Jesus’ Twofold Work
Actually, our text scripture, Revelation 3:7, reveals two things to us: Jesus’ character and Jesus’ work. We’ve seen His character. But in this passage, we also see something concerning the work that the Holy and True One does.
…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.
(Rev. 3:7)
Jesus’ work is twofold in nature: He opens and shuts doors. He said about Himself, “I am He that openeth and no man shutteth. I am He that shutteth and no man openeth.”
Opening and shutting doors is symbolic of Jesus’ authority. The symbol of the key is a picture of His authority. Therefore, one aspect of Jesus’ work is to open and shut doors.
Actually, in the Gospels, Jesus called Himself the Door. He said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9).
So we see that Jesus is the door to salvation. Jesus is the open Door to all who will believe and receive Him. The Bible says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Well, that’s enough to shout about right there! Then in Revelation 3:8, Jesus went on to say, “…behold, I have set before thee an open door….” Everyone is invited to enter through the open door of salvation.
Jesus is not shutting His doors of blessings on His people! His doors of blessings are open to all, praise God. All may enter in through those open doors.
Jesus is also the closer of doors. There are some doors that will eventually close if people refuse to accept Jesus and His open doors of blessing.
Can You Shut Doors Jesus Opens for You?
It is important to know that when Jesus opens a door for you, no man can shut it. Your momma can’t shut it; your daddy can’t shut it; your pastor can’t shut a door that Jesus opens for you.
Actually, you are the only one who can in effect shut the doors of God’s blessing on your life. How? By a lack of understanding or by disobedience. You see, there is a God-ward side and a man-ward side to everything we receive from God.
Many times folks want to leave it all up to God. They say, “Whatever I need, I know the Lord will send it. If I need healing, He will send that. Whatever it is, God will just send it.”
That sounds good, and that sounds religious. But, really, putting it in the context of what Jesus said, it isn’t true. When it comes to the provisions of God, Jesus has already set before us an open door.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3).
In other words, the open door of God’s blessings is already there for us to enter into because God provided us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. What are some of Jesus’ open doors to God’s blessings?
Well, there is the open door of salvation, the door of service and opportunity, the door of divine healing, the door of utterance, and the door of financial blessing. Then Jesus also opens for us the door of Heaven.
Man’s Responsibility
Since Jesus has opened wide His doors of blessing for us, then the responsibility is ours whether or not we ever enter through those open doors.
Throughout the Bible, from the Old Testament right on through to the last page of the New Testament, you will find again and again where the Word of God puts the responsibility for receiving the blessings of God upon each individual person.
For example, God said, “…Choose you this day whom ye will serve…” (Josh. 24:15). He leaves the choice up to us. He didn’t say, “I am going to choose for you whom you must serve.” No, He said you choose whom you will serve.
Then, in the Book of Revelation, the Word of God said, “…the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come… whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17).
Notice that it says “whosoever.” That means each individual person must make the choice for himself to enter through God’s doors of blessings!
The blessings of God and everything else God wants you to have are not going to automatically fall on you like ripe cherries off a tree.
No, there are some things you will have to do to receive God’s blessings and provisions. You have a part to play in receiving from God.
Jesus has done His part because He’s already opened those doors of blessing. And since Jesus has set before you open doors that no man can shut, it’s up to you to walk through them!
I don’t know about you, but I like that word “open.” Not closed – not shut – but open. Thank God for the doors of blessing and provision that Jesus has already opened and set before us!
Wouldn’t it be a pity to come to the end of life’s journey never having enjoyed God’s promises or provisions – even though they were already prepared for us? Therefore, we need to see what the Bible says about each door so we can know if we are walking through the doors that Jesus has so freely opened for us.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Rev. Hagin served in Christian ministry for nearly 70 years and was known as the "father of the modern faith movement." His teachings and books are filled with vivid stories that show God's power and truth working in his life and the lives of others.
Rev. Hagin was born on Aug. 20, 1917, in McKinney, Texas, a son of the late Lillie Viola Drake Hagin and Jess Hagin.
Rev. Hagin was sickly as a child, suffering from a deformed heart and an incurable blood disease. He was not expected to live and became bedfast at age 15. In April 1933 during a dramatic conversion experience, he reported dying three times in 10 minutes, each time seeing the horrors of hell and then returning to life.
In August of 1934, Rev. Hagin was miraculously healed, raised off a deathbed by the power of God and the revelation of faith in God's Word. Two years later, he preached his first sermon as pastor of a small community church in Roland, Texas.
In 1937, Rev. Hagin was baptized in the Holy Spirit and began ministering in Pentecostal churches. During the next 12 years he pastored five churches in Texas: in the cities of Tom Bean, Farmersville (twice), Talco, Greggton, and Van. In 1949, he began an itinerant ministry as a Bible teacher and evangelist.
During the next 14 years, Jesus appeared to Rev. Hagin eight times in visions that changed the course of his ministry. In 1966, he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he opened a ministry office. That same year, he taught for the first time on radio—on KSKY in Dallas. In 1967, he began a regular radio broadcast that continues today as Faith Seminar of the Air. Teaching by his son, Rev. Kenneth W. Hagin, is also heard on the program.
In 1968, Rev. Hagin published the first issues of The Word of Faith magazine, which now has a monthly circulation of more than 250,000. The publishing outreach he founded, Faith Library Publications, has circulated more than 65 million copies of books by Rev. Hagin, Rev. Hagin Jr., and several other authors worldwide. Faith Library Publications also has produced more than 9 million audio teaching tapes and CDs.
Other outreaches of Kenneth Hagin Ministries include RHEMA Praise, a weekly television broadcast hosted by Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Hagin; RHEMA Correspondence Bible School; RHEMA Alumni Association; RHEMA Ministerial Association International; RHEMA Supportive Ministries Association; the RHEMA Prayer and Healing Center; and a prison ministry.
In 1974, Rev. Hagin founded RHEMA Bible Training Center USA and in 1976 moved the school and ministry offices to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where they remain. To date, RHEMA Bible Training Center USA has 23,000 alumni, and RHEMA Bible Training Centers have opened in 13 other nations: Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Romania, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand. Together, the 14 schools have more than 28,000 graduates worldwide.
RHEMA Bible Church, pastored by Rev. Hagin Jr., began holding services in October of 1985 on the RHEMA campus in Broken Arrow and has since grown to become a thriving congregation with more than 8,000 members.
Rev. Hagin's daughter and son-in-law, Pat Harrison and the late Doyle "Buddy" Harrison, founded Harrison House Publishers in 1975 and Faith Christian Fellowship International Church in 1977. Both organizations are based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Until shortly before his death in September 2003, Rev. Hagin continued to travel and teach throughout the United States and into Canada conducting All Faiths' Crusades and other special meetings.