My, my, if I had a dollar for every time somebody asked me, “Preacher do you think we will see a great revival move across our land before the Lord returns?” It’s probably one of the most asked questions I get - up there with “Do you think [insert political candidate] is the Antichrist?”
Those with an inkling of church history have read and heard about great spiritual awakenings of the past. Most believers are familiar with the radical repentance that swept through the wicked people Nineveh despite Jonah’s reluctant obedience. Nehemiah and Josiah also saw periods of renewal in their times. Names like Jonathan Edwards, Dwight Moody, Billy Graham and John Wesley come to mind as we think of preachers who God anointed for spiritual awakening on a massive level. Perhaps, you’ve read about the amazing transformations that took place during Welsh Revival (1904-1905) or the Jesus Movement of the 1960s-70s.
There is no doubt that God has moved in the past and He can do it again. The Scriptures are clear that God would rather send revival than judgment. Jeremiah 18:7-8 is an ironclad promise, “7 If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, 8 and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it” (see also 2 Peter 3:8-9; Ezek. 18:23).
Spiritual awakening is possible even in the bleakest times and we should never think a nation is too far gone. However, whether that will happen on an epic, large scale remains unknown.
The late and great Vance Havner wrote, “The greatest need of American is an old-fashioned, heaven-born, God-sent revival. Throughout the history of the church, when clouds have hung lowest, when sin has seemed blackest, and faith has been weakest, there have always been a faithful few who have not sold out to the Devil or bowed the knee to Baal, who have feared the Lord and not forsaken the assembling of themselves together. These have besought the Lord to revive His work in the midst of fears and tears, and in wrath to remember mercy. God has answered such supplications, filling hearts with His love, rekindling souls with fire from above.”[1]
Prophetically speaking, the Bible predicts that in the last days there will be great apostacy and great awakening. First, in the lead up to the Tribulation period the spiritual trend is towards lukewarmness, lethargy and a departure from the truth. The church at Laodicea is a sad picture of the church on the earth just prior to the rapture. Beside making Jesus want to gag, the last days church was appraised by Him as “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17). “If the shoe fits, wear it” my papaw would always say, and it ain’t no glass slipper either!
If we are drawing nearer to the events of the end-times (which I believe we are according to the prevailing signs) then we should expect things to get worse spiritually (see also 2 Tim. 4:3-4, 2 Thess. 2:3). This would seem to indicate that a national or global revival in the generation just prior to the beginning of the Tribulation is not predicted in the Bible.
However, the Bible does suggest that during the Tribulation period there will be unprecedented numbers of people coming to Christ. This will be facilitated not only by the fear of God confronting people as the world falls under His wrath, but also by the powerful preaching of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists and the Two Witnesses who God will anoint for ministry (Rev. 7 & 11). These flaming evangelists crisscrossing the globe with the Gospel will fulfill Jesus’ promise that His word will reach every corner of earth before His return (Matt. 24:14). If there is a revival that the Bible foretells in the future, it will be the one that takes place during the Tribulation – when the church will not be on the earth.
With all that being said, we should always prepare for local revival in our own lives, churches and towns. Revival begins with repentance over sin (Ps. 32:5), a return to God’s Word (Ps. 119:25) and a rekindling of spiritual desire (Ps. 42:1). We can all have the prayer of Psalm 85 on our lips, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? (v.6)” The cry for God to convict sinners and change hearts must begin in the church, “For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household” (1 Peter 4:17). If we aren’t willing for God to wreck us, then we aren’t ready for a widespread turning towards the Cross.
Revival cannot be worked
up, it must be prayed down. We cannot ignite revival in our own strength, but
we can make ourselves good kindling for God’s holy fire. Years ago, there was a
British Evangelist named Rodney “Gypsy” Smith. He was asked about the secret of
revival. He said, “Go home. Take a piece of chalk. Draw a circle around
yourself. Then pray, ‘O Lord, revive everything inside this circle.’”[2]
In short, revival is falling in love with Jesus all over again. And if we love
Jesus less today than we did yesterday then its time for revival. -DM
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