Gates Of Hell - Soul Choice Ministries

The Bible indicates that there are actual gates at the entrance of hell. Why is this important? Because it signifies that hell is an eternal prison with no escape. People need to understand that. The gates reflect its permanency.

Many commentaries state that the term “gates of hell” are symbolic of Satan’s force against the Church. This is true.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus told us that all the forces of hell cannot stop the Church and again, this is the truth. However, if there really were no gates, then Jesus could have said, ‘all the forces of hell shall not prevail against the Church.’ Why did He use the word gates and other verses mentioning the gates?

In addition, why would we allegorize the gates, when most of the Bible should be taken literally? Bible verses that mention gates, bars, and prison cells in hell:

Matthew 16:18, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hell (Hades) shall not prevail against it.”

Isaiah 38:10, “I shall go to the gates of Sheol.”

Job 17:16, “Will they go down to the gates of Sheol?” In the last two verses, Sheol refers to the place of departed spirits or hell. Hades is the Greek word for hell and Sheol is the Hebrew word for hell, the current hell. Matthew Henry’s Commentary, page 1696 reads, “Gates of hell, that is, the city of hell…”

Bible verses about the gates of death:

Psalms 107:18, “And they drew near to the gates of death.”

Psalms 9:13, “You lift me up from the gates of death.”

Job 38:17, “Have the gates of death been revealed to you?”

There are also verses that describe bars in hell. Having bars would indicate a gate. Gates and bars would be indicative of a prison, and hell is just that.

Job 17:16, “They shall go down to the bars of the pit.”

Jonah 2:6, “The earth with her bars was about me forever.” Jonah is someone in the Bible who was at the gates of hell. The scripture indicates he may have actually died and went to hell (Sheol).

In Jonah 2:2 he said, “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried.”

Jonah 2:6 he said, “the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; yet You have brought up my life from the pit.”

Here are three credible commentaries that state he was either just inside the gates, or just outside the gates:

Tyndale Old Testament Commentary, pages 114, 116, “Although Jonah is on the verge of entering Sheol, the Lord hears his cry and delivers him….Like a Palestinian city, Jonah views the underworld as having a gate which was locked secure by bolts and bars: there could be no escaping from it. Once in Sheol, Jonah would be imprisoned there forever.”

New International Commentary, pages 216, 217, “He had been in Sheol’s belly. Sheol, the world of the dead…The gates of hell prevailed against him, clanging shut with a terrible finality—or so it seemed.”

New American Commentary page 251 states the same.

In the vision God gave me about hell, I saw prison cells with bars, and they were literal bars. The cells were like a dungeon. There were rough-hewn stone walls that had a gate with bars. It was a prison. I didn’t see the gates of hell, but I was only shown a certain small area of hell.

These gates exist in a spiritual world or dimension, but nevertheless, they are actual gates. We know that the twelve gates and the wall around the New Jerusalem in heaven, are literal because of the detail given (Revelation 21:15, 21). Gates made of one giant pearl for each gates. We are told that the foundation of the wall is garnished with twelve precious gemstones. Since they are literal in heaven, why wouldn’t the gates of hell also be literal?

There are also Bible verses about hell being a prison.

Proverbs 7:27, “Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. Chambers means, “inner rooms.”

Isaiah 24:22 , “And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison.”

Isaiah14:12-17, “O Lucifer…that opened not the house of his prisoners?”

Revelation 20:7, “Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.” This is at the end of the 1000-year period or Millennium.

1 Peter 3:19, “He went and preached to the spirits in prison.” This refers to Jesus at the time of His death announcing to the rebellious people who rejected the preaching of Noah during that 100-year period of building the ark.

Psalms 142:7, “Bring my soul out of prison.”

Other Bible verses indicate there are gates because they mention keys.

Revelation 1:18, “Jesus said, I have the keys of hell and death.”

Revelation 9:1, “to him (the angel) was given the key to the bottomless pit.”

Revelation 20:1, “The Angel, having the key of the bottomless pit.” Why would the angel be given a key if there are no gates, or doors?

Matthew Henry’s Commentary, page 2483 reads, “The key of the prison in which he was to be confined.” We know of course that the keys are also symbolic of authority.

There have also been several books written where authors were shown hell in a vision, or a near death experience. They also reported seeing gates at the entrance of hell. Kenneth Hagin Sr. is one of them.

We know for certain that Hell is an eternal prison with eternal agony. Will you repent of your sins and trust in the risen Savior Jesus Christ for your salvation, or will you experience first hand the bars and gates of hell?