You have likely heard reports of revival at some universities in the United States. As Christians, we should pray that the Lord would bring revival across this nation. But, what is revival? Revival occurs among believers. For one to be revived, you must have been alive spiritually in the first place. Unbelievers are spiritually dead and thus cannot be revived. Revival is the result of God’s Spirit moving in the hearts of believers. Historically they have been fueled by the people of God becoming dissatisfied with the spiritual condition of churches and educational institutions. This dissatisfaction led the saints to pray fervently for God to bring repentance and reformation. It started with prayer. Revival was not scheduled nor can it ever be. God acts according to his sovereign will. He acts according to his holy character.

Revival is not a biblical word. Yet, we read of events in Scripture that sound like what we refer to as revival. In such instances, the Lord brought conviction of sin, repentance, and brokenness among those believers who had been affected. There was a clear grasp of one’s sinfulness and God’s holiness. It was not mere emotionalism. Emotionalism without repentance and progressive sanctification is not biblical revival. There must be growth in practical holiness and obedience. True revival brings a greater degree of Christlikeness among those affected.

Scripture speaks of revival in Ezra 9-10. Chapter nine details Ezra’s prayer for himself and the nation of Israel. Ezra confesses his sin and the sin of his people. The Spirit of God brought conviction of sin among the people. Their response was to weep bitterly (Ezra 10:1). They confessed their sins (Ezra 10:2). They repented and acted in obedience to God’s Word (Ezra 10:3-17). Nehemiah records details of revival as well (Neh. 8-10). In this particular revival, Ezra preaches God’s Word (Neh. 8:1-8). The people wept over their sins and mourned (Neh. 8:9-11). They worshiped and listened to the Scriptures (Neh. 8:13-18). The people of God mourned and fasted (Neh. 9:1). They repented and confessed their sins (Neh. 9:2). They read the Scriptures for a quarter of the day (Neh. 9:3a). They confessed their sins and worshiped for a quarter of the day (Neh. 9:3b). As they worshiped the Lord, they recounted God’s acts of faithfulness and their acts of unfaithfulness (Neh. 9:4-37). Finally, the people committed themselves to faithful obedience to the Lord (Neh. 9:38-10:39).

So, if we synthesize these features of biblical revival into a list, here they are:

1. Weeping and mourning over personal sin and the sin of God’s people (Ezra 10:1).
2. Confessing and repenting of personal sin in prayer (Ezra 10:2; Neh. 9:2, 3b).
3. Committing to personal obedience of God’s Word in prayer (Ezra 10:3-17; Neh. 9:38-10:39).
4. Worshiping the Lord and listening to God’s Word (Neh. 8:13-18; 9:3).
5. Mourning and fasting (Neh. 9:1).
6. Worshiping the Lord by recounting God’s acts of faithfulness and our acts of unfaithfulness (Neh. 9:4-37).

In history, there have been a few notable revivals. The First Great Awakening (1730-1740) featured an emphasis on the preaching of God’s Word with a distinctively Calvinistic theology. It began in England and was closely associated with the preaching of George Whitefield (a Calvinist) and his friend John Wesley (an Arminian). The movement spread to Scotland, Switzerland, Holland, Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe. George Whitefield also traveled to Georgia to preach in 1738. Whitefield was more expressive in his preaching style than many at the time. Whitefield was willing to preach to anyone, including slaves and Native Americans. Revival also occurred in New England in 1734 through the preaching of Jonathan Edwards. Edwards (a Calvinist) was the central figure in New England (particularly between 1740-1743). Edwards is well known for his doctrinal preaching (ex. “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” preached in 1741) and Theology (ex. his book, “Religious Affections”). Edwards was not opposed to emotion. Yet, he believed that emotion “should not eclipse the need for right doctrine and rational worship.”[1]

The First Great Awakening was marked by emotion, orthodox[2] Theology, and orthodox preaching. It featured a close fellowship among orthodox believers and orthodox Protestant churches that crossed denominational lines. There was an emphasis on outward evidence of salvation (i.e. changed lives; spiritual fruit).[3] The revival created a sense of unity among the 13 colonies. Historian Justo Gonzalez wrote, “At the same time, new ideas were circulating regarding human rights and the nature of government. Those ideas, joined to the growing sense of commonality among the colonies would produce momentous events.”[4] The Great Awakening also led to the establishment of educational institutions, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, and Rutgers. Benjamin Franklin, who greatly admired George Whitefield and loved to listen to him preach, helped found (along with 24 trustees) what came to be known as the University of Pennsylvania.[5]

During the First Great Awakening, many were praying for revival and the coming of the Kingdom of God, namely Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards held to a Postmillennial eschatology, which believes the church will prepare the way for Christ to return by influencing the world to become “Christianized” (not all people will be saved, but the world will become increasingly Christian).  A group of believers in Scotland sought to persuade Edwards and others like him to join them in Scotland. Edwards subsequently wrote the book,“An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God’s people in extraordinary prayer for the revival of religion and the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom on earth, pursuant to Scripture-promises and prophecies concerning the last time.”[6] Edwards and other Postmillennialists did not see their eschatological (view of the end times) position come to pass. Yet, many believe that their prayer for revival resulted in the modern missions movement.

The Second Great Awakening began in New England (1795-1830). The leaders intentionally sought to avoid emotionalism. It was also not an anti-intellectual movement. One of the proponents of the movement was Timothy Dwight, the president of Yale.[7] Dwight also happened to be the grandson of Jonathan Edwards. William Carey traveled to India to pursue missionary work in 1793. In 1806 five young men, who were students at Williams College in Massachusetts, met to discuss William Carey’s “An Inquiry into the Obligation of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathen.” They met in a wooded grove near Williamstown, Massachusetts. The men were interrupted by a thunderstorm. As the story goes, they sought shelter near a haystack where they continued praying and discussing the need for the gospel to go to China and the Orient.[8] It came to be known as the Haystack Prayer Meeting. It led to the establishment of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. ABCFM sent out many missionaries, including Adoniram Judson, to India in 1812. One of the participants of the Haystack Prayer Meeting, Samuel Mills, also helped found the American Bible Society and the United Foreign Missionary Society.

The Awakening also led to changes in society. Some of the social changes that took place during this time were the formation of groups seeking the abolition of slavery (the American Colonization Society) and the prohibition of alcohol (the American Society for the Promotion of Temperance, founded in 1826).[9] The temperance movement was mainly led by women. Temperance societies also began to fight for women’s rights in society.

When we look at history, there are other results of spiritual revival among God’s people:

1. Unbelievers come to know Christ through repentance and faith in the gospel.
2. An increase of believers involved in evangelism and the work of missions.
3. A positive influence on the culture with resulting societal change. When the people of God grow in personal holiness it affects the culture around them.
4. The people of God become involved in outward acts of Christian charity.

The Second Great Awakening also spread outside of New England. The United States had won its independence from England and its citizens began to travel west. At the time of the Awakening, people were moving as far as the Mississippi. Those on the frontier were not as orthodox in their beliefs and practices, as those in New England where the revival began. There was more emotionalism and less sound doctrine. I will speak more about this in a moment.

When we consider the details of extra-biblical historical events described as revival, we find that they are a mixed bag. There are some good and some bad (and probably some that fall in between the two). There appear to be believers who were radically and supernaturally changed (i.e. repentance, confession of sin, worship, increased levels of obedience, and growth in personal holiness). There have also been some odd or even unbiblical occurrences. During the Second Great Awakening, there was a service at the Red River Meeting House in Logan County, Kentucky (June 1800) where people were barking like dogs, convulsing, howling like wolves, laughing uncontrollably, and rolling around on the ground.[10][11] A similar phenomenon occurred at the Cane Ridge Revival in Bourbon County, Kentucky (August 1801). The Cane Ridge event was attended by as many as 20,000 people. They cut down trees for people to sit on and the multiple preachers stood on stumps as they spoke simultaneously to the crowd. Historical accounts record the closing of bars and brothels as a result of the events.[12]

Some people enjoyed the “feeling” or “vibe” of the event and their lives were not changed. They continue in their sin or unbelief or even return to their sin shortly after the event. The parable of the soils speaks of a similar reality (Mark 4:3-20). Some people appear to receive the Word and then fall away when faced with difficulty (Mark 4:16-17). Others hear the Word but are unfruitful because they are consumed with the cares of this present world (Mark 4:18-19). Finally, some hear the Word, accept it, and are spiritually fruitful (Mark 4:20). I think the same principles apply to revivals.

I will leave you with 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” So, the biblically wise response to events like these is to: be biblically discerning, be prayerful (for wisdom and for God to be working in the lives of his people), and recognize that we will not know the genuine character of such an event until years later. Is there lasting spiritual fruit? The same principle is true regarding someone professing salvation in Christ. Is there lasting spiritual fruit? We will only know over time. Brothers and sisters, be praying for the Lord to work. Ask him to work in your life, your family, your church, your town, your state, your country, and this world.

---

[1] Justo L. Gonzalez,  Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day, Volume 2. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1984), 229.

[2] Orthodoxy is defined as the, “Theological beliefs judged to be essential to Christian truth. Derived from two Greek words (orthos and doxa), the term literally means “right opinion” and has come to refer to established beliefs or doctrines. In traditional Christianity the basis for orthodoxy is divine revelation, particularly in the Bible.” Daniel G. Reid et al., Dictionary of Christianity in America (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990).

[3] Timothy Paul Jones, Christian History Made Easy. (Peabody, MA: Rose Publishing, 2009), 134.

[4] Justo L. Gonzalez,  Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day, Volume 2. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1984), 230.

[5] http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/becomingamer/ideas/text4/franklinproposals.pdf

[6] https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupid?key=umn04757

[7] Justo L. Gonzalez,  Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day, Volume 2. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1984), 245.

[8] https://www.gotquestions.org/Haystack-Prayer-Meeting.html

[9] Justo L. Gonzalez,  Story of Christianity: The Reformation to the Present Day, Volume 2. (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1984), 245.

[10] https://blog.richmond.edu/jerkshistory/tag/methodists/page/7/

[11] https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/blog/post/frontier-revivals

[12] Ibid.