Today and especially after the Charlie Kirk assassination we are hearing about revival. People are curious and asking—what should we make of all this “revival” talk? It is important for us to go back and study revival movements from the past in order to glean insight into what is occurring today. The term “revival” originates from the Hebrew word “chajah”, meaning “to live, to revive, to keep alive, to quicken, or restore to life.” The biblical meaning of revival refers to a sovereign work of God that brings about a spiritual awakening, characterized by a renewed passion for God, repentance from sin, and a return to a fervent pursuit of holiness and righteousness. It is a Divine visitation where individuals, churches, or entire communities experience a transformation from spiritual indifference, worldliness, or backsliding into a deeper conviction of sin, earnest desires to follow Christ, boldness in witness, purity of life, and a commitment to missions. This renewal is not merely a personal experience but can be a concentrated movement affecting many believers simultaneously, mirroring the work of the Holy Spirit in individual lives when people are saved or renewed. Revival is typically preceded by a period of spiritual decline or deadness, and it is often initiated by a prompting or outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The evidence of revival includes changed lives, increased prayer and Bible study, confession of sin, bold proclamation of the Gospel, and social transformation, as seen in biblical events like the Day of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit empowered believers and led to the conversion of thousands. Ultimately, revival is a call to return to the foundation truths of faith and to live out the gospel with renewed passion and commitment.
Let us begin our study by looking at the first revival in Scripture in Genesis 35 with the account of Jacob, the wanderer, returning to Bethel meaning “house of God” and which was a city in central Palestine where God renewed His covenant with Jacob. Jacob built an altar there to make the place where he spoke with God when he was fleeting from Esau his brother. Jacob spoke to his family and to all who were with him to put away the strange gods that were among them and be clean and change their garments. Revival begins with REPENTANCE. Next, he told them to arise and go up to Bethel where he would make an altar to God in the place where He had spoken to him in the day of his distress and was with him in the way he went. Revival begins with REMEMBRANCE of God and His sufficiency. As they journeyed to Bethel, they took refuge in God as their Protector. Revival begins with TRUST AND DEPENDENCE on God. They returned to God and built an altar and worshipped Him. Revival begins with RETURN TO GOD IN WORSHIP AND PRAISE. God blessed Jacob and said, “Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; and he called his name Israel. Israel in Hebrew means “he struggles with God” or “God contends.” This name was given to Jacob after he wrestled with the Angel of the Lord (the preincarnate Jesus) as described in 32: 30 having seen God face to face. Revival begins when we EXPERIENCE THE PRESENCE OF GOD. God spoke to Israel and said, “I AM God Almighty.” Revival begins when we experience the CHARACTER OF GOD. God repeated His covenant promise to Abraham and Isaac that their descendants would multiply, become a great nation and inherit the land. Revival results in BLESSING, RESTORATION AND RENEWAL.
Let us now look at the Moravian Revival that began in 1727 and established a prayer meeting that would last for over 100 years! It began with a spiritual awakening occurring on August 13, 1727, during a communion service in Herrnhut, Germany. The community had been established in Herrnhut following the persecution of Christians by 27 year old Count Zinzendorf, who opened his estate to them. There were some 300 individuals with differing spiritual convictions and loyalties who settled there. In this diverse environment Count Zinzendorf devoted himself full-time to reconciliation and conflict resolution, visiting each home for prayer and exemplifying the persevering love of Christ. The revival was preceded by a period of prayer and spiritual seeking, including an all-night prayer meeting on August 12, 1727, and a covenant signed on May 12, 1727, committing the community to unity and seeking God. This event, often referred to as “Moravian Pentecost,” marked a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit that transformed the community. This became the motto of the Moravian Revival, “In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, but in all things love!” Revivals always reveal the veracity and power of this motto, and their fruit is the result of God’s wonderful unifying presence. We must not compromise on the essentials (though some may even disagree on what they are); and we must peacefully discuss our convictions about secondary issues, agreeing to disagree and preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3) John Greenfield, a Moravian historian, had this to say: “The spiritual experience of the Moravian Brethren bears a striking resemblance to the Pentecostal power and results in the days of the Apostles. The company of believers both at Jerusalem and Herrnhut numbered less than three hundred souls. Both congregations were humanly speaking totally devoid of worldly influence, wisdom, power and wealth. On both of these small and weak congregations God poured out His Holy Spirit and endued them with power from on high. At once these believers, naturally timid and fearful, were transformed into flaming evangelists. Supernatural knowledge and power seemed to possess them.” It was not a massive spiritual army that led this movement, but dedicated and surrendered souls in spiritual unity seeking God. Both Pentecost and the Moravian revival were sovereign works of God with untold temporal and eternal effects. We can be encouraged that human vessels were prepared and endued for these mighty outpourings and the works which flowed from them. Though our times are increasingly evil, and even because they are, we must find our way to unity and spirit-filled communion with one another, no matter whatsoever the size or numbers of our fellowship.
The impact of that little community of believers has had profound effects. Let us now consider the spiritual awakening of John and Charles Wesley and the revival that followed that can be traced back to the Moravian revival. When John Wesley and his brother Charles returned to England after their missionary trip to Georgia, their faith was shaken as their American mission didn’t live up to their expectations. General James Oglethorpe invited John to come to Savannah as a chaplain, but he almost immediately came into conflict with colonists who didn’t appreciate his zeal. Charles traveled to serve as Oglethorpe’s secretary, a role for which he was poorly suited. Both thought they would have time to serve as missionaries to Native Americans, but that never really happened. However, God had ordained this trip for another reason. During their travels, the brothers met Moravian Christians from Germany whose assurance of faith the Wesley brothers envied. In a storm at sea and during trying times on land, these Christians displayed the peace for which John and Charles longed. Upon their return to England—Charles in July 1736 and John in February 1738 sought out the Moravians, hoping to discover the secret to their faith. Charles had fallen ill and was concerned for his survival. Lying in bed day after day, he focused on his spiritual well-being. He prayed, studied, and spoke to friends who prayed for him to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. At about the same time, John was having conversations with a well-respected Moravian name Peter Bohler who taught him about Moravian spirituality, which included the belief that Christians have an assurance of faith experienced as love, peace, and joy. Those emotions were in short supply for each of the Wesley brothers at the time. On Pentecost Sunday, May 21, 1738, while staying at the home of a friend during his difficult illness, Charles Wesley had a special encounter with the Holy Spirit three days before his brother—”a strange palpitation of heart” that caused him to exclaim, “I believe, I believe!” He had a peace with God and rejoiced in hope of loving Christ.” When John visited the next day, Charles shared what had happened for him and together prayed for John to have a similar experience. Later that week John “went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street” where his heart became “strangely warmed.” It was the moment the Holy Spirit stirred within which he had prayed, studied, and prepared to receive. God fanned the flame of revival in their hearts that still continues today!
In the past months God has brought me back to a devotional book written by Andrew Murray (1828-1917). In the late 1800s, there was a great awakening in South Africa led by Andrew Murray that was a powerful move of God. Studying that revival yields essential insights concerning the events occurring now throughout the United States. As the spirit of God began to move in Cape Town, Murray compared the South Africa revival with a false experience of God and charged in to break up the meeting. Stepping out of the church, he encountered his father standing and weeping. His father rebuked Andrew, “How dare you stop something that I have prayed to happen for 30 years!” The rebuke cut Andrew so deeply that he refused to preach for months. He sat in the back of the church, repentant, and contrite until finally, the elders of his church picked him up and carried him into the pulpit. He preached with great anointing and led the South African Awakening, during which over 5 million came to the Lord. When God moves, many things begin to occur that misinterpretation and profound misunderstanding flee and only His purposes and work prevail. We see this in the Lord’s ministry as His very presence drove demons into manifestation. (Luke 4: 33-34) We also have numerous examples of unusual activity and manifestations that God produced upon His servants in the Old Testament era. The “testing of the spirits” in 1 John 3: 24 indicates that either you have demonic spirits who produce false prophets, or you have the Holy Spirit which governs and controls the true prophet, who speaks the Word of God. In other words, test the teaching. Don’t believe everything you hear. Be discerning. That was true during the early church period, and it is still true today. Andrew Murray sums it up this way: “You will ask me, are you satisfied? Have you got all you want? God forbid. With the deepest feeling of my soul I can say that I am satisfied with Jesus now; but there is also the consciousness of how much fuller the revelation can be of the exceeding abundance of His grace. Let us never hesitate to say: “This is only the beginning.”
The parable in Matthew 13: 27-29 of the weeds and the wheat is useful here. The great revivalist George Whitfield interpreted this passage during the first great awakening saying, “If you try to stamp out the wildfire and remove what is false, you will equally and simultaneously remove what is real.”
Jonathan Edwards gives us 5 “marks” of genuine revival for us to consider as we seek and pray for revival: 1. Is Jesus Exalted and the power of God and the Gospel? 2. Does it oppose Satan’s kingdom? 3. Is the Word of God the central theme? 4. Is Truth revealed? 5. Is it rooted in the love of Christ? Edwards states, “If the spirit that is at work among a people operates as a spirit of love to God and man, it is a sure sign that it is the Spirit of God. This sign the apostle insists upon from the 6th verse to the end of the chapter . . .speaks expressly of both love to God and men (1 John 4:7-19). In the midst of this counterfeit culture, the Lord has been stirring intercessors and spiritual watchmen who see things with the eyes of the Spirit and not the eyes of men. Some have been called to boldly speak truth to those who will listen; others are called to pray. All are needed to awaken the Church and unbelievers to call on the Lord and experience true revival and His life-giving Spirit! Revive our hearts Oh God!