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Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
What Revival and What It is Not
Hint! Evangelistic meetings and spiritual experiences are NOT revival
Revival In The End Times?
Joel’s Prophecy
And Was It Fulfilled on Pentecost?
Pentecost Only Had One Thing In Common With Joel's Prophecy
Joel’s Prophecy Was Directed At Both Men And Women
When Exactly Will Joel's Prophecy Be Fulfilled?
More Evidence
Did Joel And Matthew Contradict Each Other?
The Early and Latter Rains Were "Types"
What "Revival" Is And What it Is Not
In this age of great apostasy the one thing the church needs above all else is revival. Unfortunately, although anointing has the dubious honour of being the most overused, misunderstood, and misinterpreted word used in the Christian world, "revival" seems to run a close second.
What Revival Is..
As said earlier, the word "revive" means to bring back to life... to give new health, strength, or spirit to. In other words something has to be restored from a inactive, dormant, or unused state.
In the Christian context, the word means a spiritual reawakening - an increased or renewed spiritual interest in God and His word. As Spurgeon once put it... "to rekindle into a flame the vital spark which was nearly extinguished".
Although an individual can certainly be spiritually renewed, the word revival more commonly refers to a group of people whose focus has been turned from the things of this world to the things of the Lord. It usually involves a conscious and continual awareness of the presence of a holy and almighty God - just how "big" He is, and just how "small" and sinful we are. This usually leads to repentance and righteous lifestyle living.
Note how the prophet Isaiah responded when he was granted a vision of the majesty and holiness of God, at whose voice the foundations of the temple trembled. Hs initial reaction was to give Him glory... "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3), immediately followed by an overwhelming sense of unworthiness...
Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." (Isaiah 6:5 NASB)
See Repentance - The Missing Message And What is Holiness?
What Revival Is Not
Evangelistic Meetings Are NOT Revival
Unfortunately, all too many churches apply the term "revival" to a special evangelistic meeting or a series of such meetings... the ultimate aim being to convey the Gospel message to non believers. These are usually held in a church building, rented hall, or an open air venue, and can involve guest speakers, a concert or play, and even possibly a meal or light refreshments. The culmination of these meetings is usually the "altar call" which invites the non believer to 'make a decision for Christ', or uses the non Biblical term "ask Jesus into their hearts". Obviously, the number of people who do so is the litmus test of the success of the event.
Please note: The modern "altar call" is a concept unknown to the New Testament, which teaches that new believers make a declaration of faith by being baptized (which identifies them with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection), not traipsing down the aisle to the altar. See Baptism
Additionally the man-made phrase "ask Jesus into your heart" is a Biblically inaccurate and confusing cliché. See Why NOT To Ask Jesus Into Your Heart
While, I am sure that some people can be genuinely saved through these programs, they are not authentic Biblical revivals, simply because only a person who once had, spiritual life can be 'revived'. Noting that the Hebrew word shûb means to "turn back", Psalm 80 says...
O Lord God of hosts, restore (Heb shûb) us; cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved. (Psalms 80:19 NASB)
Spiritual Experiences Are NOT Revival
Nor is revival getting your whoop-de-doos down at the altar, as I have heard it amusingly, but accurately, phrased.
Much of what passes for revival in the modern church is designed to get people to feel good about themselves, or have some kind of mystical (often terribly weird) experience. In all cases, it is me-centered. Some Pentecostal and Charismatic churches think of revival in terms of how many people display bizarre physical behavior. The allure of receiving some form of 'deeper' spiritual experience has deceived countless millions into accepting various counterfeits. As perfectly expressed by Congregation Shema Yisrael
The whole gamut of today's so-called revival scene, from Toronto to Pensacola, must be seriously faced! Videos of the services show people crawling on the floor, howling like wolves, barking like dogs, roaring like lions, going through bodily contortions impossible without the aid of some spiritual power, unable to speak or even remember their names when they try to give a testimony, and worse. Many of those being baptized at Pensacola seem to lose consciousness or shake so violently that they must be carried out of the baptismal tank lest they drown. Others flail about so wildly as to require several men to handle them. Such manifestations were also found in past "revivals" among the Shakers, the Mormons and many other cults. That such things could now be widely accepted as evidence of the Holy Spirit only testifies to the extent of the delusion already permeating the Messianic Community! [01]
See Tongues... Gift of What Spirit? And Slain In What Spirit?
And those are not the only two problems.
Tragically, the church that should have been a bulwark against evil has, with apostate leaders and a Biblically illiterate population, latched on to the coat tails of the world and adopted practices that are DIRECTLY derived from the Occult. See The Modern Church's Literal Doctrines and Practices of Demons
Revival In The End Times?
The Bible does have much to say about end-time apostasy (eg. "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" Luke 18:8), what, if anything, does it say about end-time revival?
Opinion seems to be pretty sharply divided.
Many believe there will be nothing but apostasy in the final days leading up to the end of the age. For example, The website of Congregation Shema Yisrael says this...
Rabbi Paul assures us that the Last Days will be characterized by apostasy, not revival. We are not to be deceived into thinking that the apostasy won't come; it must come first, or Messiah simply will not return! Therefore the teaching that there will be a world wide revival in the Last Days, however well intentioned, is biblically untenable. Paul's prediction can only mean that in the Last Days many professing believers will reject the biblical teaching that apostasy is inevitable". [01]
Paul stressed this as well (Emphasis Added)
that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? (2 Thessalonians 2:2-5 NASB)
Speaking out against the false doctrine called "Dominion Theology" or "Kingdom Now", Apologetics Index says...
The Bible does not predict a great end time 'revival' or a spiritual super-race defeating death and ushering in the kingdom of God, but rather the very opposite: increasing evil, times of peril, a huge apostasy of those who profess to be Christians, false teachings, false prophets, deceptive signs and wonders, and a delusion that will even deceive God's own people if or when possible"
In support of this position they quote (among others) the following Biblical verses..
Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12 NASB)
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB) See
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NASB)
Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, (2 Peter 3:3 NASB) [02]
Besides which, Jesus Himself told us that in the days immediately preceding His return, we shall see strikingly similar conditions to those that existed just prior to the Great Flood (the days of Noah), one of which was that men became exceedingly wicked. It is very important that we understand what our Lord meant when he said "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man" (Luke 17:26, Matthew 24:37), simply because Jesus Himself linked these two epochs together and said that one is the parallel of the other.
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.... Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. (Genesis 6:5, 11-12 NASB)
However, aside from the fact that men became terribly wicked in those days the Old Testament only tells us how "the sons of God" took wives for themselves from among the daughters of men, and had children by them, and that the "Nephilim" (the mighty men of old) walked the earth at that time. If we wish to know what we are to expect before the wrath of God rains down, then it is essential we understand who these 'sons of God' and 'Nephilim' were. See The Days of Noah
So the position that there will be no end time revival has strong Biblical support, however, many who believe that there will be a move of God in the last days refer to the prophecy made by Joel.
Joel's Prophecy
“It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, Your old men will have dreams, Your young men will see visions. “And even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire, and columns of smoke. “The sun will be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. (Joel 2:28-31 NASB)
The problem being that there is very little agreement on whether this prophecy has already been fulfilled or whether the fulfillment is yet in the future and, if in the future - when? Therefore the first question is...
Was The Prophecy Fulfilled On Pentecost?
On the day of Pentecost Peter, in explaining why the disciples were speaking in the various languages (or dialects) of the people gathered in Jerusalem that day, told the crowd that the men were not drunk "but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel" (Acts 2:15-16)
Peter's words have led many to erroneously assume that Joel's entire prophecy was fulfilled on Pentecost. Note however, that Peter did not say 'as it was written' nor that Joel's words were 'fulfilled' but simply “this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel”.
In fact, several factors unarguably point to the fact that Pentecost was not a fulfillment of the prophecy
Pentecost Only Had One Thing In Common With Joel's Prophecy
Although the events of that day were awesome in themselves, almost none of Joel's words came to pass. No prophecies were made, no one dreamed dreams or saw visions. There was no blood, fire, or pillars of smoke. The promised terrifying displays of celestial phenomena were conspicuous by their absence.... the sun did not turn to darkness, nor the moon to blood.
In fact, even the most cursory comparison of Joel’s prophecy with the events in Acts 2 clearly shows that they had only one thing in common.... the Lord poured His Spirit out on people.
Besides which,
Joel’s Prophecy Was Directed At Both Men And Women
However, the people gathered in Jerusalem on Pentecost were there for the Feast of Shavuot (the Festival of Weeks) that came fifty days after First-fruits. Shavuot was one of three major feast that required all able-bodied Jewish men to travel to Jerusalem (the other two being Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, or "booths" as it is sometimes called).
Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. (Deuteronomy 16:16 NASB)
See The Seven Feasts of Israel
Acts 2:5 confirms that it was only men who had gathered in Jerusalem that day... " Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven".
However, Joel's prophecy makes it very clear that not only would the Lord pour out His Spirit on all mankind, but it specifically mentions that, as a result of this outpouring, His daughters would prophesy. Verse 29 also states the Lord's Spirit would be poured out on both male and female servants (Joel 2:28-29)
So if the prophecy was not fulfilled on Pentecost when will it be?
When Exactly Will The Prophecy Be Fulfilled?
Joel chapters 1 and 2 first speak of a terrible and unprecedented plague of "locusts" which stripped the land of everything green causing great suffering in the land of Judah. Chapter one, verse six which speaks of a "nation" invading the land, may mean the locusts are to be interpreted symbolically. The terminology does describe the invading army in terms that are military in nature. For example...
They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like soldiers; And they each march in line, Nor do they deviate from their paths. They do not crowd each other, They march everyone in his path; When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks. (Joel 2:7-8 NASB)
However, it does not matter whether Joel was speaking of actual insects or a foreign invasion, it was disaster so overwhelming that no escape was possible because it was brought about by the Lord Himself
The Plague of Locusts Foreshadowed What Is Yet To Come
What is of particular relevance is the fact that in the first chapter (Joel 1) the prophet uses the perfect tense describing an event in the past that had relevance to the present.
What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; And what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; And what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.... For a nation has invaded my land, Mighty and without number; Its teeth are the teeth of a lion, And it has the jaws of a lioness. (Joel 1:4, 6 NASB) HERE and HERE
However, in the second chapter Joel describes judgment that would come about in “the day of the Lord” - the future
Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Indeed, it is near, (Joel 2:1 NASB)
The LORD utters His voice before His army; His camp is indeed very great, For mighty is one who carries out His word. The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it? (Joel 2:11 NASB)
That Joel was speaking about the last days in chapter 2 is also evident from the twice used phrase "My people will never be put to shame"
"You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; Then My people will never be put to shame. "Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am the Lord your God, And there is no other; And My people will never be put to shame. (Joel 2:26-27 NASB)
The plague of locusts... a terrible scourge that left the land decimated, was but a harbinger of "the day of the Lord" (a phrase frequently used by many of the prophets). It was both a forerunner and a foreshadowing of what is yet to come. In other words - a ‘type’
In Christian theology, typology is a representation of one thing by another. In other words, a 'type' that always looks to the future, is an actual historical event (or person) which, at the time it occurred, was a rough draft, or glimpse, of one or more actual events yet to come, although the significance may not have been apparent at the original or subsequent occurrences. The final fulfillment is called the 'antitype' which is definitely more important than the original type. See Understanding Typology
More Evidence That Joel’s Prophecy Will Be Fulfilled Just Before The Start of The Great Tribulation
As both Revelation 6:12 and Matthew 24:29 also speak about the sun being darkened and the moon turning to blood, we can safely conclude that they spoke of the same event as Joel did. Compare the three relevant passages.
Joel: It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. "Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. "I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. "The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. (Joel 2:28-31 NASB)
Matthew: But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. "and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:29-30 NASB)
Revelation: And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Revelation 6:11-17 NASB)
Did Joel And Matthew Contradict Each Other?
So when does this take place? Revelation 6:12 says when Christ "broke the Sixth Seal", while Matthew says "immediately after the tribulation of those days" which, obviously, have to be exactly the same point in time. However, comparing Joel and Matthew’s words may get a little confusing because Joel says “Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes” but Matthew writes “immediately after the tribulation of those days”
The difficulty is easily cleared up if the reader bears in mind that Jesus differentiates between the "Tribulation" He speaks of in verse 9, and the "Great Tribulation" of verse 21. Although He uses the same Greek word in both verses, He qualifies the second usage by the word "great" (verse 21), translated from the Greek megas, which is where we get the English word 'mega'. Jesus was talking about two separate and distinct tribulations
Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. "Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. (Matthew 24:9-13 NASB)
For then there will be a great (Gk. megas) tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:21-22 NASB)
Note: What is also not often realized is that the Seven Seals (Revelation 6-7) exactly parallel the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24). In other words, both include in exactly the same sequence, the events leading up to, and the actual tribulation or persecution of the church (in which Christians will be hated, betrayed and killed). Both then talk about the 'Great Tribulation' of God's wrath... a period of time such as the world has never seen). However, the subject is too long to go into here.
For details see The First Six Seals and Matthew 24
in which Matthew 24 has been analyzed one verse at a time.
In other words, the last days outpouring of God's Spirit Prophesied by Joel will take place after the persecution of the church and before the start of the Great Tribulation.
The Early and Latter Rains Were "Types"
The Bible makes several references to the early and late rains. for example...
that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. (Deuteronomy 11:14 NASB)
They do not say in their heart, "Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest." (Jeremiah 5:24 NASB)
So rejoice, O sons of Zion, And be glad in the Lord your God; For He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, The early and latter rain as before. (Joel 2:23 NASB)
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. (James 5:7 NASB)
Both these seasons of rain had a very specific contribution to make towards a successful harvest.
The Early Rain
The early rain fell late in the year, beginning somewhere around mid or late October after the seed was sown. These rains continued on through the winter, the showers gradually getting further and further apart, enabled the grains (probably wheat and barley) to germinate. Fine weather usually ensued early in the year.
The ultimate fulfillment of the early rain was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
This began with the remarkable transformation of the disciples who went from a dispirited and rudderless band of men who had just lost their leader, to dynamic preachers and leaders of the Church. Not even the resurrection of Christ had this kind of effect on them. The early rain watered and germinated the seeds that had been sown by Christ's preaching of the Gospel. (The parable of the sower in Matthew 13:37 tells us that “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man")
The Latter Rain
The much lighter late rains fell in March and April when the ears were filling. These rains matured and ripened the grain for harvest.
The ultimate fulfillment of the latter rain will be a spiritual outpouring of God's Spirit that will serve to bring the 'crop' to maturity and ready for the harvest. As the prophet Hosea said...
He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him. "So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." (Hosea 6:2-3 NASB)
The fact that the latter rain falls at the beginning of the great tribulation tells me that this outpouring of God’s Spirit will not only bring the crop to maturity and ready for harvest but will, in some way, help believers through the great tribulation.
What began on Pentecost will be completed at the end of the age.
The Harvest
This harvesting in of the "sons of the kingdom" is "the Rapture" when believers are physically moved away from the earth so that the Bowls can be poured out on the earth.
Throughout the Great Tribulation the faithful were protected from God's wrath by the mark on their foreheads. But when it is time for God to make a final end of the kingdoms of this world, the 'harvest' will be safely standing on the far shore of the Red Sea when the waters come crashing in over the heads of the Egyptian army.
Revelation 14: 14-20 makes it clear that this take place at the Seventh Trumpet.
Note that Jesus' words... "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn." (Matthew 13:30) indicates the tares are separated and symbolically 'bound' in some way, before the believers are gathered into His barn.
For more About The ‘Harvest’ See The Seventh Trumpet And The Rapture
End Notes
[01] Congregation Shema Yisrael. Last Days Revival or End Time Apostasy?
http://www.shema.com/last-days-revival-or-end-time-apostasy-208/
[02] Apologetics Index. The Way of Cain - Page 37. New teachings in the Christian Church- Where are They Leading Us?
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/r06a37.html
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