What Did Jesus Mean by 'Gates of Hell'?

If you’re like me, you are probably not fond of discussions about word meanings that all too often turn into arguments. Not only that, the Apostle Paul told the young preacher Timothy to boldly instruct the disciples of Jesus “not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.” (2 Timothy 2:14)

Yet, surely we agree that words and phrases have meaning. When Jesus intentionally used the phrase ‘gates of Hell,’ He meant something.

I realize that your soul is not in danger if you do not fully understand the meaning of the phrase gates of Hell. Yet, I think you’ll be greatly encouraged if you do.

One of the difficulties in understanding this phrase is the differences found in translations. The ESV, ISV, KJV, and NLT* all have gates of Hell. However, other translations read: gates of Hades or something else.

Complicating matters more is a common misunderstanding among some that Hell and Hades are the same. In the Bible Hell is the final place of torment for those who are evil. Hades is more accurately the temporary place of the dead. In the Bible only ungodly people go to Hades. Then, at the final judgment a number of things will be thrown into the lake of fire (parallel in description to Hell). They are death, Hades, the devil and those whose names are not written in the book of life.

So, is it gates of Hell or gates of Hades?

Without a doubt the Greek text reads: gates of Hades. 

Here is the only Bible verse where the phrase occurs:

I also say that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

—Matthew 16:18

So, what did Jesus mean?

Unless you are a character from Greek mythology (Hercules), there is only one way to get to Hades, the place of the dead, and that is by dying. So, simple reasoning suggests that the gates of Hades, i.e., the entry to Hades, is a figurative reference to death.

Reasoning is fine, but is there concrete evidence that the phrase meant death at the time of Jesus. Yes, in ancient Greek literature Homer used the phrase gates of Hades for death in The Iliad. Much closer to the time of Jesus, no less than four non-biblical religious texts used the phrase gates of Hades for death.

So, when Jesus spoke of His church and said that “the gates of Hades will not overpower it,” He was saying that death itself would not overpower His church.

Now, that’s great news! That tells us that all who are a part of Christ’s church will not be overpowered by death. That does not mean that we will not die a physical death, but that death will not have the final say. We will be resurrected just as God promised.

Considering our resurrection, Paul wrote about the death of our physical bodies saying:

It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body;

     it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;

     it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

     it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

—1 Corinthians 15:42-44 & 55

Christ was victorious over death. Through faith in Christ, we are assured that the gates of Hades will not overpower us. In that we rejoice!

Mark Stinnett

June 27, 2021

*ESV—English Standard Version; ISV—International Standard Version; KJV—King James Version; NLT—New Living Translation.