The Great Revival of Jonah’s Day
The Bible has an account of a special Revival, the Great Revival of Jonah’s day. The Lord told Jonah that He would destroy Nineveh. Jonah wanted Nineveh destroyed. He feared that by invasion that wicked city might spell disaster for Israel. So the disobedient prophet went on a Mediterranean cruise, but God had a purpose, and would not be thwarted. Due to the storm, and Jonah’s explanations, he was thrown overboard, thinking that by his death God’s prophecy would be fulfilled. And yes, he did die in the fish, and the fish said, “You make me sick,” and unceremoniously vomited him onto the shore, where He was raised from the dead. Much chastened by the experience he made preparations to go to Nineveh, having yellow wrinkled skin from the digestive juices of the fish. This became the mark of a sign. News from the terrified sailors got around, and eventually reached Nineveh. When Jonah finally arrived there, people were dead scared of him, and the king ordered national repentance. So great was this event that it affected everyone. The whole city of Nineveh repented, and God’s judgment was averted. There were 120,000 children in that city, too young to know left hand from right. So it must have had a population of about 700,000 people, a truly great revival.
In 1967 one of God’s modern prophets had words concerning the coming world-wide revival. This is what he was inspired to say.
“I am preparing in these last days a corporate Jonah, for I have a messenger I will send forth unto the nations, even unto those who know not my name, even unto those who have not heard my fame and my glory. I will raise up and purify a corporate Jonah. And this Jonah shall bear upon him the mark of a sign. He shall be a sign, this Jonah of mine, unto the nations. He shall bear upon him the mark of the supernatural, and the mark of the miraculous, and his word shall be authenticated by my power.
I will send him with a message to the nations, even as I sent Jonah long ago. He had a prophetic message and my Jonah today shall have a prophetic message. It shall be a message of judgment, but it shall be a message of grace; it shall be a message of warning, yet it shall be a message of hope.
For out of this message shall come repentance, for you will yet see, my people, a day when the Ninevites shall turn from their sins, turn even with repentance, with sackcloth and ashes, unto the Lord their God. There shall be a great turning, there shall be a great crying, there shall be a great repentance. And there shall be multitudes in the valley of decision in that day, when my word goes forth authenticated by the power of my Spirit.”
