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By Pastor Kristin Campbell
What is said about flags in the Bible?
Standards (Flags) and Banners where used all through out the Old Testament. They were used as signals, markers, as government/tribe, in war, in rejoicing, as a symbol for the Messiah and was one of the names of the Lord.
We can find banners used in praise in Psalm 20:5 “We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.”
We see them as the name of God in Exodus 17:15 “And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My- Banner; “ The Hebrew word for this is Yahweh Nici which means “The Lord is my Banner
We see them as a marker or sign in Isaiah 62:10 “Go through, Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; Build up, Build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the peoples!”
We see them as a government or tribe flag in Numbers 2:17 "And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards” These were flags that marked areas for different tribes. When they would leave camp to go to another place the standard bearers would go out first one tribe at a time. Each tribe would follow their standard (Flag) to know where they were to set up their tents when they arrived at the next place. When multiple tribes where united under one banner it was a form of government.
We can see them used for war in Jeremiah 51:27 “Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts.” Historically standard bearers would go out before the army to be a sign that an army was coming to take over an area.
We can see a banner being used as a symbol for the Messiah in Isaiah 59:19-20 “So shall they fear The name of the Lord from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. "The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," Says the Lord.”
Why are flags used in Worship?
Flags are used in worship as signs of rejoicing, as a tool for spiritual warfare, for glorifying God and for declaring God’s word. It can also be joined with dance which is a form of worship.
What does the Bible say about dance?
My Favorite verse about dance in the Bible is where David dances before the Ark in 2 Samuel 6:14-17 “Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.” David is said to be a man after God heart. He worshiped God with all his might as they brought the Ark into the city. David wore the Ephod of the priests while he danced and was ministering to the Lord with his dance. David was not using flags but we also can minister to the Lord and uplift others through dance with and without flags.
Quick Tips:
When using just one flag hold it in your right hand. When the Bible talks about the right hand it is talking about the authority of God, His power and His deliverance. So when we use our right hand we are symbolically asking for the Lord to move on our behalf and we are taking authority over things that would come against us.
When using a large flag hold it with both hands. It will help to stabilize the flag.
Flags can be used in times of intersession. When in intersession pick out a flag that goes with a Bible verse that reflects what you are praying about.
A flag can be a simple piece of material or it can be a streamer. In ancient times women would often tie scarves or large ribbons to tambourines and use them for worship. We can read about women dancing with tambourines in Exodus when the Prophetess Miriam leads the women in dance after they crossed the red sea.
Banners can be made to represent many different things in the Bible. For instance one with a lamb on it could represent Jesus as the Lamb of God or one with a lion on it could represent Jesus as the Lion of Judah. They can also be made for topics such as a call to repentance or wheat for bringing in others to the kingdom of God.
When waving flags or dancing before the Lord make sure to wear clothing that will not reveal anything. This will help keep other worshipers focused on God and not yourself.
Use different colored flags to reflect what it is you are trying to do. For instance if you are doing spiritual warfare use a red flag for the Blood of Jesus. Here is a list of what some colors can symbolize Biblically:
Red: Blood of Jesus
Blue: Royalty of the Lord
Purple: Majesty of the Lord
Green: Healing and new life
Brown (like sack cloth): Repentance
Silver: Refinement
Gold: Glory of the Lord
Rainbow: God’s covenant
Multi-colored blue: River of the Lord or Heavens Rejoicing
Red, Orange, Yellow (or gold): Represent God’s refining fire.
White: Represents purity and righteousness
See Through White: Represents the Holy Spirit
Black: Sin
There are many other symbols and colors that can be used in flags to represent different Bible verses. It is best just to pray about the design you have an idea for and to ask God to reveal the verses that would go with it. Every flag I have made comes from a Bible verse because I want it to be glorifying to God.
Hebrew words for flags/banners/standards in the Bible
Degel: translates to banner or standard
Dagal: Is to lift up a banner or standard in battle or to carry a banner.
Nacac: Is to be lifted up as a sign
Nes: is something lifted up, a standard, signal or banner
Yahweh Nicci: The Lord is my banner.
© Copy Right 2006, Living Rock Ministries, Camano Island, All Rights Reserved
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