Mercy At the Gates of Hell

We wake up to a beautiful spring morning. The sky is blue, the birds are chirping, and there is green everywhere. And the gates of hell stand wide open, longing to devour. It takes an eye of faith to see heaven as we sojourn towards Home. So, too, it takes faith to see hell.

Jesus promises in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell will not prevail against the building of His church, and we get a sense of the invisible battle that rages against His Bride. Satan would love for fear to overtake Her as she ponders the reality of these cursed gates, but he is just as pleased if She doesn’t believe in them at all.

In the Old Testament, these gates are referred to as the “gates of death” or “Sheol.” To Job, God declares:

“Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?" (Job 38:17)

Man has not seen these gates in the land of the living. The sight would be too much for him to handle, and they are in a place that only God can go and remain full of life. When man gets to these gates, the gates have won. Beyond them is no breath.

King Hezekiah had an understanding of these gates as he faced sickness in the middle of his life that brought him to the point of death (Isaiah 38:1, 10–11). Death is the ticket through these gates, and there is no going back once man is through them. They are a mouth that craves but whose appetite is never satisfied (Proverbs 30:14–16).

All men have been consigned to pass through these gates (Hebrews 9:27), for all have sinned and deserve an eternity of death. In our youth, the gates of hell seem distant, but as the days go by, our soul senses that we are drawing near (Psalm 107:18). In reality, we don’t know how close the gates are; many are in their shadow but have no idea.

But there is One who lifts us from the “gates of death” (Psalm 9:13). There is One who passed through them so that we would not have to. In His mercy, He has opened a door to heaven for the ones He has chosen, and the gates of hell no longer hold their power. Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, is the One who did such a gracious work. Praise His name forever!

Yet, the battle still rages in the land of the living. Multitudes still pass through the gates of hell every day without grasping the Key that will keep them out. Satan and his demons spend their days blinding those who think they can escape the gates on their own. In addition, they attempt to deceive the Redeemed that the gates are still to be feared, but the promise remains!

“I will build my church,” says our Rescuer, “and the gates of hell will not prevail over it.” He has ascended and given His Bride the keys to the kingdom. He has given Her authority to bind and loose as she proclaims the person and work of Her Savior. But there is no urgency in Her confession if the gates of hell are not real.

Faith is given to us to see the beauty of Christ. That same faith gets a glimpse of what He has saved us from. The horror of hell accentuates the mercy of the Cross. It also stirs up the mercy in us to save those who are perishing. We have the keys to unlock this mercy. The Gospel of Jesus is the key. Confessing Him is the only way to salvation.

Though we will be hated for our confession of Jesus, and the enemies of hell will never cease to assault the Bride of Jesus, Christ will prevail. We need not fear the gates of hell but look forward to the gates of heaven. Confessing Him will bring joy to our hearts and freedom to those bound in sin. Let us confess our Jesus, dear church!