Reformation has the thought of reforming, rebuilding, or remodelling back to the original pattern or state. The great spiritual reformation of the 16th century restored truths that had been lost, such as justification by faith in the shed blood of Jesus. These were not new truths, they were restored truths.
In reality, the reformation that started in the 16th century has continued on; God is still restoring lost truths.
Revival has the meaning to resuscitate. You only resuscitate that which is dying. This infers that the Church has retreated from a higher position and now needs to be restored back to its former state.
Revivals come and go, and they are good while they last. The problem with revivals is that the Church does not move on from the revived state and in most cases, regresses back to where it was before the revival.
The purpose of revivals is to bring the Church back to normal Christian life and experience. If we would get out of the habit of organizing and controlling revivals and seeking to use them for our own purposes and glory, we would see many revivals morph into normal, revived true Christian living. This is not to say that leadership is not required–it is. However, we need leadership that is sensitive to the leadings and control of the Holy Spirit, leadership that is not about building personal kingdoms out of the revival.
Awakenings are just that: they are designed to wake us up. They are needed when the Church has lapsed back into passivity and indifference. This occurs when there is no real spiritual growth and we settle for the status quo.
Now we are about to go where few have gone before. We are now entering an era where few have gone before. There is nothing to which we can reference this in Church history, since what God is about to do is something utterly new.
ISAIAH 43: Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.
Much of what was prophesied by Old Testament prophets was to do with the Nation of Israel. The Scriptures clearly indicate, however, that these prophetic words concerning Israel have an even greater understanding and implication for the end-time Church.
Although these Scriptures have a reference to Israel, Isaiah is also prophesying here about the end-time Church. God is about to bring forth spiritual rivers of life through His people like never before in the history of the Church. The best wine has been reserved for these last days.
Before God’s wrath will be poured out on this earth, He will first pour out His Spirit and fire on all flesh; and all, does mean all. (See Joel 2:28.)
Nothing like this has ever been seen before in the earth. While the prophet Habakkuk lived in days somewhat unlike our own, he lists a number of community trends of his day which are prevalent today, such as:
Violence: we are seeing increased violence in our day.
Iniquity: this word has the thought of intense wickedness.
Strife: this world is overflowing with strife.
Contention: is part of the society we live in.
Injustice: the law courts dispensing wrong justice We see all of these conditions in our world today, and just as Habakkuk felt despair it is easy for us today to feel the same.
However, Habakkuk went on to say this:
HABAKKUK 1:5 5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. He then goes on to say that the heathen nations will trample the Nation of Israel in a brutal invasion. Habakkuk is so astonished at this. He goes to a high tower to see what God will say to him about this.
HABAKKUK 2:1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. 2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Habakkuk saw something that blew him away. God had said to him in Chapter 1 verse 5, that He would work a work in his days that he, Habakkuk, would not believe, even though God was telling him about it.
Habakkuk then jumps forward in time, right down to our day. God said to him that this vision is for a future date in a time when “the just shall live by faith” (verse 4). It would be a time when the earth would be filled with the Glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (verse 14).
Habakkuk saw something that would happen in his day, which was also a picture of the days in which we now live. He saw down through the ages to these end times, a time when the earth would be covered with the glory of the Lord, just as the sea covers most of the earth.
If we were told a number of years ago what God was about to do in these days, like Habakkuk I doubt we would have believed it.
Every tribe and every tongue will hear the gospel of the Kingdom, accompanied by incredible signs and wonders, and only then will the end come:
MATTHEW 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. The knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth.
HABAKKUK 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
EPHESIANS 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
DANIEL 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. In the past, truth has been revealed little by little, but in these last days truth will be revealed like never before. God has never stopped revealing truth.
1 CORINTHIANS 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Our understanding of the Scriptures is very limited without revelation from God. The natural mind cannot understand the things of God. It takes the Spirit of God to reveal the things of God. Only in His light do we see true light.
We know very little about the role of the saints in the ages to come. We know very little about the millennial reign of Christ. Habakkuk prophesied that there would come a time when the earth would be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, just as the waters cover the sea.
We in this generation will see this fulfilled. Revivals, reformations, and awakenings tend to wane, but what God is about to do will continue on right down to the end of the age.
MATTHEW 13:47–50 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
As I have said, we are living in a time when knowledge is increasing exponentially. In the natural this has a lot to do with the arrival of the internet.
This global computer network is also a prophetic parallel to the present increase of spiritual and biblical revelation and understanding.
The true Church is about to ascend to a much greater level of spiritual understanding and knowledge, as never seen before. We know very little about the purposes of God in the ages to come, and what part we are destined to play in future ages.
DANIEL 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. The journey involves tests and graduation. NUMBERS 14:22–23 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it.
There has been a false doctrine that has penetrated the Church over the last few decades, which basically teaches that if we are walking with God in faith and in all that He has provided for us, we will not face trials or suffering. Clearly this is not so.
The Apostle Paul said this: COLOSSIANS 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the Church: