Gates of Hades

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail (withstand) against it." (Matthew 16: 18 KJV)

We tend to think of the church as a fortress, a defensive fortification against attacks from Hades; And, indeed it is so pictured in many places in holy scripture. However, the statement of Jesus, in the above citation, reverses this picture, for his words rather picture the church doing the attacking, on the offensive, rather than being attacked from Hades, and thus being on the defensive.

How do gates "prevail"? They don't. They do "withstand," but they do not "prevail." "Prevail" is probably not the best word to help convey the idea intended by Christ. Gates are not used to attack an approaching enemy. They are, however, designed to defend. By the words, "gates of Hades," Jesus clearly views Hades as a city or fortification. Dante even referred to a palace within Hades, called "Pandemonium."

The gates of ancient cities were very important, as a reading of the Old Testament will discover. They were the places of entrance into walled and fortified cities (See Nehemiah 13:19), and as such, they were often subject to attack (See Deuteronomy 28:52), the place where attacking armies went to wage war (See 1 Chronicles 19:9). Thus the "gates" of a city symbolized its power and glory, it being only as safe and strong as its gates. (See Judges 16:2-3; Psalm 147:13)

Various definitions may be given for the Greek word "Hades" as used in the Greek New Testament. Many understand it to be the exact equivalent of the Hebrew "Sheol." In both cases, the words may be generally defined as "the realm (or place) of the dead."

Context will, of course, often give a more restrictive definition or connotation to the word, and the bible student must be careful in interpretation to pay close attention to the context of the word to help discern its specific definition. Some contexts seem to use Sheol and Hades wherein only the wicked are understood as going there; on the other hand, other contexts seem to make no distinction, both righteous and unrighteous alike going to Sheol and to Hades.

In the above passage, Jesus distinguishes between his "church" (or body of the redeemed millions) and Hades and views the church as outside of Hades, not inside it.

Not only does Jesus view Hades as the citadel of the church's enemy, but as a walled, and multi-gated, and barred city. It is a well-guarded place, both keeping out the unwanted, and keeping imprisoned, and from escaping, those within its confines.

It is clear that Hades is not only viewed, in scripture, as a city but also as a "prison" (See I Peter 3: 19 KJV), or more properly, a "jail," for "Gehenna" is more properly the eternal prison of lost souls, while Hades, is the temporary abode of lost souls till their day of judgment. After their judgment, they, together with Hades itself, will be "cast into" Gehenna or the "lake of fire." (See Revelation 20: 14)

Jesus has the "keys of death and Hades." (Revelation 1: 18 KJV) Having such keys, he has authority, therefore, to "open" and to "close" these gates. He himself entered into those gates, in both death (the grave, or the receptable for the body) and in Hades (the underworld, or receptable of wicked departed spirits), the "gates of Hades" not withstanding his own personal assault upon them, and his entrance through them ( See Acts 2: 27-31), during his "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12: 40 KJV)

"Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?" (Job 38: 17 KJV)

Again, notice the plurality in the gates. In the New Testament it is more distinctly revealed that the "gates of death" (grave) is not the same as the "gates of Hades," though similar. Not only Job, but the Psalmist too mentions the "gates of death" (Psalm 9: 13; 107: 18 KJV). So too does Isaiah, saying:

"I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years." (Isaiah 38: 10 KJV)

The "gates of Hades" are in opposition to the "gates of Heaven," or of the "twelve gates" of the New Jerusalem (See Revelation chapter 21), or to the "gate of God."

"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." (Genesis 28: 17 KJV)

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in." (Psalm 24: 7, 9 KJV)

"Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter." (Psalm 118: 19, 20 KJV)

"Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in." (Isaiah 26: 2 KJV)

Most ancient cities had numerous gates. Jerusalem had many, and they had proper names. They would, of course, have there "main entrance" gates, that were generally much larger, and where the doors and gates were therefore much more well fortified and guarded. These main entrance gates, generally four, were to accomodate traffic coming from four main directions, were also generally the scene of the most traffic, and much business dealings. The entrance at the gates became like a public square, where one could officially post notices of legal transactions, and or just be a witness of the exciting people and events to be beheld at such a location. It was not only the place where armies attacked, but it was where neighbor met neighbor in political contests and other public and private debate battles.

So, we read in scripture of the "gates of the nobles" (Isaiah 13: 2 KJV) and of the "king's gate" (Esther 2: 19 KJV). There was also gates for the poor, and gates for the animals.

According to prophecy, the saints will enter (following Christ) the gates of Heaven, and of the New Jerusalem, as kings and nobles. Those gates have no need of being "shut" for there is no chance of any enemy even getting close to those gates.

According to prophecy, the saints (church) will also, following Christ's example, attack the gates of death and Hades, robbing both of their inhabitants by confronting all who are nigh entering into those gates, of their peril, and bidding them go to the one who has conquered death and Hades.

"The evil bow before the good; and the wicked (bow) at the gates of the righteous." (Proverbs 14: 19 KJV)

The wicked attack the gates of the righteous but are defeated at those gates. On the other hand, the righteous attack the gates of the wicked, the very gates of Hades, and those gates and the citizens (or denizens) of Hades will not be able to withstand the attack.

"Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder." (Psalm 107: 15, 16 KJV)

Surely Christ broke the gates and bars of Hades and death when he came forth from the grave, and from Hades, as conquerer and possessor of their keys. So too do the saints break forth from the grave and from the clutches of Hades, when they are "born again," and when they are finally resurrected to eternal glory at the return of Christ.

"...your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies." (Genesis 22: 17 KJV)

"And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: “Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them.” (Genesis 24: 60 KJV)

From these prophecies it is clear that Christ was not uttering something wholly foreign to what was foretold in the Old Testament scriptures. When Christ said that the church would attack the gates of Hades and that those gates would be taken by the church, is that not a fulfillment of those words God spoke to his chosen people of old?

"A wise man attacks the city of the mighty and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust." (Proverbs 21: 22 NIV)

Is the church not a "wise man"? Does the church not attack the "strongholds" of the enemies of Christ? True, for the time being, at least, it is only with words, not with carnal weapons (See II Corinthians 10: 4, 5 KJV), but at the return of Christ the church will be involved in "executing the judgment written" upon the wicked. (See Psalm 149 & especially verse 9)

"That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought." (Isaiah 29: 21 KJV)

"They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly...Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph." (Amos 5: 10, 15 KJV)

"In that day the LORD of hosts will be For a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty To the remnant of His people, For a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, And for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate" (Isaiah 28: 5, 6 NKJV), or "turn the battle to the gate" (KJV).

All these verses emphasize the gate as the place of confrontation, to battle, either with words or with arms. Christian soldiers are they who attack the enemy at the place of entering, at the highways leading to Hades, and there they confront the enemy who seeks to lead men astray.

The enemy does not like to be "rebuked in the gate," or to be openly exposed and publicly onfronted. But, thank God for the courage of the Lord's soldiers who are not afraid to attack the enemy, at the very gates.

"The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (II Timothy 4: 18 NIV)

Friend, will you be on the Lord's side, on the side of the church, on the side of victory, or will you be an enemy and forever consigned to Hell's prison?