What does it mean in the Bible when it says God will lift up a standard against the devil?

Answer 1

That depends on which word is being translated as 'standard'. There are a few used throughout The Bible. Strong's number H4941 (mishpat) is a legal term, with a variety of meanings which all center around passing or declaring judgment. Strong's number H5251, however, is more of a combat term and refers to the symbol or flag that served as a rallying point for a military or to lead a charge. While there are other words that are translated as 'standard', they are unlikely to apply to this verse. Neither of these is a very good sign for the devil: if it is the former, the verse is promising God will pass judgment upon the devil; if it is the latter, the verse promises God will lead militant action against the devil. While reference to both can be found throughout the Bible, they both occur and are explained in more detail in the book of Revelations.

Answer:

I'm still trying to find the passage in the Bible that says, "...God will lift up a standard against the devil...".

The closest one I can find is in Isaiah 59: "...they shall 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." (Isa.59:19)

If the word. "enemy" is translated "the devil" in the particular passage and version of the Bible you're reading... the authors may have taken a few liberties with it. But, at the same time... different versions of the Bible seem at odds as to what this particular verse is saying -- odds in which the word "standard" disappears.

"...from the rising of the sun, they will revere His glory. For He will come like a pent up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along." (Isa.59:19 NIV)

"...When comes like a flood the foe, the Spirit of Yahweh will cause to flee against Him." (same verse; Literal Biblewith Strong's Definintions)

If this is where, in the Bible, God is allegedly lifting up a standard against the devil... Isaiah is speaking of the state of the nations and the world just before "Jesus' second coming" in this prophetic chapter.

"...your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoke lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for Truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity." (verses 3-4)

"Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths." (verse 7) [compare this with Gen.6, 'in the days of Noah, that the 'Day of Christ's return' shall be like - Matt.24:37]:

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Gen.6:5)

Isaiah 59 is a perfect modern description of the nations of this world: "...We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us... judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for Truth is fallen in the street..." (verses 11-14).

Isaiah speaks of the "Armour of God" that God's elect are told to "put on" in these last days; the Armour that Isaiah tells us Christ wears, and shall be wearing when He comes, making war: "...He put on Righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon His head; and He put on the Garments of Vengeance for clothing, and was clad with Zeal as a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies..." (verses 17-18).

"Put on the WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD, that ye might be able to stand against the wiles of THE DEVIL... Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the Evil Day, and having done all, to stand." (Eph.6:11-13)

Jesus Christ is our "armor"... our Righteousness, Truth, Salvation... and our Avenger.

In this comparison, the Devil becomes referenced in Isaiah 59... and is certainly God's "foe and enemy."

"...the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the DEVIL..." (Matt.13:38-39).

And it's into the prophetic description of this world that Isaiah says the Lord shall come with "wrath and vengeance." The whole world will see it. The wicked will mourn... and the righteous will rejoice.

Prophecy speaks of a "standard" [a flag; an 'ensign'] being set up, to which the nations will gather [Jew and Gentile] during a "second" end time "Exodus" to the returned "King." Millions of people from around the world [like the Israelites escaping Egypt] joining in a massive global march to see the King.

"...as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.

"Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against His people... And He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and behold, THEY SHALL COME WITH SPEED SWIFTLY: none shall be weary nor stumble among them..." (Isa.5:24-27).

"And in that Day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious.

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria [Germany], and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush... and from the islands of the sea.

"And He shall set up an ensign [a flag, a flagstaff; generally a signal; a means of identification] FOR THE NATIONS, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah [the Jews] from the four corners of the earth...

"...they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines [Palestinians] toward the west... they shall lay their hand upon Edom [Turkey] and Moab [Iraq]; and the children of Ammon [Jordainians] shall obey them...

[can anyone imagine Turks, Iraqis or Jordainians obeying the Jews?]

"...And there shall be an highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt." (Isa.11:10-16)

The "standard" the Lord shall lift up "in that Day" will "MARK" the end of the Devil's rule on earth... and will be a means of identification and guidance for the remnant of the population of the nations of the world who shall have survived the Great Tribulation, to gather unto Him.

The enemy... the military might of the nations gathered at Armageddon, to fight the Lord's return in that day, gathered there by the Devil, the Beast and the False Prophet [Rev.16:13-16]... will be destroyed.

And salvation shall come to earth and the nations.

Perhaps the NIV translation regarding the "standard" God shall "lift up against the Devil" is the better meaning and intent:

"...From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere His glory. For He will come like a pent up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along." (Isa.59:19 NIV)

Satan the Devil shall gather the nations of the world [whom he owns - Luke 4:5-7] to a place called Armageddon at the time of Jesus' coming [Rev.16:14-16].

"...These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are Called, and Chosen, and Faithful." (Rev.17:14)

The "Literal Bible" and the "NIV" translations speak of the fear of those in the west... and the reverencing of Jesus' glory of those in the east in this verse in Isaiah 59.

Speaking of His coming, Jesus tells us: "...as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; SO SHALL ALSO THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE." (Matt.24:27)

The KJV reference isn't about "lightning"... but the "lightening" of the "sun's" path -- rising in the east and setting in the west. Jesus Christ's face [his countenance] is described to us today in Revelation 1:16 as shining as the sun in full brilliance.

The prophet Joel tells us that when Jesus comes in His Day [the Day of the Lord]... the earth will be covered in DARKNESS!

"...for the Day of the Lord cometh... a Day of darkness and of gloominess, a Day of clouds and of thick darkness..." (Joel 2:1-2).

These "dark clouds" shall be cut by the approach of Jesus Christ to earth with His angelic army. His brilliant Light [His SHINING SELF; a CONSUMING FIRE - Heb.12:29 cutting the cloud layer] CANNOT be missed by the nations on earth... the only Light they shall have seen in awhile.

"Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall ALL THE TRIBES [nations] OF THE EARTH MOURN and THEY SHALL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN with POWER and great GLORY. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet [LOUD AND NOISY... no one on earth will be able to miss it], and they shall gather together His elect fro the FOUR WINDS [from every direction; north, south, east and west], from one end of heaven to the other." (Matt.24:30-31)

Jesus says it will occur like the "rising of the sun in the east... and travel over the earth in an east-to-west" direction, like the sun. The evidence reveals Jesus' coming to perhaps be an actual "24-hour; one Day" event!

And as Isaiah 59 foretells: Those in the east will see and dread Jesus' power and glory, first! And those in the west, who have yet to see the "Consuming Fire" come to them will tremble in Fear of His very name... suddenly now revered and feared by the nations on earth as they get "wind" of His approach. As they get a glimpse of that "brilliant glow building in the clouds to the east."

It will go down more like the Literal Bible's and NIV's translation, than the KJV.

Jesus' Power and Glory will be a "driving... pent-up flood" [of FIRE, not water - see II Peter 3:7] that no gathering by Satan of all the military might of men will be able to withstand.

Joel, again, describes the prophetic 'driving'advance of Christ's army across earth this way:

"...Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come. Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the Garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste -- nothing escapes them.

"They have the appearance of horses [see Rev.19:14]; they gallop along like cavalry. With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the mountaintops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn up for battle.

"At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale.

"They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks...

"... Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine.

"The LORD thunders at the head of His army; His forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey His command. The Day of the LORD is great; IT IS DREADFUL. WHO CAN ENDURE IT?" (Joel 2:2-11 NIV)

That's the "standard" that the Lord will lift up against the Devil. It will be the "driving pent-up flood" of Christ's army wiping out man's ability to make any more wars on earth... and wiping out man's and Satan's rule on earth with it.

At least, it's one possible meaning.

Then, Christ will set up His ensign to guide the remnant of the nations ravaged by the Great Tribulation to the place of His choosing... probably to the Promised Land and Jerusalem.

"'The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,' declares the LORD. (Isa.59:20 NIV)