Region-wide prayer and preaching meetings; mass baptisms; large gatherings of people weeping over their sins and praying for mercy; leaders publicly confessing their sins to their followers. Such are several of the common images that enter people’s minds when they think of “revival”.

Within the past couple of years, many public Christian speakers, podcasters, and leaders have pointed out that some of these things seem to have been happening in the United States. Mostly, people point to the increasing practice of public figures making professions of faith, and beginning to speak of the Bible and Christianity with admiration, favor, and even zeal. Also, some have noted that there is an increased presence and pursuit from the younger generations of Americans, as many Bible-believing churches have seen an influx and even surge of them visiting and joining these churches. Likewise, The Gospel Coalition recently covered the activity of various college ministries from last year, which encountered an unusually large number of converted college students, and increased zeal among the existing ministry members. Could all of these things be signs that the U.S. is receiving a revival of Christianity across the country? Maybe, and maybe not.

I for one, long for, and pray for, revival. But the kind of revival I see is different from the conception of revival that many western Christians have. If we want to have the Lord mightily use us in the help of the saints and salvation of sinners, then we need to have a biblical understanding of what revival is, and what it is not. Further, we need to understand whether revival is a necessity in some sense, or a special blessing. In this lesson, I’ll seek to show you the biblical description of revival, its historical manifestations, and ways in which it would be beneficial in western countries today, especially North America and Europe. You should expect to be challenged, rebuked, as well as encouraged. Revival is usually the spiritual resuscitation of people who are almost dead.

What Biblical Revival Isn’t, and What It Is

We first need to make clear in our minds the false ideas about true, Bible-based, Spirit-wrought, revival. For one thing, no one can say “we’re going to have a revival,” or “we’re having a revival meeting.” Hence, none of these “revival meetings” are necessarily true revivals. You simply can’t “plan” a revival, or rely on your own efforts to work one up.

Second, revival isn’t simply the transformation of only Christians or non-Christians. Revival hasn’t necessarily come when the majority of a church repents of glaring sins (although this is usually included in revival). Nor is it a revival for a significant proportion of a nation to conform to Christian self-expression, identity, and outward practices. In other words, a nation’s government or populace claiming to be Christian isn’t one definition of revival.

Even more contrary to popular belief is the fact that a revival doesn’t consist in a mass of people kneeling at a church altar for prayer, repeating the sinner’s prayer, or even being baptized. These things might be part of a revival, but they are not in themselves a true, biblical, revival.

What then, is the biblical definition of revival? And what are some clear examples of revival in the Scriptures and history? It’s actually easier to understand what a revival is from extra-biblical history, since the New Testament doesn’t focus on clear demonstrations of what it looks like, as not as much reviving was needed.

It mostly comes down to the word, “revival.” Much like “retrieval,” to “revive” something is to bring it back to life it formerly possessed. In the case of the body of Christ, biblical revival is an occasional restoration of God’s people to a condition similar to what was enjoyed when the body first began in Acts. It’s a re-enlivening and reinvigorating of one or more existing Christian fellowships, which is begun by their repentance through hearing the Word, and results in an unusually large number of conversions through them within a short period of time. Think of a sort of reenactment of the first Christians in Jerusalem, as recorded in Acts 2-8.

Hence, revival starts with Christians repenting, confessing besetting sins, and recommitting themselves to God’s glory and the spread of the gospel. It’s God’s work through the communication of His Word, just as most things. Therefore, it happens in His timing, not ours. Having repented and turned back on to the narrow way, spiritual revival pushes Christians out to love their brethren, families, and neighbors by speaking the truth and preaching the gospel. Finally, this results in mass conversions over an unusually short period of time. Let’s briefly survey the most influential and well-known revivals of modern times, so that we can whet our appetites for this work of the Spirit.

Revivals in Recent Western History

We’ll start within the context of the general sphere of Protestant Christianity. It’s fair to say that the Reformation was a large collection of revivals within several decades. Beginning with the sparking of Lutheranism in the late 1510s, the Lord brought about a mighty work of repentance, reformation, and conversion throughout the remnants of western Christianity. It all started with the ”rediscovery” of the biblical gospel of justification through faith alone in Christ alone, and by God’s grace alone. Having unearthed this clear understanding of the salvation message, God used it to bring many professing Christians to repentance and faith. It can be reasonably assumed that some of the people directly affected were true believers, but they were part of a Christian body that had been corrupted, distorted, and deceived (the Roman Catholic Church). Thus, the Lord brought an “outpouring” of His Spirit to those who professed His name, and restored much of their number either to more faithful fellowship, or to true salvation.

Out of the Protestant Reformation came many of the denominations that are still active today, such as Lutherans, the Reformed, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Congregationalists, and even eventually the Baptists. In spite of their differences, the first Protestants saw droves of professing Christians rekindled and enlightened, and many notorious sinners brought to repentance.

The next main revival that occurred was the Puritan movement of the 17th century. This was something of a reverberation of the Reformation that had occurred half a century earlier. However, this move of God’s saving and reforming hand was confined to England. For several decades during the end of the 1500s, and much of the 1600s, many Anglican pastors and theologians were convicted of the unbiblical beliefs and practices of the Church of England, and engaged in preaching and teaching the pure Word of God. Throughout this time, many Bible teachers and congregations defied the restrictions and rules of that “Church,” and separated themselves from it. As with most in the Roman Catholic system, most members of the Anglican Church were Christians in name only, but not at heart. But even for those who sincerely held to the religion of the state Church, many of them were convinced of its errors, and enlivened to live according to purer New Testament Christianity. Through this opening of the true nature of the gospel, God’s people, and godly living, many Christians took up the call to live Christianly in their everyday lives, and droves of people were again saved from their sins through faith in the pure gospel. As a result of the Puritan movement, English society was transformed into a more godly, pious, one, and the gospel was brought to the shores of North America through the Puritan emigrants.

In the next century, we see what is considered by some to be the greatest revival in western history, as well as American history. This is that so-called “Great Awakening” that occurred in the American colonies, but was named the “evangelical revival” in Great Britain. This involved much of what happened through Puritanism, but included the revival of many of the other Protestant denominations in the colonies. It seems to have begun in 1737, in the Connecticut town of Northampton, through the preaching of Jonathan Edwards. However, at around the same time, the Anglican pastor George Whitefield began preaching in Anglican churches in England. The effects of both their preaching were very similar. In the Congregationalist churches to whom Edwards preached, most of the members were either cold, apathetic, and sluggardly believers, or outright self-deceived hypocrites. Both of these groups were brought to repentance through the preached Scriptures, and within less than a year, hundreds of townspeople were converted to true faith in Christ. Likewise, Whitefield’s preaching was to the same sort of people, but within Anglican churches. However, because the Anglican leaders barred him from preaching within their church buildings, he soon began to preach wherever he could gather a crowd, including a coal mine, city streets, and so on. The result was that hundreds of people obtained a saving knowledge of God’s grace in Jesus Christ, and were born again. Having accomplished much soul-winning in England, Whitefield traveled to the colonies within a year, and saw even larger fruit. Throughout the next few years, he would travel across cities, countrysides, and towns, preaching the gospel wherever he was given access to a church or a large public space. On several occasions, the crowds that traveled to hear him preach numbered in the thousands. Through his ministry in this time, hundreds of thousands of souls were brought to salvation.

Nevertheless, Whitefield and Edwards weren’t the only human instruments used to bring about this revival. We shouldn’t forget that the biblical workings of revival include the common Christians who are stirred up to renewed love and worship, and reach out with the gospel to their neighbors. Doubtless, this is what brought hundreds to the forgiveness of their sins. For example, there’s a famous instance during this time period of a meeting that began simply to read Puritan sermons. Through this reading, dozens were converted, and soon an entire community was consumed with love and zeal for God. However, there were many other preachers used, including the Tennant’s and the Wesley’s, to set revival fires throughout England, Wales, and the Virginian and Ohio frontiers. After the main revivals were over, American and English societies were powerfully transformed, and the Methodist denomination was established inside the Church of England. There was no single greater influence on the way the American Revolution was conducted than the First Great Awakening.

Among the results of this awakening was the establishment of new Christian universities, such as Princeton University. Also, most of the Protestant groups in the colonies were divided between those who supported the awakening preaching and mass conversions, and those who opposed them, most of whom were wrong. The institutions and new sects among Protestants were some of the organizations that the Lord used to bring about the Second Great Awakening, which was much longer, and had even more powerful and society-shaping results.

The Second Great Awakening is really more of a long series of revivals that lasted from the 1790s until the 1850s. One of the first revivals during this work of God was that which occurred at Princeton University at the beginning. In a matter of weeks, the preaching at their chapel brought the majority of the students to saving faith, and many of them were sent out to preach elsewhere. A few of these preachers were used by the Lord in bringing revivals to the frontier communities of Kentucky and Tennessee, where the most active preaching and churches were the Presbyterians. These ministries were how the common “tent-meeting” services were popularized. Often, the Presbyterian preachers would serve the scattered frontier town folk by holding church services outdoors, and would also lead in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in “communion services.” During these meetings, sometimes hundreds of hardened sinners were converted, and many times the preaching services would be done for several days at a time. Through these means, the Lord brought many people to salvation, and established churches in the American frontier.

For a few decades in the beginning of the 1800s, revivals also occurred along the East coast of the United States in areas where Congregationalist and Presbyterian churches were abundant. Again, many itinerant evangelists and pastors would travel from place to place, preaching the gospel, and counseling new believers. During these decades, thousands of people were converted, and scores of believers were brought out of spiritual slumber, and awakened to newfound zeal and love.

More specific revivals could be noted during this period, but I’ll content myself with this general description. As I hinted, revivals sparked up from place to place across a large portion of the then United States during the first half of the 19th century. Although some of the apparent “revivals” were false and made-up, the majority of the Lord’s outpourings of His Spirit were genuine. They came with tremendous results for America. New denominations were formed; towns were transformed; Christian leaders were converted and trained up; Bible and tract societies were formed; missions organizations were established; charities were started; and most of American society was generally Christianized.

There have been many more examples of such works of God, both before the Reformation, and since the Second Great Awakening. But these examples are enough to show us that revivals can bring about much good for the body of Christ, as well as for the outside world in general. But judging from these mighty moves of God, we can also further confirm the biblical definition of revival I’ve already given.

Revivals, again, seem to always begin among professing Christians who have been beset with dominating sins, and/or errors in belief. But usually without any specific address of these things, the Lord uses preachers or teachers to grant His people godly sorrow over their sin. Usually, this happens among established congregations that function as churches. With a large number of believers in a given area now renewed to repentance and close fellowship with the Lord, they then spread their love and awe of Christ with their unbelieving neighbors or acquaintances. This usually results in much of the community being converted to Christ, and the society being transformed. But in all cases of revival, it’s the degree, quantity, and suddenness of the Spirit’s work that’s distinctive. In other words, revival is the magnification, enlargement, and exaggeration of the work that the Lord is always doing. It’s the preparation of laborers to reap a harvest of souls, and then the reaping of a tremendous harvest in quick succession.

The question I want to raise at this point is – is revival necessary in our day for the Lord to accomplish what needs to be accomplished for His people and His lost sheep? And what problems could revival fix for many western Christians?

Is Revival Needed?

Although this may disappoint you who want a clear answer, I must confess that I don’t think we can know if revival is needed. The reason for this is that revival is never an ordinary event, but an extraordinary one. The Lord doesn’t always revive Christians in such a way that they’re used to bring large numbers into God’s kingdom all at once. Hence, revival is a special blessing given to us when the Lord chooses according to His secret wisdom and counsel.

Nevertheless, because revival is possible, I believe we should seek it. The simple reason for this is that revival is manifestation of the Spirit’s work that He displayed through the first assembly in Jerusalem, when the Lord was clearly and climactically demonstrating the beginning of His new creation and new humanity. There’s hardly any more wonderful thought than to visualize people boldly demonstrating God’s power in them through preaching and love, and drawing thousands of sinners to join in their joy and peace within the space of hours. Further, this work of the Spirit propelled the gospel to people who had never heard anything like it before, and brought them to the true God. It was an emphatic demonstration of God’s preordained plan to bring in all the nations of the world into His family and blessing through Christ. And this is clearly what we believers are participating in still.

Yet again, revival is nearly always done partly to reform and restore God’s people to a true understanding of the gospel’s blessedness, and to a repentant reception of the filling of the Holy Spirit. Thus, when the Lord revives His people, it’s because they have fallen into characteristic and communal patterns of sin and unbelief. For anyone who rightly discerns the general condition of western Bible-believing Christianity, these problems are clearly true of us. Therefore, it would be a mighty benefit and help if the Lord brought revival to the common and popular form of evangelical Christianity in the West.

In essence, the chief sin among western churches is conformity to the world through pride in their worldly beliefs. Too many believers allow the ideas and thinking of unbelieving speakers, artists, entertainers, leaders, politicians, and writers to control the way they live and think, rather than God’s Word. Just look at the way most American churches conduct their services, and organize their communities! Churches within the seeker-sensitive movement, the social justice movement, the “gay-Christian” movement, the hyper-Charismatic movement, to name several that seem to be in desperate need for revival.

Yet even more conservative churches would benefit from revival, although they might not show any clear signs of unfaithfulness or corruption. Among Reformed, Calvinistic, and more traditional Protestant churches, the revival of their faith and love would heal them of insipid sins. The fact is that many of them, much like the Anglicans and Protestants of the 1700s, lie under a cloud of dead orthodoxy. They claim to hold to historic and Bible-based confessions and regulations, but many of them only pay lip service to the biblical truths they express. Although they claim to champion the gospel, many Reformed believers obsess over the fine points of doctrine, at the expense of their personal discipline and devotion to the Lord from the heart. Many of them coddle and tolerate secret sins, which make them unloving, unkind, uncaring, and self-seeking. Such people and communities would be brought to repentance and renewed humility through the Lord’s reviving work.

Another area of Christian living that would benefit from revival is the proclamation of the gospel. Far too many western believers have conformed to the world’s standard of shunning the discussion of religious issues in public. We’re told that religion and spiritual beliefs should be confined to our homes. And yet we have a contrary mandate from our Lord and Master. He’s told us to speak the good news to every creature, and always be ready to hold forth the Word of life. Revival always motivates believers to preach the gospel with boldness, since they’ve been given a renewed conviction of its beauty, preciousness, and power in converting sinners. The western world would seriously benefit from a revival ordinary witnessing through ordinary believers.

Obviously, revival won’t bring in the new heavens and new earth, but it is one of the greatest tastes of heaven on earth. If you’re feeling disappointed with your church fellowship, your Christian life, or your witness, then revival is one of the possible blessings the Lord has promised to occasionally give you should seek. Clearly, we should seek to not need revival in our lives, but there are times when the condition of the body moves the Lord to send out His Spirit in greater measure, and to revive the work He began at Pentecost.

In general sense, we can conclude that believers are always to be thinking and living in a revived state. Why? Because we have been revived from spiritual death, and now can walk in newness of life! Further, the Lord promises to renew our minds, as we give attention to His Word, and believe and obey it. Hence, we can experience a personal revival everyday!

Yet, we should still continue to ask for, and expect, greater and increased works and influences of the Spirit in our hearts, our minds, our actions, our words, our families, our churches, and our circles of influence. We must always press on with straining to be perfectly conformed to Jesus Christ, and have Him be universally worshiped, loved, and praised. But God may in our lifetime bring about such a work of His Spirit, that we’ll think we’re on the edge of seeing Him come on the clouds with power and great glory, and to be worshiped by all the people around us. That is the day that revival previews, and that every faithful and devoted gathering of fellowship foreshadows. Soon the Lord will not only revive all things, but bring about a new creation. And that new creation consists in knowing Him fully, just as we’ve been fully known.