HallalWarriors

Flags and banners, a growing and relatively new expression of worship in the church today, a form of worship that I have the pleasure of leading and experiencing.  A form of worship that the Lord has birthed in me and has amplified my experience with God and the experience of those around me.  This worship is crossing boundaries and denominations and releasing many in the Church to freely express their passion, praise and worship to Our God.  Flags are more prevalent among the unchurched, but this freedom of worship is continuing to grow as God places the desire upon the hearts of His children.  I have seen many released into freedom of worship by picking up a flag and praising God.  Many are fearful and resistant to this form of worship, they are afraid because it is strange and unlike any expression of worship they have seen.  However, not only is it biblical, it is also an outpouring of the move of the Holy Spirit.



In the Old Testament there are three words used for flag, standard, banner or ensign, they are דּגל degel, נס nês and אות 'ôth.  Primarily their meanings are just that of flag, banner, (en-) sign, standard, sail, beacon, mark or token.  Flags have been around since the time of Israel in the desert, if not longer. They were used by the Israelites as a sign to their tribes where each shall camp (Num 2: 2,3 דּגל degel).  They are used as a sign for how to proceed or where to go for armies (Is 18:3 נס nês).  They are used by our enemies as an insignia from whom they came (Ps 74:4,5 אות 'ôth).  Flags and banners are used to signify to which country we belong, even to which state we call home and they are used as a sign and standard to show our loyalties.



In worship to God, flags become a beacon, mark, ensign etc to show our reverence to God and to tell all those watching that He is our Jehovah Nissi “The Lord is My Banner” (Ex 17:15)  We express our “fear of the Lord” (Deut 6:2) during praise and worship through the use of a variety of flags, banners, streamers, wings, quills and billows.  It can be a simple display with one or two flags, or a dramatic display with colors, sizes and types flying around everywhere.  It is a powerful sight to watch many in reckless abandon appearing to be clamorously foolish in their praise towards God,  just as the Jews did towards Jesus on the day of the Triumphant entry.  The Jews laid down their coats before the Lord and cut branches from trees to wave in His path as they ushered in ישׁוּע yêshûa‛ (Jn 12:13).  The branches that were cut were probably fresh and green, which spiritually means life (Ps 52:8), it is no coincidence that they were waving “banners”, branches before Jesus who is “the way, the truth and the life” (Jn 3:16 emphasis mine).



In the New Testament there is no description or mention of the use of flags or banners used for worship.  But the Triumphant entry can be used as one example of using something in a dramatic display of praise before the Lord. John Paul Jackson is the founder of Streams Ministries. In his teaching on the Creative Spirit he relates an experience in which he went to Heaven; whether in the flesh or in the spirit; he didn’t know. One of the things he experienced there was that every time God moved on behalf of mankind there were flashes of colored light and sound that went out into the earth and performed God’s word. When he returned he stated that he now understood what those people with flags were doing. They were proclaiming in the natural realm in agreement with what God was releasing in the Throneroom (http://www.ihsworshiparts.com).



In Revelation 4:3, it states that there is a Rainbow around God’s throne, the greek word for Rainbow is Iris, which is from the greek word ereō meaning utter, speak or say.  Ereō is an alternate of the word epō, meaning the same thing, speak or say.  Now epō is borrowed from the word phēmi meaning to show or make known.  Phēmi has the same base root as phōs, to shine, make manifest or luminousness, thus the prefix of Phosphorus.  Through this bunny trail of greek words, the conclusion is that we get to the point of this, the rainbow around God’s throne is His wisdom, His word, His utterance coming forth and by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we see this utterance.  A rainbow is just the refraction of light and this rainbow is the refraction of God’s word and we by the use of colors see the multifaceted wisdom of God.  This comes to those who dwell in the Spirit as waves or movement of color that we then turn into flags, banners, wings, streamers etc to express what is being poured out from the Rainbow around the Throne of God.



In conclusion, flags have been used as markers, signs and signals to people throughout the eras.  They have been used to show where to camp, how to proceed and where people came from.  God’s people raise a banner to declare and show the nations of the word who they follow and believe.  In this outpouring of a new form of worship, the people are raising a banner in dance and praise to declare to everyone who they follow and believe.  They use different colors at certain times to express what God is pouring out by His Holy Spirit from the rainbow around His throne. His word is being manifested in flags and banners as He shows His children the colors that are wafting forth into the congregation.  Flags and banners are used in declaration of the majesty of God, in reverence to who He is and as a sign of what He is doing in the Spirit and is wanting to release unto His children.  They have amplified peoples experience and communion with YHWH and it has given them a new freedom in their worship that they may have never experienced.  This form of worship is amazing and freeing, I am proud to be a part of the flow of God’s spirit through my flags and banners.  I pray you may be blessed by the dramatic display God is outpouring into His Worshippers and that through this brief two pages you have come to understand in a clearer light what we are doing.  God Bless!