Because Jesus faced the gates of death, we need not fear them.
HAVE THE GATES of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
Job 38:17
These are just two of the many rhetorical questions God asked Job in response to Job's request for audience with the LORD. Job asked why, and God responded with questions of his own.
These weren't intended to dismiss or avoid Job's concerns, but rather to reinforce God's omnipotence and omniscience. The questions instead served as a reminder to Job that he could not possibly comprehend the complexity behind the answers he sought.
Yet this isn't to say God didn't offer any hope or satisfactory answers. On the contrary, Job walked away fully content. Perhaps all he needed was reassurance that God really is in control. And God did offer hope as we see in verse 17 above. While the mention of death and deep darkness may not stand out as particularly inspiring, bear with me as I attempt to explain.
