Revival

Part 1

What is the New Covenant meaning of the term “revival”?

Two Old Covenant scriptures refer to the need for revival in believer’s lives:

“Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6).

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15).

The Old Covenant definition of revival would be a repentant restoration into the fullness of a relationship with Yahweh, which would bring great joy to the individual. The meaning in the Church is very similar, with the word revival carrying the meaning to “live again,” being derived from the Latin re meaning “again,” and vivere meaning “to live.” The word, therefore, implies that there has been an awakening, a renewal of the relationship with God after a deep conviction and repentance. A revival then may be defined as the move of the Holy Spirit upon an individual or group, where He breaks through the dome of worldliness Satan has erected over the believer/s, which had prevented the light of God’s Word and truth from entering their hearts and minds. This breakthrough then allows the believer/s to compare their lives with the majesty and holiness of the Almighty.

The Christian website Got Questions gives an excellent description of a revival as part of its answer to the question “What is a Christian Revival”:

“Revival refers to a spiritual reawakening from a state of dormancy or stagnation in the life of a believer. It encompasses the resurfacing of a love for God, an appreciation of God’s holiness, a passion for His Word and His church, a convicting awareness of personal and corporate sin, a spirit of humility, and a desire for repentance and growth in righteousness. Revival invigorates and sometimes deepens a believer’s faith, opening his or her eyes to the truth in a fresh, new way. It generally involves the connotation of a fresh start with a clean slate, marking a new beginning of a life lived in obedience to God. Revival breaks the charm and power of the world, which blinds the eyes of men, and generates both the will and power to live in the world but not of the world.”

I would add that a revival awakens a “God first and always” understanding in a person’s life: “not my way, but your way Lord.”

To complete the explanation of the meaning of a revival it is important to clarify that a revival is not a focus on feelings and emotion, where the focus is on the self and attaining a spiritual high. There will be an emotional experience with a revival, but it is related to the individual humbly submitting themselves to the rule of God in their lives, not experiencing a self-gratifying state of spiritual upliftment.

The word “revival” applies to a number of different groups within Christianity:

1. An individual who has allowed the world to dominate their lives and limit the influence of the Holy Spirit on their lives, is humbled by life’s circumstances and seeks to restore their relationship with God. The individual then makes life changes that are aimed at developing a close relationship with God, moving to a position of being alive in God and dead to the world. The changes the individual may make are: Scheduled quiet times with prayer and Bible reading, meditating on God’s Word, committed attendance to a church with sound preaching and Godly worship, attending a Bible study group, having a focus on God’s plan and purpose for their lives, keeping a journal, renouncing worldly activities that had become “idols” in their life, and learning to serve by putting the needs of others before their own.
2. Churches will hold revival evenings with a guest speaker who will seek to inspire the attendees to a closer walk with God. Often an evangelist is asked to be the speaker and church members are asked to bring unsaved friends.
3. “Tent revival meetings,” the largest example of this would be Reinhard Bonnke’s Giant Tent in the 1980s and ’90s, which he used to take God’s message to the people of Africa. Unfortunately, this method of ministry has been taken over by charlatans who travel from place to place holding tent meetings which are dominated by shouts of “do I hear an amen,” and “praise the Lord,” along with “God blesses a generous giver” when the offering basket is passed around!
4. A group focus revival: In 1987 I was witness to a wonderful revival within Muir College High School, an all-boys school of 456 students in Uitenhage, a town on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth South Africa. In 1986 the grade 11 members of the school Scripture Union Society, with the permission of the headmaster, planned a week-long outreach to take place in their matric year. They invited Trevor Goddard, the Springbok (now called Protea) Cricket Captain (1960-1), turned evangelist to lead the outreach. The boys humbled themselves and prayed, seeking the Lord’s blessing upon the students of their school. The outreach went ahead in early 1987, and at the end of the week, Trevor Goddard’s team took the Friday assembly. An amazing event occurred; the power of the Holy Spirit fell upon the assembled boys. I had been on an important phone call so I arrived late to the assembly, as I walked into the hall I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, I would compare it to waking out of an airconditioned building into 80% plus humidity, only instead of the oppressive heat, I experienced the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. I was amazed to see first-team rugby players who had answered the “alter call” and were kneeling in front of the stage with tears streaming down their faces. These senior boys had great status in the school and would in normal circumstances be very image conscious, but they were now humbled before the convicting power of God, seeking forgiveness and asking Jesus into their lives. 220 boys gave their lives to the Lord during that assembly, a revival came to Muir College that day, thanks to the dedication and faith of a small group of boys.
5. Pastors/Elders of Churches seeking to resuscitate spiritual life within their churches. Each individual church leader designs a program for the church to follow that they believe will not only bring revival within their churches, but also attract the unsaved. The methods chosen by pastors are unfortunately often unsuccessful, in 2006 I attended a church where the pastor decided that a committed time of prayer and fasting by the congregation would be sufficient on its own to bring about a revival in the church, but it did not. I also witnessed in the early 1990s the attempts of a Pentecostal Pastor to bring about a revival in his church through “holiness preaching,” as time went on, he became more and more legalistic in his attempts to attain a revival, interpreting scripture out of context, the end result was that his congregation shrank in size.
6. An ideological revival such as the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s to the early 1970s was a reaction against the social norms of the time. The Jesus movement’s origin was in California with the majority being former Hippies, drug users, and street people who had come to faith in Jesus. They rejected the more traditional church services for what they believed to be a more fulfilling spiritual experience. Just as the Hippies rejected the lifestyle of their conservative parents, the Jesus Movement moved from conservative church services to more charismatic, informal services which encouraged joyful freedom of expression, which included the adoption of rock and roll in their worship. The influence of both secular and Christian media giving exposure to the movement attracted the youth from conservative churches, and result in a large increase in followers to the Jesus Movement, which saw the movement spread rapidly across the United States. Whether this movement was a true revival is debatable, as it involved the movement of youth from traditional churches to the Jesus movement churches, rather than the addition of a great number of new converts.
7. A community revival is brought about by a powerful move of the Holy Spirit within a church which spreads through the neighbouring regions that surround the church. A wonderful example of this would be the 1965 revival that took place on the island of Timor, which is recorded by Mel Tari in his book “Like A Mighty Wind.” This type of revival would also include missionary revivals, where God has prepared the hearts of an unreached people group for the arrival of people who hold the knowledge of “the Great Creator God”, as recorded by Don Richardson in his book “Eternity in Their Hearts.”
8. The last revival group I refer to as the Restoration Revivals is the focus of this study. The word translated as “revival” in the Old Covenant is the Hebrew word chayah which means “to bring back to life,” to “restore to consciousness,” or to “restore to a previous condition”. This group of revivals is by far the largest and consists of the most well-known revivals in the history of the Church, that have been used by God in a progressive stage-by-stage restoration of the Church. This process involves restoring correct doctrine and the cleansing of the contamination of man’s wisdom that occurred during the Dark Ages, in a step-by-step progression through each revival stage. These revivals hold the key to understanding the final great revival that will take place prior to the return of Jesus for His Bride. These revivals not only drew believers into a close walk with God, but also had the knock-on effect of bringing revival to the unsaved within the communities. It is worth noting that many “Christians” of different eras found salvation as they moved from the ideology of men to a relationship with God. The goal of the restoration revivals is to move the Church from the corrupted apostate church of the Dark Ages back to the original Church that was referred to as “the Way” in the foundational years of the Church.

The Restoration Revivals

The Restoration Revivals Revealed in Hebrews 6

Constantine opened the door for paganism to enter the Church in AD 312, which set the stage for the flood of man’s wisdom into the Church, which continued to contaminate the Church through the ages. Examples are Church fathers such as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas introducing the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle into church doctrine, the result was that the Roman Catholic Church accelerated downhill on a path to complete apostasy. The Dark Ages was the inevitable result, where Church traditions, pagan beliefs, superstitions, and corruption dominated the Church.

A study of the great revivals that Jesus brought to the Church over the ages, reveals His plan to rescue His Church. He organised restoration revivals which enabled the Church to move stage by stage out of the Dark Ages, with each stage cleansing a distinct aspect of the apostasy that had contaminated the Dark Ages Church. This amazing step-by-step restoration that Jesus has ordained, follows the Foundation Principles laid down by the author of Hebrews in chapter 6:

Foundation principles (Hebrews 6:1-2):
1. Repentance from dead works.
2. Faith in God.
3. Baptisms.
4. Laying on of hands.
5. Resurrection of the dead.
6. Eternal judgement.

The diagram below illustrates the break from the early Church that was called “The Way” at the time of Constantine, and that there are now over 38 000 Christian denominations with most of them following the false doctrine of Replacement Theology – the belief that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s plan and purpose for mankind. God has enabled a process that will allow the Church to return to the pure uncontaminated state that it was during the time of the Church Fathers, this process has been the implementation of the Foundation Principles.

The table below depicts the stages of the restoration revivals that connect to the Foundation Principles of Hebrews 6, which started with the Reformation and that will end at the commencement of the Millennium Kingdom.

Foundation Stones of Hebrews 6:1-2

Dark Ages	Reformation	Awakening revival	Pentecostal revival	Charismatic revival	Preparing the Bride revival	Sheep and goat judgement (pre-Millennium)
Hebrews 6:1-2	Repentance from Dead Works	Faith in God	Baptisms	Laying on of Hands	Resurrection of the Dead	Judgements

Restoration Revival 1

Repentance from Dead Works Revival – The Reformation (1517):

In 1517 a monk called Martian Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church in Germany, the document consisted of a list of grievances that he had with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. The gravest of these offences was that the Roman Church held that church traditions were a requirement for salvation. The Roman Catholic Church had opened its doors wide to the influences of paganism and man’s philosophies, with the result that the Roman Church found itself mired in corruption and greed, led by self-serving leaders who were motivated by achieving goals that would see them attain both status and wealth. The catalyst for Luther’s confrontation with the hierarchy of the Roman Church was the sale of indulgences, a monetary payment to the Roman Church, which according to Pope Leo X, would absolve the individual of their sins and release them from purgatory upon their death. The idea that Pope Leo X was fleecing Roman Catholics of their hard-earned money, with the deception that they could buy their way into heaven infuriated Martin Luther.

Through Martin Luther and other men of the Reformation such as John Knox and John Calvin, the first step in God’s restoration plan (Hebrews 6:1-2) became a reality. The process of cleansing the Church of the Dark Ages contamination had begun, through the Reformation the dead works of the traditions of men were identified as a grave error and corrected.

The followers of the Reformation were called Protestants, and most people believe that the term was given to them because they protested against the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. While this is an accurate description of the actions of the Reformers, it is not a true statement, the name Protestant comes from a combination of two Latin words pro – (for, in favour of), and testari – (to bear witness, to testify), so Protestants are a witness to the truth.

There are those theologians that do not recognise the Reformation as a revival, because they interpret the movement as believing Roman Catholics becoming believing Protestants, with no salvation being involved. This is a gross misinterpretation, the vast majority of Roman Catholics, even today, believe they are going to heaven because they were baptised into the Roman Church as babies and because they have kept the traditions of the Church. They have little understanding of the complete work of the cross: That salvation through faith in Jesus as the Lamb of God and that His shed blood provides forgiveness of sins for those that believe in Him. Multiple hundreds of thousands of Roman Catholics came to a saving knowledge of Jesus during the Reformation, with their rejection of the dead works of the Roman Church.

Restoration Revival 2

Faith in God Revival – The Great Awakening (1720-1740):

The Great Awakening Revivals were founded on a renewed faith in God, which resulted in a spiritual awakening and an increased devotion to God. The revivals were focused in America, Britain, and Germany, but ultimately influenced the world, and were led by men such as John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Samuel Davies. Men whose God-ordained preaching moved the hearts of multitudes.

The second stage of the Restoration Revivals can be best seen in the testimony of John Wesley: In 1736 Wesley was onboard a sailing ship bound for the state of Georgia in the United States. The ship was caught in a violent storm which shredded the sails and flooded the decks. While the English passengers were gripped with fear, a group of German Moravian missionaries gathered in a group and calmly sang worship songs as the storm raged on. John Wesley was astonished at the great faith that the Moravians displayed in their heavenly Father, and for Wesley, this proved to be a major turning point in his relationship with God.

The Author of Hebrews gives guidance on how to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord:

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

God’s instruction to us is that our lives must be lived in a daily walk of faith in Him. That we become eternally minded, knowing that God has a plan and purpose for our lives, and that we diligently seek the fulfilment of that purpose. The Moravian Brethren understood the promises of God for those who have faith in Him and were therefore unafraid of the violent storm. Their faith was a great testimony to John Wesley who came to understand the importance of faith in his walk with God.

The first two Foundation Principals, repentance from dead works and faith in God, go hand in hand. Salvation comes to a person when they realise that entry into heaven cannot be earned by good works. Having come to this epiphany they then turn to God, and place their faith in His provision for their sins – Jesus. Having attained salvation, the new believer must grow in faith in their relationship with God, and their complete acceptance of His Word. This growth in faith in an Almighty God who is also a caring Father was the second stage in the move of the Church away from the apostasy that is the Roman Catholic Church, and fulfilled the second Foundation Principle of Hebrews 6.

Restoration Revival 3

Baptism Revival – The Pentecostal movement (early 1900s):

The Pentecostal movement had its genesis in Topeka, Kansas during a watch night service on December 31, 1900. A young lady named Agnes Ozman approached Charles Fox Parham, the pastor of the church and asked him to pray that she would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The result was that she was baptised in the Spirit and spoke in tongues, in fact for the next three days she was only able to speak Chinese. Over time the baptism of the Holy Spirit within the church resulted in the manifestation of other gifts such as healing, prophecy and the release of those in spiritual bondage.

In 1906 William Joseph Seymour, who had been introduced to the Pentecostal movement by Parham attended the famous Azuza Street Meeting in Los Angeles, where once more there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit with many being Baptised in the Spirit and speaking in tongues. This meeting proved to be the catalyst for the movement, as from that night Pentecostalism spread all over the earth, with breaks out in Europe led by Thomas Ball Berritt, in Sweden led by Louise Patros, in Russia under the leadership of J. A. Voreniov and even reaching as far as Korea.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit was predicted firstly by John the Baptist in Mark 1:8:

“I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Then the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was foretold by Jesus before He ascended to heaven:

“For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5).

The fulfilment of that promise took place during the Feast of Pentecost:

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested[a] on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1–4).

Those worshipping in the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit, which descended on them all as tongues of fire. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit is seen as the start of the Church.

Just as it is a command to the unsaved of the world to repent and receive salvation, the believer is commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). So, if it is a command to be filled with the Holy Spirit, God is going to make sure the baptism is possible for all:

“This is the assurance we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

It is God’s will that you be filled with the Holy Spirit, not because you deserve to be filled, but on the basis that it is a promise of God for all believers.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a baptism into God’s power, this then enables God to not only guide us in our ministries, but also to manifest His wonders. The book of Exodus details the Holy Spirit coming upon Bezalel and Oholiab to enhance their gifting, and enable them to build the tabernacle (Exodus 31:1-11). The book of Acts is filled with accounts of the apostles performing a large range of miracles confirming the truth of their ministry. 

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was the third step in the restoration process that God has been directing the Church through, a process that at that time matched the third Foundation Principle – Baptisms.

Restoration Revival 4

The Laying on of Hands Revival – The Charismatic Movement (1950s to 1960s):

The Genesis of the Charismatic movement can be identified as occurring in 1950-51. It was at this time, that the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) meetings occurred and the businessmen shared testimonies regarding receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the giftings associated with the blessing. Dennis J. Bennett who was at that time the rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Van Nuys attended these meetings. Bennet resigned from his post at St Mark’s and moved to a small mission church called St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Seattle, then on April 3, 1960, he informed his congregation that he had experienced the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and his sermon on the topic sparked a mini-Pentecostal revival. Dennis Bennet noticed that those members of his congregation who received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit became more committed to serving the Church and pursuing the giftings they had received. The result of this observation was that the emphasis changed from the receiving of the baptism of the Holy Spirit to the work of the Holy Spirit. The church focused on inspiring and equipping the individual members for service within the Church and also motivating the desire to reach the world.

The ministry of laying on of hands had been largely lost by the Church down through the ages. However, with the Charismatic Movement focusing on the gifting of the Holy Spirit, the practice has been revived. Most evangelical churches now recognize that God has ordained the laying on of hands for transferring or imparting blessing, authority, healing, and spiritual gifts.

When a believer is laying hands on someone, they are then imparting the power of the Holy Spirit that is within them, through themselves into the other person. Therefore, in order for the ministry to be successful, the believer needs to be sure that they are in right standing with God, and filled with the Holy Spirit. The practice of laying on hands is both a symbolic and formal method of invoking the Holy Spirit. The essence of laying on of hands then is on building and maintaining the body of Christ. With this in mind, we need to understand that there are no magical biblical formulas for the ministry of the Church. The practice of Laying on of hands has no power in itself. Laying on of hands is only used by God, when it is done in agreement with God’s Word. There is a connection being made between the person praying, and the person being prayed for, so it is a “sign” indicating the imparting of the Holy Spirit.

The Charismatic revival resulted in the fourth Foundation Principal of Hebrews 6 being achieved, and the Church moved yet another stage further out of the mire of apostasy that is the Roman Catholic Church.

Restoration Revival 5

The Last Revival for the Church period, the Resurrection of the Dead – The Spotless Bride (future):

According to the order determined by the list of Foundation Principles, the next revival for the Church will be the fifth restoration revival. This last revival will be associated with the Bride of Christ totally removing all remaining traces of man’s wisdom and the residue of the Dark Ages, thus preparing a spotless Bride for the return of the Bridegroom – the resurrection referred to as “the rapture,” which is recorded by Paul in two of His epistles:

“51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

“15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).

The significance of the fifth Restoration Revival being linked with the rapture, is that Jesus, the Bridegroom, is returning for His Bride (the Church). This is a momentous occasion, the climax of a symphony that has played out over the last nearly 2 000 years. As believers who are a part of the body that makes up the Bride of Christ, we need to answer an important question: With the Church in the state that it is in, full of the philosophies of men, which has resulted in apostasy, false doctrine, and liberal teachings, will Jesus return for a corrupted Bride? The Church of today resembles a tattooed “Biker Chick” in leathers with all the other biker paraphernalia, rather than a spotless bride made ready for her Bridegroom. What type of climax would it be for Jesus to return for a “Biker Chick” bride, who makes the statement, “I want your name, but I will buy my own clothes and jewellery, and behave and dress how I want” (Isaiah 4:1)?

I have no doubt that before Jesus returns for His Bride, He will draw a line in the sand and define His true Church. At the moment there are far too many grey areas separating the true believers from the Apostate church, and there are way too many churches sitting on the fence and not making a stand for the truth and righteousness of God’s Word. So, what will Jesus do? Just as He has done so many times in the past! He will refine His Church with the fires of trials and testing, those Churches that withstand the hardships of the adversary because of their love for the truth will end up on the correct side of the line in the sand. When the rapture occurs, those churches will be empty, and vacant, except for the few who were spectators not participators of the salvation Jesus provides. Those left behind will quickly realise that what was spoken from the pulpit was the truth and so will become Tribulation saints. Those churches that submit to the pressures of conforming to the ecumenical demands of the liberal “church” body, will be the apostate church denominations that continue on into the Tribulation. I must make it very clear that the rapture will be for all believers at the time of the return of Jesus for His Bride, there will be those believers who for whatever reason remain loyal to an apostate church, who will be raptured out of their congregation.

Obadiah carries a severe warning for churches who will attempt to stay neutral at this time and avoid persecution from the ecumenical churches, and liberal government authorities:

“On the day that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them” (1:11).

In this verse, Obadiah is referring to the Edomites, the descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau, who did not take part in the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC but rejoiced at the sight of Jerusalem burning. Even though they did not take part in Jerusalem’s destruction God spoke through His prophet and revealed that He would hold them accountable for the destruction of Jerusalem. Because they rejoiced at the city’s demise, they were ideologically complicit in its destruction.

_{Jerusalem to set on fire by the Babylonians in 587 BC}

God sets a standard of accountability which includes ideology, so even though there will be churches that do not take part in the persecution of the true Church, God will hold them accountable for their support of liberal philosophy. An example from the Church today is that a believer who holds to the doctrine of Replacement Theology and follows the mass media’s indoctrination of Israel as an apartheid nation, will be held accountable by God for their ideological support of Israel’s antagonists, even though they have not actively sought to oppose Israel. There is no grey area in God’s righteousness.

The fifth Restoration Revival that will occur just prior to the rapture will therefore be a final refining of the True Church, where the last vestiges of man’s wisdom and corruption are stripped away and God’s Word reigns supreme. The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, and that fear includes a reverence for God’s Word, which is the source of wisdom. Those that fear the Lord become His true disciples, and commit their lives to serve Him, they become His servant. It is not optional; it is mandatory, they will do what every believer is required to do, forsake their selfish desires and look to serve God, they will pick up their cross and follow after Him. There will be no ifs or buts, the path they will follow will be God’s Word, not man’s wisdom.

The anticipation of this next revival should cause great excitement in the Church of our Lord, but just as the disciples slept in the Garden of Gethsemane, so too is the true Church asleep. Just as Judas led the religious authorities of the day to the place where the disciples slumbered, causing them to scatter, so too will the spirit of the Antichrist insight the religious authorities to persecute the true Church in the Last Days.

An example of the “slumbering church” are the Evangelical churches, this group of churches derive their title from a commitment to the gospel message of Jesus as mankind’s saviour. They believe they are successful churches because they are committed to evangelism and continually bring people into their churches. But that is their problem, evangelism is only a part of discipleship, we are required to “make disciples” (Matt. 28:19), these churches are focused on the gospels and tithing. The pastors encourage evangelism as it brings in greater numbers, and then the congregation is continually reminded (usually through a guilt trip after worship), how important tithing and giving to church ministries is. Then, because these churches are increasing in number and wealth, these pastors believe they are growing the Church of Jesus. In actual fact they are weakening the Church of Jesus because there is no focus on God’s Word, there is no discipleship and therefore the Church is not built on the foundation of Jesus as the Word of God. Discipleship teaches a fear of God, which only a study of all the Scriptures can provide. Fear of God enables the development of an eternal mindset that dedicates itself to service.

The difference between evangelism and discipleship is equivalent to the difference between a Sergeant and a General in the army. A Sergeant has a part of the battle plan and can operate effectively only under those direct orders, while the General has a global understanding of the battle plan, understanding how all the many parts of his forces are co-ordinated and how they will aim to defeat the varies units of the enemy. Also, in this case, the Sergeant is in a unit that is made up of civilian volunteers, a part-time soldier, while the General is a regular soldier who is committed to a lifetime of service.

A further problem with these evangelical churches is because their focus is on the Gospels, they do not study prophecy. It is in this area that they are most like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, fast asleep as the spirit of the Antichrist is marshalling forces to oppose God’s true Church and prepare the way for the rule of the Antichrist. So, when the persecution of the true church starts, they will be surprised and they will have no plans in place to deal with the persecution, leaders of the church will be arrested and the church will be a flock without a shepherd, having a limited understanding of God’s Word.

The blog that follows this study on revivals will be based on the writings of Paul’s second letter to Timothy. Paul is in jail in Rome and he writes to encourage his young student and urges him to stand firm. In his exhortation to Timothy, Paul includes guidelines that the persecuted church may use to ensure that despite their leaders being targeted for persecution, the church will continue to function. The ability of the Church to weather this persecution will be discipleship – a solid foundation in God’s Word.

As revealed in the earlier diagram entitled The failure of Christianity, there are over 38 000 church denominations in the world today and the majority of them follow the doctrine of Replacement Theology. Replacement theology is the belief that the Church has superseded Israel, replacing Israel in God’s plan for mankind. They believe that the plans and promises of God now belong to the Church and that the Jews are no longer the “chosen people of God.” In their eyes, the rejection of Jesus by the Jews has resulted in the covenants that God made with Israel being cancelled. These Churches, therefore, believe that the nation of Israel does not play a unique and important part in God’s End Times plan for mankind, and that they are no more special or deserving of our attention than any other nation. Unfortunately, when the Church claims the promises of God that Scripture records are for Israel, all that is left for Israel are the curses. This fact has resulted in Replacement Theology being the root cause for the many anti-Semitic acts perpetrated by the “Church” through the ages.

Below is a table that distinguishes promises that are shared by Jews and Gentiles, from those promises that are for the Jewish people only:

_{The above table is from https://mysouthland.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/6-reasons-Replacement-Theology-is-false-the-Church-has-not-replaced-the-nation-of-Israel.pdf (04/02/2022).}

With Replacement Theology being so deeply rooted in the majority of denominations, a very important question must be answered: Will Jesus the “King of the Jews” return for a bride that is anti-Semitic, and rejects the concept of a Millennium Kingdom rule by Jesus? The answer should be clear to all – a firm No! This is a further reason why Jesus is going to draw a line in the sand and refine His true Church in the last days. A major defining factor for the Bride of Christ will be her support of Israel, her total rejection of the anti-Semitic doctrine of Replacement Theology, and her fervent belief that Jesus will fulfill the covenant promises to David, and have a Millennium rule as King of Kings in Jerusalem – the Son of David seated on the throne of David, the Prince of Peace ruling from the city of peace.

The fifth restoration revival will therefore not take place until there is a commitment by churches to rid themselves of all traces of man’s wisdom and pagan traditions, which will include Replacement theology. This requirement, therefore, means the rapture will not occur until the fifth restoration revival takes place, and the fifth revival will only occur when the true Church focuses on God’s word and not on the philosophies of men. Jesus is not going to return for a bride that is a contaminated bride that rejects his Kingdom rule. At the moment the majority of “the Church” is anti-Semitic, so although as part of the Bride of Christ she is marrying a Jew, she dresses in the clothing of her culture and does not want to have anything to do with the Bridegroom’s relatives.

The Church must therefore return to the pre-Constantine era of the early Church, which the book of Acts called “the Way” in Acts 9:2. It is worth noting that this early community of believers was refined by persecution. Paul in his closing prayer in his first letter to the Thessalonians writes:

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess. 5:23-24).

Titus reaffirms this message by writing:

“waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works [eternally minded]” (Titus 2:13-14).

The sanctification Paul and Titus are referring to is the work of the Holy Spirit that purifies a person over time, cleansing their sinful nature, and training them to become dedicated servants of God. Paul is stating that his wish for the Thessalonians is that each believer’s mind, body, and spirit will be purified by God before the return of Jesus at the rapture, while Titus states it as a requirement. Paul’s prayer is inspired by the Holy Spirit, so it is not only Paul’s wish, it is God’s desire, not just for the Thessalonians but for all believers to be “blameless” at the return of Jesus. The Scriptures clearly indicate that believers will be expected to be fully sanctified at the return of Jesus. Jesus is not going to return for a Bride that is contaminated by the Philosophies of men; the Church will have to be sanctified, which means experiencing trial and testing. When this occurs the division between the True Church and the apostate church will be made clear.

In regard to the conditions required for the fifth restoration revival, it is also important to note what the author of Hebrews wrote:

“12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

The Church at the time of the return of Jesus will be sanctified by God’s Word, not man’s wisdom. The Word of God cuts between the soul (will, intellect and emotion) and the spirit (knowledge of God). Note that the soul is all about self, and is the source of corruption – man’s wisdom, while the spirit is our knowledge and connection to God. The Last Day’s Church will use God’s Word to separate selfishness from the spiritual worship of God. The Bride of Christ will have a soul that is obedient to the spirit.

The Bride of Christ then has an immense responsibility to sound the warning for both the impending rapture and the return of the apostasy of the “Dark Ages,” with the rise of the Antichrist and the subsequent commencement of the Tribulation. The Roman Catholic Church as the Mother of Harlots will head the apostasy spoken of by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, which will provide a platform for the rise of the Antichrist. To be silent on this issue and not sound the warning will be a failure of great magnitude on the part of the believers.

Restoration Revival 6

The Judgements Revival – The Sheep and Goat Judgement:

The sixth and last foundation principle will be the Sheep and the Goat Judgement, which will take place on the return of Jesus at the end of the Tribulation. This judgement will determine who will continue to live with Jesus during the Millennium Kingdom. The Bride of Christ then has an immense responsibility to sound the warning for both the impending rapture and the return of the tribulations of the “Dark Ages,” under an apostate faith headed by the Roman Catholic Church (2 Thess. 2:3), which will occur during the first 3½ years of the Tribulation.

_{The separation of the sheep from the goats is an everyday reality in Israel, as they look very similar.}

The Judgement revival that occurs at the end of the Tribulation will include the fulfilment of Romans 11:25-27:

“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob’;27 ‘and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins’.”

The typology of Joseph’s life gives clarity to the above scripture, where Joseph is a shadow of the reality that is Jesus. The narrative in Genesis 42 reveals that the family of Jacob (Israel) is put through seven years of drought, and during this time Joseph, now second only to Pharaoh in Egypt, tests his brothers who had rejected him. Eventually, the brothers and Jacob are restored in their relationship with Joseph. The family moves to Goshen in Egypt and come under the protection and rule of Joseph. In Romans 11:25-27 Paul writes of the deliverance that Jesus will bring to Israel at His return at the end of the Tribulation – the “time of Jacobs trouble.” Having suffered seven years under the rule of the Antichrist Jesus will restore Israel in relationship with Him, just as Joseph had done with His brothers. Paul then goes on to make a statement that totally contradicts the teachings of Replacement theology: “For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” God’s promise to the Jews regarding the Son of David ruling over the nation of Israel will be fulfilled.

The sixth Restoration Revival also applies to the Gentiles who survive the Tribulation, in that the grace of God extends to some of them as well. Those Gentiles who can prove that they supported, protected, and aided the Jews during the Tribulation will be allowed to go on and live in the Millennium Kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46). These Gentiles are referred to as the sheep by Matthew, while those Gentiles that have been in any way antagonistic to the Jews are referred to as the goats and will not be allowed to live on in the Kingdom – they will be put to death. It is important to understand that the reprieve is for the sheep Gentiles alone, the goat Gentiles at the end of the Tribulation die not for being antagonistic to Jews, but because of their continued hard heart in denying Jesus as Lord and saviour. The sixth judgement revival is that the sheep Gentiles will not only meet with Jesus in the spiritual sense, as new converts do during the Church period, they will also experience the reality of the awesome physical presence of the King of Kings, which will include the full anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The Serpent’s response

Satan is the adversary of the Church, opposing all that is of God, and desiring to impose his will on mankind. In Scripture when Satan is depicted as a serpent he is operating as the deceiver, he continually works to entice mankind into following false beliefs and corrupting their relationship with God. So, it should not be surprising that Satan has not been idle in his efforts to counter the Restoration Revivals. A study of the first four restoration revivals that have already occurred, will reveal that each stage was merely a step in the right direction and not a complete cleansing. Then, unfortunately, as these churches did not become completely cleansed, and because over time they have forgotten their past, Satan has been able to contaminate their doctrines with man’s wisdom. The result is that denominations formed during each of the last four stages are being drawn back under the fold of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1948 the first Ecumenical assembly was held in Amsterdam, where the motto “One World, One Church” was adopted. The ecumenical movement has the goal of establishing a one-world unified church, ecumenical being derived from the Greek “oikoumene” which means “the whole inhabited world.” The aim of ecumenicalism is to bring together all Christian denominations.

The Roman Catholic Church seized the opportunity brought about by the desire of Protestant churches to have unity, and at the Second Vatican Council (1962-64) a Decree on Ecumenism was issued by Pope Paul VI, which revealed the goal of the Roman Catholic Church to bring Protestants back into the fold of the mother church.

The proclamation determined that Protestants were no longer “heretics,” but were in the future to be referred to as “separated brethren.” As the Catholic Church sees itself as the true church, its ecumenical activity has the goal of bringing Protestant churches and other religions under the authority of the Pope. This is made clear in paragraph 4 of the Decree on Ecumenism which states “…when the obstacles to perfect ecclesiastical communion have been gradually overcome, all Christians will at last, in a common celebration of the Eucharist, be gathered into the one and only Church in that unity which Christ bestowed on His Church from the beginning. We believe that this unity subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose…” The ecumenical deception of the Roman Catholic Church has worked, in an interview with Time Magazine (October 16, 1989), Archbishop Runcie of the Church of England told them that he had given a special ring to Pope John Paul II, explaining that the ring was “an engagement ring” between him and the Pope as a promise of the future union between the Church of England and the Catholic Church.

Then on October 31, 1999, representatives of the Lutherans and Roman Catholics met in Augsburg Germany, and signed a joint declaration on the subject of justification, so five hundred years of “protesting” which began with Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran church, came to an end. The Roman Catholic Church now says that as there is no longer a need to be a protester, all protestants should return to the Roman Church. A call that any true Protestant should ignore as a Protestant is not only a protester but also a witness to the truth (pro [for, in favour of], and testari [to bear witness]).

The above evidence reveals how two denominations formed during the Reformation period have been drawn back into the arms of the Roman Catholic Church. A further example would be the Reformation Church of John Knox – the Presbyterians – whose recent liberal philosophies have resulted in the American Presbyterians dropping the very popular hymn “In Christ Alone” from their hymnal, because of lyrics in the song referring to the wrath of God: “on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” Modern liberal “Christians” will not tolerate a wrathful God, there is no judgement, only love and forgiveness.

The second restoration revival, the Awakening revival focused on “Faith in God,” and took the Church a second stage further away from the Dark Ages of Roman Catholicism. Yet the Awakening churches also failed to go far enough and are being drawn back into the folds of the Roman Catholic Church. This includes denominations such as the Methodist Church with its social gospel; The drive to evangelise and disciple the world by John Wesley, has become a drive to eradicate poverty. The social gospel links the Methodist Church with the socialist agenda of Roman Catholicism and the Pope having temporal authority (all mankind is equal under the authority of the Roman Catholic hierarchy).

Then with regards to the third and fourth restoration revivals, both the Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches have been contaminated by the selfish desire to seek a spiritual high, resulting in the formation of the Hyper Pentecostal and Hyper Charismatic churches. Worship songs have changed from praising God with a didactic component, to a focus on the individual attaining an emotional experience, through repetitive lyrics that closely resemble a mantra. The cornerstone of the church has moved away from the Word of God as the foundation for the church, to the manifestation of the spiritual gifts. For example, in many charismatic church services, there is an over-emphasis on prophecy, with people queuing up each service to be seen by the congregation, and then have their “prognostications” broadcast. This occurs in these churches despite the fact that Paul instructs the Corinthians that only two or three people should prophesy, while the rest of the congregation weighs what is said (1 Corinthians 14:29). Another example is the over-emphasis on the gift of tongues, I attended a charismatic church recently where the Elder giving the service instructed the congregation that they should speak in tongues for over four hours and even up to eight hours if they wanted to hear from God. Scripture repeatedly emphasizes that a believer’s focus should be on the Word of God, and that we should be spending hours reading Scripture. There is no instruction in scripture to speak in tongues for four hours plus, an inappropriate focus on the Holy Spirit leads the believer into error. The work of the Holy Spirit is to point to Jesus, when this does not happen deceiving spirits will take over.

It is worthwhile noting that during Vatican II (1962-1965) the Charismatic Revival, which was occurring at the time, became a focus for debate amongst the Jesuits attending the conference. The Jesuits are the Roman Catholic order who swear an oath to destroy Protestant movements that threaten the authority of the Pope – like the newly formed Charismatic Movement. Then, after the Jesuit debate on the Charismatic movement, “miraculously” in 1967 there was a counterfeit Roman Catholic Charismatic revival. From this time on “charismatic revivals” become contaminated by strange occurrences that have no connection to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and an over-emphasis by churches on people “experiencing” the gifts of the Holy Spirit has occurred.

The continued contamination of the Protestant churches explains why Jesus asks in Luke 18:8, “Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith upon the earth?” There has to be a last revival that cleanses the last vestiges of the Dark Ages from the Bride of Christ. Jesus is going to draw a line in the sand and require His true churches to make a stand – rejecting the philosophies of men and returning to the Word of God and becoming a spotless Bride. Those churches that will hold to the liberal doctrines where man’s wisdom is superior to God’s Word, will then be held accountable in the Tribulation.

The apostate church that Satan is working to establish will consist of the following “Christians”:

• Self-serving humanistic Christians who have bought into philosophies of the world, and adapt His word to suit their wants and needs.
• Liberal Christians who have bought into the love gospel.
• Self-centered Christians who just want God to prosper them.
• Social gospel Christians who believe it is more important to alleviate poverty than to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus.
• Christians who want to “experience the Holy Spirit,” rather than serve Jesus.
• Deceived Christians who believe salvation is through church traditions and works.

A duty of the true Bride of Christ is to expose the false apostate bride, never tolerating the deceptions of the adversary – Satan. Then, upon the true Bride receiving God’s blessings, and attaining the fifth Restoration Revival, she will become a role model and an example, which will cause some churches that have been fence-sitting to rapidly change course and emulate the true Bride, so as to share in her blessing. It is these churches that will represent the Bride of Christ at His return.

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