Is
Your End-Times Theology a Hindrance to Revival?
EDDIE
HYATT, Charisma Magazine
Here
are 5 reasons we can expect great revival in the last days, and why our
eschatology must make room for such revival: (1) It was prophesied by Peter;
(2) it was alluded to by Jesus; (3) my experience informs me it is so; (4) past
revivalists considered great revivals to be part of the last days; (5)
eschatology is very tenuous and should not be the basis for denying the possibility
of revival in our day.
1.
Predicted by Peter
A
great worldwide outpouring of the Spirit of God in the last days is what Peter
declared to the wondering crowd on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17). As the
disciples magnified God and praised him in other tongues, the onlooking
multitude questioned what this could mean. Peter responded by quoting a
prophecy from Joel about a universal outpouring of God's Spirit on all flesh
(Joel 2:28-29).
"And
it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My
Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men
shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams, and on my menservants and
my maidservants I will pour out of My Spirit in those days and they shall
prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18).
In
Jewish/rabbinic tradition, Joel's prophecy was associated with the coming of
the Messiah and the messianic age, also known as "the last days." The
messianic age would be a time when the Holy Spirit would no longer be confined
to certain prophets, judges and kings in Israel, but would be universally
poured out on all flesh.
Peter
declared that with the coming of Jesus, the messianic age had dawned and the
Spirit was now being poured out on all flesh. Peter further made his point by
substituting Joel's it shall come to pass afterwards with it shall come to pass
in the last days. As far as Peter was concerned, the death, resurrection and
ascension of Jesus had ushered in the promised era. The last days had dawned
and the Spirit of God was now being universally poured out without the former
restrictions (Acts 2:14-18).
Is
this not a solid biblical basis for praying in faith for a great spiritual
awakening in our day?
No comments:
Post a Comment