The church should just go to hell.
Please do not get angry and offended at such a statement. After all, going to hell is what Jesus said we should do.
If the church is going to hell, then we are headed in the right direction.
To hell is where Jesus himself went. To hell is where Jesus led His disciples. To hell is where Jesus sent the church.
In Matthew 16 Jesus spoke for the first time about the church He was forming. He said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Far too often the church imagines that Jesus is building the church as an impenetrable fortress, with huge walls and gleaming gates, and all the people of God huddle together inside in safety as the forces of darkness and evil attack from outside the gates. But inside the fortress of God, we are safe and secure.
But that is exactly the opposite of what Jesus is saying in Matthew 16. He says that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.
When you watch movies about ancient warfare, have you ever seen gates attack? No. Gates do not attack. Gates are built to keep invaders out. Gates are constructed to withstand the attack of the army outside the gates. In the picture which Jesus uses, it is not the church which has the gates. It is hell. The gates of hell are under siege. And who is the invading army? It is the church. The church is not huddled safely and secure behind gleaming white gates while the forces of hell try to batter it down. No, it is rather the church that is advancing against the gates of hell. It is we who have attacked hell. It is we who are besieging hell. It is Satan and his minions who are huddled behind their blackened walls, hoping that the gates will hold.
But they will not hold. Jesus says the gates will not prevail. They will not stand. Just as the walls of Jericho fell before the singing and marching Israelites, so also the gates of hell will crumble before the invading church.
Where does Jesus want the church to go? He wants the church to go to hell. He wants the church to storm the gates of hell.
Good stuff, now CHAAAAAAAAAAARGE!
Let’s go!
=D !
Jeremy, are you familiar with Ray Vander Laan’s take on the “Gates of Hell” – Caesarea Philippi (Confronting the power of evil) which is lesson 21 in the original “That The World May Know” series? I think the series name was changed and perhaps the lesson numbers and names.
(Please don’t take this an endorsement of the political activities of FOF, which produced the series.)
Hmmm, now that you mention it, I have seen that video. I remember seeing him standing the a pool of water and pointing to the rocks. But that is about all I remember.
I have that series. I will have to go look it up and see what he says again.
What a way to whet the appetite to read on! 😛
But practically what does it mean? Is this something that will happen in the future at the end? Or is this something that we need to be doing now? And what does it look like to storm the gates of hell?
Ian,
I will argue that it is something we need to be doing now… finding the most “hellish” places on earth, and bringing the light of love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy to these locations.
We know that Jesus did go and “preach unto the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:19). It’s also interesting to note the properties of “light” and “darkness.” Light is always in “a way”. It has measurable speed. It’s always moving, never does it rest! Always seeking, always filling the void of darkness, soaking up darkness and replacing it with light. Although light in our world casts shadows, God’s “light” character in reference to our understanding of light (1 Jn 1:5 and James 1:17…no variable, no shadow of turning; means his unmovable, unchangeable, never even a shadow of darkness, character will remain constant and forever! Darkness, however,has a speed of..zero! God’s unchangeable nature would suggest that because He is light, He will ALWAYS find darkness and consume with his fire(waves of Love) Revelation 21 reveals so much about his ultimate reconciliation of darkness..” will make ALL things new.” (Plus many, many verses that say the same) So I like where you are going with the church seeking out hell. Church is light and hell is utter and complete darkness! And in Revelation the gates of the New Jerusalem are never shut from the people across from the lake of fire; evildoers are all outside the walls of the New Jerusalem but the gates are never closed! You are right to allude to the fact that the church has constructed buildings with doors that remain closed! And when Jesus comes to restore a new heaven and new earth, those gates(doors) are never closed to the evildoers. I love where you are going with this post. I can see many implications to different discussions. If doors are always open, light(the Gospel, us!) has no boundaries. Darkness will be “hunted” down and consumed. Then people will see the “light” and will be a new creation? Can you feel the walls of religion and other traditional held beliefs shatter with the idea of light making ALL things new and consuming all darkness? What if one of the reasons people stay in “hell” is because we(“believers”) snuff out the light?
Luke,
Great questions. I really like your last point also. Yes, one of the reasons people stay in the dark is because we believers snuff out the light. Whew! Convicting!
Right on the money again, brother. Right on the money. I really like this 🙂
Unfortunately, I don’t see us doing a very good job of storming those gates. I wonder why. Maybe it’s because we’re too comfortable in our buildings, believing that the Great Commission’s “Go” really means build some pews and wait for them to come to us. “If you build it they will come” sort of mentality??? Hmm
Yes, time to regroup and CHARGE…
Thanks, Will.
I do think that personal comfort has a lot to do with it. I know that my own personal comfort is holding me back from storming certain gates I see all around me.
Man ..you have a way with titles that make me go…..whaaat?? Then, after reading the article….I’m like…..ahhhhhh….Wow….never thought I’d it like that before….lol
Thanks! Glad I didn’t shock you too much.
Jeremy. Regarding your reference to the “gates of hell”. 2 Peter 1:11 refers to the gates of heaven being opened so we may enter (paraphrasing . , . sorry). So, as you say, if gates are meant to keep evil doers out . . .why does Peter talk of heavens gates letting US in?
Great question. What I wrote is that gates keep “invaders” out. We are all evil doers, so if choose to remain part of the forces of darkness, the gates of hell are wide open to us. It is only when we join the Kingdom of God that the gates of hell become barred to us, for it is then that we become invaders from another kingdom.
As for the gates of heaven, they stay open so that “whosoever will may come.” Evil doers included.
Are the gates of hell not death?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.gotquestions.org/amp/gates-of-hell.html?client=safari