Dutch Sheets Reveals the Key to Governmental Authority
Fifteen years ago, God unequivocally and undeniably gave me Isaiah 22:22 as a life-verse. “The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder. Then he shall open, and no one shall shut. And he shall shut, and no one shall open.” After 40-plus confirmations over a two-week period—yes, more than 40—I became thoroughly convinced this verse was both a promise and a weapon for me. I have since used the verse hundreds of times throughout America—in all 50 states and in Washington, D.C.—to open and close spiritual doors for the Lord.
After receiving the Isaiah 22:22 key for impacting the nation, much of my time was spent in the nation’s capital, carrying out very specific and strategic prayer assignments. Heaven’s endorsement on these missions was without question, with confirmation after confirmation being given to affirm the assignments. Oh, the stories I could tell from that season of my life—amazing! While this verse has never left my thinking or ministry, for several years after the 2008 change in our national leadership, the Lord redirected my attention toward other assignments in America. As a result, my time in Washington, D.C., decreased significantly.
Within the past year, however, I have sensed the Lord asking me to wield the Isaiah 22:22 key in our nation’s capital once again. Through my recent re-commissioning (which you may read about here), and other prophetic revelation, the Lord has confirmed to me that the door to the governmental arena—and to Washington, D.C., specifically—is again wide open. And where Holy Spirit leads, I will certainly follow.
The Keys of The Ekklesia
This invitation to cross the threshold back into the sphere of governmental intercession has not only been extended to me, but to the entire body of Christ. As we mentioned, a key, symbolizing governmental authority is first mentioned in the book of Isaiah, within a prophetic passage concerning Jesus, the Messiah; but the second time keys, symbolizing spiritual authority, are spoken of in Scripture is at Jesus’ first mention of the church.
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:18-19).
In the disciples’ day, the paradigm for an ekklesia (church) was very different from contemporary notions. In the disciples’ culture, an ekklesia was an assembly of people assigned to govern the affairs of a city, state or nation—in essence, a parliament or congress. To the Romans, it was an assembly of people sent into a conquered region to govern, but also to alter the culture until it became like that of Rome. They infiltrated government, language, social structure, schools, etc. until the people talked, thought and acted like Romans. In other words, they brought the culture and ideals of the kingdom of Rome to their assigned region. When Jesus said He would build His “church,”—His ekklesia—He was speaking of a body of people that would legislate spiritually for Him, extending His Kingdom government and influence on the earth.
Christ’s statement that “the gates of Hades will not overpower it” makes much more sense when we understand that these gates are not physical, but rather spiritual, and also symbolize government. In biblical times, city gates were often where judges sat to rule and where governing councils met to make decisions; therefore the word “gate/s” often symbolized government (for example, see 2 Sam. 19:8; Prov. 22:22-23; Ruth 4:4-10). In this first announcement regarding the church, Jesus is declaring that the kingdom government (rule, decree, councils) of hell won’t prevail over His kingdom government on earth—the church.
