In each blog, I often reference many different topics that I've already covered (or will soon cover), and maybe you've missed. Please review my blogs to read more...
CLICK HERE! for an index to previous blogs.
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hades - Jesus Second Occasion
Below is the second occasion of Jesus mentioning hades...
[2] "hell [hades/unseen] shall not prevail against... Church" (Mat 16:18)
Full context:
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell [G86 - hades; unseen] shall not prevail against it.
As we saw in Part 10, Capernaum did die out as a city, and all of her citizens are in hades [the unseen, the imperceptible, state or realm of the dead] until the resurrection to Judgment.
In that sense, the "gates of hades" have been prevailing against Capernaum up to this point in our history.
Contrary-wise, Jesus stated that the gates of hades would not prevail against His Church.
And that "hades and death" are like locked gates to which only He possesses the keys.
Rev 1:18 I am He [Jesus] that lives, and was dead; and behold, I [Jesus] am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [G86 - hades] and of death.
What does that mean?
If hades is the realm, or state of the dead, is Jesus suggesting that death will not come to those in His Church?
No.
Jesus isn't saying that at all.
Jesus Himself prophesied numerous times that some of His Disciples would be killed or martyred, and certainly all of Jesus' followers eventually die and enter the realm of hades, the realm of death (except for those of 1 Cor 15:51).
We need to look carefully at what Jesus said:
"... I will build My Church; and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it"
Jesus did not say that members of His Church would not die, or that they would not go to the realm of hades, the silent, imperceptible, unseen, state of the dead.
He said that the "gates" of hades would not "prevail" against His Church.
That is, hades/death would not have victory over His Church. He has the keys to the gates as He has already conquered both hades and death!
Jesus died, and also went to hades:
Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell [G86 - hades], neither His flesh did see corruption.
Jesus was not there long though...
Not only was Jesus the First, but the ONLY to escape hades and conquer death through His resurrection three days later!
Jesus' resurrection is the Good News for ALL of mankind:
1 Cor 15:12-20 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified of God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ HAS BEEN raised from the dead, the Firstfruits of those who are asleep.
ALL will be resurrected from death:
Act 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just AND unjust.
There is a difference between hades and its "gates".
As we've already discussed, the members of Christ's Church will experience death, but the good news is that the gates of hades will not "prevail" against them in this death state.
A gate can be closed and a gate can be opened. Jesus alone holds the keys to that gate!
Once it is opened, it no longer prevails.
Another aspect of this statement in Mat 16:18 is that never through the ages would Christ's Church completely die out for any period of time.
Jesus likened hades to a holding cell with gates. As long as the gates are closed and locked, no one can escape hades or death.
Jesus assures us that the gates holding the members of His Church in hades shall not "prevail".
Jesus will prevail, not the locked gates.
Jesus will unlock the gates when He gathers His Elect at His Second Coming, and receive them into His Kingdom. We shall be changed and receive Spiritual bodies:
1 Cor 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
The rest of the dead are resurrected to enter Judgment (at the conclusion of the Millennial Kingdom) and their SECOND death.
A "gate" is, "A structure which can be swung, drawn or lowered to block an entrance or passageway" (American Heritage College Dictionary).
I think that we can all agree that this figurative, symbolic "gate" of hades is not there to keep people OUT, but rather to keep people IN, in the same way that prison doors are there to keep people in, rather than to keep people out.
To "prevail" means, "To be greater in strength or influence; triumph" ( American Heritage College Dictionary).
So when we put the two ideas together we find that although hades is the temporary abode of all Christ's dead saints and unbelievers alike, the figurative gates of this realm of death will not prevail or triumph over them.
It is temporary, not eternal.
If it were eternal, why a "gate", or better yet - why bother with keys?
Not to mention, that ALL of the above certainly clashes with Christendom's hell doctrine... it's a direct contradiction.
Some of these excerpts are from my personal notes copied from 30+ years of studying... some of these notes are direct copies of various sources - I do not claim to have authored every word of this... it's just a mass collection I've tucked away over the years for my own personal studies... I didn't consider a bibliography at the time I directly copied small excerpts from various authors. Also, any emphasis (underlines, bold text, all CAPS, etc.) noted above was only meant to capture my personal attention as I studied...
CLICK HERE! for an index to previous blogs.
___________________________
hades - Jesus Second Occasion
Below is the second occasion of Jesus mentioning hades...
[2] "hell [hades/unseen] shall not prevail against... Church" (Mat 16:18)
Full context:
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell [G86 - hades; unseen] shall not prevail against it.
As we saw in Part 10, Capernaum did die out as a city, and all of her citizens are in hades [the unseen, the imperceptible, state or realm of the dead] until the resurrection to Judgment.
In that sense, the "gates of hades" have been prevailing against Capernaum up to this point in our history.
Contrary-wise, Jesus stated that the gates of hades would not prevail against His Church.
And that "hades and death" are like locked gates to which only He possesses the keys.
Rev 1:18 I am He [Jesus] that lives, and was dead; and behold, I [Jesus] am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [G86 - hades] and of death.
What does that mean?
If hades is the realm, or state of the dead, is Jesus suggesting that death will not come to those in His Church?
No.
Jesus isn't saying that at all.
Jesus Himself prophesied numerous times that some of His Disciples would be killed or martyred, and certainly all of Jesus' followers eventually die and enter the realm of hades, the realm of death (except for those of 1 Cor 15:51).
We need to look carefully at what Jesus said:
"... I will build My Church; and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it"
Jesus did not say that members of His Church would not die, or that they would not go to the realm of hades, the silent, imperceptible, unseen, state of the dead.
He said that the "gates" of hades would not "prevail" against His Church.
That is, hades/death would not have victory over His Church. He has the keys to the gates as He has already conquered both hades and death!
Jesus died, and also went to hades:
Act 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell [G86 - hades], neither His flesh did see corruption.
Jesus was not there long though...
Not only was Jesus the First, but the ONLY to escape hades and conquer death through His resurrection three days later!
Jesus' resurrection is the Good News for ALL of mankind:
1 Cor 15:12-20 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.
Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified of God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised.
For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. But now Christ HAS BEEN raised from the dead, the Firstfruits of those who are asleep.
ALL will be resurrected from death:
Act 24:15 And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just AND unjust.
There is a difference between hades and its "gates".
As we've already discussed, the members of Christ's Church will experience death, but the good news is that the gates of hades will not "prevail" against them in this death state.
A gate can be closed and a gate can be opened. Jesus alone holds the keys to that gate!
Once it is opened, it no longer prevails.
Another aspect of this statement in Mat 16:18 is that never through the ages would Christ's Church completely die out for any period of time.
Jesus likened hades to a holding cell with gates. As long as the gates are closed and locked, no one can escape hades or death.
Jesus assures us that the gates holding the members of His Church in hades shall not "prevail".
Jesus will prevail, not the locked gates.
Jesus will unlock the gates when He gathers His Elect at His Second Coming, and receive them into His Kingdom. We shall be changed and receive Spiritual bodies:
1 Cor 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
The rest of the dead are resurrected to enter Judgment (at the conclusion of the Millennial Kingdom) and their SECOND death.
A "gate" is, "A structure which can be swung, drawn or lowered to block an entrance or passageway" (American Heritage College Dictionary).
I think that we can all agree that this figurative, symbolic "gate" of hades is not there to keep people OUT, but rather to keep people IN, in the same way that prison doors are there to keep people in, rather than to keep people out.
To "prevail" means, "To be greater in strength or influence; triumph" ( American Heritage College Dictionary).
So when we put the two ideas together we find that although hades is the temporary abode of all Christ's dead saints and unbelievers alike, the figurative gates of this realm of death will not prevail or triumph over them.
It is temporary, not eternal.
If it were eternal, why a "gate", or better yet - why bother with keys?
Not to mention, that ALL of the above certainly clashes with Christendom's hell doctrine... it's a direct contradiction.
Some of these excerpts are from my personal notes copied from 30+ years of studying... some of these notes are direct copies of various sources - I do not claim to have authored every word of this... it's just a mass collection I've tucked away over the years for my own personal studies... I didn't consider a bibliography at the time I directly copied small excerpts from various authors. Also, any emphasis (underlines, bold text, all CAPS, etc.) noted above was only meant to capture my personal attention as I studied...
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