The Gates of Hell
The Gates of Hell
Today I want to discuss the enemy’s goal to destroy and hinder the Creator’s Plan of Redemption, Restoration and Salvation. It will become the purpose of this discussion to examine how the enemy was defeated by Master Yahoshua (Yeshua) Messiah and to highlight how we are poised to carry on the war against the Kingdom of Darkness. For Yeshua declared to His disciples (and to us by extension) that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail –will not stand–against the Body of Messiah (i.e., of Mashiyach).
Our Identity
We are supposed to be children of YHVH:
1 John 3:10—”By this the children of Yahweh are distinguished from the children of the devil: Whoever does not practice righteousness and does not love his brother, does not belong to Elohim.”
Of the Pharisees and Scribes, Yeshua called them out for who they really were:
John 8:44—You are of the Devil as father, and the lust of your father you desire to do. That one was a murderer from the beginning, and he has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own, because he is a liar, and the father of it.”
And as Children of YHVH, we have a vital role in the reclamation of Creation from the hands of the Kingdom of Darkness, and to usher in the Kingdom of Yah.
As it relates to our role—as Children of Yah–in the reclaiming of Creation and the ushering in of the Kingdom of Yah, we receive our marching orders from the example and instructions of Yeshua our Master.
And what we will see in part today that the 2nd Adam—Yeshua–would begin the work that He started to restore and usher in the Kingdom and take down the Kingdom of Darkness:
1 Cor. 15:45—”So also it has been written, ‘The first man, Adam, became a living soul.’ The last Adam a life-giving Ruach (ie., Spirit).”
Yeshua, who Paul referred to as the 2nd Adam, through His obedience unto death, would usher in the Paradise that was lost—the Kingdom of YHVH–by the actions of the 1st Adam and return eternal life and sonship to Yah’s human creation.
The Ongoing Struggle Against the Gates of Hell
But none of this is to come about without an immense struggle on our part. As we will see, the enemy saw in part a glimpse of Father’s overall plan to redeem man from the dominion of the Kingdom of Darkness and to restore Paradise Lost—the Kingdom of Yah here on earth.
So in response to Yah’s plan, which we are a part of, the enemy has waged an intense) (cosmic) war to retain that which they’ve held possession of for so many millennia.
In fact, there’s coming a time when the enemy will launch a full frontal—side—rear attack on Yah’s people. The Sons or Saints of the Most High will suffer momentary defeat at the hands of the enemy:
Dan. 7:25—”And he (the enemy) shall speak commands against the Most High, and he shall wear out the saints of the Most High. And he intends to change times and law. And they shall be given into his hand UNTIL A TIME AND TIMES AND ONE HALF TIME.”
You see, the enemy will see and believe the saints’ defeat a huge win for them, just as they thought Yeshua’s crucifixion put an end to any talk about a coming kingdom of Yah. But just like the crucifixion of Yeshua ultimately proved to be the enemy’s actual death knell, the saints’ defeat will only hasten the enemy’s ultimate destruction.
In the interim, Father’s grace has provided his true children with the tools and resources they need to (1) successfully defend against the enemy’s attacks; and (2) effectively fight and win against the enemy.
Thus it behooves every one of us who are children of the Most High to be prepared and effective soldiers against the kingdom of darkness.
We Can Win The Fight
If we heed the lessons that Father graciously placed in His eternal Word, we can effectively fight against the enemy and do our part to bring in or usher in the Kingdom of the Most High.
Because at the end of the day, we all have a role and responsibility in this thing. We’re not supposed to be “pew warmers” or “spiritual spectators.”
The Church Triumphant has sold us a bill of goods that we are simply to await a sudden rapture where we’ll be whisked away to heaven and all of the hard and difficult work that needs to be done will take care of itself.
This could not be further from the truth. For every Set-Apart child of the Most High has a duty and role to play in all this. And we need to be about fulfilling that role and those responsibilities.
What Does It Look Like?
In order to understand the high level of warfare and push-back that the enemy has invested in this thing, let us take a quick survey of the war that has occurred between the powers of darkness and our Master Yeshua.
We must remember that Yeshua is the fulcrum upon which Yah’s plan for the restoration of Creation rests.
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Here’s another central principle to keep in mind here: Everyday of Yeshua’s earthly ministry was a “spiritual assault on the forces of darkness. And Yeshua’s purpose (and we touched upon this last time if you recall) was to reclaim what rightly belonged to Him, His Father,” and those who would be Yah’s elect/chosen ones/children.
The question that must be answered from each of us is: is our earthly ministry a spiritual assault on the forces of darkness in the advancement of the Kingdom?
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Recall that the deliverance of Yah’s chosen people from Egypt was a victory over the demigods of the region. And Moshe and most of those who were delivered realized this. For it was Moshe who proclaimed in his song celebrating Yah’s mighty wonders in delivering the nation: “Who is like Yahweh among the god” (Exo. 15:11)?
The Exodus of Yah’s chosen people from Egypt was a resumption of Yah’s overall plan to restore Paradise Lost, ie., the Edenic Kingdom on this earth. And it was a resumption of the process by which Yah would legally reclaim and redeem humankind from the fallen ones who had held claim to them since the Fall.
And what we will see throughout Yeshua’s earthly ministry was in fact somewhat of an Exodus 2.0 And Exodus 3.0 is coming in the End Times.
Let’s look briefly at Exodus 2.0 for a moment.
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The Baptism of Yeshua in Comparison to the Red Sea Crossing
Mark 1:9-11—”And it happened that in those days Yeshua came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. And immediately as He was coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens being split (Gr. Schizo) apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on Him. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
The LXX’s description of the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14:21 uses the same Greek term “schizo” to describe the splitting of the heavens and the Spirit descending down upon Yeshua like a dove.
This was the consecration of Yeshua via Yehovah’s pronouncement “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (a rabbinic term, “bat kol,” is a certifying pronouncement from heaven). This was the first of 3-such “bat kols” that would be documented, certifying Yeshua’s ministry by the Creator of the Universe.
When we saw the Israelites cross over on dry land through the Red Sea, we saw in a sense the consecration of Yah’s people from the demigods of Egypt. And the children of Israel would be given the opportunity to be Father’s special possession; His elect; His Children.
The title “beloved” that was placed upon Yeshua by His Father was used to mark Solomon as the legal heir to the Davidic convenantal throne (reference Jedidiah of 2 Sam. 12:24, 25). Yehovah essentially says of Yeshua to creation: “This is the king, the legitimate heir to David’s throne.”
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Yeshua’s Wilderness Experience
Immediately after Yeshua’s baptism, the Spirit (the Ruach) led Him into the wilderness where He was tempted by hasatan at the direction of the Holy Spirit (Mat. 4:1; Mar. 1:12; Luk. 4:1-13). Like the Israelites and their wilderness experience of Exodus 1.0, this leg of Yeshua’s ministry was crucial to Yeshua’s vetting and defeat of the enemy.
The Judean wilderness is not just one of the more desolate places on this planet. It is also metaphorically unholy ground. The wilderness is associated with the demonic. And so it seems quite appropriate that Yeshua would meet hasatan there.
Quick Review
(1) Israel (Yehovah’s son—Exo. 4:23) passed through the Red Sea (Exo. 14, 15).
(2) Israel met Yehovah at Mount Sinai on the first leg of restoring Paradise Lost.
(3) Israel’s faith and loyalty proved insufficient for them to carry out the remainder of the reclamation process (Jud. 2:11-15). The demonic powers of the wilderness (Deu. 32:15-20) forestalled the restoration process for a time.
Yeshua, however, would repeat this process from start to finish without faltering. During Yeshua’s temptation in the wilderness He quoted 3 passages of Torah that Moshe addressed to Israel prior to their entry into Canaan:
- Thou shalt not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Yah—Mat. 4:4 and Deu. 8:3.
- Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy Elohim—Mat. 4:7 and Deu. 6:16.
- Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve—Mat. 4:10 and Deu. 6:13.
Israel as YHVH’s son (Exo. 4:22—Moshe told Pharaoh—Israel is My son, even My firstborn) had to go through a time of testing that involved being deprived of water and food; taught Yah’s way of life; pressed into trusting obedience to YHVH. That process took 40-years in preparation for them to be worthy of service unto Yah.
Yeshua, Son of Yah, was also sent into the wilderness for testing. This time, this Son of Yah would be tested for 40-days. Like Israel before Him, He too was tried and tested for service. He faced the exact same tests that Israel endured. Israel ultimately reclaimed the Land and took the reclamation/restoration/redemption of Creation and Paradise that was lost up a few notches. But they failed over several centuries to fulfill their prime directive, which was to be the royal priests to the people nations in that reclaimed Paradise.
Where Israel failed, Yeshua succeeded.
Folks, those of us who have been selected as YHVH’s sons/daughters will have to go through a period of testing and refining. Are we ready for that?
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Yeshua Cranks Up His Assault On the Kingdom of Darkness
Upon returning from the wilderness, Yeshua filled with the power of the Spirit begins His ministry with 3 big moves:
(1) The proclamation of: “Repent, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Mat. 4:17).
(2) He assembles an assault team—His disciples.
(3) He heals a demon-possessed man (Mar. 1:16-28; Luk. 4:31-5:11). And Yeshua links the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven with His casting out of demons (Luk. 11:20).
Thus, the holy war began: the next phase in the reclamation/redemption Plan and the ultimate defeat of the demigods of this world.
He didn’t stop there: Yeshua ramps up His proclamation of the coming Kingdom of God, with many more healings and exorcisms. And if that’s not enough, He gives His disciples the power and authority over the demigods and sends them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God throughout the region.
“And after these things, Yahshua also appointed seventy others from His disciples, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and region, where He was about to go” (Luk. 10:1).
Now, the number 70 is not happenstance. Seventy is the number of nations listed in Genesis 10 that the demigods took control over and possessed (Deu. 32:8). These 70-disciples are said to have returned with joy (Luk. 10:17), announcing to Yeshua that the demons were subject to them in His Name.
What was Yeshua’s response? “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (10:18). The implications are clear: “Yeshua’s ministry was the beginning of the end for the enemy and the gods of the nations. And the great reclamation/redemption of creation and humankind had begun in earnest.
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The Declaration that Rocked the Kingdom of Darkness and Sealed Yeshua’s Doom
We find near the latter portions of His ministry the incident that occurred in Caesarea Philippi. Yeshua and His team had been conducting evangelistic work in the northern region of Judea. The group came to Caesarea Philippi, which is 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.
Turns out that Caesarea Philippi is is a fertile and lush region with a dubious spiritual background. It’s lushness attracted a great amount of religious worship. Archaeologists have uncovered many remains of Greek and Roman temples in the region.
The city sits at the base of Mount Hermon. The region was referred to as Baal Hermon and Baal Gad in the Old Testament. The Greek god Pan was worshiped there.
Recall that this was also the region where Og of Bashan (a demonic giant) reigned. And it was Joshua’s holy warriors that took him out (Num. 21:33; 32:33; Deu. 1:4; 3:1-13).
Turns out that the region was ground zero for the government and rule of the Kingdom of Darkness for that region.
It is here that Yeshua asks His disciples who the people of Judea say He was. The disciples go through a litany of prophets and bible heroes. So Yeshua refines His question and asks His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”
And it was Simon Peter (Kefa) who responded: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim” (Mat. 16:13-16).
Peter’s pronouncement of who Yeshua prompted Yeshua to make a startling proclamation—in the sight and hearing of the demigods on ground zero:
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my “Church”—my “Ekklesia;” my Kehila—my assembly of Call-Out, Set-Apart ones), and the gates of hell (ie., hades) shall not prevail against it. And I will give each of you the keys to the Kingdom (of Heaven). And whatever you bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven—and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. And then He charged His disciples that they should not tell anyone that He was the Messiah” (Mat. 16:17-20).
Yeshua is using a literary technique here scholars refer to as “wordplay.” Yes, Kefa, or Peter means stone or rock. But Yeshua was taking Peter’s name and using it to direct His disciple’s attention to Mount Hermon—Ground Zero—demigod headquarters—where Yeshua is proclaimed as (1) the Messiah; and (2) the legal Son of the Living God. This was done in earshot of the demigods who were once considered sons of God themselves. But they lost that status.
And He promises His disciples they would have all the resources they needed to combat and help take down the Kingdom of Darkness: such that whatever they were to bind or loose on earth will be reflected in heaven.
And then he tells them the strangest thing: “Don’t tell anyone who He was. Why? Because Yeshua had more work that needed to be done before His earthly ministry was to be completed and He could not afford this information getting out and into the hands of the wrong people—be they well meaning people or bad people. Yeshua realized that He had to expedite His death at this point by allowing the demigods to do their work.
Consequently, the demigods rightly saw all of this as an affront to their rule. Thus they began the process of taking Yeshua out.
So Yeshua proceeds to tell His disciples of what will take place in a short period time:
“From that time forth Yeshua began to declare to His disciples that He must go to Yerushalayim and suffer many things of the elders and ruling cohenim and sages, and be killed and be raised again the third day” (Mat. 16:21).
And then He told them something that has been misunderstood by church scholars and teachers for centuries:
“Truth I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste of death be3fore they see the Son of Man in Kingdom” (Mat. 16:28).
We will see shortly.
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Churchianity and Catholicism have misunderstood the significance of this “gates of hell” Proclamation.
Ancient Near Eastern understanding of gates were that of defensive in nature. They were not weapons of any sort. They were not offensive by any means.
With this ancient understanding of gates, when we look closely to what exactly Yeshua was implying here to His disciples, the domain of the demigods (the gates of hell) would now be under assault. And who was going to be doing the assaulting? The Kingdom of God would be conducting an assault on the domain of the demigods and their very realm would not be able to stand against the assault. And like Yeshua and His disciples, we are to be a part of that assault against the Gates of Hell.
Yeshua’s proclamation was never intended to be a prophecy that the Kingdom of Darkness would assault and threaten the so-called Church. It was actually the reverse when you look at this thing in its proper context.
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The Transfiguration—The Straw Breaking the Camel’s Back
And if the proclamations of Yeshua and Peter at the base of Mount Hermon weren’t enough, another assault against the Bashan Kingdom occurred just a few days after.
Recall that Yeshua told His disciples that there were some standing with them on the day the proclamations were made at Mount Hermon who would not see death before they saw the Son of Man in His kingdom?
Six days later Yeshua takes Kefa, Yaakov and Yochanan up into a high mountain where Yeshua was transfigured before them. Which mountain would that have been (Mat. 17:1-9). No doubt it was Mount Hermon.
The Famous Transfiguration takes place on the demigods’ own soil. And the transfiguration we’re told involved Yeshua in some form of conversation with Moshe and Elijah. Now, many have downplayed this event as nothing more than a vision of Yeshua having a simple conversation with Moshe and Elijah and Peter, James and John were witnesses to that event. And that may or may not be true.
But I submit that what Peter, James and John witnessed was something so much greater than a simple conversation between Moshe and Elijah. Could the Transfiguration been some form of supernatural ordination or ceremony foreshadowing the exaltation of Yeshua to His future office as our Cohen Gadol under the order of Melchizedek?
And I would further submit that the Powers of Darkness saw this event take place on their sacred ground and they weren’t the least bit happy about it.
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Getting Rid of Yeshua—The Problem
Clearly by this point Yeshua had gotten on the enemy’s last nerve and they obviously began in earnest to get rid of Him.
Yet they had no idea that their actions accelerate the downfall of their rule and the advent of the Kingdom of Yah. They got bested by the Creator of the Universe:
1 Cor. 2:7, 8“But we speak the wisdom of Elohim in a mystery, having been hidden, which Elohim ordained before the world for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age has known. For if they had known, they would not have crucified the Master of glory…”
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So the demigods had our Master crucified. And they attended the crucifixion to celebrate their handiwork. How do we know this. It was prophesied by David:
Psa. 22:12-19—”Many bulls have circled around Me; strong bulls of Bashan have surrounded Me. They opened their mouth on Me, like a lion ripping and roaring. I am poured out like waters, and all My bones are spread apart; My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and My tongue clings to My jaws; and You appoint Me to the dust of death; for dogs have encircled Me; and band of spoilers have hemmed Me in, piercing My hands and My feet. I count all My bones; they look, they stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and they made fall a lot for My clothing. But You, O Yahweh, be not far off; O My Strength, hurry to help Me!”
Call to Action
Oh what our Master went through on our behalf. But praise be to Yah that Yeshua reigns victorious on our behalf.
But we cannot be led to follow the false assumption that we don’t have a role to play in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Yah and the restoration of Paradise Lost. Because the truth of the matter is that we do have a significant role to play.
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By virtue of our set-apart status, we are required to not only to defend ourselves against the attacks of the enemy, but we are also required to take the fight to the enemy. We cannot sit idly by and allow the enemy to steal, rob and to kill.
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Ephesians 6:10-20–The Armor of God to Crush Through the Gates of Hell
Paul admonishes the Ephesians to be strengthened in Yahoshua and in His mighty power (vs. 10). Paul realized that we cannot stand against superhuman powers as flesh and blood. So we must rely upon the strength of our Master. This come through prayer as we will see (6:28).
Thus Paul instructs the Ephesians to put on the whole armor of Yah, which in effect Paul is instructing the Ephesians put n the “image of Elohim” (vs. 11).
The analogy that Paul employs here is astounding as he contrasts the elements of Yah’s spiritual armor against the “methodeia” or “tzentah” or strategies of the adversary.
Now the 4-pieces of armor described protect the disciple against the 4-principle strategies of hasatan. And the order in which Paul describes each piece corresponds to the 4-classes of demons or “shaida” mentioned in verse 12: (1)Rulers or Principalities; (2) Authorities or Powers; (3) “kosmokrator” or Possessors; and (4) Evil Spirits or Spiritual Wickedness (vs. 12).
Let’s look at each of these pieces as it relates to the prescription Paul gave to the Ephesians for battling against the enemy in Ephesus. Paul chose to order them from the perspective of the most vulnerable part the enemy will attack first, and then move on up to the strongest positions.
(1) The Belt of Truth protects the disciple against the lies and deceptions of the “possessors.”
(2) The Breastplate of Righteousness corresponds to protection against temptations and pride that spiritual “authorities” bring.
(3) The Shoes of Peace is intended to protect the disciple against oppression.
(4) The Helmet of Salvation is to defend against Principalities. Principalities bring about accusations.