Revival

I want you here this morning to turn to Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2 in the New Testament and my message this morning revival in the context of the 21st century church or the last church are those in the church living at the end of time before Jesus comes back. You see I believe we're at the end I'm utterly convinced you know going back several years ago I preached is this the last generation I've done a series on it and I showed you from scripture why I believe we are the last generation there's no doubt about that in my mind I haven't always said that I don't throw those things out I'm convinced by the Bible and every month dare I say day that goes past I'm more and more convinced of that but our message this morning as we maybe conclude this series on the 21st century church what will the church the last church look like what will the church of the 21st century look like what does the Bible prophesy that the church of the 2020s will look like can we know that does the Bible say anything about it reading from Acts chapter 2 and verse 14 down to verse 21 but Peter standing up with the 11 lifted up his voice and said unto him ye men of Judea and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem be this known unto you and hearken to my words for these are not drunk as ye suppose seeing it but be but the third hour of the day and notice what he says next but this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel and it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams and on my servants and on my handmaidens will I pour out in those days of my spirit and they shall prophesy and I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth below blood fire and vapor of smoke the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood but for the great and notable day of the Lord come and it shall come to pass that whosoever call on the name of the Lord shall be saved will you pray with me this morning father we thank you for the Word of God that we live in a remarkable point of time where we're seeing all the prophecies of scripture conversion coming to a head meeting their climax Lord God we are we have a front seat window a front row window with an open Bible in our hands and we stand amazed father I pray that not one of us will waste this opportunity that we will see the hand of providence that God had us birthed at this hour to be here to live in this generation to see these things and to respond to the Word of God father I pray that each of our lives will be impacted not only to see the rise of an antichrist system or the maneuvering of nations like Russia nor God I pray that we had also see that this promises that you will pour out your Holy Spirit upon us in this hour give us faith stir up our prayers create a desire and a deep hunger within our hearts that amidst this hour of crisis of darkness of confusion of disturbance of economy of rumors of wars and of actual wars Lord God I pray Oh God that you'd turn our eyes heavenwards to the Lord Jesus Christ in Jesus mighty name will you bless this word Oh God and stir our hearts and enlarge our hearts for your name's sake amen reading here in Acts chapter 2 what we have is the history of the first revival in church history 2,000 years and in Acts we see the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit the first revival the first church the first apostles the first preachers the first evangelism we see a revival in one day no in one hour we're actually given the time of it we're given the day of it we're given the place of it we're given a room we're given the names of individuals who were there it is remarkable Acts chapter 2 is remarkable it depicts a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit of God God interfering intervening in the affairs of man society is carrying on city life is carrying on religion is carrying on politics is carrying on wars are carrying on what does God do in this insignificant place God comes in power he doesn't just send revival he himself comes in power he comes down the melt the mountains melted his presence his enemy flees from him it's a remarkable thing and look what it says in Acts chapter 2 16 Peter stands up and he preaches and we know that 3,000 get converted in one message can you imagine the impact on this church or the city if in one sermon one five-minute sermon Malcolmson preaching a five-minute sermon you said that would be a miracle well you know what it'd be a miracle if it had this effect preaching for five minutes and the effect is that 3,000 individuals men women children religious skeptics sinners very moral people all of them 3,000 in the same place at the same time on the streets and you know what happens they all cry out what must I do to be saved I need to get saved right now this minute you're not going anywhere preacher I need to get right with God tell me how to get right with God do you know what that is that is revival it's come to be known in the church as what we call revival God come in in mighty ways I can tell you the history of 2,000 revive 2,000 years of revival I've read about it studied it from a child I love to read the first-hand accounts of revival if you want to pray for revival you better read about revival if you want to dream about revival you better read the first-hand accounts how entire cities were brought to their knees or an entire nation do you know one out of ten people in the year 1904 in Wales one out of every ten people were saved within several months in the entire nation the entire nation was shook like a great earthquake the the leading politicians said God has come down in the midst of Wales as a nation the rugby matches nobody went to them the the prison cells were empty the trains on the way to rugby matches there was no one there the whole nation went to its knees an extraordinary way that's only one incident that I can tell you of 10,000 throughout church history it is remarkable when God sends revival you may ask do I believe that in the 21st century in the 2020s in our generation is God going to send such a revival in fact not just a revival but a global revival a worldwide revival a great harvest of souls coming in an extraordinary intervention of God do I believe that's going to happen yes I do and I believe that anyone who disagrees I've got Bible on my side scripture that's not an emotion or a dream or a vision or a thought or impression I believe I've got the Bible on my side many in the church believe it's the Laodicean age it's too cold too hard too late that it's over that they'll never be another revival they quote certain scriptures and I agree with them Matthew 24 about deception wars disaster falling away in fact in Matthew 24 Jesus three times mentions deception is going to mark the last generation deception in the church amongst God's people and in fact in that same prophecies is one of the marks of the end is an equity or lawlessness is going to explode or it's going to a bind Jesus said the last hour is going to be like lots day rampant homosexuality he gives lots wife who look back to Sodom as an example of women in the church in this hour what a dangerous thing the Apostle Paul speaks in second Thessalonians 2 about the great apostasy before Antichrist would arise a great falling away from the written scripture you'll get people in churches preachers who preach about Christ but they do not hold to the written word in 1 Timothy 4 and 1 it says now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith given heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils there's going to be an army of teaching demons released on our world right at the end in a very unique way be very careful who you listen to there's going to be a deception of the devil you can't even imagine in the last hour it says in 2nd Timothy 3 and 13 but evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived it's talking about the last days and then Peter says in 2nd Peter 3 and 3 knowing this first that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ we've always heard that where is he where is it these scriptures and others are the reason that some Christians a number of Christians genuine Bible believing Christ loving sin-hating holiness loving Christians I mean the best of Christians they say there's not going to be another revival we're going to get caught up on this it's all over no new missionary movement no revival no Greek in gathering a harvest it's going to get worse and worse darker and darker more deception more apostasy there's no room for revival I want to challenge that this morning you see some when we talk about revival a last-day revival a latter-day outpouring or revival in the last hour of church history there are some that will call it NAR if you don't know what that means don't worry please don't worry you don't need to know if you don't know it they will say that's NAR or an extreme charismatic teaching I want to tell you it's not it got hijacked you see there are those in the church all they talk about is revival not deception not a falling away not the wickedness of men not abound in inequity all they see is dominion and bringing in the kingdom I'm against that that is an extreme that's a false teaching but also those who say there's no revival it's going to get worse and worse there's going to be deception there's no room for revival yes God done it in the past but not now you see I believe both are extremes and you know what you know I preach against heresy apostasy deception and that it is going to get worse much much worse world troubles are going to get an awful lot worse from where we are but I want to tell you of one precise prophecy in the Bible concerning revival I've got three points for you here this morning and I pray God will place this in your heart that you're going to realize what the Bible teaches about this are three points and my first point and I'm taking this from Acts chapter 2 revival predicted Acts chapter 2 16 and this Peter standing up remember the hundred and twenty got filled with Holy Spirit a wind blew through the room hundred and twenty in the upper room and this wind supernatural wind blew through the room fire comes down and not fire that comes down that they say it breaks into a hundred and twenty flames and it sits on each head and they all men women young old all begin to speak in tongues in fact known languages that they have never learned that they do not know what they're saying they begin to speak in known eloquent languages of the nations it's remarkable and they're not preaching in those tongues they're actually praising God and worshiping God and it's stolen the name of Christ that's what they're doing that's what began to happen and you know what all the crowds in Iraq they're confused they're dumbfounded they're amazed at this and then they begin to mock notice they're not crying out to get saved are they the tongues didn't do that the praise and God didn't do that it's gonna take a preacher to stand up and preach and this is what Peter done it says that Peter stood up with the eleven verse 16 listen to what he says this is that which was spoken by the prophet of Joel and it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out my spirit on all flesh this is my first point revival predicted in Acts chapter 2 when it happens Peter stands up this apostle of God this man of God who only several weeks ago had failed God and denied Jesus three times and ran for his life how terrible in fact all of the disciples scattered they all locked the doors we're all scared we're all batten down but something happens here revival comes and so we see Peter saying you want to know what all of this happening here in the churches you want to know what is going on in the midst of us he actually goes back to the Old Testament 500 years before and he says this that you're seeing this revival this stirring in the church this outpouring of the Holy Spirit the tongues the wind the flame the stirring of the hearts this people gathered to pray all of this this is that this happening I mean it's happening in our midst it's real it's here every life is caught up in this this is that that was written in the Bible 500 years before by the Prophet Joel and it shall come to pass in the last days you know what Peter son was he started with Joel's prophecy first he said these men are not drunk it's only nine o'clock in the morning men don't get drunk unless you live in limerick at nine o'clock in the morning you know what he said he said you can mock and laugh and joke they're not drunk but he takes them right back to the Bible and says this was prophesied this is my first point revival prophesied or predicted do you realize revival has always been prophesied in the Bible do you realize that first church revival that first outpouring of the Spirit was prophesied 500 years before it came to pass you know God makes promises of things that are going to happen in the church and it could be 500 years or it could be 2,000 years before God brings it to pass and so we see on the day of Pentecost when you read it 3,000 souls crying out what must I do to be saved and the church exploding in the church of Jerusalem I mean tens of thousands began to come in the entire city was stirred and then persecution broke out you know it's prophesied revival isn't just a spontaneous thing it's not God just said oh I'm gonna answer your prayers no no no it's not just something that just happens at a certain time it is actually a prophesied predicted and planned thing God has a plan it's mentioned prophesied 500 years before Joel says I will pour my spirit out afterward then notice this Joel gives the prophecy Peter quotes it in Joel's prophecy in the Old Testament it says and it shall come to pass afterward the term afterward is a general term it's putting it in the future it's gonna come afterwards this side pouring of the spirit it will come after it's in the future long in the future it is a head not a my day in generation Joel was prophesying about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit but when you get to Peter's day Peter stands up on that day at that time with the people what does he say it shall come to pass in the last days you know what he's saying this is it it's starting to happen now that which was prophesied 500 years ago and we have had a wait through very cold long years and generations one generation rose and left rose and left rose and left hundreds of years go by and he says this day right now this is that that prophecy about revival is happening now sometimes we can pray for a Bible read about revival read the scriptures and it seems like it is just some future thing never to happen as a real thing amongst us I want to tell you there's a day when revival comes and you say this is that not a dream I had but what it actually says in the Bible notice what Peter says here he says in the last days not a general future term he said I it shall come to pass in the last days do you know when the last day started you see most of you may think the last days is when Antichrist arises and the revelation is fulfilled do you realize this term last days began on the day of Pentecost and it continues until Jesus comes back that is called the last days the whole era of church history is called last days and Peter stands up and he says it shall come to pass in the last days he said this is that this is the beginning of last days and you know what you're going to know last days because last days begins with an outpouring of the Spirit and it's going to end with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that's what last days are I know that last days can mean the last of the last days in other words all those events that we are coming up to fast night and we preached on it many times the rise of Antichrist the rise of Babylon the mark of the beast all of these things Russia's final fall on the mountains of Israel all of this is going to happen that is the last of the last days but Peter says that this last days is marked by an outpouring of the Spirit a revival if you are in last days you can never say revival will not come you don't have a right to you've got no biblical authority to if we are the church and we are still here and Jesus hasn't come back do you know what we're still in that era or that time that was prophesied now Peter said in the last days the word last there is the word eschatos the Greek word and that word eschatos is where we get eschatology from and I'm not trying to be smart I'm just saying eschatology is the word that Christians and I don't like using these terms I usually don't eschatology is the teaching about Bible prophecy in the last days eschatology the word Peter uses here is is eschatos the not word eschatos means the last the final stage or the last events it's used 52 times in the New Testament so we can understand it you know what he's saying today in your eyes you're hearing it you're seeing it the eschatos has begun the last days have begun do you know what that tells me revival is a part of Bible prophecy that's a powerful statement that is a dynamic statement you can't teach about Antichrist and the second coming without teaching about revival revival has no place in your eschatology you don't understand eschatology if you see the last days or the eschatos or eschatology and yet you say revival has no place it's dark it's gloomy it's dangerous it's awful but there's no revival you don't understand eschatology you see eschatos our Bible prophecy does predict that in the last days a major vital central part of last days is that God will pour out his spirit and you know what revival predicted we're given an example in Acts chapter 2 this word eschatos means there will be no end to these outpourings until Jesus comes back Joel's words are clearly and completely future no part of Israel's experience quite like this and yet Peter stands up and said no this is for this hour no it's for the church no it's for those who know Jesus Christ no it's for those living in the last days you see all those living in the last days should lay hold of this promise he said I will pour out my spirit in great abundance I am gonna overflow I can suddenly intervene in any generation or in any hour to pour out means to give the spirit plentifully in a great diffusion in a way that you couldn't hold in this church when the Holy Spirit comes this church it will not be confined here you're not getting blessed and going home you know some years ago in Sweden we had a meeting on a Friday night and Candace was testifying and sharing there and it was all young people and teenagers and all the youth of the entire church I'm not sure if there was 50 or 80 or how many that was there and they were all gathered there and you know what God came in a very real way and you know what happened they ran into the altars and they were in the altars praying and seeking God I tried to close the meeting and I couldn't close it and you know what they all went back to their home and we're hearing for weeks the knock-on effect of those young people impacting the community and impacting their families and what God done in that altar call it had a wide effect in those families you know what something happened to them God met them in a very very real way you see the Spirit of God it came down and it impacted them we're talking about last days the hour of grace God prophesies revival never separate revival from the last days from eschatology it is a vital part of Bible prophecy and if you have all of your Bible prophecy and you don't talk about revival and you don't pray for revival and you don't believe in a revival I would say you've only got half an eschatos we read in the Old Testament and 1 Kings chapter 13 about an unnamed prophet traveling into the city of Bethel to where King Jeroboam that apostate that God rejecting King who had a form of religion but it wasn't according to the Bible and that prophet went to him as he is there at the altar worshipping offering sacrifices and listen to what that King said he gave a prophecy to the altar it's it's extraordinary he prophesied not to the king but to the altar listen to what he said behold a child should be born unto the house of David Josiah by name and upon thee the altar he shall offer the priests of the high places that shall burn upon me and names boom shall be burnt upon me what an extraordinary here is apostasy and idolatry and sin in the house of God and this king is overseeing it and this unnamed prophet said I've got a prophecy for your altar you know your nice religious altar where you're doing all of this I've got a prophecy altar you open your ears and listen to me there is going to be a child born called Josiah by name he's going to rise up and he's going to kill all the false religion to know it was 350 years before Josiah born as a child common the same and at eight years old was made the king of Israel and you know what he done he come to this altar and he took all the false worship and all the false religion and all the apostasy and all the compromise and he killed those false prophets and those priests on that altar but you know what this unknown prophet said at the time he said just so you know that in the future this is going to happen it was revival do you realize Josiah was a revival a national revival and it was prophesied exactly his name will be Josiah do you think revivals are accident do you think that God is there saying oh I wish I could send revival but I can't it's too dark it's too hard it's too impossible it's too unlikely do you not know that there's prophecies about coming revival Matthew 24 we see the deception we we see all the iniquity abundant but what about in Matthew 24 verse 14 this gospel of the kingdom right in the midst of all that this gospel of all the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations then shall the end come this is an hour for the preaching of the gospel revival is prophesied that's my first point my second point revival partially fulfilled in Acts 2 verse 1 it says and when the day of Pentecost was fully come it was a day a specific day a specific hour when the day of Pentecost it was a date in the calendar it was a time it was a celebration in the city of Jerusalem and you know what the Bible says when it was fully come accomplished this is the time this is the hour it was the 50th day from Passover or Calvary or Jesus died on the cross exactly the 50th day that is an accidental you know every true revival is connected to the cross you will not have a revival unless it is connected to Jesus dying on the cross when the day of Pentecost was fully come there's a time there's an agenda there is a plan for revival to come for God to move in this church again it is the 50th day or the day of Pentecost and it says in a verse 16 for this is that which is spoken by the prophet Joel Peter applies it specifically in other words he said this is a fulfillment you know what you read of in your Bible this day this hour this time this people that prophecy 500 years old is being fulfilled right now within your hearing you know what you better get in on this and can I warn all those who don't know Christ yet or aren't walking right with Christ or believers who are not in the right place can I tell you we are living in the eschatos we are living not in the last days but the last of the last days we are right at the end of it and you know what something is being fulfilled don't miss out on it it's obvious to your eyes Bible prophecy is being fulfilled are you merely going to look on and be a part of this are you going to make history this is the most unique hour in 1900 hours or 1900 years and if you miss this hour if you don't move with this hour and move with God in this hour you could get shut out what a dangerous thing you have so many prophecies you have been told so much you're being offered so much don't miss out on it revival partially fulfilled here you have the Spirit of God I poured and Peter applies it and he defines what I mean what does it mean for the spirit to be out poured read Acts chapter 2 look at the tongues look at the wind look at the impact of people who several weeks ago were scared to tell someone else a little maid you're one of those Galileans associated with you no I am not of course none of you would ever do that Peter did Matthew ran for his life Thomas started but yet several weeks later we have this is that something is happening since you know something can happen in your life that's radical that you've only ever read about but never yet experience I mean things you've read about or heard about or being told about but you've never once experienced them in your Christian life and yet suddenly you can say and this hour and this time in this moment I am experiencing what the Bible says it is dynamic it is real it is powerful you see on the day of Pentecost he said in the last days he didn't say on the day of Pentecost I will just pour out my spirit he didn't say that he said listen carefully in the last days I'm gonna pour out my Holy Spirit upon all flesh that was not confined to one day or one hour or one experience here in Acts chapter 2 we don't have a complete fulfillment only a beginning only a commencement it was the first installment the first example the first four taste this prophecy was not fulfilled completely fully totally in one revival in one city through one man's ministry or through one local church or even in the first century no one can take these prophecies and say this side porn but Joel spoke about that Peter experience it all happened in the first century and it's only for their hour that's rubbish that is absolute wrong teaching from the Bible you know what he said it's beginning on the day of Pentecost and it's gonna continue throughout church history this isn't gonna happen once in Jerusalem it's gonna happen in Samaria they know happen in Cornelius's house they know happen outside of Ephesus then it's gonna spread to Rome then it's gonna spread to China and it's gonna spread to Ireland as well all through church history we have seen similar things right down on to our own generation it's remarkable it says here upon all flesh this that began to happen on the day of Pentecost will come upon all flesh what does all flesh mean well he tells us in the next two verses he then goes on to explain what does it mean I'll pour my spirit out upon all flesh he then mentions sons and daughters all flesh both daughters and sons daughters you're not excluded the young children are not excluded I'll pour my spirit on the young girls as well as the young boys both of them he then says the old man aren't you glad the old man the servants the handmaidens when he mentions all these different groups he said all ages all sexes all classes whether you're a servant or a master of a house I'm gonna pour my spirit up there's gonna be no restriction here on the day of Pentecost 1 million people gathered for a unique day one day in the calendar every single year 1 million people gathered in from the outside on that day they look for accommodation and houses and if they got somewhere out in Bethlehem they then come into Jerusalem on that day and if you read the history books there could be 2 million people in Jerusalem all on the same day I will pour my spirit upon all flesh all kinds of people but look what God planned when I pour out my spirit oh it's upon a hundred and twenty not the multitudes but you know what I make sure that when I pour out my spirit I'm gonna reach many many people every revival in history has always happened amongst a few a handful one church small groups of genuine Christians it's always been the unlikely ones but the effect of that has affected a generation and we still talk about many of those revivals when we read in Acts chapter 2 about all flesh it says in verse 5 and there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews devout men notices out of every nation under heaven people had come in from under every nation under heaven the entire Roman Empire he then goes on unless 15 different regions of the Roman Empire and outside of the Roman Empire 15 different regions there's not only the Greek language here and Aramaic and even the Galilean brogue it was it was something like a limerick accent I think and all the rest of the Jews used to say you're a Galilean aren't you you're from limerick aren't you oh no no oh yes you are I know that brogue you can't disguise it if Jesus had come and been born in limerick you'd be identified you're a follower of Christ they'd say you're from limerick I recognize that accent they'd be trying to associate you with a certain man look at this when he says I will pour my spirit out upon all flesh he has people from 15 regions do you know he mentions here the Medes or the Persians that's Iran he mentions Mesopotamia that's Iraq he mentions Rome so you've got the entire known world are all in that place on the streets outside the door of a church that only has a hundred and twenty people in it they're mostly Galileans with a rough brogue uneducated untrained and what do you have you've got a million people in around those streets all on that day all gathered together for a big celebration like on St. Paddy's Day if it happens and right at that time what a day would it be imagine having revival in this church I mean inside these four walls revival comes and St. Paddy's Parade was going on down out the street you know what we would break in and operate in a way that's never happened in a thousand years I can assure you you see God planned us and orchestrated it and this promise he is prophesying all mankind is going to experience this every language every nation every family every generation right until Jesus comes back this revival is going to spread and you know what he said you're going to dream dreams have visions and be given prophecies third and finally future revivals partial revivals predicted revivals but third and finally future revivals we're at the end of the church age that was 2,000 years ago that was Jerusalem that was Peter and the rest we now live at the end you are watching the technology for the mark of the beast to go in your hand and in your brain you're watching it now for the first time they've come public the first time ever in my lifetime I've watched this from a child never have they come public like they are now you're watching the rise of a world government they're not even pretending that you have sovereignty in your anymore they're not even trying to hide that it's all centralized institutionalized the UN WEF the IMF and all the rest they are converging this is the hour to realize there's an utterly unique hour when all of eschatology is coming to pass to realize we're at the end of the last days not at the beginning of the last days not in the middle of the last days we are right at the very end we're at the end portion is revival over where nations cities and multitudes get converted and extraordinary outpourings of the Spirit is it all over are we living in Laodicea are we the last church age where it's lukewarm and cold and nothing will ever happen is the deception so bad the apostasy so bad the God isn't going to send revival or there's no one who wants revival in this hour third and finally future revivals I'm going to tell you in closing about future predicted revivals that only began on the day of Pentecost but it hasn't been fulfilled yet it's not concluded yet how do I know that both Joel and Peter tell us it clearly look with me in Acts chapter 2 verse 19 he's talked about this being not happening now this is the revival he then begins to say about I will pour out my spirit I will do this in all nations or amongst all flesh but look how he finishes it in verse 19 and I will show he's not going to define the end of last days he's going to tell you when no revival can come again when all revivals are over he's about to tell you in this first the next two verses he explains clearly so when this happens you can say revival is over there's no more outpourings of the Spirit we'll never experience Pentecost again and if these things have happened then I will agree with you no more revival but you know what it doesn't say that says I will show you wonders in heaven above how do I know end days has come to an end how do I know this time of pouring out the Spirit has come to an end he gives three signs that it's come to an end number one wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth below blood fire and vapor of smoke in other words an event like this is going to happen in the heavens on the earth fire vapor blood this is going to mark the end of end days the end of revival no more revival when this happens number two and the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood do you realize while the Sun and Moon are shining there's always the hope of revival that tells me the day of revival isn't over this prophecy about the Sun and the Moon being blanked out is repeated many times in the Bible Isaiah 24 Amos 8 Matthew 24 by Jesus Mark 13 by Jesus Luke 21 by Jesus and Revelation chapter 6 by John the Apostle and there's other scriptures there is a cosmic blackout that happens at the end of age but they'll always be revivals until that time then thirdly before that great and notable day of the Lord come what does he say I will pour out my spirit this is last days beginning on Pentecost going all the way through until the day of the Lord what is the day of the Lord Joel speaks about the day of the Lord frequently in chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3 he speaks several times about the day of the Lord as the day of God's wrath the day of his judgment the end of God's grace when man's day is over when God comes forth to judge the nations and to destroy the wicked that's what the day of the Lord is and he says you know what until that happens I will pour out my spirit I will pour out and revive you I will gather in many souls you know also in Joel there's another prophecy often forgotten about and we've taught it very thoroughly in this church in previous years and God opened this up to me and made it very real to me just listen before we close in Joel chapter 2 he speaks more we know that the former reign is Pentecost but listen in Joel chapter 2 verse 23 he says and be glad then ye children of Zan and rejoice in the Lord your God for he hath remember there's a prophecy about what's going to begin to happen 500 years later for he hath given to you the former reign moderately the former reign was Pentecost this is that which a Joel prophesied in this these few verses of Joel Joel speaks about the entire rainy season in Israel and listen he mentions three different things the early rain the winter rain and the latter rain it's the whole rainy period in Israel's sequence of rain and harvest and you know what he does he takes those three times and he makes it into a prophecy the early rain happened on the day of Pentecost he said that early rain is in October through until December and that brings in the first harvest after that is the winter rain the rain it begins in December through until March and there is a thing called the latter rain which happens from March through to April that is the very last rain that's going to happen in other words Joel begins to say the entire time of rain a period of year of rain is going to happen in Bible prophecy throughout church history it begins with the early rain and it begins with the latter rain what you saw on the day of Pentecost he actually says here that's small that's moderate that's only a beginning that's only limited there is a latter rain that's going to happen at the end of the age I mean I'm going to pour out floods at the end of harvest time or at the end of last days do you realize that in this prophecy it gives a very unique prophecy and I don't want to go into it all here I've done that in other messages but Joel prophesies something here more than latter days listen in Joel 2 23 it says he will cause to come down for you the rain the former rain and the latter rain in the first month there is a prophecy here that I've never once in my lifetime heard anyone preach or expound I can't even find a commentary I've read a hundred odd commentaries on this and they will not deal with this if the former the winter rain and the latter rain is all about Israel's rainy sequence listen to what happens it says there's going to be a unique revival in the last month sorry let me say that again in the first month which is Nisan or May in other words what's happened you've had the former rain the winter rain the latter rain the latter rain actually ends at the beginning of May you get about one day's rain in May and then you go into five months of barrenness hot Sun no rain for five months the last rain is maybe one day in May but you know what Joel prophesies he says no not only did I start with the former rain and I finish with the latter rain let me take you to the month of May Nisan or the first month and he says something's gonna happen if he prophesied about the day of Pentecost and that happened 500 years later 500 on one day amongst a specific people amongst the church and 3,000 got saved in one sermon and he talks about the latter rain at the end of age and I believe we've already had the latter rain the latter rain came to us during the 20th century and it's not over and you know where we are we are in the month May and the new revival comes to me all the revivals are over it's all in the past the former and the latter rain has come church history is over the harvest is in now Jesus is coming but there's one last prophecy says in that month of May when no rain is to fall maybe a little bit on one day says you know what I'm gonna do I'm gonna take the former rain and I'm gonna take the latter rain join them together that have already come and gone and I'm gonna pour them out in one last month and at Pentecost if the former rain was Pentecost that means the former rains gonna come in the last month again and it means the latter rain that happened during the 20th century that was worldwide and evangelism and revival it's gonna come again and God's gonna take all the revivals of history and a one short sharp revival right at the end and you know what it's gonna be at a time when no revival should naturally or humanly come and we see the rise of Antichrist and we see darkness and we see the mark of the beast and we see all of these things beginning to arise and we say it's all over I want to tell you this morning the 21st century church the church of the 2020s the church of the last period of history I believe has yet to experience that I know all the good Christians worldwide are saying revivals all over I'm telling you that I believe they're about to be shocked by an extraordinary outpouring of the Spirit it'll be taken the revival under Peter and mixing it with the revival of Whitefield and that of Evan Roberts and the Pentecostal revival and all the revivals of the ages and I'm gonna bring it and one of the hardest darkest most wickedest hours and it's to it's gonna be short it's gonna be brief it's gonna be earth-shaking and it's to gather out one last harvest and in James chapter 5 James the half-brother of Jesus confirms us he says behold the husband man waiteth who's the husband man Jesus he's the farmer he waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and he has long patience for it until he received the early and the latter rain so he's waiting until a certain point the Lord of the harvest at the end of time be also patient establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh these are only a few scriptures and I'm telling you I believe there are eschatological prophecies about revival that have never happened yet in Ezekiel and Zechariah and in the book of Romans and many others in Joel when does Joel get fulfilled when there's a great northern army invade in Israel it's yet to happen it's not in the past it's gonna happen when Russia comes down on Israel God is gonna pour out a spirit Ezekiel's war it's gonna trigger one of the greatest revivals in world history when Russia's armaments and the Islamic Confederation falls on the mountains of Israel there is gonna come a worldwide outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the Bible teaches that I'm saying we need to be praying for it it's for your hour your generation it's for your church and I believe it's in one of the most dangerous hours but God is gonna send a wonderful revival and then saints let's get out of here but before we do let's see one of the greatest harvest and it may be in the midst of terrible bloodshed and persecution but let us be God's vessel in this last hour will you stand with me let's just pray as we close let's lift up our hands let's ask God do you want to be a part of this do you want to miss God's plan do you want to be a vessel that God cannot use do you want to be someone in the midst of one of the greatest hours of church history do you want to cut God short and say I'll let my own life do my own thing I hear all this I see all this I believe it's the last hour I hope I don't get caught out why not get involved by repenting believing walking with the Lord Jesus Christ and being part of one of the most extraordinary hours in church history I've waited for this time since five years old since five years old I've known five years old I've known an unusual revival outpouring of the spirits coming and that's why all those fake revivals went no that's not it no that's not it no that's not it because when it comes Pentecost is just a little foretaste of what's going to happen you're going to see people preaching the streets where thousands get born again I've got a friend in Scotland called Basil Wolf he's now with the Lord he was 85 years old and he told me standing in the center of Kelso in Scotland he said look around you we are preaching one or two listening to us he said when I was a young man and got born again there were 500 people standing here repenting on their knees crying out getting born again 500 souls at a time in the middle of a small town saints of God do not say that God cannot bring an hour where he'll bring thousands in with one wipe of his arm he's a mighty God he's done it this is an unusual hour let's pray together father we thank you for the Word of God that even this morning in this church with all those that listen online father I pray that you'd birth an eschatology that is balanced that's accurate that is Christ-centered that is Bible-based that's to do with winning souls that it's about an outpouring of the Holy Spirit my God I pray for a latter-day outpouring of the Holy Spirit I pray that you prepare us as a church to play our part to do the will of God to prepare a people in other nations my God I pray right now that you'd make ready a people for this last hour the last missionary movement the last evangelism the last pioneering of your church across the nations and my God the last thing gathered a precious old before your judgments and your wrath and your trumpets and your vials are I poured on this generation my God will you start this generation awake that they might get ready nor God that they might meet with you in Jesus mighty name