Will there be a worldwide revival before the end times?

No, I see no prediction of any great “revival”—or, indeed, of any prophetic event prior to the Rapture. The coming of the Lord personally is, I believe, the immediate hope set before us. Then, surely, if we love Him we shall not only pray for divine reviving, but in our measure we shall do all we can, by every means, to spread the glory of His name.

It is a revival of this kind, of love to the Lord Himself on the part of His own and of earnest longing for Him, that we may expect, rather than a world-wide gospel movement. Such a revival seems to be involved in the fact that the Bride, in concert with the Spirit, cries "Come" in response to the Bridegroom, and that the final word of all is — "Even so come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:17, 20).

It is a revival of this kind, of love to the Lord Himself on the part of His own and of earnest longing for Him, that we may expect, rather than a world-wide gospel movement. Such a revival seems to be involved in the fact that the Bride, in concert with the Spirit, cries “Come” in response to the Bridegroom, and that the final word of all is—“Even so come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:17, 20).

I AM SURE THERE WILL BE A REVIVAL; indeed, I see signs of it in a marked way already. A revival, first, of love for the Lord and yearning for His return, and with that, perforce, a revival of gospel interest on the part of the Lord’s people. The one produces the other.

It will be a revival amid the darkening shadows of apostasy. Laodicea will gather force as it nears the end, but Philadelphia will experience a revival, the one to be spued out, the other to be raptured, both taking place at the Lord’s coming, by the fact of the one being left behind and the other translated.

Is there any reason why we should, or any good reason why we should not, expect a world-wide revival before the end of the present age?

May we expect a worldwide revival before the coming of the Lord? Huge, enthusiastic conventions have answered this question with a vociferous “Yes!” and the echo has reverberated to the ends of the earth. But what say the Scriptures? Their reply will be one of unerring precision, unbiased by pride in human achievement. But we shall need a prayerful and diligent spirit in order to read their predictions aright.

Is there any reason why we should, or any good reason why we should not, expect a world-wide revival before the end of the present age?

May we expect a worldwide revival before the coming of the Lord? Huge, enthusiastic conventions have answered this question with a vociferous "Yes!" and the echo has reverberated to the ends of the earth. But what say the Scriptures? Their reply will be one of unerring precision, unbiased by pride in human achievement. But we shall need a prayerful and diligent spirit in order to read their predictions aright.

These revivals have a particular importance for us. We are witnessing the end of the history of Christendom, which, except for the pagan idolatry involved in Judah's apostasy, has the greatest moral analogy with the end of the Judah's history. Judgment has been pronounced long ago by the Word upon the present state of things (read 2 Timothy: 2 Peter; and Jude), and no one takes heed. At the moment of their sudden destruction, men will yet be crying, "Peace and safety." For the time being the grace of God by these revivals is placing a dam before the torrent that will sweep them away. He is using them to withdraw from the already condemned mass a greater or smaller number of souls who have become attentive to the voice of His gospel. He thus is making ready for His Beloved to take His own to Himself, by completing the number of the elect so that not one of them will be wanting at that last call when they are finally being gathered together.

All this has a very serious interest for us. We stand near the crisis in the world's history; and even those who look for signs own that we are drawing near the close of the age, and of the times of the Gentiles. The reorganization of the empire is not far off. And it is solemn to remember that, when revived, it will not be a mere repetition of what has been done before; but the power of Satan will be put forth in a way never yet witnessed. God shall send strong delusion that men should believe a lie, because they "believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Very many of my Christian brethren may cry out that I speak uncharitably. The word of God, however, is wiser than men. It is not a thought of mine, nor of any other man. None would have gathered such a prospect from their own minds. But God has most clearly revealed it. People may plead the wonderful works of God of late in one distant country and another; and the answer of blessing that is, as it were, echoing back from some quarters near us. But these things in no way contradict what has been stated. We may always see these two things going on together, when men approach the verge of some mighty change. On the one hand, the general power of evil increases, and the pride of man swells to an unprecedented height. On the other hand, the Spirit of God works energetically, winning souls to Christ, and separating those that are to be saved from the destruction which is the necessary end of sin and pride. Hence, I believe, when any crisis of evil is at hand, what we ought to expect is this increase of blessing from God, during the time of suspense which immediately precedes judgment.

Here in our Gospel, then, we have reached a period beyond the rapture of the Church, and just before the "end." In spite of all the opposition and persecution of the world, there will be an evangelistic revival, such as this world has never yet witnessed. From restored Israel will go forth foreign missionaries, with something at least of the zeal and devotion of the greatest and most successful foreign missionary that this world has ever seen — the Apostle Paul. And their message will be, "Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters" (Isa. 55:1)." The Lord. God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, yet will I gather to the gathered ones" (Isa. 56:8). "Also the sons of strangers that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord … even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer … for my house shall be called an house of prayer for all people" (Isa. 56:6-7). The Lord had reminded them of this prophecy when He cleansed the temple (Matt. 21:13). Its fulfilment awaits the day when He shall sit as a Priest upon His throne. In short, there will be a world-wide testimony to a coming Messiah. Christendom has never accomplished this with the Gospel of the grace of God. In spite of the utmost self-denial and self-sacrifice on the part of very many devoted servants of Christ, whose efforts have been beyond all praise, yet it is a fact that Christendom, in modern days at least, has never succeeded in evangelising more than half of the known world. And the opinion of those best able to judge is, that the heathen nations of to-day are increasing faster than the present missionary activity can overtake. It is a humbling thought for all of us, if so it be.

I should like to show you, in connection with this Psalm, two other scriptures. One of them is the 24th of Matthew, where we shall see what our Lord Jesus Christ says about this matter. There He is unfolding future events for Israel, and the Jew. He says distinctly, that there shall be unspeakable troubles and sorrows, and (12th ver.), "because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come." All the world shall hear of Him, as the coming King. Thank God for that. Only a small portion of the world has had "the gospel of the grace of God" preached to it, in our day, but I comfort my heart, that within a very short time from this night, if the Lord were to come, and the Church to be taken up, and this blessed company, of what I may call earthly evangelists, appeared, a wonderful change would be manifest. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations." Christ does not say, or mean, that all nations will be converted, because, I shall yet show you, that many will not be converted, but, nevertheless, they will have presented to them a clear distinct testimony.