The gates of Hades are important as they imply they are connected to keys, for the gates of a city can be locked. To understand this we need to understand the spiritual world, for the gates of Hades have significant mythological, religious and cultural symbolism.
The Spiritual World
The spiritual world is outside time, material and space, as these things are limited to our human existence. God, who dwells eternally outside these things, chose to enter time and space through the Son.
Jesus is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth, beyond time and space. He then also overcame death from before the foundation of the earth.
These concepts can only be accepted by faith. Without faith it is impossible to please Him for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him, Hebrews 11:6.
Metaphorical Gates of Hades in Mythology
The gates of Hades featured large in Greek mythology. They were the entrance to the Underworld, ruled over by the god Hades. It was the resting place of the dead. Legendary figures entered the gates in attempts to rescue, or communicate with the dead.
In Christianity, the gates of Hades also metaphorically represent the resting place of dead unbelievers who are waiting for their final judgement by Christ.
The Rock
Jesus asked Peter, ‘Who do you say I am?’ Matthew 16:15. Through Holy Spirit inspiration Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ the Son of the living God’.
Jesus went on to say, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven’. Jesus then continued in a play on words. ‘You are Peter and upon this rock I will build My church’.
This Peter was the word Petros, which is the feminine form of Peter. Christ’s church would be built upon the divine revelation Simon Barjona had just spoken. The church was then birthed on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the gathered disciples, Acts 2.
The word ‘church’ only appears in the Gospels here and in Matthew 18:17, when Jesus spoke about church discipline.
Three Amazing Statements
Jesus went on to say to Peter, ‘The gates of Hades will not overpower the church, Matthew 16:18.
The second amazing statement was ‘Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you lose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven’, v 19.
The third statement was that He must suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes. He would be killed and be raised up on the third day,’ Matthew 16:21.
Christ’s physical death was a shock to the disciples, but it was not a surprise. He had told them several times in plain language what was going to happen, long before it took place.
Eternal Plan
God knew what Adam would do before He created Adam. God had an eternal plan to redeem fallen man from before the foundation of the world.
When Jesus said the gates of Hades would not overpower His church, He was referring to physical death. The Psalmist wrote, And they drew near to the gates of death, Psalm 107:18.
King Hezekiah wrote about his mortal sickness, ‘I said, In the middle of my life I am to enter the gates of Sheol’. I am to be deprived of the rest of my years. I said, I will not see the Lord. The Lord in the land of the living, Isaiah 38:30,31.
The only entrance into Hades is through physical death from which there is no escape, for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 6:23.
Death has no Power
Death has no power over those who believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ. Satan was soundly disarmed at Calvary by the Son of God, Colossians 2:15. Now, your adversary, the devil, only prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, 1 Peter 5:7. All that Satan devises, God uses to His glory, Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28.
The prophet Hosea wrote ‘O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Hosea 13:14. Paul quoted this to celebrate Christ’s victory over death. ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death where is your victory? O Death where is your sting?’ 1 Corinthians 15:55.
When Christ died and rose again, He overcame death. When His followers die they enter straight into heaven, so death is no threat to believers. Paul wrote, ‘While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord……Prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord,’ 2 Corinthians 5:6, 8.
Christ’s Victory
It was victory over sin and death that Jesus proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 1 Peter 3:19. Many believe He preached to those in Abraham’s bosom and Hades, in the three days His body lay in the tomb.
The Psalmist wrote, ‘You have ascended on high. You have led captive Your captives’, Psalm 68:18. At that point Christ emptied Abraham’s bosom having disarmed the rulers and authorities He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him, Colossians 3:15. This was the real battle at Calvary.
Fellow-heirs and the Gates of Hades
As believers in Christ we are been adopted as children into the kingdom of God. All who are being led by the Spirit of God are sons of God, Romans 8:14. If children, heirs also. Heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ, Romans 8:16,17.
We have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God, Colossians 3:3. When He went to the Cross He took us with Him. When He rose from the dead, we too rose free from the power of sin and death. Full immersion water baptism is the rite that symbolizes this.
Jesus has the Ultimate Authority
Christ took His humanity back to heaven as the Son of Man. Even when we were dead in our transgressions, God made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved, and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:4-7.
Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last and the living One. I was dead and behold I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and of Hades, Revelation 1:18. The gates of Hades have no fear for the follower of Christ, for our home after life here, is in the heavenly realm. Our destiny is the pearly gates of Heaven, Revelation 21:21. No one passes through them without the keys of the kingdom.
The gates of Hades then represent our freedom from the curse of sin, of which the wages are death, Romans 6:23, The believer has the promise of eternal life, John 3:16.
Check out our other posts at Whispering Encouragement. We are here to inform and encourage. Subscribe for free so you can keep up to date with topics that interest you.
________________________Whispering Encouragement_______________________
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.