The Background of “Revival”

Old Testament Background

The word revival is a Bible word.  More specifically, it is an Old Testament word.  Its first use is in Nehemiah 4:2, where Sanballat is mocking the rebuilding of the wall. 

“. . . What do these feeble Jews?  Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice?  Will they make an end in a day?  Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?”

Although this is not a mention of the spiritual topic of revival, it does offer a revealing look at the very nature of the word.  “Revive” in Hebrew means to nourish up, preserve alive, quicken, recover, repair, restore to life.   Sanballat mocks the Hebrews, asking them if they are trying to bring those stones back from the rubble.  What an interesting picture that paints, of burned out, burned up stones being brought back to a usable condition!

The first time the word “revival” is used in its spiritual sense is in Psalm 85.

Vs. 1-3    “Lord, Thou hast been favorable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.  Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sins. Selah.  Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.”

The key word in these first 3 verses is “hast.”  The Psalmist is looking back to what God has done in the past.  God did marvelous things for them in years past, including the Exodus and forgiving the people’s iniquities.  This backward look of thankfulness sets up the rest of the passage.

Should we not also see what God has done in the past in our own lives?  Is this not a good principle we can observe from the Psalmist?

He goes on now in the next verses.

Vs. 4-7        “Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.  Wilt thou be angry with us forever?  Wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?  Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.”

The key word for this second set of verses is “us.”  The Psalmist turns his attention from the past to the present.  Now he focuses on “us.”  He begs God to revive “us” again.  The word “again” is also significant.  It tells us that God had done this in the past.  God had revived His people in the past, and now the Psalmist begs Him to do it again.

Revival has to do with God’s people, not the unsaved.  You cannot revive that which has never been alive.  You cannot “reestablish” that which has never been established in the first place.  Here another great principle is found: revival has to do with God’s people.

Therefore, great throngs of people getting saved is not “revival” per se.  It may be the result of revival, but really it is a “vival,” if you will bear with that term.  For something to be “re-vived” it must have been alive in the first place.
But the Psalmist doesn’t stop there.  He finishes the chapter with a forward look.

“I will hear what God the Lord shall speak; for he will speak peace to his people, and to his saints. . . Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.  Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good, and our land shall yield her increase.”

Now the Psalmist looks forward, counting on the fact that God is going to answer his plea.  He exhibits a confidence that God will work   The key word is “will” or “shall.”  “God will do this.”  He is not speaking presumptuously or arrogantly; he is simply looking forward by faith to God’s working in the lives of His people.

And so another great principle can be learned from this passage.  We need to look forward to God working in our lives.  He has not changed.  He has not discontinued working in the lives of men!  Is it not right to look forward and expect God to answer us when we call upon Him?

Other mentions of the word “revival” occur in the Old Testament.  Habbakuk prayed that God would “revive the work in the midst of the years.”  Revival throughout the Old Testament carries the thought of restoring to life that which has been rendered used and useless.

The Concept of Revival

What is important to remember is that the concept of revival is vital.  In both the Old and New Testaments, the concept of revival is addressed repeatedly, even though the specific word “revival” is not used.  Further along we will look at a few revivals in the Old Testament, although the word revival does not appear in the passage.

The Old Testament Concept

The word “revive” does not appear in the New Testament.  But the same concept does.  In the New Testament it is found in I Timothy 1:6.  “That thou stir up.” (anazôpurein).

Present active infinitive of anazôpureô, old double compound; live coal, zôos and pur, then the bellows for kindling), to rekindle, to stir into flame, to keep blazing (continuous action, present time)

This word “stir up” continues the same “rekindling” of the flame as the Old Testament word “revival.”  Peter says in II Peter 1:13,

“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;”

The same word is used here, as Peter proceeds to remind the believers of certain truths that he feels are absolutely necessary.

Romans 13:11 reminds us that it is “. . . high time to awake out of sleep.”  The idea of reawaking to the demands of Christ and the solemnity of our duty as believers surely has a similarity to the concept of “restoration,” “revival,” and “renewal.”

What Happens in Revival

As we desire to ascertain what Bible revival is, what better place to turn than to specific accounts where God worked in the hearts of men.  We turn first to II Chronicles 34.  After the wicked reign of Mannasseh, young Josiah took the throne.  The condition of the children of Israel was terrible.  They had lost the book of the law, they were sacrificing to false gods, and they were murdering their children in the process.  When Josiah steps onto the scene, although he is young, sparks fly in his heart to do “that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and decline neither to the right hand, nor to the left.” 

Confrontation with God’s Truth

As Josiah begins the cleaning of the temple, Hilkiah the priest stumbles upon the book of the law of the Lord.  Shaphan the scribe “. . . carried the book to the king.” 

When Josiah begins to read God’s law, “it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.”  King Josiah was crushed by the truth of God!  God’s truth had been read in his ears, and such conviction and realization of sin and shortcoming swept over him.  He says, “Great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do after all that is written in this book.”

What happens in revival?  God’s truth is presented.  The Word of God confronts the people of God with their sin.  They are forced to face the fact that their lives are inconsistent with what God requires. 

Deep Conviction of Sin

The king rent his clothes.  God says in verse 27,

“Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me, I have even heard thee also.”

Josiah experienced such deep conviction of sin that God delineates for us the fact that his heart was soft, he humbled himself, he rent his clothes, and wept before God!  What deep conviction!

It is my contention that it is the depth of conviction that sets revival apart.  The deep plowing effect that God’s truth has during revival is supernatural.  This deep conviction of sin is the first element of revival.

Renewed Commitment to Obedience

But it did not stop there.  Josiah did not just come under conviction of his sin and the sin of the people.  He acted upon that conviction. 

vs. 31    “And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.  And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it.”

Further on we read that Josiah “took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel.”  So he acted upon his conviction, and renewed his obedience to God.  This is the second part of revival.

Nehemiah Follows the Same Pattern

Nehemiah 8 accounts for us the story of Ezra reading the word of God to the people.  Again we see the same pattern.  First, the truth of God is presented.

vs. 1     “And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate. . .”

It is interesting to note the attitude with which the people came together.  “As one man.”  They were unified.  They all wanted to hear the Word of God.  This is a key for revival in the church: the unified call for God’s people to beg Him to work in their lives!

Vs. 2, 3, 5“And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.   And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.  And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: so they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and cause them to understand the reading.”          

Again we see that the people were “attentive.”  They listened.  And Ezra “gave the sense.”  That means by the way he read the Word of God, he “caused them to understand the meaning.”  In revival ministry, it is vitally important that the people are given “the sense.”  That is, they are caused to understand the truth of God.  We see again that the truth of God is presented.

Verse 9 tells us what happened after they were given the sense and they understood God’s truth.

“For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.”

The people fell under such conviction, the realization of how far short they had fallen from what God expected, they wept.

It is good to note that in the Hebrew culture, the way the people were to show their obedience to God was to show joy and gladness.  After they were convicted of their sin, they were encouraged to be joyful, and reinstitute the feasts they had neglected for so many years.

And so we see the pattern here again.  The people were convicted of sin.  They then renewed their commitment to obedience. 

Even though we do not show our obedience to God through Hebrew feasts,, the same spiritual pattern of revival is clear for us: the presentation of God’s truth, resulting in a deep conviction of sin, resulting in a renewed commitment to obey God.

David’s Account of Revival

The two instances we have seen would fall under the heading “corporate revival,” simply because they deal with a large number of individuals all experiencing revival simultaneously.  But what about an individual?  Can a single person be revived without others around?

David gives us a clear example of that.  Chapter 11 of II Samuel is the saddest part of David’s life.  This great man of God, probably in his 50's, commits adultery and murder.  Time passes between chapters 11 and 12.  But Nathan, the prophet of God, approaches David.  In verse 7, Nathan delivers the powerful words, “Thou art the man.”  God’s truth is presented, even though it is on a one to one basis.  David faces the truth coming from God’s man.

Psalm 51 is the account of what David felt after his encounter with God’s truth.  Deep conviction laid hold upon his heart.  Soul-searchingly strong, David pours out his heart to the Lord, not with trite phrases  such as, “I feel bad,” or “I made a mistake,” but with the undeniable admissions of complete guilt.  “Against Thee, and Thee only have I sinned.”  Remorse and compunction so grip his heart that the reader can almost feel the grief weighing on this man’s heart. 

After the deep conviction, towards the end of the passage, David says, “Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.”  David is already looking toward the future, reestablishing his commitment to obey God and follow His commands. 

New Testament Concepts

The presentation of the need for revival does not lessen at all in the New Testament.  What are Paul’s letters to the church at Corinth if not appeals for that church to respond to God’s truth with humility and begin obeying?  But perhaps the best New Testament example of the need for revival comes from the lips of Jesus Christ Himself..  Revelation 2:1-7 is as clear a declaration for the need of revival in a church as any found anywhere. 

“Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil; and thous hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars; and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.”

What a list!  If we were handing out church of the year awards, the church at Ephesus would certainly have been in the running for it!  But Jesus goes on to say:

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love.”

There is the indictment; there is the problem.  This church has left its first love!  How many churches today would fit into this category?  We have many churches doing many things, but as the saying goes, how many of our churches would even realize if the Holy Spirit left?

What is the solution?

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

Keep in mind that this is not a gathering of unregenerate people.  This is a church body, visibly doing much for the Lord!  And yet they are told to repent.  Here we have one of the few times “repent” is used to refer to believers.  The two words “remember” and “repent” are so vitally important.  What this church needed was revival; they were being confronted by the Lord, and He told them they must now remember what they used to be, and repent: turn from how they are now and get back to where they should be.

Definition of Revival

Revival is a term given to a certain spiritual event.  Revival ought not be a god that we seek, or elevated above its rightful place.  Many different “definitions” of revival exist, and for us to put one down on paper as the definition by which we operate is not to make any sort of statement that other definitions are inferior or contradictory.  As far as BRM goes, there are four key reasons why we must put down a definition.  1) Because the present fundamental condition is that of confusion, and we must be distinctive in what we believe; 2) because our definition will have direct bearing on how we do ministry with BRM; 3) because we (as BRM team members) must all be in agreement as to what we are praying to see happen, and 4) because we must be ready to give a unified response to those who ask.

Because of these reasons, we need to set down a working definition.  This definition is based on the accounts of revival found in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, as well as the concepts found therein.

Revival is a special time when (a) believer(s) (simultaneously) experience supernaturally deep Holy Spirit conviction, causing them to make confession of sins, renunciation of them, and renew their commitment to obeying God.

When an individual experiences revival alone, we call that “personal” revival.  When many people simultaneously experience revival, we call that “corporate” revival.  These are not doctrinal terms, but simply function to distinguish what we are talking about.

The Process of Revival

II Chronicles 7:14 is a classic passage often referred to when dealing with revival.  Unfortunately, many times it is misrepresented, on the one hand by those who fail to realize the distinction between the church and Israel and thereby apply the land promises to the USA, and on the other hand completely discounted by people reacting to those who apply it to the USA.  Resultantly, on the one hand we misapply Scripture and inappropriately apply it, and on the other hand we miss out completely on the blessing God has for us.

The fact of the matter is, the same elements necessary for revival in the Old Testament are still necessary in the age of grace.  We will take a look.“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves. . . “

James 4 has often been referred to as the revival chapter in the New Testament.  Verse 6, 10 says,

“Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Humility before God is required in both these passages!  The Old and New Testaments agree.

“And pray, and seek my face”

In James 4, this is also stated.

“Draw nigh to God, and He will draw night to you.”

II Chronicles says, “turn from their wicked ways.”  James says, “Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts ye double minded.  Be afflicted, and mourn.  Let your joy be turned to heaviness.”

Clearly, the same principles that applied to the nation of Israel in terms of repentance can be applied to the New Testament church. 

What cannot be applied are land promises to the nation Israel.  God had and will have a special relationship with His people, and it involves specific physical promises concerning the land that have yet to be fulfilled. We cannot apply land promises given to Israel in this verse to the USA specifically.
Now, that is not to say that God will not bless a nation that puts Him first.

“Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” 
– Proverbs 14:34

This is addressed to any nation.  Righteousness will exalt a nation!  Not just Israel.  I think there are principles in the Word of God that clearly teach us that our godly heritage in the USA does mean something; not that we are extra special because of ourselves, but that God’s hand of blessing has been upon us.

“At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.”
– Jeremiah 18:7-8

This passage can be applied to our country.  Clearly, God is speaking to any nation.  And any nation includes us!

Humility before God, seeking His face in prayer, and turning from our wicked ways -   that is the process of revival.

A Great Awakening

Not everyone in fundamentalism would agree with my stated revival definition.  The biggest group of people that might have a difficulty would be  those who insist that a revival is only something along the lines of The Great Awakening, with fires of people getting saved in the thousands sweeping across the land.  Some folks call Pentecost in Acts a revival.