The Gates of Hell

Matthew 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 [Hades] shall not prevail against it.

What are the gates of hell? False doctrine? The Devil? Wiles of Satan? Heresies?

I think we have inherited an erroneous idea around this text because we have been traditionally taught that Hell is the devils kingdom, that the devil and his armies plot against us from the pit of hell. Is this biblical though? Scripture tells us that the devil roams the earth, that he is the prince of the power of air, that he is the (false) god of this world. Hell (Hades) is where dead people go to await the judgement, when Christ made this statement it was where the righteous and unrighteous dead went, one in torment and one in comfort. Tartarus is where the disobedient spirits are held as prisoners awaiting the lake of fire.

So what are the gates of hell that shall not prevail against the church?

Gates in Koine Greek is pylē. Guess what it means? Gates! As in a prison gate, and guess who has the keys to this gate – Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [Hades same as Matthew 16:18] and of death.)

Here are other verses where pylē is used and every time it is a normal gate or entrance:

Matthew
7:13; 16:18

Luke
7:12; 13:24

Acts
3:10; 9:24; 12:10; 16:13

Hebrews
13:12

Revelation
1:18

So what is the correct interpretation? The grave has no victory or power over these that Christ has (and will) redeemed. The gates cannot hold them back because Christ has the victory over death and hell/hades. He has the keys, death has no power over the elect of God. When they die they go to sleep in Christ and will appear with Him when He appears, their bodies will rise and be transformed into the likeness of their Lord.

1st Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1st Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1st Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1st Corinthians 15:54 So 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.

1st Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1st Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

1st Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.