Lion of Judah over Jerusalem, The

“Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.” Isaiah 62:10 (NIV)

A word was given to Pastor Ben F. Gray of Australia in 2005: "Opening the ancient doors and rebuilding the highway of righteousness from Gibraltar to Jerusalem." This route is considered the western section of the Isaiah 19 highway prophecy. “The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance." Isaiah 19:25 (NIV)

The banner depicts an open highway between Gibraltar and Jerusalem, crossing the five North African nations - Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and ending in Jerusalem, Israel. It represents a seven-year Prayer Journey led by Ben which also included the three Southern spiritual gateways of the Mediterranean, namely Gibraltar (West), Malta (Central), and Istanbul or old Constantinople (East).

The design conveys the Mediterranean as the centrepiece, signifying that it's like the womb of the world, with end-time scenarios, religious and nationalistic struggles being birthed from this region.

The wall of the city of Jerusalem with the Golden Gate depicts both a present reality linking the highway to this city, as well as the prophetic fulfilment of the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven as part of Christ's coming kingdom.

The Lion signifies three different aspects - the rule and reign of the coming kingdom of the Lion of Judah, the Messiah; that He, the Lion of Judah, is sovereign and in complete control as portrayed through his serene facial demeanour, and thirdly, His fiery mane signifies the burning up of the old order, ushering in the new and coming kingdom with power.

The stars of the Southern Cross, at the bottom of the banner, are testimony to the fact that God called teams of Australian and South Pacific pray-ers to come from the present uttermost region of the earth to go to the ancient uttermost part of the earth, Gibraltar, in order to open the ancient doors and to help rebuild this highway of righteousness on behalf of those who call these nations home, from the Maghreb in the West to the Mount in Jerusalem in the East.

Name of the LORD:
Elah Yerush'lem God of Jerusalem

Design by: Ben Gray and Sue Treweeks