne for the entire Family.

Can we see where the key of David vision is leading us? Living in new Jerusalem will be the best of times forever. God the Father will come to Earth and enjoy the rich fruits of His Family. And that is just the beginning!

We must develop real faith to finish this process God has begun in us. We are going to need real faith in the key of David vision to make it through the tough times just ahead, the time of Satan’s greatest wrath.

This vision has helped many of God’s leaders through the difficult trials of their calling. Let’s look again at the example of Abraham.

Faith of Abraham

Abraham is known as the father of the faithful (Romans 4:16; Galatians 3:7). He had real faith in a real vision. Exercising faith in God’s promises, Abraham obeyed God, left the home of his father, and dwelled in tents in a strange country (Hebrews 11:8-9). Why was Abraham able to do this? Verse 10 answers: “For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

You should meditate on that statement for the rest of your life! Think about the spiritual depth of this man. He looked forward to the city built by God the Father—a city, one translation says, with “sure foundations.” In other words, Abraham was able to look beyond all of God’s abundant physical promises and focus on the fantastic spiritual promises. He clearly saw the key of David vision all the way into new Jerusalem!

Abraham was motivated by the vision of God’s Family being complete. Abraham lived for the time when God’s government and throne would spread throughout the universe. What a breathtaking vision! What glory!

The quality of our faith must have “sure foundations.” Our faith must be so strong, so real, that it is established on the “sure foundations” of new Jerusalem!

We can build our faith to have that astonishing reach! We must pray fervently and meditate seriously on that expression to comprehend its depth. It is a mind-dazzling faith with sure foundations. This is the foundation of the key of David vision.

Understand the time element. This is speaking of the time when God the Father brings new Jerusalem to Earth. God will have made the foundations of this city sure. Can you imagine—project Earth completed! God will have re-created Himself into multiple billions of Family members—a majestic and royal Family. This vision carries within it the only goal for every human life, if we are to live beyond this world.

Why is this mind-stretching family goal so important? It is the only vision that gives deep meaning to God’s plan. He gave us physical marriage and physical family, types of our marriage to Christ and of the God Family, to give this vision greater depth. God the Father’s vision of the future is a family vision. God paid a great price to give us this vision of the future; He allowed His Son to be crucified so all humans could be part of the future spiritual Family.

Abraham—A Type of the Father

The supreme test God gave to Abraham was requiring that he sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22).

What did he do when God gave him that command? “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him” (verse 3).

Think about sacrificing one of your children. That would have been even harder than sacrificing his own life! Think of the love Abraham had for this special son, promised by God, for whom he waited 25 years! There had to be intense emotions and strenuous mental battles. Imagine the agony.

“And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son” (verses 9-10). Abraham fully planned to sacrifice his beloved son!

In this test, Abraham became a type of God the Father who gave up His only Son.

“And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me” (verses 11-12).

How could Abraham sacrifice his son? He knew that giving up Isaac was so little compared to the Father’s plan to sacrifice Christ! Remember, when God sent His Son to Earth, there was the chance that Christ could have failed. Had Christ sinned, the plan for man would have also failed. Had Christ failed, God the Father would have been alone for the rest of eternity!

Can we see how profound Abraham’s obedience test was? His willingness to sacrifice Isaac is one big reason why he will have one of the top positions in the Kingdom of God forever.

Why was Abraham so willing to sacrifice his son Isaac? Because he understood the key of David vision. He held God the Father’s perspective. He saw the Father’s love and Christ’s love, and he wanted to be just like the Father. That is why Abraham became the father of the physical nation of Israel. That is also why he became the father of the faithful—spiritual Israel. He had the Father’s perspective—the whole God Family picture.

We must also learn to see the key of David vision as Abraham did. We must develop the same royal faith that Abraham had. It is possible for us to do so.

Name—New Jerusalem

Jesus Christ’s message to His Church right now is that He is coming quickly and is bringing a reward for all who have remained faithful. “… I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name” (Revelation 3:12). Christ is writing the name of new Jerusalem in the minds of all Philadelphians today. That is an incredibly far-reaching vision!

At the beginning of the Millennium, we will still be looking forward to new Jerusalem. We must get the new Jerusalem perspective now so we can be ready to teach it in the World Tomorrow. We must have the complete God Family picture in our minds!

What really separates the Philadelphians and Laodiceans today? It is this vision of the completion of God’s Family. The faithful Philadelphians hear what the Spirit is saying (verse 22). They grasp the vision about the royal Family of God. Therefore, God adorns them with the name of new Jerusalem. That is because today they envision this majestic, eternal city! It is a part of their daily thinking. However, the Laodiceans are blind to this incredible God Family vision.

David ruled from Jerusalem. Christ will rule from there in the World Tomorrow. The Father will rule from new Jerusalem.

Philadelphians see as Abraham did. They hold fast to the Family vision. In that sense, they also share the Father’s perspective—seeing all the way to new Jerusalem. It is an incredible, incredible vision. They can see all the way to the time when the Father is here on Earth and His entire spirit-born Family is working with Him. God’s family plan will be complete only when the Father arrives on Earth to dwell with His Family.

This entire vision is explained by the key of David. None of us can get this vision into our mind without a lot of spiritual digging.

A Better Resurrection

What does it mean to have the name new Jerusalem written upon our foreheads? It means that we will be right there in new Jerusalem with God the Father! What a mind-stirring, magnificent future.

Christ saw all the way to new Jerusalem and beyond. He was able to endure all that He suffered to open the way for us to make it there. Paul wrote in Hebrews, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

Abraham, like Christ, saw far into the future and was willing to do whatever it took to make it there. Grasping this vision now unites us with Christ and Abraham and all faithful people who have come before us. This key of David vision motivates God’s people to always move forward.

Study Hebrews 11, the faith chapter. Paul shows us here that some of God’s people were tested to the point of death. But the threat of death didn’t stop them, because they had this vision. Before Christ returns, some of us may also have to give up our physical lives. This shows the importance of the key of David vision. There is a direct connection between the depth of our understanding of this vision and how well we endure trials. This is what Hebrews 11 shows.

By grasping this vision now, we secure our place in new Jerusalem. In Revelation 3:12, Christ promises that we will “go no more out.” What a fantastic opportunity! All Philadelphians are promised a permanent headquarters position that cannot be taken away from us. This position is not for the Millennium only: Christ says we will “go no more out” in the context of new Jerusalem! We are destined to work at headquarters with Christ during the Millennium and with Christ and God the Father in new Jerusalem. Astounding revelation!

No city even remotely compares to the grandeur of new Jerusalem, headquarters of the universe. This magnificent city will be over 1,500 miles in width, length and height (Revelation 21:16; one furlong is one eighth of a mile). If placed in the U.S., that city would extend from the East Coast to the center of the country! It would cover nearly half of America! And imagine the height. Planes fly only about 5 or 6 miles high. Just the FOUNDATION of new Jerusalem could be that high!

Can you even imagine its splendor? Does it seem unreal? To Abraham, this city had “sure foundations.” How does your faith compare with Abraham’s? Or Christ’s?

The only way we will grasp this vision is by using God’s Holy Spirit. To each era, Christ says, “[L]et him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). He makes this statement over and over for good reason: Most of God’s people don’t hear what the Spirit says. Are we listening to the Spirit today? We cannot possibly comprehend this vision without God’s Spirit.

To allow ourselves to become carnal and reject this vision is such a shameful sin. To fail to grasp the key of David vision in all its significance and beauty is truly a tragedy.

The Philadelphian Work

Can we begin to see the importance of the work of the Philadelphia Church of God? Someone must deliver a strong message to the Laodiceans about what they are throwing away. They are giving up their royal positions in the Family of God!

Look at how Christ feels about what they are doing: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19). Jesus Christ says the Laodiceans need rebuking and chastening. Christ always rebukes in love. But if there is no response to the rebuke, He must resort to difficult chastening.

The Philadelphia Church is often criticized for promoting an “attack gospel.” In truth, Jesus Christ is using us to knock on the Laodiceans’ doors (verse 20). He is working through us to help them see God’s family government vision. They have all lost the key of David vision.

Who does the rebuking? God doesn’t personally do it. It must be done by His spiritual Jews who remain Philadelphian to the end.

God is using the Philadelphians to “rebuke” the Laodiceans. If they don’t heed the message, God will “chasten” them in the Great Tribulation. This is all done in the context of God’s love (verse 19). We do not attack others, but we do attack sin in the context of God’s love!

All the Laodicean groups fail to see their wretched spiritual condition. Christ is on the outside of their churches. He is knocking to get in. He is not inside their churches directing them and guiding them as they suppose and teach.

Christ in Us

Revelation 3:20 shows that Christ must not only be in our Church, He must live in all of us individually as well. The Laodiceans don’t have the key of David vision within their churches, and their individual members don’t grasp this vision. The vision is not in them. It must be in us. It must motivate our every act. If we see what Christ and God the Father see, then Christ and God the Father are in us. The Laodiceans do not see as Christ sees. All of them have rejected the government of God. How can they ever help establish the throne of David if they reject its government now?

The Laodiceans have allowed themselves to be entrapped in spiritual arrogance. In their wretched spiritual condition, they have rejected revelation. “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). Jesus Christ revealed marvelous truths about the key of David vision through Mr. Armstrong. And Christ is adding new revelation through the pcg. God has always revealed truth to people who are babes in attitude.

Whether we live or die spiritually revolves around God’s revelation. God’s truth is revealed. If we are stubborn, self-willed or rebellious, God will cut us off from His revelation. We will never understand the meaning behind David’s throne unless we are in a humble, childlike frame of mind.

We must believe that there is and will be abundant and spectacular revelation in the time just before Christ returns!

Thayer’s Lexicon defines the word revealed in Matthew 11:25 as “God revealing to men things unknown.” It also says, “To uncover … what has been veiled or covered up … disclose what before was unknown …. Of Christ teaching men.” The key of David vision represents some of the most incredible revelation from the mind of God! To whom is God revealing it? To babes.

When will men learn this vital lesson? We must be childlike to have God speak to us through new revelation (Matthew 18:1-3). When we remain childlike, Christ will continue to reveal new understanding to us. When we become stubborn, self-willed or spiritually rebellious, the revelation stops. Never, never, never will we be able to understand the deep vision of David’s throne unless we are childlike in attitude!

Remember, the key of David vision is the Father’s vision. As God’s begotten sons, let’s do all we can to grasp this royal vision of splendor. When we do, we will ensure our place in new Jerusalem and will be part of God’s completed Family.

Born in a Day

“Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word …” (Isaiah 66:5). Do we tremble at God’s word? If we do, then when He directs us to do something, we do it! Abraham obeyed when God directed him. Whatever God told him to do, he did—and he became the father of the faithful. Each one of us needs to learn that more deeply.

“A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (verses 6-8). What a powerful prophecy! The spiritual birth of God’s people is going to shock the world, what’s left of it. Isaiah is very poetic here. A resurrection is coming. It must be for all of these great prophecies to be fulfilled. Who has seen anything like this? This is really special! It takes your breath away!

The dual crown God has given His Church today foreshadows Jesus Christ in His Second Coming, the greatest event ever to occur in this universe. Surely this nation being born at once would have to be the second-greatest event ever! We are not even close to Christ’s level; I’m not trying to say we are. But we still must remember that we are to become the Bride of Christ and sit on David’s throne with Him. That is a mind-shattering, wonderful vision God has given to inspire and stir us. The dual crown foreshadows the Second Coming of Christ, and it also foreshadows our destiny as the Bride of Christ. The Zion of God is about to be born!

“Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God” (verse 9). Can you imagine almost coming to the birth and God stopping it? He would never do that! He would do anything to make it happen—to the point of giving up His only begotten Son! What more could we ask of God?

It’s not easy to give birth. During a birth, there is early labor, then active labor, then the transition. That is when the mother begins to push and bring everything to fruition.

That is very much the way it will be when we are born into the Family of God. It is really the same process. That is really exciting! We should be looking forward to this birth like nothing else!

The most emotional experience I have ever had was watching the birth of my two children. It was an overwhelming experience! In one case, there was long labor. I could see the little crown of the head, yet it seemed it wasn’t happening as fast as we would like. I remember getting down on my knees and praying again that God would bring forth the baby. Then I got up off my knees, walked into the other bedroom, and bam! This little baby just came right out. Life! It’s amazing to see that happen! It almost makes you melt. You never forget that. And that’s just a little type of what God wants to give us!

I also watched the last six hours of the labor and agony of my daughter giving birth to my first grandson. When her baby was born, she was very tired and drained from the labor. Then they showed her the baby. The glow on her face lit up the whole room! “Oh, I have a baby boy!” she joyfully exclaimed. Her pain and agony quickly faded when she saw her beautiful son, made in the likeness of God.

Imagine how the faces of the Father and Christ will glow when we are born into God’s Family! Our faces will also glow.

There is a gigantic lesson in physical birth. We experience trials and tests—or labor pains—as God prepares us to be born into His Family. We struggle and shed tears as a mother does to give birth—especially with the firstborn child. The firstfruits have a harder struggle to be born than the other children. But we are also given a much greater reward! So it is worth it. We must keep our minds on what it means to be truly born again. Suddenly, we will become vibrant spirit beings whose faces will shine like the sun in its full strength! All we need to do is envision our birth to know the struggle is worthwhile.

There are times we have to push harder than at other times. We have to use the Holy Spirit to be a doer, to push! You have been given a lot of knowledge, but what have you done with it? Words are cheap. What God wants are deeds and doers! He wants more doing from all of us! As Mr. Armstrong always said, “Knowledge unapplied is of no value.” What are we going to do with the knowledge we have received? We want to make sure we apply all this precious knowledge or it is all in vain.

We are entering deeper into Revelation 12:12, the period when Satan is full of wrath because he knows he has such a short time! We have to know how short time is if we are to be properly motivated. We are in the Jeroboam end. All these “ends” we have are leading step by step by step right up to the Second Coming of Christ!

All these things are preparing us for this birth. There is power to overcome! There is all kinds of power of God to give birth! And it is going to happen. Think about that birth, that transition and that pushing. We all have to push more!

When you see a child born, you can better understand what it means to be born again. You finally see the head crowning, and then suddenly there is a child before you—a living, breathing human being. That is about the way it will happen spiritually! It is going to be a magnificent event!

Our spiritual Father will shed some tears when He sees our birth—just as my son-in-law did when his son was born. Life is so precious if we view it in the context of the God Family. These babies are precious beyond words to describe. Words are inadequate to explain our incredible human potential. That is why the mainstream concept of born again is so diabolical. It hides the truly awesome meaning of being born again.

The Royal Gospel

David was a king who sat on a throne. The key of David vision is the gospel in a royal Family of God framework. The very elect, men and women like David, become royal God—as God is God! It is God’s ultimate, most majestic creation.

There is the supreme, royal Father, who is the Head of the royal Family. Then there is the royal Son of the Highest—the Father’s beloved Son. He is Christ, the royal Husband of the royal Bride—the firstfruits. They are not only kings and priests, but kings and priests who are God!

This royal government shall sit on a royal throne and administer God’s royal law. Billions of royal children shall be born into God’s royal Family.

This is royalty unknown to the mind of man apart from God. These kings and priests are called today to have the most exalted crowns in God’s Family.

Not even the angels were offered these positions of royalty. It will be the supreme royalty of the universe forever!

God creates sovereign Gods out of clay!

Even today, I can address God’s very elect as “Your Royal Majesties, Sons of God,” because they are God in embryo.

Let’s seize this most godly, royal moment!