Fearless at the Gates of Hell: Caesarea Philippi
Fearless at the Gates of Hell: Caesarea Philippi.
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi with His disciples, He asked them, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is? They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.‘ ‘But what about you?’ He asked them. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by books or teachers. My Father in heaven, God Himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And I tell you that you are Peter (‘petros’ = a single small rock), and on this rock (‘petra’ = a cliff or massive rock formation) I will build my church, and the Gates of Hades will not overcome it…’” (Matthew 16:13-18).
Walk, walk, walk. Sometimes it must have seemed to the disciples that’s all they did, walk one dusty trail after another. They were always on the move, constantly walking from here to there. It is estimated by the Bible scholars who research such things that Jesus and His disciples walked an estimated 2,500-3,100 miles during their three-year ministry! They would not restrict their travels to trips from Capernaum to Jerusalem, a total of 85 miles, or from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem (70 miles), or a journey on foot from Nazareth to Jerusalem, a total of 65 miles. But the disciples would also find themselves following Jesus to the far northern port of Tyre, 104 miles from Jerusalem, or maybe for a short jaunt to Samaria, only 42 miles from Jerusalem. Hither and yon, here and there. As renowned Chicago pastor Rev. Otis Moss said, “Jesus had a mobile ministry, going to where He was needed!”
The disciples endured one of their longest hikes during their third year together with Jesus, to the Greek region of Caesarea Philippi (CP) at the base of Mt. Hermon, which is 20 miles north of Capernaum, and a total of 105 miles from Jerusalem. CP was a hardcore pagan city from ancient times, earlier devoted to Baal worship, but more recently given over to the worship of the pagan god Pan. CP was completely covered in pagan shrines, temples and idols around every corner. It was not exactly a destination spot for earnest Jews, since it thrived as the center of detestable pagan worship for that whole region. All good Jews would avoid CP at all costs, and wouldn’t step a foot near there.
Especially reprehensible was a huge cliff just outside the city that was the centerpiece of Pan worship. The cliff itself had 14 carved-out niches to display pagan relics and idols, as well as a cave at the base of it called the Cave of Pan. This gigantic rock formation had many temples built there, as well as other buildings to help the people take part in Pan worship, the fertility god that was half-goat and half-man. This Cave of Pan was popularly known in the region as the Gates of Hell. The worshipers believed that the cave opening led to the underworld, and was in fact the entrance to Hades. Near the Cave of Pan was a large open area known as the Temple of the Dancing Goats, a horrific place that was dedicated to the purchase of goats to be sacrificed nearby. Once the goat was purchased, the owner of the goat would have a dance with that goat, and would often engage in bestiality with it. The goat would then be led to the sacrificial altar where the goat would be slaughtered and thrown into the mouth of the bottomless cave. It was said that the fast-flowing stream of water directly gushing from the mouth of the cave was always a bright red color because of the amount of blood offered there. This entire complex of temples and altars at the cliff was known to have a stench like death warmed over, of course because that is exactly what it was. This area of pagan worship could not have been more aptly named… This was indeed the Gates of Hades.
Hades, often synonymous for hell, was believed to be the vast underground holding area for the dead. The Hebrew equivalent was Sheol. The souls of the dead were said to exist in Hades as they awaited some future resurrection of all the bodies. The upper region of Hades was a sort of second-rate paradise for those who were somehow more blessed by the gods. The lower region of Hades was the holding place for the more wicked who required more punishment. Evidently, Pan and the lesser fertility gods spent their winters in Hades, and then were enticed to appear each spring though goat sacrifices. The worship of Pan was sexually warped and morally corrupted beyond belief in the eyes of the Jews, and the entire area around CP was single-minded in its dedication to the Greek fertility rites.
As Jesus pointed out to His perplexed disciples, He had intentionally brought them to the detestable Gates of Hell, and He had something special to say. Jesus once again proved Himself to be a Man full of surprises, and so maybe this long trek to CP shouldn’t have thrown them off balance. But, it undoubtedly did just that. This may have even been a bit on the scandalous side, and there was even the possibility of the disciples being tainted by the evil, or even rebuked by the Temple elders when they found this out. This pagan site in CP wasn’t merely unclean, it was positively filthy.
There are two different ways for a believer to understand the term “Gates of Hell” that Jesus used in this passage. The term can be understood first as a figure of speech, representing something along the lines of the powers of death, the powers of darkness, the stronghold of destruction. So the Gates of Hell, or Hades, could be referring to the very power that brings death to us all, the powers of darkness that usher us into the stronghold of death itself and there hold us in bondage. Gates are symbols of strength and defense and protection, so the Gates of Hell symbolize the entry point that will bring people to death and keep them imprisoned within evil.
Another way to understand ‘Gates of Hell’ is to see it as I described it above… a literal place of evil and death, a physical reality consisting of a complex of pagan worship sites in CP that was as wicked as wicked can be, a huge rocky cliff outside of a Greek city only a few miles from the home town of Jesus, dedicated to celebrating the wickedness of the evil one.
And now what… Are we to storm the gates of hell, taking the offensive against evil? Or are we to hide under the shadow of His wings and claim God to be a refuge against any powers of death perpetrated against His followers? Actually, both. Jesus will build His church in such a way as to exhibit the spiritual power needed to overcome the gates of Hell, while also providing refuge from the evil in this world. The Church… both a rescue operation and a refuge from evil, playing both offense and defense.