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 against it.

Matthew 16:18

Recommended Reading

1 Corinthians 3:9-11

Life after death was not clearly defined in the ancient Near East. Mesopotamian worldviews have the dead passing into the netherworld through a series of seven gates. Even in the Old Testament, “gates of death [or Hades or Sheol]” are mentioned often (Job 17:16; 38:17; Psalm 9:13; 107:18; Isaiah 38:10). The most well-known instance is when Jesus says “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against [the Church].”

What did He mean? “Gates of Hades” could mean the realm of the dead. In Scripture, gates also refer to the place where elders gathered (Deuteronomy 21:18-20), where kings passed judgment (2 Samuel 19:8), and where people gathered to hear announcements (2 Chronicles 32:6). Therefore, the “gates of Hades” could refer to the power or authority of hell or of Satan himself. Regardless, Jesus declared that Satan and hell shall not prevail against the Church.

It also means the Church must be strong and vigilant against Satan who seeks to overcome it (1 Peter 5:8). The strength of the Church is her Lord—His life in every faithful member (Galatians 2:20).

Neglect of private prayer is the locust which devours the strength of the church.

Charles H. Spurgeon

Read-Thru-the-Bible

Joshua 18–20

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