Several things to understand about the Messiah and prophesy around the Messiah, it often noted as a type of military force or banner/ensign. Sometimes our idea of the Messiah coming comes from scripture passage such as these, speaking of Jewish thought there would be some type of military leadership that would come from the offspring of Jesse, the father of King David. Jesus was the offspring of David and heir to the throne of Israel. Israel sought a leader that would destroy the enemy not tear down the enemy as helen of troy, but destroy from attact or military allegience. The fact his Christ military allegience coming in the way of the shepherd voice, not the way of the trumpet sound at the time of His birth. Christ is coming to call his people home when the trumpet sounds, but not yet. He has come and his coming to smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and the breath of his lips and he will slay the wicked. Slaying here to reprove or convict people of sin. Though scripture is clear on his coming of what to expect the people still looked for a military strategos. With this in mind we must look to Jesus as a spiritual King and not one that came to fight in mortal combat but spiritual combat. A spiritual combat that has no borders, no lines, fences, or barriers that can not be torn down by the hand of God. God meaning the creator of all things. The creator who was waging war with the sin of the world and the devil, not military giants or leaders of our world. After all did Jesus not in John 18:6 prove that he went to the cross not by force of the soldiers when they fell back, instead he went on his own will to the cross. At anytime the phyical torment could of been halted, and man stopped. Yet he went to the cross to pay for the price of the world's sin. His first act of battle in the spiritual realm so to speak, in taking away our sins once and for all, setting the captivies free and rising up on the third day. The war waged with the cross. The war waged with the birth of His Son has he announced to the world his son was born for even from birth Christ life was sought to be destroyed.

At the time of his birth the war and power of the temple was such that the separation of Jew and Gentile was very great. With Christ coming he broke down the wall that separated Jews from the Gentiles. Now we know that these two groups only segregated because of Jewish tradition not Gentile tradition. Separation because of holiness to God. In Old Testament we read that anyone could become a Jew but even so there was segregation for several generation before one could enter the temple. Mainly to keep the world tradition out of the temple, The temple was to be pure and holy not filled with tradition outside of God's holiness. No idols or other religions were allowed in the temple. Purity of it had to be maintained. People had to learn the traditions of the Jewish people before entering the temple. Yet Christ in his day would cleanse the temple twice.

Something to note when Christ came so that the barriers and gates would be removed, the wall of spirituality and faith would no longer separation between Jews and Gentiles. If we remember Jerusalem was to far to travel for the tribe of Moabites and Gideon set up a stone that actually caused division between God's people by faith, for these people were considered outcast. We live in a time where Christianity though it out reaches to the community, it can often set up barriers by traditions that have nothing to do with faith, it called legalism. True Christianity focus on Christ and his death on the cross and resurrection. Nothing else matters, but belief and repentance. The fact the Holy Spirit seals each believer and marks each soldier of the cross by his Spirit, that same Spirit the leads the troops of faith across the world with no barriers because of it is a spiritual battle and not a physical battle, though some have taken up the cross to fight in physical onslaughters against faith, while others went to their cross. When powers and leaders around the world take up a baton of war so to speak in the name of faith and they do it with guns of war, it is different type of battle, it is one of force and not choice. When leaders sit and talk politics and not religion they are discussing work of countries that get along despite faith sometimes. They negotiating trade not faith. It is business not necessarily of faith, but of nato interaction deals.

The battle Christ came to wage was not one like King David, but one of faith, to destroy the sin and evil upon the earth. And one day he will destroy when he calls his children from the four corners of the earth. He calls to meet him in the sky to destroy the heavens and earth so we have a new heaven and a new earth to live upon. Though Jesus is offspring of Jesse, he is more like the shepherd boy then the King David. He comes to gathers his people like sheep, talks to them, teaches them, and communicates with them. He tends to the wounds of this world healing them, and talks not only to the sheep of Jewish faith but gentiles as well bring them together as he talks about forgiveness of sin and his Heavenly Father. Bringing them together to one fold despite separation of society.

With faith we see the mountains and division tear down between people. No one the same each is different but each recognizing each other part in the Kingdom of God. We see the children play over the snake hole and not get bit, we see the lamb lying beside the wolf without wondering why no one is hurt, because Christ is ruling the heart with love in all believers. God sets this banner/military/ensign leader over us. That banner is called love.

Dear Heavenly Father thank you for setting your banner of Christ/love over us to rule our hearts and teach us to love and forgive. The banner that one day will call us home to meet King Jesus in the air. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Isaiah 18:1-7 KJV
1 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:
2 That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!
3 All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.
4 For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.
5 For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.
6 They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.
7 In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion.