Ruling Over Death

When Jesus took His disciples north of Israel to Caesarea Philippi, He took them to one of several places on the planet where there was a cave from which water flowed or a very deep lake that the Greeks called a Gate of Hades (Matthew 16:13-20). It is still there, and is still called a Gate of Hades. There is a sign in front of it. In Greek myths, Hades, Zeus and Poseidon were brothers who ruled the dead, the sky and the sea, respectively.

When Yahweh told Adam about the two most important trees in the garden where He gave Adam responsibility, He named one the Tree of Life, and the other the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He told Adam that the fruit of the second tree would cause him to die if he ate it, so effectively, He told Adam that one was a tree of Life and the other was a tree of Death.

Death prevailed over humanity when Adam ate the fruit of the Tree of Death (Romans 5:17-20). Jesus announced to His disciples at a cliff called the Rock of the Gods, where sacrifices to idols were probably happening as He spoke, that He is Messiah. He also announced that He would build His ekklesia on a rock, and that the gates to death that were represented by a gate to the underworld that Hades ruled over, would not be able to prevail against it. He was building a government that would rule over death with Life.

We are currently active members of that government. We rule in earthly governments, businesses, education, the broadcast of news, and any other place in which we have the courage to rise up and take places of authority and responsibility. If you have found the place where the King has ordained you to rise up, be courageous and effective there. If you have not, ask Him to make His direction over your life to be clear and to equip you to succeed at the assignment. In either circumstance, ask Him to bring Himself great blessing through your life. Then expect it. I say “Amen” to it!