Just as Jesus Christ perfectly punctuated the Levitical spring feasts at His crucifixion, likewise His words, deeds, and movements also had deliberate purpose.  Our God is a God of order, Jesus did not wander aimlessly or randomly.  As such, there is a predeterminate understanding as to why He approached Caesarea Philippi that has additional spiritual meaning.  What happened at Caesarea Philippi?

The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. (1^st John 3:8)

Lying north of the Galilee region and at the southwestern base of Mount Hermon, Caesarea Philippi was formerly known as “Paneas” until Herod the Great’s son Philip renamed it in honor of Caesar.  Today, as seen in the photo above, it is known as Banias and it contains the site once sacred to the Greek goat god Pan known as the “Grotto of Pan” or “cave of Pan” wherein human sacrifices were performed.  Inside the grotto (cave) and etched in the walls was a Greek sign that said, “gates of Hades.”  It is important to note, that during the time of Christ, Caesarea Philippi was recognized commonly throughout Israel to be the location of the literal “gates of hell.”

Appropriately, and thus it was here that Jesus asked, “who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter confessed Him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God.  “And Jesus answered and said unto him, blessed are thou, Simon Barjonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,” and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:17-18 KJV)

Jesus was making a statement that extended far beyond His audience of disciples, He was making a statement in the spiritual realm and to Satan and his demoniac.  In the next verse He promises to empower the Church by His authority: And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whosoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (verse 19)

It is no coincidence that the very next event that occurred in the gospel accounts was the Mount of Transfiguration whereby after declaring Himself to be the Christ, Jesus was seen in His glory by Peter, James and John demonstrating further evidence that He was the divine Son of God.  The voice of God which the disciples heard, gave further confirmation of the calling and Sonship of Jesus.  And where did this even take place?

Rising right above Caesarea Philippi is Mount Hermon at a height of 9,200 feet.  Matthew 17:1 says that Jesus took Peter, James and John up a “high mountain.”  Although some believe that Mount Tabor was the site of His Transfiguration, it is only 1,900 feet in altitude and has never been described as a “high mountain.”   Most theologians believe the site of this event to be Mount Hermon but the Bible does not tell us precisely.   Is there an additional connotation possibly attached to Mount Hermon?

Mount Hermon was known as a “holy mountain” to the ancient Canaanites.  It was known to them as the holy mountain of “El” the Canaanite god.  According to them, El held court on Mount Hermon with his consort Asherah and the “seventy sons of El.”   Although “El” was a name that was used in the Hebrew to describe Yahweh (Elohim, El Shaddai, El Elyon, etc.) the “El” of the Canaanites was in no way Yahweh, the God of Israel.  The god El of Canaan was in fact a figure head, the real power wielded by their “king of gods” known as Ba’al.

According the apocryphal books of Enoch and Jubilees, another heinous event occurred long ago on Mount Hermon.  Although these books are not considered to be canon, it is noted that Jesus quoted from the book of Enoch on several occasions.  Today they are to be read more for historical reference and context.  It was on Mount Hermon that Enoch and Jubilees state that the fallen angels of Genesis 6 began procreating with human women producing the “Nephilim” (‘bene Elohim’ in Hebrew) or giants that wrought destruction on God’s creation and who ultimately perished in Noah’s Flood.  According to Peter (2^nd Peter 2:4) and Jude (1:6) these fallen angels await judgment in chains.

It is believed that it was here that the Lord was transfigured and “his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.” (Matthew 17:1) Not only was the Transfiguration an undeniable demonstration of Jesus as the Son of God but, assuming Mount Hermon was indeed the location, the event would have signaled to the powers of evil moreover that His kingdom and authority would triumph, serving notice on the very site where great evil had occurred before.

Although it is only given in Luke’s account, after the Mount of Transfiguration we read in the next chapter (Luke 10) how Jesus sent out 70 disciples into the countryside in teams of two to heal the sick, drive out demons and proclaim that “the kingdom is near.”  Upon their return and with reports of great excitement they said to Jesus, “even the devils (demons) are subject unto us through thy name.” (Luke 10:17) The “sending out of the 70” is an example and demonstration of what the Church was to employ as one of its primary missions: to destroy the works of the devil under the authority of Jesus Christ.

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21)

“And having disarmed the power and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:15) It is the decisive victory of Jesus on the cross that usurps the authority of the kingdom of darkness.

“He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:18-20)

In the 4^th chapter of Zechariah, the prophet had a vision in which he saw a golden lamp stand with seven lamps upon it and two olive trees standing by, feeding it continually with oil.  This vision takes us back  to the days of Zechariah when Zerubbabel had laid the foundation of the Temple and the message from God was to finish the job.  The prophet then with great interest turns to the two olive trees and asks what (or who) they are.

“And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?  And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.  Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” (Zechariah 4:12-14 KJV)

They are called the “two witnesses” in Revelation 11, represented by most theologians to be Moses and Elijah throughout the pages of the Bible.  Even though in this passage they are not named, it is obvious that they represent Moses (on behalf of the law) and Elijah (on behalf of the prophets).  In Revelation 11:4 the Bible tells us that these two witnesses correspond to the two olive trees spoken of by Zechariah.  One has “power to shut up heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy,” and the other has “power over waters to turn them to blood.”  These are the precise characteristics of both Moses and Elijah.  Do we see them elsewhere in the Bible?

We do.  What is ever more interesting, is that we see Elijah again in the New Testament as well as a brief appearance by Moses.

The personal history of Elijah is somewhat clouded and the Bible does not tell us much about him.  After King Ahab’s death, Elijah appeared before his son Ahaziah who had succeeded his father as king.  Take note of his appearance:

“And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?  And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins, And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.” (2^nd Kings 1:7,8 KJV)

Elijah appeared to be a man of sparse needs and simple tastes, dedicated to the Lord.  It is interesting to note going forward in time that this is a very similar description of John the Baptist:

“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  For this is he that was spoke of by the prophet Esaias (Isaiah), saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight.  And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”  (Matthew 3:1-6)

John traveled down the Jordan River, just the same territory as Elijah had, dressed in simple garb and eating only the necessary foods to keep him alive.

John the Baptist was later imprisoned for his criticism of Herod Antipas’s incestuous relationship with the woman called Herodias, pronouncing their union to be unlawful.  For this, and at the whim of his daughter, he was beheaded.

Not very long after his death, Peter, James and John accompanied the Lord to a mountain top (believed to be Mount Hermon) where they saw Jesus in His glory.  It is known as the Mount of Transfiguration.  To the astonishment of the disciples, both Elijah and Moses appeared with Jesus in this moment and began to speak with Him.  Jesus then explained the amazing event to them coming down:

“And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.  And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias (Elijah) must first come?  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.  But I say unto you, that Elias (Elijah) is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed.  Likewise, shall also the Son of man suffer of them.  Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (Matthew 17:9-13)

What did Jesus mean by this?  Without trying to examine Jesus’ words in depth, here is the New Testament order of events:

John the Baptist came as the Lord’s messenger, to announce the arrival of Messiah.  He baptized Jesus.  He was arrested, then killed.  Next, the disciples experienced the presence of Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration.  In taking Jesus words literally, Elijah came in the person of John, then after John’s death, he appeared unto the disciples as himself.  Jesus restates this also in Matthew 11:12-14.

Zechariah, Haggai, and Malachi were all contemporaries and wrote their final prophecies in the Old Testament.  Then there were no more prophets for 400 years until the birth of Christ.  But the source of the disciples’ questions of Jesus about the coming of Elijah are found in Malachi’s final verses.  Malachi refers to both Moses and Elijah whom he states will prepare the remnant of his people for the Day of the Lord:

“Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”  (Malachi 4:4-6)

When John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah, his ministry was cut short.  He was not allowed to turn the “heart of the children to their fathers” nor did he usher in the Kingdom Age.  Therefore, the Lord followed through on His threat and smote the earth with a curse driving the Jewish people out of the Land for almost 1,900 years before Israel was reborn in 1948.

But when Elijah appears the next time as one of the two witnesses found in Revelation 11, he will succeed in helping bring revival to the nation of Israel.  And Jesus will not curse the earth at that time, instead He will establish His glorious Kingdom and rule for a thousand years, otherwise known as the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ.

In the African bush it is not uncommon at the birth of a child that the mother calls in the local village witch doctor or shaman to perform a prayer of dedication over the infant.  He would typically wrap the child in a garland or strand of beads and pearls and dedicate the child to some voodoo god, which we know to be of the devil.  Several years ago, the Jessica’s Hope Maternity Ward was opened at the Sons of Thunder Farm in Zambia with modern equipment to offer a new alternative.  Today, local expectant mothers know that they can go to the maternity center and both mother and baby will receive premium care and services.  Now we are cutting out the shaman altogether and babies are being dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.  Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:3-4)

In so many ways, Sons of Thunder is coming to adopt attributes of an “incubator” or spiritual, economic and agricultural growth in southern Zambia.  At God’s direction we are spreading the gospel and building the Church, raising the standard of living, teaching life-changing agricultural methods, fueling a micro business community and our school is seeding the future labor pool of tomorrow’s Zambia.

The Sons of Thunder medical ministry has also played a tremendous role in transforming lives.

As part of the medical ministry, this past year almost 500 babies were delivered through the maternity center or somewhere in transit, 405 at Jessica’s Hope Maternity Center and 79 in the field.  Of those 484 deliveries, 61 were HIV positive mothers that are always followed up with medications and prophylaxis treatments.  There were no maternal deaths and no orphans.  As of the end of January, 42 babies have been delivered in 2019, 35 in the Maternity Center and 7 outside.

The Sons of Thunder Medical Clinic treats an average of 1,800 patients each month, including our regularly scheduled medical outreach program at five different locations off the Farm.  Our medical budget continues to grow and the need for more medicines, medical supplies and equipment is great.  The SOT medical ministry provides medical, prenatal and maternity services at no cost to our patients and has helped dramatically reduce the mortality rate in southern Zambia.  More importantly, God has enabled this ministry to share the love of Jesus Christ with those in need of medical care.

Back in September I wrote about our critical need to bridge the gap in compensation to our medical personnel.  Both Sal and Renee Marini are our self-sustaining medical missionaries, but our budget is being challenged to pay our locally trained and highly skilled medical staff the fair market compensation they might obtain elsewhere.  We are concerned that if we are not able to bridge this gap soon that we may begin to lose some of the vital personnel of this medical team to other opportunities.

“…for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  (Philippians 2:13)

Today, we are asking for your help.  Our goal is to continue to deliver exceptional medical and maternity services to the many thousands of Zambians who have access to Sons of Thunder. We treated over 22,000 patients last year and our desire is to continue to deliver outstanding medical services while exalting the Lord Jesus Christ in the treatment of every patient.

That’s why our goal for this campaign is to raise an additional $100,000 by March 31.  If we raise that amount, we will not only meet the medical budget for medicines, medical supplies and equipment but also bridge this critical gap for our medical personnel and which will assuage pressures on the SOT budget for the duration of 2019.

Would you be willing to make a special donation of $50, $100 or whatever you can afford to help us bridge this gap?

You can make an online donation by pressing the “Contribute” button on the menu above using PayPal.

Or you can simply make a check payable to “Sons of Thunder Ministries” and mail to:

Sons of Thunder Ministries

P.O. Box 7

Damascus, MD 20872

Sons of Thunder Ministries is a fully organized 501(c)3 non-profit organization operating in the state of Maryland.

We simply can’t do this without you.  Your support will make a real, lasting impact in the lives of those who are not only in need of medical treatment but more importantly, the love of Jesus Christ whom we share generously.