Leadership

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REVIVAL TALK is on the rise again. But what is revival? According to Merriam Webster, the word first appeared in 1651 and is defined in the following way:

"a period of renewed religious interest; an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings."1

When we pray for revival, we don’t pray for renewed religious interest, or even a highly emotional evangelistic meeting. We pray for something that lasts—a move of God that changes lives. The Scriptures supply us with God’s view of revival. Here are five examples from the Old Testament:

THE PASSOVER. The Israelites experienced a revival just prior to the very first Passover in Egypt. After generations of slavery, the Hebrews cried out to God for deliverance. God sent Moses who proclaimed God’s message. In faith the Israelites repented of their sins and obeyed God’s word. Then God delivered them from political bondage. Signs and wonders accompanied their miraculous deliverance. (read Exodus chapters 1-15

ENTERING THE LAND. Revival visited the Israelites again as they entered Caanan and prepared to take the city of Jericho. Joshua spoke the word of the Lord to them and they obeyed in faith, repenting from a generation of unbelief. God gave them miraculous victory over Jericho and many other cities in Caanan enabling them to conquer heathen cultures and dethrone foreign, idol gods. (read Joshua chapters 1-10)

RETURN OF THE ARK. Once again, the Jews of King David’s day experienced revival when they heard the word of the Lord, repented, and found their faith renewed after years of apostasy. Following their miraculous victory over the Philistines, David brought the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem. There the king established the glorious City of David—Zion—and lifted Israel to the zenith of its cultural glory. (read II Samuel chapters 5-6)

KING JOSIAH. Hebrews of King Josiah’s day also experienced revival after temple workers found a lost copy of the book of the law. When King Josiah heard it read he rent his clothes and repented. His renewed faith led the nation into a short-lived revival which included the destruction of idols and reformation of Hebrew religious practice and culture. (read II Kings chapter 22)

NEHEMIAH. A Jerusalem remnant experienced revival when Nehemiah’s faith and visionary words invigorated them to repent from their apostasy and rebuild Jerusalem’s walls as well as the traditions and ways of their culture. (read the whole book of Nehemiah)

Several common threads appear in these five examples.

1) God used one man’s faith to inspire others. (Moses, Joshua, David, Josiah, Nehemiah)

2) A proclamation of the Word of the Lord preceded revival.

3) A band of believers responded to the Word, repented of their sin and called upon the Lord.

4) Corporate repentance resulted in the destruction of false idols, a return to the orthodoxy of the faith, and cultural renewal.

In addition, two other observations can be made. In some cases, signs and wonders accompanied revival. And, in some cases, a revival of faith enabled the Israelites to be victorious in battle.

As the Church of our day seeks God for revival, we should be careful to look for similar threads, for in them we find Biblical evidence of authenticated revival. We should pray that God will raise up leaders to inspire us to God’s higher call. We should listen carefully for the Word of the Lord to be proclaimed. We should ask God to give us genuine repentance. We should desire a return to the orthodoxy of our faith—those sound and fundamental doctrines which have sustained and guided the Church for generations. And we should be willing and prepared to confront the cultural idols of our day.

In addition, God may choose to include signs and wonders in His revival visitation. As we prepare our hearts for revival, we should be ready to witness supernatural manifestations but remain cognizant that in the Biblical model for revival, signs and wonders are often present but not required.

"… there is another wave of blessing passing over this earth. Tidings are coming from all parts of the world, telling us of the great work God is doing. …" D.L. Moody, 1880

Revivals come and go. History chronicles countless instances of the Holy Spirit’s movement upon the human race. But what are the long term effects of Christian revivals upon individuals, cultures and nations?

Here's what Jonathan Edwards had to say about revival:

"… There had been, especially in some places, a mixture of enthusiasm and false religion, and some have run into great errors in their conduct, and some have fallen away, and there is a declension in others that is to be lamented; yet we think the effect has been such, and still continues to be such, as leaves no room resonably to doubt of God's having been wonderfully in the midst of us …"
Jonathan Edwards
June 30, 1743

1. Copyright © 1999 Merriam Webster WWWebster Dictionary

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