Key of David

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Clavis David

The Key of David (Hebrew: מַפְתֵּ֥חַ בֵּית- דָּוִ֖ד maptêaḥ bêṯ- David "key to the House of David"; Greek: κλεῖν Δαυίδ kleín Davíd, from κλείς, κλειδός kleís, kleidós "key") is a term mentioned in the Bible that indicates man's ability to open and close the gate to the spiritual world. The prerequisite for this is that he already possesses the spirit self (manas) to a sufficient degree. In pre-Christian times, the spirit self was bestowed upon high initiates by higher spiritual beings.

In the Old Testament, the Key of David is mentioned in the Book of Isaiah:

„22 And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.“

Only in the sixth post-Atlantean cultural epoch, which follows our present consciousness-soul age, will a larger part of humanity be able to make the spirit self its own through the activity of its own I, which has united itself with the Christ. Whoever has developed this ability can turn to the spiritual world with complete freedom - or also close himself off from it. This is indicated in the Apocalypse of John with the community of Philadelphia:

„7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.“

Rudolf Steiner says about this:

„And if we go this way, we bring into the sixth period the right spiritual life of wisdom and love. Then what we work out as anthroposophical wisdom becomes the love impulse of the sixth period, which is represented by the congregation, which already expresses itself in its name as a representative of the sixth period: the congregation of brotherly love, Philadelphia. All these names are not chosen in vain. Man will develop his I to the right height, so that he becomes independent and in freedom shows love to every other being in the sixth period, which is represented by the congregation of Philadelphia. This is to be prepared as the spiritual life of the sixth period. There we will have found the individual I in a higher degree within us, so that no external force can enter us unless we want it to; so that we can lock up and no one will unlock without our will, and when we unlock, no opposing power will lock up. This is the " Key of David." That is why the one who inspires the letter says that he has the key of David. "And unto the angel of the church which is 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; he that shutteth, and no man openeth" - "Behold, I have given before thee an open door, and no man can shut it" - the I that is found in himself (Revelation 3:7).“ (Lit.:GA 104, p. 85)

Literature
References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.
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