Israel Tour Part 7 – The Temple of Pan 

The views expressed are solely my personal views. 

My recent trip to Israel was definitely an eye opener in many ways. THE TEMPLE OF PAN was a ‘WOW MOMENT’ for me that strongly competed with all the other sites we visited to be my number one most intriguing place. 

The Temple of Pan – I have never ever heard about it beforehand. 

It is located in the Golan Heights. The tribe of Dan, one of Jacob’s twelve sons took over a city from the Canannites calling it ‘The City of Dan.’  It was a place of serious Pagan worship. 

The northeastern area of Israel became a city for Baal worship. In the nearby City of Dan, King Jeroboam built high place that angered God  and led the Israelites to worship false gods. 

Caesarea Philippi is in the Golan Heights and is known as a Hellish City. The people took part in horrible idol worshipping.  The cave was called “The Gates of Hell” and worshippers of Pan would congregate and participate in horrible unthinkable acts. 

Matthew 16: 13-18:  

Jesus came into Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples,

“Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 

 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 

 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 

 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.  

AND I TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE PETER, AND ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, AND THE GATES OF HADES WILL NOT OVERCOME IT. 

In Revelation 1: 18 – Jesus says, HE HOLDS the keys of death and Hades which gives us the full confidence that God is in total control over every opposing hellish enemy that will come against His Church (we are the Church). 

If God is on our side… we can feel safe that He’s fighting our battles. HE HOLDS THE KEYS.  

Caesarea Philippi is the most pagan place in all of Palestine, and Jesus must have gone there deliberately to speak with His disciples to prove to them that He is not intimidated with the works of darkness 

Lesson learnt: 

Jesus is not perturbed by our failures and weaknesses. We all have areas of our lives that we don’t want others to know … but just as Jesus turned up at the ‘Gates of Hell’ in Caesarea Philippi …..we can know with confidence that God will show up in our weakest and most vulnerable places of our lives. He’s a Deliverer. He’s a Healer. He’s a Saviour. HE HOLDS THE KEYS!!! He’s come to set the captives FREE. 

The Psalmist David says, ‘Is there any place I can go to hide from God? My frame cannot be hidden from God.’  God’s thoughts towards us are precious. He will go to the pits of hell to snatch us out. 

Read  PSALMS 139 – it’s a great Psalm when second guessing the extent of our Father’s Love.