About Jesus  -  Steve Sweetman

The Last Great Revival

Many Christians anticipate the last great revival predicted by the prophet Joel.  After reading "The Late Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey in 1972, I, like many, thought the Charismatic Movement of the 1960's and 70's that we were involved in was that last great revival that would precede the return of Jesus to earth.   

"After that I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.  I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.  The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord" (Joel 2:28 - 29 NIV). 

The Apostle Peter quoted Joel's prophecy in defence of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17 - 21).  Was Acts 2 the ultimate fulfilment of this prophecy?  Joel predicted that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on all people.  In conjunction with this revival Joel said that certain calamities would inflict the heavens and the earth before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  Although the Holy Spirit began to be poured out in Acts 2 the calamities associated with this revival are yet to come. 

In Biblical prophecy the word "day" can be understood as both one day or a period of time.  I understand the word "day" in Joel's prophecy to be the one great and dreadful day Jesus returns to earth to conquer the nations.  That day will end what the Bible also calls "the day of the Lord," or, what Prophetic Futurists call the Great Tribulation.      

Joel's prediction of revival has its ultimate fulfilment during the Great Tribulation as I believe is alluded to in Revelation 7:9 and 10.  "After this I looked and there before me was a multitude that no one could count; from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.  They cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb (NIV)."  These countless number of saints have "come out of the Great Tribulation" as Revelation 7:14 states.  It's my opinion these saints gave their lives to Jesus because of the witness of the 144,000 Jews mentioned earlier in the chapter.  Thus, these countless number of saints were a product of the last great revival that Joel predicted.    

Revelation 13:7 says the beast (anti-Christ) will be given authority over every nation, tribe, people, and language.  He will wage war against the saints from every nation and will conquer them.  I see these conquered saints as the martyrs of Revelation 6:9 to 11 who sit under the heavenly alter, eagerly waiting the day when God will avenge their blood. 

I believe the last great revival predicted by Joel is seen in Revelation 7, the final 7 years of this age.  This outpouring of the Holy Spirit will enrage the anti-Christ so much so that he will institute the most massive martyrdom campaign of Christians in history.  Believers from every nation, tribe, people, language "will not love their lives so much as to shrink from death" (Revelation 12:11).  This last great historic revival will lead to the most excruciating execution of Christians ever known.  If you desire to be involved in the excitement this outpouring of the Spirit, assuming you are alive at the time, expect to be numbered among the martyrs.