Chapter 16 ⇦⇨

Christ's arrival at hell's gates is recounted—The confusion therein upon His arrival—He descends into hell (Spirit Prison).

1 And while Satan and the prince of hell were discoursing thus one with another, on a sudden there was a voice as of thunder and the rushing of winds, saying, Lift up your gates, O ye princes; and be ye lifted up, O everlasting gates, and the King of Glory shall come in.

2 When the prince of hell heard this, he said unto Satan, Depart from me, and begone out of my habitations; if thou art a powerful warrior, fight with the King of Glory. But what hast thou to do with Him?

3 And he cast him forth from his habitations.

4 And the prince said to his impious officers, Shut the brass gates of cruelty, and make them fast with iron bars, and fight courageously, lest we be taken captives.

5 But when all the company of the saints heard this they spake with a loud voice of anger to the prince of hell:

6 Open thy gates that the King of Glory may come in.

7 And the divine prophet David, cried out saying, Did not I, when on earth, truly prophesy and say, O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works unto the children of men?

8 For He hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. He hath taken them because of their iniquity, and because of their unrighteousness they are afflicted.

9 After this another prophet, namely, holy Isaiah, spake in like manner unto all the saints, did not I rightly prophesy unto you when I was alive on earth?

10 The dead men shall live, and they shall rise again who are in their graves, and they shall rejoice who are in earth; for the dew which is from the Lord shall bring deliverance unto them. 84

11 And I said in another place, O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?

12 When all the saints heard these things spoken by Isaiah, they said unto the prince of hell, Open now thy gates, and take away thine iron bars; for thou wilt now be bound, and have no power.

13 Then there was a great voice, as of the sound of thunder saying, Lift up your gates, O princes; and be ye lifted up, ye gates of hell, and the King of Glory will enter in.

14 The prince of hell perceiving the same voice repeated, cried out as though he had been ignorant, Who is that King of Glory?

15 David replied to the prince of hell, and said, I understand the words of that voice, because I spake them by His spirit. And now, as I have above said, I say unto thee, the Lord strong and powerful, the Lord mighty in battle: He is the King of Glory, and He is the Lord in heaven and in earth;

16 He hath looked down to hear the groans of the prisoners, and to set loose those that are appointed unto death.

17 And now, thou filthy and stinking prince of hell, open thy gates, that the King of Glory may enter in; for He is the Lord of heaven and earth.

18 While David was saying this, the mighty Lord appeared in the form of a man, and enlightened those places which had ever before been in darkness,

19 And broke asunder the fetters which before could not be broken; and with His invincible power visited those who sat in the deep darkness by iniquity, and the shadow of death by sin.

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⇦ Nicodemus ⇨

Nicodemus 1
Nicodemus 2
Nicodemus 3
Nicodemus 4
Nicodemus 5

Nicodemus 6
Nicodemus 7
Nicodemus 8
Nicodemus 9
Nicodemus 10
Nicodemus 11

Nicodemus 12
Nicodemus 13
Nicodemus 14
Nicodemus 15
Nicodemus 16
Nicodemus 17

Nicodemus 18
Nicodemus 19
Nicodemus 20
Nicodemus 21
Nicodemus 22

Footnotes not yet available.

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