The beauty of autumn reminds us of activities that are generally associated with this time of the year.  Hunting season, football games, and for many southerners this is the time of the year to hold church revivals.  An out of town preacher comes to the community and presents the gospel message and somehow or another the out of town preacher speaks a little louder, tells better jokes, and maybe speaks with  more authority.  Everybody goes to the meeting and calls it revival.

 

What is revival in biblical categories?  What are some biblical examples of revival?  There are several examples of revival in the redemptive history of the Old Testament Church.  One of the prominent revivals occurred during the reign of Josiah (2 Chronicles 34 and 35).  The Bible indicates that Josiah "did right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of his father David. . .  ." (2 Chronicles 34:2).  The performance of each king of Judah was measured against King David, the first king of the undivided Kingdom of Israel.  Josiah was reformed by the Word of God and God gave the Old Testament church a revival.   Revival in biblical categories is measured by human experience.  The revival that occurred in Judah during the reign of Josiah lasted throughout his lifetime (2 Chron. 34:33).  Has there been a spiritual revival in our land lately?  If so, when did it happen and how long did it last?  Why is revival so rare?  Is it possible to have a revival in my church or your church?   Yes, but something else must take place first.

 

Josiah purged Judah and Jerusalem of pagan and false worship.   During the process there was a cleansing of the temple and the high priest discovered "the book of the law" (the Bible).  Throughout redemptive history reformation always precedes revival.  Reformation refers to discovery or I should say the recovery of the truth from the Word of God.  The recovery of truth was significantly important in the 16th century reformation.  It was the recovery of the cardinal doctrines (reformation) that brought about revival (the practice of biblical doctrine).   When biblical truth is restored then the doors of heaven will be open to revival.  Revival will not take place unless truth is brought into the Christian experience.

 

The church being reformed by the Word of God will experience revival.  The reformed church is being changed according to the Word of God by the power of His Spirit, so that wrong and corrupt beliefs are replaced by right and pure beliefs (reformation).   Likewise the reformed church after reformation will replace immoral conduct and  practices with godly conduct and practices (revival).   Do you want reformation and revival in your church?