"THE LORD IS MY BANNER"
“THE LORD IS MY BANNER”
“Jehovah-nissi”
September 11, 2016, the Year of Our Lord
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
On the anniversary of the terrorist attack of 9-11, none of us who lived through those days have forgotten. It is now 15-years later and another generation is coming into a new day. We are shocked and grieved at three American football players who have refused to stand to honor the American flag. Colin Kaepernick was 13 years old on 9/11.
October 2008, Sandra Farley and I attended a David Barton meeting in Austin, Texas. At one point during the service, the choir was singing, “God Bless America.” Someone was marching the flag across the stadium. I heard in my Spirit the same words I heard two years prior during another time of national crisis. At that time, I saw a vision of the United States Flag flying in clouds of glory surrounded by two angels, Unity and Love.
I heard in my spirit that day, in 2008, “The angels, of Unity and Love still surround the flag.”
Another time which I have shared in the past, I had a dream. “I was on top of a very tall mountain. Circling the peak of the mountain were these beautiful flags--- brilliant in color: crimson, rich blue and purple, embroidered in gold. The tassels were pure gold. We have no fabric or colors like this on earth. These flags were the flags of individuals and nations who had fought the good fight of faith and won Kingdom battles. The flag of the United States of America was among those flags. At the base of each flag was a plaque bearing the name of the nation or individual who had fought and won against the kingdom of darkness. I had a flag and a plaque. It was pure white with no gold or embroidery, but I was so happy to see my flag on that mountain. I am convinced as each one of you “fights the good fight of faith”; you too have a flag on that mountain.
Because of this, I know the Lord has placed His Glory on the flag of the United States. As a nation, we have done something to please God. We also know our nation has also done plenty to deserve the judgment of God.
Isa. 30:17: “One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee; till you are left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill.”
If the Lord declares the ensign of our nation glorious, why is the flag of the United States of America an offense to some people? Why is the flag of the United States of America to be respected? Of course it is not an idol. It is symbolic that the name of our God has been set over our nation.
Psalm 20:5: “We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners…”
This was a Psalm of Trust written by David which was sung like a national anthem in public before going to battle.
The flag of a nation depicts the sovereignty of the government of a nation and the victory of that sovereign nation over its territory. Banners are rallying points physically and/or emotionally. The banner and the context is almost entirely military. In the Bible the victory is ascribed to God.
It is certainly personal and spiritual to me since the Lord spoke to me three messages regarding the flag.
As Christians, our first pledge of allegiance is to Jesus Christ who is The Lord My Banner, Jehovah-nissi.
The earliest example of the banner being ascribed to God is Exodus 17:15, where Moses celebrates the victory of the Amalekites by building an “altar”, calling the name of it, “The Lord is my banner.”
Exodus 17: 14-16: “The LORD said to Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi. For he said, because the LORD has sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Amalek was the grandson of Esau and founder of an Arabian Tribe who was defeated by Joshua and Moses before the children of Israel crossed the Jordan. The Lord My Banner, Jehovah-nissi, is a Judeo/Christian symbol of the defeat of the enemies of the LORD. It is also given to those who fear the Lord.
Psalm 60:4: “You have given a banner to them that fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That your beloved may be delivered; save with your right hand, and hear me.”
Psalm 60 was written after a heavy defeat. After the attack on our nation on 9/11, we can identify with the deep distress of the people. Verses 1-5 describe the catastrophic effects upon the nation of Israel after their recent attack, which they attributed not to a foreign enemy but their own God. They are convinced, nevertheless, that He has not given up on them. They approach Him in fasting and prayer with confidence, assured He will deliver them who are still in relationship with Him. Just as we raised our flag over the rubble of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and United Airlines flight 93, it was a cry and a prayer.
Ps. 60:11-12: “Give us help from trouble; for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly; for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.”
Jesus Christ is Heaven’s banner, the rallying point of all creation. John explained that “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believes on him is not condemned; but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
“For he that turned toward it was saved, not by what he saw but by thee the Savior of all.”
When the “flag” was ready to be raised at Calvary, Jesus said, “If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me.” (Jn. 12:32) Jesus Christ is the root of Jesse who stood up (in resurrection) for an ensign of all nations (Is. 11:10).
We have not forgotten when President Obama was asked by Dale Lindsborg on Meet the Press as to his stance on the American flag said, “I don’t want to be perceived as taking sides. There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression…we should redesign our flag to better offer our enemies hope and love. It’s my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East Brethren. If we, as a Nation of warring people, conduct ourselves like the nations of Islam, where peace prevails---perhaps a state or period of mutual accord could exist between our governments.” (Dale Lindsborg, Washington Post 9/7/08).
Why was the flag an offense to President Obama?
Jeremiah 50:2: “Declare among the nations, and publish, set up a standard; publish, and conceal not; say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodah is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.”
Jeremiah in one of his declarations of the destiny of nations prophesied the fall and perpetual desolation of Babylon. Isa. 51:27: “Set up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her (Babylon)…”
Babylon means confusion. The gods of Babylon were confounded by the prophecy of Babylon’s demise---Bel (Baal) and Marodah were the two chief deities. Two themes are interlaced in the fall of the historical Babylon, and the fall of spiritual and religious Babylon. Cyrus, the Persian is the one who took Babylon (539 B.C.)
Again the raising of the banner is prophetic of a warrior boldly planting a banner as a sign of taking possession. Raising the flag of the United States is a prophetic symbol of the LORD’S covenant with this nation’s founders. In God we Trust is a banner over this nation.
To the spirit of antichrist this is not just a threat, but a promise the LORD will raise up a standard against him.
As Christians, in the name of the Lord, we will set up our banners in the name of our God and the Kingdom of our God.
Isaiah 59:19: “So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”
The Song of Solomon is an allegory of the journey of the Bride of Christ from salvation, being filled with the Holy Sprit and then being used of God. Song 2:4: “He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me is love.” Jesus’ own name, Jehovah-nissi is on the banner. His bride will receive His name, “The Lord has sworn by his right hand: That your beloved may be delivered; save with your right hand...”
The glorious church is an army with banners (Song. 6:4; 10).
There is a high calling. John saw different companies in connection with the throne (Rev. 19:5)
The King makes a declaration of His Bride to the multitude.
6:10: “Who is she that looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun and terrible as an army with banners?”
The Shulamite (Bride of Christ) has conformed to the image of her Beloved. She has ruled during the night seasons in the midst of her enemies. The triumphant Bride is the Army of the Lord. She radiates His Life, Light and Love.
This is the Glorious Church in all her glory united as one with the Lord Jesus Christ. the King has purposed from the beginning to be glorified in her. Then the coming of the King fills the sky and then the earth with His glory. He has come to dwell in her heart by faith that she might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now the King leads His Bride forth. She has lost her own identity and merged with His.
The Bride is an awe-inspiring, bannered host. The Shulamite is as Mahanaim, the place where God camps or dwells! “Two Armies” = #4624 = Mahanaim; two camps, two hosts, armies, encampments”. She is dancing between the armies of Heaven and the armies of the earth. The dance of Mahanaim is the dance of Victory over all enemies (Rom. 10: 14-15)
The Bride stands boldly, as an army with banners, but free and liberated to dance without shame (like David) between the Priests.
“Who is she that looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return that we may look upon you. What will you see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.”
Fair as the moon, and clear as the sun – This is the lightning and bright shining of Jesus appearing in his saints. “The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord binds up the breach of his people, and heals the stroke of their wound.” (Isaiah 30:26)
We again see Jesus in the power of His resurrection, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me.” The heart cry of the Bride of Christ joins the cry of all the redeemed of the ages: “Come, Lord Jesus that all the Kingdoms of this world may become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. (Rev. 11:15).
Isa. 31:9: “He shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, says the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.”
Isa. 62:10: “Go through, go through the gates; prepare the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.”
Now we know why Satan hates the flag of the United States of America. Number one it is being held up by two angels, Unity and Love. It declares God is our help from trouble…”Through God we shall do valiantly; for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” Psalm 20:5: “We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners…” Psalm 60:4: “You have given a banner to them that fear you, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That your beloved may be delivered; save with your right hand, and hear me.” Also there are many banners of triumph on Mount Zion. I have seen them.
Isa. 30:17: “One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee; till you are left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill.”
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries Church
Text gleaned from “Solomon’s Secret” by C. R. Oliver and Principles of Present Truth by Kelly Varner. Quotes from King James Bible; Bible Study by: Carolyn Sissom, the Song of Solomon V; F. F. Bruce Bible Commentary and Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of those from whom I gleaned.