The Gates of Hell will not Prevail
Today we will review a revelation that was given to Peter by God the Father. Revelation is an understanding of a spiritual concept given to us to help understand a hidden spiritual meaning. “The gates of hell will not prevail” are the famous words Jesus spoke to Peter when he posed the question to His disciples of whom do people say Jesus is.
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Matthew 16:15 KJV
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 16:16-17 KJV
When Peter stated that Jesus was Son of the living God people did not know this information. God the Father gave Peter the answer to a spiritual truth. As we read this now it may seem like it is not such a mysterious answer but this is because we are looking at Jesus from the work of the cross and looking backwards. This is similar to the revelation that John was given about Jesus along with all the other hidden messages that seem hard to decode. I am sure if we were to look back from the perspective of after Jesus returns, it will be the same for us. Many things are mysterious but we will be able to discern them without any hesitation because followers of Christ will have a full understanding of who Jesus is at that point.
* The ROCK *
Jesus goes on to say a few more things regarding the church and the gates of hell.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 KJV
We can look at this scripture and look at it from two angles. One will be natural and the other will be a spiritual angle. We will study the word “rock” to get a better understanding of what I mean. The word “rock” in the Greek language is “petra”. The Strong’s Dictionary has defined this word as a rock, cliff or ledge. That definition seems pretty straight forward but if we look at another metaphorical definition it states: a man like a rock by reason of his firmness and strength of soul. This is the definition that applies in this scripture. Peter just got through stating that Jesus is the Son of the living God. This revelation is what the church is built on. It is what the Father revealed and it is what the faith of the church is built on. This is a spiritual foundation for the heavenly temple described in the Book of Revelation. If there is not a solid foundation the building will crumble. Isn’t this true of any building that is manmade? If it does not have a strong foundation then it may crack and fall apart. The church must have a solid foundation to withstand.
You may have heard the Catholic church often brags it was the first church and it was built by St. Peter. Spiritually speaking, the strong foundation for the church must be firm and solid. This is so important for the church to grow and have a solid spiritual foundation. There are churches out there but their doctrine may not support the foundation that Jesus is the Son of the living God. This is so important when we are dealing with battles against Satan and the dark powers of deception from his kingdom. This is exactly why Jesus stated the gates of hell will not prevail. If a church doctrine is firmly founded that Jesus is the Son of the living God the enemy has no way to weaken it.
Notice how, a few verses down, the enemy tried to infiltrate the work Jesus had to accomplish at Jerusalem. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, can be so easily deceived sometimes when it comes to spiritual matters. Jesus had a mission and the enemy tried to use Peter to interfere. How many times have we allowed the enemy to interfere in a spiritual plan because we could not see past our emotions? I am sure it has been many times.
* God Has Good Plans *
God has many good plans for the church and God has often been derailed by our submission to the enemy just because our emotions get in the way. The plans to disrupt are not always so easily seen. There are good things which can make us distracted and we inadvertently change God’s plan. God needs us to accomplish His plan. If we remember the enemy roams around seeking whom he may devour, we can easily become the enemy’s accomplice without realizing it. If we are vigilant we can stop the work of deception and the gates of hell will indeed not prevail against the church.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:19 KJV
Jesus has given us the dominion and authority to the kingdom of heaven. Those are the “keys” He is referring to in the scripture. His name is above all names and we must remember to use His name in troubling circumstances. Let us be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Hell will not prevail over the church – AMEN!
