“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
– Matthew 16:18
C.T. Studd once said in a famous couplet,
“Some wish to live within the sound
Of church or chapel bell;
I want to run a rescue shop
Within a yard of hell.”
Studd was a professional cricket player in England in the early 1900s, he was a Michael Jordan of Cricket. He trusted Jesus as his Savior at a crusade and became a missionary to China, India, and Africa. He thought Christians should go where the need is greatest rather than stay in comfortable, churchgoing surroundings.
Studd’s courageous stance on hell was in line with His Savior’s. On one occasion Jesus brought His disciples to northern Israel to a place called Caesarea Philippi. This geographical location is significant because it was nicknamed, “The Gates of Hell” (KJV) or “The Gates of Hades” (NKJV). This was a dark place associated with demonic depraved practices. And it was here that Jesus took His disciples to ask them a very important question, “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am” (Matthew 16:13). It was in this place of evil, right smack dab in the center of it, that Jesus asked His disciples who He was. And it is in such a place that Jesus asks each of us who He is.
Peter was directed by God to give the right response, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus affirmed Peter’s answer, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17). This was a monumental revelation. It was miraculous that God would give such a revelation through such a characteristically inept person as Peter. That some segments of the “Church” elevate “Peter” in this passage to popedom is preposterous. No. the “rock” on which Jesus said He would “build My church,” and that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it,” was the declaration that He was and is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:18). For us, the hopeful message is that we, who are so frequently just as inept as Peter, if not more, will also be enlightened by God as to who Jesus actually is.
“And the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”
The place where Jesus brought His disciples to ask the question of His identity and to make His remarks was Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea Philippi is located in northern Israel, but southwest of Mount Hermon where a spring serves as the source of the Jordan River. The spring flows out of a cave at the base of a massive rock formation that forms a huge cliff and serves to make the area beautifully lush in vegetation. This is one of the most beautiful places in the Holy Land. But beauty is only surface. There was a deeper darkness to this place.
In 20 B.C. Herod the Great built and dedicated a temple to Augustus Caesar in this location. After Herod’s death, his son Philip enlarged the temple and named the area Caesarea. It was then named Caesarea Philippi to distinguish it from the prominent seacoast city of Caesarea located on the Mediterranean. Today the area of Caesarea Philippi is called Banyeas, a modern Arabic derivation of Panyeas.
In the Old Testament it states that there was a shrine dedicated to Baal located here (Joshua 11:17). When the Greeks invaded the Land they set up a shrine to the god Pan. Pan was the god of nature, and the Greeks called the place Paneas (i.e., the city of Pan). Pan was a goat-headed god that was then and continues today to be closely associated with Satan. Pan was believed to dwell in the dark cave at the base of this rock formation. Legend has it that worship of Pan did not only include animal sacrifice, but also human sacrifice. While interesting, and not out of character for depraved people, the idea of humans being sacrificed here seems mostly legend than archeologically verifiable fact.
But worship at this site definitely did include animal sacrifice. When the blood of the sacrifice flowed down the stream from the cave it showed Pan had accepted the offering. Pan was a frightening god, and it is from this pagan deity that we get our English word “panic.” This is the place Jesus chose to bring His disciples to ask them who they thought He was. He wanted them to know there was no panic in Him. And He wanted them to know there should be no panic in them.
What makes this pagan shrine pertinent to the student of the Bible and disciple of Jesus is that the entrance to the shrine of Pan at the base of the rocky area was called, “the gates of Hades.” Perhaps the pagan worshipers viewed this as the entrance to the underworld, (“Hades” refers to the abode of the dead, the dark unseen netherworld[1]). Therefore, when Jesus told Peter and the disciples that “the gates of Hades will not prevail against” the church, He was subtly pointing out the enemy and that they should not fear this enemy.
There are a host of Bible verses which speak of Christ’s defeat of satanic forces and the disciple’s power in Christ over these forces. Below are just a few:
Romans 16:20 – “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”
Colossians 2:15 – By the cross – “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
Hebrews 2:14-15 – “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
1 John 3:8 – “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”
1 John 4:4 – “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
I mention all this because our world is becoming increasingly hellish. A good barometer for hellishness is antisemitism. It’s become very stylish to be antisemitic. Antisemitism is trendy. Fly a Hamas flag and you’ll draw a cheering crowd. Denounce Israel. Shout down a Jew. It’s all very popular in Hollywood. Hit seeking YouTube pundits turn their backs on Jews to garner support. Students on college campuses have been indoctrinated to oppose tiny little Rhode Island sized Israel, and think they are doing a social justice. Make a reel expressing hatred for Israel and Jews and you’re guaranteed a million hits. In fact, hatred for Israel and Jews is up there with “Red man bad!” and denouncing President Trump. Yes, Jew hatred is pretty popular today.
You can be sure the devil is always at work when there is a rise in attacks on Israel and God’s chosen people. In fact, “chosen people” in reference to those who are Jewish has been reduced to more of a sarcastic epithet than a recognized Biblical truth. Israel is central to God’s prophetic plans, and the devil wants to take them out in an effort to thwart or at least delay God’s redemptive plans. To such a notion whether through riots or more subdued attempts such as Replacement Theology, the Bible responds, “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not!” (Romans 11:1a).
Maybe you’re ready to put this article away. Maybe you’re thinking, Hey, I thought this was going to be about hell? I’m interested in hell. But what is this, just another piece of Jewish propaganda? What does this have to do with me? With hell? I’m not Jewish, why should I care about Israel or the persecution of Jews? Let me tell you why.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. What we are seeing today we have seen before. Though our educational systems have been working overtime to redact history to their socialist, communist, leftist, hellish preferences, there are still a host of history books and photo histories that accurately retell the rise of the Nazis and beginnings of World War II. Between 70 to 85 million people died as a result of World War II. What if I told you we are presently seeing very similar signs to what occurred leading up to that world war? Got your attention now?
If you have been fortunate enough to have visited Israel and the Holy Land, I hope you also have had the opportunity to visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum. It is a sobering place that reminds us and warns us of the darkness that resides in souls unchecked by the spiritual rebirth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have visited this museum on numerous occasions, usually at the end of each trip. It never ceases to break my heart as well as caution my heart about the depths of darkness the human heart is able to fall to when it is on its own.
But why should a Christian care about antisemitism and the persecution of Jews? I’ll tell you why. The rise of Nazism was propelled on making a people group, the Jews, a pariah, and scapegoat for all the nation’s ills. At the time Germany was caught up in, as much of the world was, an economic depression. The unemployment rate in Germany was 25-33%. Germany was also under the burden of the Versailles Treaty which imposed on them reparations for World War I. There are calls for reparations of one kind or the other in the news today. There is nothing like a 25-33% unemployment rate no matter how much mainstream media tries to paint a gloom and doom picture of the economy and living conditions. But there is a very scary similarity on the rise in our world today and that is antisemitism.
Adolf Hitler was a nobody until he began speaking in the streets and ale houses about the injustice of the Versailles Treaty. He coupled this with blaming Jews for being unpatriotic, for manipulating markets and economic practices that added to the pain and suffering of Germany’s citizenry. Hitler, years before, had been arrested for treason, convicted and jailed for attempting an uprising. During his incarceration he wrote Mein Kampf, or My Struggle. It was during this time he formulated much of his hateful ideology including putting in writing his antisemitism.
When Hitler was released, he was able to play on the heartstrings of jealousy, covetousness, bigotry, and anger and a web of other debased human feelings. He pointed to the Jew as the cause of all the nation’s problems. As he rose to power Jews were cartooned and lampooned in the most ugly ways. They were marginalized and minimized in value as human beings. They were propagandized and painted as vermin, literal rats in movies. Then Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass.
On November 9 and 10 of 1938 there was a wave of pograms, a violent organized riot focused on attacking Jews. It was similar to the riots and mayhem we saw in our streets in 2020. Mobs of people supported by Nazi paramilitary forces ran through the streets targeting Jewish businesses and property. Synagogues were burned down. Many Jews were killed outright and many died subsequently as the result of withheld care and mistreatment. Thirty thousand Jewish men were arrested and hauled off to concentration camps such as Dachau, Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen. The final Solution to exterminate “the Jew” was now underway. It wouldn’t stop until six million Jews, nearly two thirds of Jews in pre-war Europe, were exterminated. At this time in human history, the gates of hell were flung open, and demons let loose on the earth.
You might ponder, where was the Church during this time? What was being preached in the pulpits of the world to resist such evil? Sadly, much of the Church remained silent, and their silence made them complicit with the Nazi hoard. Pacificism. Uninvolvement in politics was preached. There were a few courageous Christians who stood up to resist. Deitrich Bonhoeffer is often mentioned as one of those courageous pastors who resisted the evil of his day. Another not so well known was Martin Neimoller and it is something he said that makes the rise in antisemitism today relevant for Christians.
Martin Neimoller was a decorated WWI U-Boat commander. After the First World War he became a German Luteran pastor who supported Hitler. Later Niemöller resisted Hitler as the Nazi tried to take control of Protestant churches. The Pastor saw the madness of this movement. As a result of his resistance to the Nazis, Niemöller was arrested and spent seven years in concentration camps (Dachau and Sachsenhausen). After the war Niemöller wrote a confessional piece that explained his initial complacency when Nazism was on the rise. What he wrote is something we should all review as we see very similar attitudes and arresting radical actions once again on the rise. There are a number of versions of his famous words because he would often quote it differently in his public speaking. But here is his quote:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for eh jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me. [2]
Hitler and the Nazis started by painting themselves as the persecuted. But as their popularity rose they were able to take more and more control. They used and then abused political allies. They rose to power painting themselves as the defender of the weak. Then they stomped on the weak. They promoted Arian racial supremacy. They painted themselves as the social justice warriors of their day. They were masterful manipulators of the media. They justified their iron fist violence against those they viewed as threats to their rise to power. They played on people’s covetousness to steal from those who had what they wanted. They grew more and more belligerent, harsh, inhumane, and heartless. They conveniently blamed others for what they themselves in reality were guilty of doing. They shouted down the opposition. They were masters of imagery, media manipulation, accusation, and selective “truth” telling. They persecuted and annihilated in the most vicious evil ways, those who could not defend themselves. They were brutal in beating down anyone who would oppose them. They were bullies. They were scarily similar to what we see on the rise in our world today.
As you read this and take in such history, you are probably trying to see if your political or societal or religious position fits into this template of evil. You are probably calculating whether you are a potential victim or aggressor in such a modern-day scenario. My counsel to those in your position is to GO TO THE WORD OF GOD TO ASSESS WHERE YOU ACTUALLY STAND.
When Moses, the Jew, was receiving the Ten Commandments from God, he was directed to return to the people because in his absence they had erected a golden calf and were worshipping it idolatrously. Moses confronted them, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side? Come to me!” (Exodus 32:26). Later Joshua, another Jew, would again confront God’s people saying, “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, . . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). Earlier God had instructed Joshua, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8). In the New Testament, through another Jew named Paul, we are exhorted to, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5). [3] All of this truth was delivered by God through Jews, to us. Jesus is a descendant of Jews! (cf. Romans 9:1-5). Do you see why Satan wants to eliminate this people?
Why then are people so susceptible to antisemitism and practices similar to that once used by Nazis? The plague of our day is that people prefer political party affiliation over the truth of God in His word. People are caught up in the hype of popular ideologies disregarding what the word of God states. Maybe this is a part of the judgment of God. The prophet Amos was inspired to write:
Amos 8:11–12 (NKJV) – “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord. 12They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, But shall not find it.
Notice what God is saying here. It isn’t that the word of God will be lacking. It’s that people will not hear it! We have more of the word of God than at any time in recorded history. We have it in written form, digital form, even audio formats. Wherever there is an internet connection we have access not only to the word of God, but the word of God in numerous translations, languages, even in video, and a plethora of study helps. God has given us the word of God and made it accessible like never before. But people aren’t taking it in. People are deaf to the word of God. Why is that?
People are deaf to God’s word because their ears are stopped up with theories from across the sea and from every part of the world. They reject the testimony of history that shows ideologies such as socialism and communism are failed ideologies. They are duped by scripture interpretation that fails to take into account context. They pick and choose verses to support their theological perspectives that are contrary to God’s election of Israel. When we look at history all these alternatives to God’s word are seen as having miserably failed and led to multiply millions of murdered people. They look at history and say, “We will be different. We will do better.” But unless the nature of humans is changed, unless there is a change of heart that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can work, our future is bleak and filled with more genocides to come. And any ideology of humanity that runs counter to God’s word is doomed to defeat and destruction, failure. God’s word speaks of freedom, not tyranny like these worldly ideologies try to justify. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1).
Our attitude should be, JUST TELL ME THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD. JUST SHOW ME THE TRUTH IN GOD’S WORD, AND I WILL FOLLOW IT. Jesus prayed that His followers would be sanctified, set apart from the world by the truth of God contained in His word. “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Jesus came to be a witness to God’s truth (John 18:37). Jesus’ Church is to be a “pillar and ground of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). No matter how many changes human history has undergone, no matter how many wars and revolutions, uprisings and down-fallings, no matter the changes of the ideological flavors of the day, God’s word remains the same. Oh, there are numerous translations to keep up with the ever-changing languages of humanity. But the text itself, the manuscripts, they remain the same. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will be no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
THEREFORE, GOD’S WORD IS DEPENDABLE. GO TO THE WORD OF GOD. “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
So I humbly ask you. WHEN WILL WE GO TO GOD’S WORD OVER PROFESSORS, POLITICIANS, PROPAGANDISTS, AND PROGNOSTICATORS OF THIS WORLD? If you know God’s word, you can stand toe to toe with anyone. If you are ignorant of God’s word, you will be crushed under the boots of those who speak with a serpent’s tongue.
Christian, it’s time to take a stand. The age of Christian-couch-potatoism is over. Patriotism and politics are only a small part of what our calling is as Christians. Yes, we are blessed to live in a Federal Republic where we can regularly vote representatives in and vote them out. And contrary to what some say, it is possible to legislate morality. At least we can stem the tide of evil somewhat with our votes. We have far too long been lulled to sleep by enemy delaying tactics that say, “You can’t legislate morality.” While we have fallen prey and been duped by such hogwash, and allowed ourselves to be seduced by such drivel, they have been running for office and getting into positions so that they can legislate the legalization of abortion and numerous other depraved practices. It’s time to get up, get informed, get involved, AND VOTE!
But politics is only the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot of work to do. The priority is always to share the gospel, to see souls saved and disciples made. Because of that we need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit to direct and empower us. We need to fast and pray as we venture in His way. Yes we need to be informed of the ever-changing trends in society. But what we will find if all we do is live to master trends is that our shelf life is always quickly expiring. If all you do is live in the realm of this world, you will forever be playing catchup. And if all you do is rely on the words of people, you will be a sucker for manipulation; a useful idiot as one devilish Marxist revolutionary once put it.
“Adulterers and adulteress! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Those are strong words from the word of God. But they are appropriate for us in this day. If we do not heed God’s word we will suffer consequences. The Bible commands, “Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3-4). The “poor and needy” in some cases are those who are lied against. We need to stand against those the Bible defines as “the hand of the wicked.” “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9). Whenever someone is lied against, whenever freedom of speech is attacked because it makes someone feel uncomfortable, beware. Truth should be the priority, truth spoken in love, but truth spoken nonetheless (Ephesians 4:15). When we see people being targeted and shouted down, we should step in to defend them. Antisemitism is bigotry. Much of what is called “social justice” today is just propaganda similar to that of Joseph Geobbels.
What about immigrants? Aren’t they being persecuted? Without getting into a long discussion I would only say that there is no comparison between Jews targeted with antisemitism and immigrants illegally in a country who are being arrested and removed. I know there are extenuating circumstances. But I think we need to look deeper than the surface immigration of people to how they are being used and abused for political purposes. Today politicians are using open borders and “illegal” immigration as another form of gerrymandering to warp the census to get more political seats. The Bible does teach there are nations and those nations have borders. Heaven has borders! We have to look honestly at this issue, but there is a great deal of manipulation. There is always room for compassion. But compassion should be offered freely, not demanded coercively.
The point here is that the Gates of Hell have been swung open. The devil is a deceiver. The devil tries to twist us into a scriptural knot that chokes off the blood flow to our heart. There is a balance between compassion and manipulation. The only way to discern the proper balance is with the word of God. This is critically important because if we pick the wrong side we could be preparing our own demise. Antisemitism against Jews can quickly become persecution against Christians, especially Bible believing Spirit filled Christians.
Prevailing against the Gates of Hell does not merely mean closing the gates and keeping them shut. Prevailing against the Gates of Hell means storming them, obliterating them, and as much as we can, make it as difficult as possible for people to end up in hell. That means teaching and living the narrow way Jesus taught (Matthew 7:13-14). Living in and by God’s word is the only way we can be what we need to be, and what we should be. “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word” (Psalm 119:9). Don’t miss that subtle call to “Your word.” “Your word” speaks of a personal God-given word that draws a person into a personal relationship with God. Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). God sent His word to draw us close to Him. “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). It is in God’s word that God has said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Don’t let the familiarity of that verse cause you to glance over it. Take it to heart. Apply faith to it. Deal with your sins. Seek Jesus. Embrace Jesus. Know Jesus. Love Jesus, And always remember, THE GATES OF HELL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST HIS CHURCH – THAT’S US!
Father we come to You in Jesus’ name. We ask Your forgiveness and Your help. Please forgive us for putting the word of people over Your words. Please forgive us for neglecting Your word. Please help us to know and follow Your truth, the truth of Your word. Make us students of Your word. Help us to know Your word in its context, in its fullness of truth. Father, please make us what we need to be, so we can do what You call us to do, for Your glory, until Jesus returns. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] Strong’s #86 HADES
[2] Encyclopedia.ushmm.org.
[3] See also lamentations 3:40; Matthew 7:21; 12:30; James 4:4, 17.