Isaiah 22 and The Papacy,
The Office of Peter Prophesied in the Old Testament — A Transcript (slightly paraphrased)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30cGwXli_gk
It’s Sunday my dudes, welcome to another episode of the original win Podcast. My name is John Fisher 2.0 and on today’s episode we will be discussing some scriptural support for the Office of Pope in the Old Testament, found within the Book of Isaias. Here I will go over Jewish and Christian commentaries and see how the passages are to be understood by those of us within the Church.
When Catholics defend the Papacy, we often take recourse to the following verses in Matthew chapter 16. When Peter is asked by Christ “who do you say I am”, we get the following reply
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death 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.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. [1]
Now, protestants will make various claims to get around the obvious here in these passages, everything from claiming that the rock was Peter’s faith, to saying Peter is the pebble as opposed to Christ who is the rock, to agreeing with the primacy of Peter, but disagreeing that he has superiority over the other apostles. Now, Catholics have provided answers to these questions, and I hope to do more of that on my channel in the future. However, today I will be providing some additional scriptural support for Matthew from Isaiah and other scriptures.
Let’s look at our main text for support. In Isaiah 22:15–24 we read,
Thus says the Lord God of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him: What have you to do here and whom have you here, that you have hewn here a tomb for yourself, you who hew a tomb on the height, and carve a habitation for yourself in the rock? Behold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you, and whirl you round and round, and throw you like a ball into a wide land; there you shall die, and there shall be your splendid chariots, you shame of your master’s house. I will thrust you from your office, and you will be cast down from your station. In that day I will call my servant Eli′akim the son of Hilki′ah, and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your girdle on him, and will commit your authority to his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 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. And I will fasten him like a peg in a sure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father’s house. And they will hang on him the whole weight of his father’s house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons.[2]
In this passage we read of God replacing Shebna with Eliakim, and giving him his office. Shebna was governor of the house. Essentially, he was given all power of fiscal responsibility over the House of David, serving under David’s successor. The privileges endowed to Eliakim include,
- Wearing a robe, ornate and royal, to confirm his office. As well as a political sash.
- Considered a father (i.e. Pope) among the house of Judah (David’s domain)
- Given a key of power to open and shut over the King’s kingdom (*cough* Matthew 16:19 *cough*)
- Given a preminate place of honor in the King’s kingdom.
- Given a list of successors through his personal lineage.
Now, reading this along side Matthew 16:16–20, it’s easy to see the prophet Isaiah’s imagery. We know that Christ is the continuation of David’s lineage writ large. His kingdom, the Church, the continuation of Israel is build on the faith of his followers who he has grafted on. We are not like the Rabbinical Jews in exile, waiting for land, the church is conquering the world one soul at a time. The Pope is his financial minister, placed head of, and holding managing all that is Christ’s inheritance on Earth. Whereas Eliakim’s linage is physical, Peter’s is spiritual, just like how Christ has a spiritual kingdom, where David had a kingdom of this world.
What do Jewish commentators have to say about Eliakim’s position and the Key of David to which Matthew is alluding? Well, Jews don’t particularly care one way or another about the debates between Protestants and Catholics, so let’s consult their scholars about the passage’s immediate context for a non-biased approach. The commentator I will turn to is the famed Rabbi Salomon Isaacides or, Rashi as he is lovingly called by Jews to this day. Regarding the Key of David, he says that it is,
The key of the Temple and the government of the House of David [3]
Regarding the position that was held by Shebna, which Eliakim took over, we read,
appointed over the Temple: (lit., the house.) He was appointed over the entire Temple. Some say he was the High Priest and some say he was a Temple trustee [4]
He says about Eliakim that he was “appointed over the house” [5], referring to the house of David. But let’s look at what Rabbi Isaacidies has to say about Eliakim being a peg.
And I will appoint him a faithful trustee, serving in a sure place… a place that is faithful to those who lean on it, for it shall not move [6]
This is a comment that can just as well apply to what Jesus says of the church build on Peter, namely “and the powers of death shall not prevail against it”. In much the same way a peg holds down a tent, the foundation of a church acts to hold up the house of the church. What’s interesting is Rashi isn’t the only person to hold such a position. In fact, even protestant commentaries come to similar conclusions. In Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers we read,
And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder . . . — The key of the king’s treasure-chambers and of the gates of the palace was the natural symbol of the chamberlain’s or vizier’s office
So he shall open, and none shall shut . . . — The words paint vividly the supremacy of the office to which Eliakim was to be called. He alone was to decide who was to be admitted into the king’s chamber, and for whom the king’s treasury was to be opened. [7]
It should be noted that while this commentary holds Eliakim is a better foreshadowing of Jesus than Peter, they do get the symbolism correct. In Revelation we read
The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens.[8]
We also read from Isaiah
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace [9]
Now, why is Peter the better candidate as the new Eliakim? First off, Eliakim is not a king, he serves the king of Israel. Jesus is not the servant of David, he is the successor of David and most likely installed an Eliakim figure. Secondly, Eliakim has children and grandchildren who will succeed him and hang in honor of their father’s house (see verse 24). Does Jesus have children, either physical or spiritual successors? No. There is one Jesus Christ. Peter does have successors to his office.
Not to mention Jesus giving the power of the Keys to Peter is different from Peter having the keys himself. Eliakim having the power of the keys did not mean it did not remain in the hands of the House of David. Holding power of management over an estate differs from ownership of the estate. Just because Jesus gives the Pope management over his house, does not mean it does not remain in Christ’s ownership.
So, what does the power of the Key signify aside from management of government and temple? Well, it also signifies a priestly role as well. Verse 24 speaks of the fact that on Eliakim hangs, “the small vessels, from the vessels of basins to all the vessels of the lyres.” What do things signify?
all the small vessels: the smallest of their families shall take pride in him and rely on him.from the vessels of basins to the vessels of the lyres: Jonathan paraphrases: From the priests who wear the ephod to the Levites who hold the lyres. Accordingly, it is an expression of the ministration vessels with which the priests perform the service in the Temple [10]
The smallest of their families could signify the newest of Christians brought into the church, such as the newly baptized rather than the national pride signified in Israel, a nation which is more temporal in nature. The ministration of vessels are in reference to Eliakim’s priestly faculties, something which the Pope himself has as the priest over and above all others in the same way Eliakim had ministerial power over the rest of the priestly Levites.
I think that’s about all I have to say on this matter. I know this was a short episode, but still, I hope this does help better explain and defend the Catholic position, from scripture, on the Pope.
End Notes
[1] Matthew 16:16–20 RSVCE
[2] Isaiah 22:15–24 RSVCE
[3]Rashi’s Commentary, Yeshayahu — Isaiah — Chapter 22 https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15953/showrashi/true#lt=primary
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers, https://biblehub.com/isaiah/22-22.htm
[8] Revelation 3:7 RSVCE
[9] Isaiah 9:6 RSVCE
[10] Rashi’s Commentary, Yeshayahu — Isaiah — Chapter 22 https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15953/showrashi/true#lt=primary
