Flags in High Places

Many are familiar with the Tibetan Buddhist practice of putting prayer flags at significant sites. This is not just a quaint local custom, but is part and parcel of Buddhist and indeed pre-Buddhist religious activity:

see http://www.prayerflags.com/download/article.pdf

Not only so, but there is a clear promotion of this belief system into western culture - not only through political activist involvement but through seemingly innocent websites for children!

https://shop.theliteracysite.com/store/item.do?itemId=8836&siteId=2001

http://www.atc.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=230&Itemid=89

The Bible talks also of banners - in fact three references in Isaiah talk of them being set up on high places (Isaiah 13:2, 18:3 and 30:17). We must realise however the thinking behind prayer flags in this aspect of Tibetan culture - and not least the source of power invoked is very different as prayerflags.com explains in detail.

As Christian believers, who love the Tibetan people and desire to see them experience God's eternal salvation, how might we respond? What does the bible say about God as 'The Lord our Banner' (Jehovah Nissi)? In Exodus 17 we read that Moses '..built an altar and called it the Lord our Banner' after the defeat of the Amalekites.

The key in this battle was it seems a significant but simple act. The lifting up of the hands of Moses at Rephidim (meaning Rest) over the battle. The battle is decribed in the imperfect tense when it talks about the fighting - ie. it was a repeated action. They seemed to be winning, Moses hands tired, they seemed to be losing, Moses got his hands up again, the battle turned, and so on.

Bearing in mind we are not talking about 10 minutes or half an hour, but clearly hours of fighting, it's hardly surprising an elderly man would get worn out keeping his arms in the air!
So Aaron and Hur came alongside and Moses was supported: he was given a seat and they held up his arms on either side.

So what has this to do with banners and flags? There seems a clear indication that a battle standard in future warfare (take a film like The Patriot (Emmerich,2000) for example) has the role of rallying, encouraging re-grouping, often weary fighters, back to the cause.

Banners are a symbol of rallying, caling together:

He lifts up a banner for the distant nations (Isaiah 5: 26)
In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him and his place of rest will be glorious (Isaiah 11:10)

They also have a place in victory and God's overshadowing protection:

We will shout for joy when you are victorious, we will lift up our banners in the name of our God (Psalm 20:5a)
His banner over me is love (Song of Songs 2:4)

Lastly, they help to identify who we are:
The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each man in his own camp under his own standard (Numbers 1:52)

A Prayer:
Lord raise up a banner to the peoples of Tibet, let it be seen in the high places, let it be unfurled against every demonic spirit that binds. The Tibetan ethnic groups are seeking for a salvation that can only be found in you.

Set your banner of them - your covering protection a lover to your beloved, spread your garment over them to include them in your people as Boaz did for Ruth at harvest-time.

Lift up the hands of those who have been travailing, battling and contending for these peoples despite the setbacks. Draw alongside them those who will take over when they weary, support them and encourage them.

We lift up a banner now over the Tibetan peoples and fly the flag of the kingdom over Tibet.

(Homework suggestion: If you have a banner and a map of Tibet, worship the Lord and plant your feet prophetically on that part of the map. Use some of the scriptures above - or others that God gives you - proclaiming 'the Lord is my banner' and 'the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples').

All quotations from NIV (1984).

Why Pray for Tibet - here is one good reason

Reproduced from Catherine Brown's website http://www.gatekeepers.org.uk/

Catherine is a widely recognised prophet in the body of Christ and contributes to postings on the Elijah List http://www.elijahlist.com/

A WORD FOR TIBET AND THE MONGOLIAN NATION

I received this vision in the year 2000. This morning (21 October 2002) I was sent an article about Tibet with a subsequent call to united prayer for the pulling down of Bhuddist strongholds in all the earth and was prompted by the Holy Spirit to review this word and post it for global prayer at this time. The article I was sent is posted at the foot of this prophetic word. I believe it is critical that the church prays fervently and in faith over these next forty eight hours for the salvation of Tibet and Mongolia.

Whilst in prayer for Tibet and Mongolia some time ago, I was caught up into the heavenly realms and the Lord revealed the following images:- A false god with many arms had been raised up in the high places. The idol looked like a 13th century Thai art representation of Buddha, with strongly arched brows, aquiline nose and delicately carved lips. Suddenly seraphim appeared flying in the air, each with six wings. They were coloured as copper and bronze and they glowed with the glory of God. They came and broke off the arms of the false god. A thunderbolt from heaven struck the head of the false god and it was severed from its body and fell to the ground.

Many people had gathered in front of the idol to worship and pray each had a prayer mat with them. When the head was severed from the body of the idol, those who were praying were caught up and ensnared in a huge mat and their screams resonated in the air. Their spiritual eyes had been opened to the reality of the judgement of God upon idolatry and worship of false gods. ‘Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth – to every nation, tribe language and people. He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgement has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.’ Rev 14:6,7. I was moved to cry out to the Lord, ‘Surely, some will be saved?’

The Lord answered, ‘Yes, child, now look upon the mystery of My salvation’ and I watched as the Lord descended as the Ancient of Days from the heavens. He was arrayed in Light and in His hands he held a scroll. He pointed the scroll at the mountain as it was opened and His sovereign plan of salvation began to be outworked. On the mountain was a magnificent white horse (representing the conquest and victory of Christ Rev 19:11) and it was engaged in battle with a white unicorn (representing the spirit of enchantment over Tibet). The unicorn was slain by the sword that came out of the Lord’s mouth (Rev 19:15).

At this point multitudes began running into the Lord’s embrace. They disappeared into the belly of God and became one with Christ Jesus. The Lord smiled at me and said, ‘This great harvest of souls from among the Tibetans and the Mongolians, from those blinded by Hinduism and Bhuddism, these are part of my inheritance and I shall not be complete without them. I commission my Bride to pray for these souls, that they might run into the shelter of their Saviour.’

The scene on the mountain depicts a displacement of power in the heavenly realms, as the Lord’s sovereign plan of salvation for every tribe and every nation (Rev 7:9) is released through prayer and fasting. The vision portrays a paradigm shift in the heavens through strategic corporate prayer. It portrays the absolute supremacy of Christ over all (Col 1:15-20).

I am reminded of the fall of Dagon as I write this vision down and believe it is relevant to this word. Dagon was a false god, worshipped by the Phillistines.

‘After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.’ 1 Sam 5:1-4
‘The Lord’s hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation upon them and afflicted them with tumours.’ 1 Sam 5:6

The church must rise up in prayer, worship and fasting to break the bondage of Bhuddism in the earth.

BUDDHIST KALACHAKRA for WORLD PEACE, GRAZ AUSTRIA – 11-23 OCTOBER, 2002

It is now 20th October, and the meeting of 8 – 10,000 Buddhists and head Lamas in Graz, Austria, is reaching a critical stage of releasing the demonic spirits into Europe through a Kalachakra Ritual.

The aim of the visits and Kalachakra rituals and the teachings upon it, are said to have been chosen by the Dalai Lama for the purpose of bringing awareness to the plight of the Tibetan people, and of the nation of Tibet, which was occupied by China in 1950, and is since then occupied territory.

For these p.r. purposes the Dalai Lama has chosen to expose more of the Tibetan Buddhist ritual arts because, it is explained, he believes that misunderstandings about Tibetan Buddhism and its rituals are more harmful than a partial lifting of the secrecy. The ritual arts are: sand mandala’s, butter sculptures, ritual chanting, music and dance.

The Kalachakra ritual is an initiation of and an offering by those who take part. This Dalai Lama performed it for the first time, since he was in exile, in 1953. Since then he has performed it numerous times, in India, in many cities in the US, in Australia.

A number of times special monks have constructed and dismantled sand mandala’s as a preparation for the culminating ritual by the Dalai Lama himself. According to Simson, also in Europe more than 20 sand mandala’s have been constructed and dismantled, sometimes by monks, sometimes by the Dalai Lama.

The ritual that is planned for Graz is meant to be the biggest ever. The tantric aim is to release “an everlasting stream of continuity” (demonic spirits is our understanding) upon the partakers, onlookers, and, of course, the peoples in Europe.

The information in and the challenge of this report is passed on, primarily with an eye on the performance of the Kalachakra ritual, in Graz, from 11-23 October 2002, However, the spiritual effect of the ritual is meant to be such, that also after the event is over, the challenge to Gods children to awake, to pray and to do spiritual warfare, will remain relevant and has increased.

Catherine Brown (http://www.gatekeepers.org.uk/) 21 October 2002

Cornerstone Asia -Taking the Tibetan Heights?

The Chinese Government have developed one of the most challenging projects of railway engineering in recent years. On July 1st 2006, it opened the rail link to Lhasa, the highest railway in the world. You can now travel for 49 hours all the way from Lhasa to Chengdu, Sichuan Province, as Romana Chapman points out.(2).

Providing an high-altitude journey for the intrepid train-traveller, the rail route to Lhasa, in the Tibetan Autonomous Region is designed to draw tourists to the area.

What affect will this have on this remote and politically sensitive part of China? The history of Tibet and it's people in the last 50 years or so has been characterised by uneasiness between Tibetan groups and the increasingly present Han Chinese. The decision of the Dalai Lama to leave the region and be based in India reflected this. (See 'Kundun' (1997), Martin Scoresbee's portrayal of the exile of the Dalai Lama. (4).But change and opening up the region could be a catalyst for many other things. Will it simply strengthen the Bejing influence over Lhasa and the remote tribal groups? Will it bring materialism, AIDS, environmental damage and the other unhelpful spin-offs of tourism in Asia?

One nomadic group who live on the Tibetan Plateau are the Drok-pa. About half a million live on the Chang Tang, Tibet's northern plain. Many have put their faith in a favourite Buddhist lama whom they will consult for the important steps of life, auspicious days for weddings, journeys and children's names. Once powerful landlords and monasteries controlled the social order of Tibet, but now the Chinese influence has significantly changed this, many feeling this has been both harsh and destructive.(3).

This presents a huge challenge to Han Chinese Christians and foreign Christians with a heart to reach Tibet. Wisdom and servant-heartedness are needed to demonstrate the mercy, tenderness and grace of Jesus. This is more powerful than the force of cultural invasion, the authority of traditional feudal or religious systems. The Dalai Lama seeks to court the favour of westerners both within and without the Church, but Christians' engagement with Tibet must not exclude the uniqueness of the gospel to set Tibetans free from demonic power or deception.

This does not mean a denial of identity, but much discernment is still needed. What does the Church in Tibet look like? Believers are small in number, but God is at work. Many groups remain almost entirely without the gospel. But small numbers exist amongst for example amongst the Gtsang Tibetans and the Jone Tibetans. (1).

The story of Nyima Chothar, a Tibetan monk who found salvation in Christ, illustrates the journey for someone deeply involved with Tibetan monastic society to come to faith in Jesus. It involved contact with christians over a considerable period of time, and overcoming many cultural barriers.(1).

Identifying with the pain and loss many Tibetans have experienced is essential in reaching them as well as a very real encounter with the reality of God's power, compassion and mercy. In a culture where forgiveness and redemption are strange concepts, and actions merely lead to inevitable karma in the next life, Christianity offers real hope.

There are amazing examples of mission that has been well-received in Tibet in the past. The heart of Sadhu Sundar Singh, the famous early-20th Century Indian evangelist, was towards reaching Tibet.(5). He eventually did get there, and saw some villages very open to the gospel. William Carey had planned to reach Tibet, but ended up never getting there but rather focussed on West Bengal. others too however, have gone to Tibet and sought to spread the gospel, including Chinese believers, despite the great challenges. Evangelists, even within the last twenty years have been martyred there by buddhist lamas. The Chinese House Churches have actually found the intense opposition has drawn interest from the local population - what is it that the Buddhist Lamas are so afraid of that makes Christianity a challenge to them?(1).

The first church in Lhasa, Tibet was built by Jesuits in 1726. A number of people attended and became believers it seems. In April 1742 it was destroyed, the believers punished, but the bell was left. This bell remained in the basement of the Jokhang Temple until 1996.(1).

(Reference: 'A Tibetan Monk's Story' p.317, and other sections on Tibetan peoples: 'Peoples of the Buddhist World' P.Hattaway, Piquant Editions, 2004).

Opposition may have raged against the Church being established, but God has not forgotten the Tibetan peoples.

Father, we cry out to you for those who come to Mount Kalais in western Tibet, with the hope of being released from the sins of their lifetime in the two lakes nearby.

You only can give us a clean heart and put a new spirit within us (Ezekiel 36:26,27 and Psalm 51). Lord do this for the thousands of followers of Buddhism, Bon, Hinduism and Jainism. what can wash away that sin - 'nothing but the blood of Jesus!' (1)

Reference Material:

I have asterisked (*) those from a Christian perspective - be aware that many sites and interested parties in Tibet are coming from a very different perspective and so I would suggest exercising caution before dialogue or attending events/ tours etc.

(The position of the Dalai Lama and others with Tibetan Buddhist interests may appear in sympathy with Christianity and interested in dialogue and engagement. However, this is not always the experience of Christians or enquirers in the Tibetan Buddhist world, where there can be considerable direct opposition to the gospel).

1.To mention again, I am deeply indebted to Paul Hattaway's work in 'People's of the Buddhist World' (ISBN 1-903689-90-2) and his excellent sources within that volume.*

2.Another excellent visual source is http://www.flickr.com/ if you are seeking pictures from a particular part of the world, and the following pictures from Romana Chapman, are excellent. (Do be aware that though there are other and varied sources of Tibetan photos, they are often more holiday snaps in some cases and mayalso be poor on guessing ethnography of the peoples they came across! Havig said that, there are still excellent photos around).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rctravel/sets/72157594397230970/show/ - general photos of Tibet

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rctravel/sets/72157594397235756/ - Photos of the new railway (ignore Nov 2007 - presumably 2006!)

http://www.sim.org/PG.asp?pgID=81&fun=1
- summary information on SIM's web pages re Tibetan peoples*

3.'Nomads' Glenn Myers and David Phillips, Briefings - Paternoster Lifestyle, Paternoster Publishing 2001 (ISBN 1-85078-435-3)*

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119485/plotsummaryPlotPlot Summary for Kundun (1997)
4.The Tibetans refer to the Dalai Lama as 'Kundun', which means 'The Presence'. He was forced to escape from his native home, Tibet, when communist China invaded and enforced an oppressive regime upon the peaceful nation of Tibet. The Dalai Lama escaped to India in 1959 and has been living in exile in Dharamsala ever since.
Summary written by Deki
In 1937, in a remote area of Tibet close to the Chinese border, a two year old child is identified as the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the compassionate Buddha. Two years later, the child is brought to Lhasa where he is schooled as a monk and as head of state amidst the color and pageantry of Tibetan culture. The film follows him into adulthood: when he is 14, the Chinese invade Tibet and he is forced into a shaky coalition government; he travels to China to meet with a cynical Mao; and, finally, in 1959, ill and under siege, he flees to India. Throughout, he has visions of his people's slaughter under Chinese rule.

5. Sadhu Sundar Singh' Phylis Thompson, OM Publishing 1992 (ISBN 1-85078-099-4) p.120.