When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. This scripture is part of Isaiah 59:19, and the question is about the placement of the comma. If you remove it from the behind the word flood, and put it behind the word in.
What am I talking about? I have it heard preached for years that the King James translators put the comma in the wrong place. Really? This incorrect teaching has been going on since the late seventies or early eighties. It seems that someone who knew Kenneth Copeland personally that the comma was in the wrong place. People have continued to teach this and I believe it is in error.
But does the Bible agree with me or the other interpretation? Lets look at the verse from Isaiah and others to see what the Bible has to say in context, and not just someone who has taken it to be in error. I will use only scripture that talks about the enemy and floods.
Psalm 93:3 The floods have lifted up, O’Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their waves.
Jeremiah 46:7-8 who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as rivers? Egypt riseth up like a flood and his waters are moved like the rivers, and he saith, I will go up, and will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.
Revelations 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
There are more scriptures that talk about floods, but I am only using the ones that talk about the enemy coming in like a flood. Floods are overwhelming and powerful, sweeping away everything in their paths. Sometimes very quickly and at other times slowly rising in depth. They seem so mighty, as you are being overtaken by them. The point I am trying to make, and I believe the original translators wanted also is, floods are mighty, but God is almighty.
Now I want to cover some scriptures that talk about floods from Gods perspective:
Psalms 29:10 The Lord sitteth upon the flood…
Psalms 93:4 The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters.
Job 28:11 He bindeth the floods from overflowing…
Isaiah 59:19 when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.
Revelations 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened up her mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
It seems plain to me that the comma is in the right place, and the Big Men Of God can not read, or use their brain that God gave them. Remember we are not to use just part of a scripture to prove our point. We need to see the context of each verse, and also what the Bible has to say as a whole. I know I am only using the scriptures that apply to this error teaching, but it is needful to show you what God thinks of floods and the enemy. Floods are always used as something that destroys or can be applied to some group of people who want to act like a flood.
What does the word standard mean? The word the scripture translators used is “nuwe”, and it means to vanish, chase, deliver, escape, subside, or put to flight. So we see that this standard is something God is going to do, as He lifts it up and causes the flood to vanish. I know this is a very minor teaching that the Church has used, but in overall context we see that scripture proves the enemy always comes to destroy or sweep away, but God is always ahead of those plans and He has a way out or will completely destroy the works of His enemy.
My main point is for you to use the sense God has given you and read the word of God, you will be amazed as to what you will learn. Do not ever take something that someone tells you from the pulpit as gospel, unless it lines up with the Bible in context. Preaching should never be used as a launching pad for new ideas that are not in line with Gods word
We are the ones who are responsible to search the scriptures to prove that what is being said is true and correct. Paul said in his letters to Timothy, that we are to preach the Word, be true to the text, teach no other doctrine, and rebuke those who embrace error. Nothing is more damaging to the body of Christ, than to teach on a scripture out of context.
Study the Bible, and do not just read it like a book, for in it are the Words of Life for each of us. Become a good student, and always remember, you will make it, just don’t give up. See you next week.
The Kilted Priest 