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The Triumphant March of the Church
"And I say unto thee, thou artwork Peter, and on this rock I will assemble my church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail from it." Matthew sixteen:18
My favorite evidence text for an optimistic watch of record is a perfectly recognized scripture verse. Despite the fact that perfectly recognized, several seem to be to appreciate its significance. This verse is Matthew sixteen:18. The context is Peter's confession of Jesus as Messiah. Jesus states that He will assemble His church on that real truth. Jesus also states that the gates of Hell will not prevail from that Church as it stands on that basis. Plenty of Christians are so conditioned to a pessimistic watch of record that they automatically reverse that passage to study "Hell will not prevail from the gates of the Church." That is not what it states, individuals! The Church is not to withdraw within just its walls and acquire pride in the truth that she can withstand the continuing siege of the forces of darkness until such time as Jesus comes again and raptures her out of her predicament. No! Christ is commanding His church to get out and acquire the offensive and s torm the gates of Hell and knock more than the devil's strongholds. Christians would be wise to be taking their rules to the market place and doing inroads for the kingdom of Jesus Christ. He has promised that the gates of Hell are no match up for His loyal troops.one
Because Jesus Christ declared that "the gates of hell shall not prevail from" His Church (Matt. sixteen:18), " there shall be consistently a church on earth, to worship God according to His will." "The gates of hell" usually means the powers, council, or authority of hell, the metropolis council in historic days convening publicly well before the gates "prevail" here has the power of "withstand," and the Berkeley Model translates it, "the gates of hell shall not hold out from her." This connotes evidently action from hell by the Church, and defensive action by hell. It is heretical wondering to suppose that the action of the church is defensive it is hazardous and makes a disposition receptive to the enthronement of Satan for the Church to suppose that its placement is a defensive retreat in the direction of the rapture or in the direction of the 2nd coming. The Church, however smallish, and however a good deal a Gideon's band, is the aggressor from the powers of darkness, who, in persistent frenzy, look at to barricade themselves, in their towers of Babel, from the sovereign and omnipotent God.two
This verse, subsequent immediately when Peter's magnificent confession of Jesus as the Christ, gives us amazing self-confidence for believing in the long run progress of the Church. It has frequently been understood to suggest that the Church which Christ set up will be able to protect alone from all its foes, that even the worst that the enemies of the Gospel will be able to carry from it will not be able to destroy it. We believe, however, that the actual this means is very varied. "Gates" are not offensive, but defensive weapons. They are stationary. They do not make the assault. In that day the gates ended up firmly fortified instruments constructed for the defense of the metropolis, constructed to withstand the strongest onslaughts of the attackers. As this kind of they did not move. Hence the actual this means of this verse is, not that the Church will be able to protect alone from all attacks, but that it will make the assault, that it will advance all over the glob e, and that not a thing, actually not a thing, will be able to resist it. All will fall well before it. Previous to the close comes the Church will make a clean sweep of every thing. Even the strongest fortress of the enemy will be affreux squander well before it. Unquestionably that is Postmillennialism with a vengeance!!3
CHRISTIAN RECONSTRUCTION These days problem #one Sept./Oct 1988.
FOOTNOTES:
one. Mark Duncan: "The Five Factors of Christian Reconstruction from the Lips of Our Lord," Still Waters Revival Books, 1990.
two. R.J. Rushdoony: "The Foundations of the Social Buy," pp. 181, 182. Fairfax, VA: Thoburn Press, 1978.
3. L. Boettner: "The Millennium." pp. 409, 410. Presbyterian and Reformed, 1986.
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