Revival or Judgment
God brings revival or judgment to His people, depending on their preparedness, to halt and reverse spiritual decline.
Arthur Wallis discusses the intriguing similarities between God's ways in revival and judgment, highlighting how divine visitations can bring both blessing and revival, as well as a season of judgment. Various symbols such as overflowing rain and fire from heaven are used to depict either spiritual revival or divine judgment, emphasizing the presence of judgment in every revival. Wallis emphasizes that God's nature requires Him to intervene through revival or judgment to purify and revive His people, halting spiritual decline and reversing negative trends.
Text
Strange though it may seem, there are distinct similarities between the ways of God in revival and in judgment. Throughout the prophets the thought of a divine visitation is used to describe blessing and revival on the one hand (Jer 27:22) and a season of judgment on the other (Jer 50:31). Likewise the overflowing rain could picture a time a spiritual revival (Ezek 34:26) or of divine judgment (Gen 6:17). Another figure used of the mighty operation of the Spirit in revival is fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:38; Acts 2:33), but it is also typical of the judgment of God (2 Kings 1:10). All this may be partly explained by the fact that there is an element of judgment present in every revival.
The purifying and quickening of the people of God are moral and spiritual necessities.
Because of His very nature, God cannot and will not permit spiritual decline to continue unchecked. He is ever halting and reversing the trend of the times by means of revival - or judgment. Where His people are not prepared for the one, they shut themselves up to the other.
Sermon Outline
- I. Similarities between Revival and Judgment
- A. Shared imagery in the prophets
- B. Overwhelming rain as a symbol of both revival and judgment
- C. Fire from heaven as a figure of both the Spirit's operation and God's judgment
Key Quotes
“He is ever halting and reversing the trend of the times by means of revival - or judgment.” — Arthur Wallis
“Where His people are not prepared for the one, they shut themselves up to the other.” — Arthur Wallis
Application Points
- Recognize that revival and judgment are two sides of the same coin, and that judgment can be a necessary force for purification.
- Prepare yourself and your church for the possibility of judgment, that you may avoid it and experience revival instead.
- Understand that God's nature demands that He halt and reverse spiritual decline, and that He will do so through either revival or judgment.