"THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL."
By W. N. Glenn
JESUS said of his church, that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The expression is found in Matt. 16:18, and the word "hell" is from the Greek hades, meaning the grave, or place of the dead. I take occasion to refer to the subject because I have heard from the pulpit the idea that the gates of hell represent the means of persecution, torture, and destruction used against the church in this life. Special emphasis was laid upon the hurling of the gates of hell against the church during the awful persecutions of the Dark Ages. If this idea is correct, then the gates of hell did prevail against many thousands of the true church. But who ever heard of a gate being used as an offensive weapon? It could not be an appropriate figure of anything of that kind. A gate is always a means of defense or resistance, and no fair idea of the character of the grave would represent its gates or entrances as very strongly resisting those who come against them from the outside. The history of the human race proves that the gates of the grave open very readily from the outside. It requires no infinite power to enter the confines of death. And it is not a very comforting assurance to the church, that these gates will not prevail against it in this sense. At what time, then, could such a figure appropriately apply? and to what time could the Christian look with any comfort for the fulfillment of the promise that the gates of hades should not prevail against him? When the Lord of glory laid down his life there was no resistance of the gates of hell; but when he came forth a victor over death, the power of God was required to open the way—"the exceeding greatness of his power . . . which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead." Eph. 1:19, 20. And the assurance made by the Saviour to his disciples is reiterated by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians: "And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power." 1 Cor. 6:14. The gates of hades cannot prevail against the church because her Lord has the keys. After his ascension to Heaven, he said to his servant John, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Rev. 1:18. And in the sixty-eighth psalm it is written, "He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death." And again we are told that "if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." 1 Thess. 4:14. The gates of hades are set for the defenses of death, and they never become an object of resistance to the church only as against its resurrection to life. They were no barrier to the entrance of Moses to the grave, but there was resistance to his resurrection. Jude 9. Yet they could not prevail, as was evidenced by the appearance of Moses "in glory" on the mount of transfiguration. Matt. 17:1-4. It is when the Lord comes to redeem his people from the grave, by a resurrection, that the gates of hades cannot prevail against the church. If there be no resurrection, then the gates of hell will prevail. "If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen; and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. . . . Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." 1 Cor. 15:13-18. But there will be a resurrection; "for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth." John 5:28, 29. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. . . . Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thess. 4:16-18. Then will be the grand final triumph of the church over death and the grave. "When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Cor. 15:54, 55.