When Jesus promised that the Gates of Hell would not prevail against His Church, how did His first audience interpret His words? The answer to this question has far-reaching implications for those of us who confront the hellish powers of abortion today.

When Jesus spoke of Hell, He is usually quoted as having used the word “Gehenna,” which referred to a place well known to anyone who was familiar with Jerusalem. Gehenna was the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, also known as the Valley of Slaughter (Jeremiah 7:32) or Topheth (2 Kings 23:10): this was the notorious place where children were sacrificed, with the innocent blood shed in this place desecrating this land for generations to come (Psalm 106:38). Continue reading →