The Coming Great Revival
We are approaching the crossroads of history, the dénouement of God’s work through some 6,000 years. The Bible declares that a number of important things are ready and waiting to happen, and it will not be a time of comfort for those who are self-centred, unforgiving and abusive. But it will be a time of release for many who have sought God, prayed, been law-abiding and caring of those in need.
The Evangelical and Charismatic worlds of today advertise their belief in a rapture of the saints, the sudden disappearance of all true Christians, followed by a time of tribulation for the rest of the world. This scenario has been widely disseminated, for example, in books and films in the “Left Behind” series. The authors have “left behind” Scriptures that speak with a different voice, and majored on just a few appropriate to their theme.
The big surprise that is about to break on the world will at least have the following ingredients.
It will be the start of God’s visible Kingdom, with the Lord Jesus as King over all.
It will be Day of Judgment, the Day of the Lord.
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- It will be a day in which righteousness will flourish, and lawlessness trampled underfoot.
- It will be a time when the “sons of God will be manifested” and creation released from bondage.
- It will be a time when Elijah will be sent back to the world to begin the times of restoration.
- It will be a time when resurrections will be observed, some to Eternal Life, others to judgment.
- It will be a time when “the Deliverer will return to Zion, and turn ungodliness from Jacob”.
- It will be the time when “Michael will stand up,” and control events from the heavenly dimension.
- It will be the time when spiritually dark powers, including the Devil, will be removed from the scene.
- It will be the time when “the people of the saints of the Most High will be given the Kingdom”.
- It will be a time in which many people will want to return to their own land and culture.
- It will be a time when Planet Earth will be reclaimed from the ravages of human poisoning.
- It will be a time when wars will cease and weapons either destroyed or modified for good usage.
- It will be a time of “great tribulation” as man is forced to view life in a very different way.
- The Lord Jesus will not be seen visibly on earth, but will be revealed to His resurrected saints.
- It will be the day in which “He comes to be glorified in His saints.”
All these things will suddenly begin to happen. At first it will be as small as a “mustard seed”, but will quickly develop as acts of righteousness will be rewarded, and unrighteousness condemned. Those who are incorrigibly evil will seek places of refuge (the ”rocks and caves” of prophecy) to hide from the Lord’s growing judgment scene.
This great mixture of events will steadily grow, gaining strength, rather than be a singularity suddenly imposed on creation as proposed in the “Left Behind” model. The concept of all Christians being swept away from the earth to live a life of enjoyment in heaven will then be seen to have no Scriptural warranty.
But this great World-wide Revival will have its own starting points, and like all other past revivals, begin with just a few individuals. God’s Kingdom will be the government of this world under the headship of the Lord Jesus, accompanied by His “overcomer” saints in whom He will be glorified.
