Our Name - End Time Swallows

‘Swallow’, a small bird but yet can cross vast lands, towering mountains, deep jungles and even the unknown oceans just to signal to the farmers on the other side of the world that ‘harvest time is here’. The bird is also extremely gregarious, meaning that it is highly sociable and flies in groups. This ensures interdependence for survival and creates livelihood amongst themselves. From that pattern is developed the saying ‘one swallow does not bring the summer’. If a swallow is seen flying alone then it is said to be lost, and would die if it does not find the rest of its clan.

Those distinguishing characteristics of the bird matched what the boys were looking for. They gave the purpose of the group and defined what the group is.

The Swallows Name

The name End Time Swallow was adopted after a long time of prayer and searching. The name first adopted was “Hagen Park High School Boys”. In the middle of 1993, when the work extended out of the school boundaries, the name was changed to ‘Laiakils’, combining two words ‘Lai’ and ‘Kilkil’ from the Engan and Hagen tongue respectively. The two words are names of birds that are believed to be signallers of rain or harvest. Since the boys were not sure as to which birds the names actually refer to, they decided to change the name to the English language but yet of a bird that would be characterized by signalling harvest or summer. Some other characteristics the boys hoped to find in the bird they were to name themselves after were gregariousness, strength, dependence and migration. In 1994 towards the end of the year, the name was changed to ‘swallows’, a small bird but yet can cross vast lands, towering mountains, deep jungles and even the unknown oceans just to signal to the farmers on the other side of the world that ‘harvest time is here’. The bird is also extremely gregarious, meaning that it is highly sociable and flies in groups. This ensures interdependence for survival and creates livelihood amongst themselves. From that pattern is developed the saying ‘one swallow does not bring the summer’. If a swallow is seen flying alone then it is said to be lost, and would die if it does not find the rest of its clan. Those distinguishing characteristics of the bird matched what the boys were looking for. They gave the purpose of the group and defined what the group is.

Watch a short animated video of swallow’s migration through Europe and into Africa and make their way all the way through to South Africa.

Animation by Jordan Barry

i. Signalling Summer Or Spring

In parts of the world, spring and summer were harvest times when the crops are harvested and put to the market to be sold or eaten.

The Bible in Matthew 13:38-40, explaining the parable of the wheat and tares, Jesus said that the earth was the field on which tares and wheat (the seed of God ripe in people’s lives) are growing. The harvest is the end of the world at which Jesus and the reapers (angels) shall come to reward every man. Jesus also stated in Bible that summer is likened unto His second coming (Luke 21:30, 31).

In another context Jesus referred to His work of spreading the gospel as harvesting (Matthew 13:37, 38). The harvesters were to be His followers and the harvest was the people. He said to pray to God, the LORD of harvest for more labourers because the labourers were few compared with the harvest. In another situation, Jesus mentioned again the harvesting as the work of salvation but mentioned that His followers were to be the reapers and sowers (John 4:34-38).

Incorporating all these characteristics of the bird and the Biblical understanding of harvest above, ETS has defined its name. End Time Swallows is a group of young (see section below), energetic and lively people who had been converted out of this world to announce to the world that:

The harvest is ‘nigh, even at the doors’ (Mark 13:29). All the signs had come and gone and we are at the brink of time.
The ‘harvest of the earth is ripe’ and ‘the time is come for thee (the LORD) to reap’ with His sharp sickle (Revelation 14:15).
The harvest is great and the labourers are few and that the LORD is calling for labourers to join, even in this last minutes, in work of saving souls and getting them prepared for heaven.

ii. Where Does ‘End Time’ Come From and What Does it Mean in the Definition of ETS?

The phrase ‘end time’ is taken from the interpretation of Joel 2:28-32. It forms the other half of the definition and the purpose of the group. Here is the prophecy of God anointing youths to rise up in the last days (noting vs.30, 31) with the power of His great Spirit to call people home. Though Peter got up in the Pentecostal day during the start of former rain and announced that Joel 2:28-32 is fulfilled now (Acts 1:16, 21), he and most of his friends were no young people. He only announced that the beginning of last days has started and the Spirit’s evidence was what that was at work in their sight. It was the beginning of the fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32, but the real one is yet to come when youths will rise from all corners of the earth to lift the blood-stained banner of Christ with great power that has never been witnessed in any point of time in history. It is the latter rain period, the sealing of people in the valley of decision. Therefore, ETS hopes to announce to the world:

this is the time of the youths. God is calling them to lift up the cross and it will never be hushed again. Higher and higher will they lift it up until Jesus comes.
that the Devil knows that young people are chosen to finish the remnant of the work that started in the Garden of Eden. Thus, he is working extremely overtime keeping youths in millions all over the world in the great sports arenas, music halls, theaters, drug streets and other worldly sites. By doing this he hopes to get enough time to deceive many and take with him to hell.
Jesus offers true pleasures and real satisfaction for the unsatisfying millions of youths all over the globe. He provides surpassing knowledge and happiness that youths are truly looking for. Unless they come out of this world and denounce their love for the things of the world, Jesus will not come so soon as we expect. However, He will still cut short His work by His own righteousness.

iii. Summary of the name – ETS in complete

What ETS is saying here is that it is not the specific group God has prophesied about nor is it going to finish the great work of spreading the gospel in the last days alone. It is simply saying that it is a fragment of the massive body of youths that Jesus is going to call in this time to finish His work all over the world.

It is the deepest desire and hope of ETS that God remembers ETS and include them in this time in His great plan of closing the earth’s history. Furthermore, ETS wants to let all know that they are praying for all youths in the church of God and out of the church that they are praying for them. Since ‘one swallow does not bring a summer’, we pray that the whole earth will be shaken by the LORD and youths will come forth from all lands and together with ETS, they will fly and bring the summer so that THE LORD OF HARVEST WILL COME!