In Isaiah 6:1-9, we find a powerful example of the purpose of revival. The passage describes Isaiah in the temple receiving a vision of the Lord. This vision not only reveals Isaiah’s heart but also reflects the state of the nation.
In the vision, Isaiah hears the words, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” He sees the Lord high and lifted up, seated on a throne, with the train of His robe filling the entire temple. Above the throne stand Seraphim, each with six wings: with two wings, they cover their faces; with two, they cover their feet; and with two, they fly.
The glory and presence of God set everything in motion. The focus is entirely on giving glory to the Lord. Isaiah’s vision of God’s majesty establishes the tone for everything that follows. He is immediately overcome with a profound sense of unworthiness in light of God’s greatness. This revelation leads him to recognize his own sinfulness and to see the nation of Israel as a people of unclean lips.
Revival, with its transformative power, must do several things.
1. Revival Must Reveal the Glory and the Majesty of God.
All things flow from here. Revivals come to convict the body of believers first of where they stand to the holiness of God. Without a vision in our spirits of the greatness of Jesus, we can easily fall into a state of complacency. This complacency, or a self-satisfied acceptance of the status quo, can lead us to compare ourselves to the world’s sin and see ourselves as righteous, hindering our recognition of our need for God’s holiness.
It’s not in comparison to the state of the world that we are to shine, but it is in contrast to the glory of Christ.
The world is going from dark to darker. We will follow that same pattern if we compare ourselves to the world. Isaiah thought that he was in good standing with God. He was a priest offering sacrifices and doing the will of the law. Suddenly, he sees God for all He is, and Isaiah is gripped by the reality of where he stands. The Bible says that we are not to compare ourselves to ourselves. Doing so gives us a false feeling of security as we compare our righteousness with the world. Revival shatters all of that.
True revival brings us back to the glory of the one who did it all.
It reveals ourselves in the light of true holiness and brings God’s conviction that our lives are far below the standards of salvation. This is always needed because the world’s system constantly tries to pull us down to its standard.
Doing so limits our ability to discern where we stand as believers and can cause our fire and vision to grow cold and dim. Isaiah saw himself in the light of God’s glory and cried out, “I am a man of unclean lips.” Out of the heart, the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). Isaiah sees that his speech reflects his heart and, in the presence of glory, sees his heart as far below the standards of God. Isaiah also sees the state of the nation. There are several purposes in revival, as we mentioned earlier, and Isaiah sees the goal of it. We must see ourselves for where we stand with God and see all around us in the same light.
2. Revival Brings Us Back into a Passion for the Promises and Purposes of God in Our Lives.
Revival will re-establish a faith walk we have lost or fallen far from. It will also show us the purpose of the revelation, which must be the nations and people around us. Jesus said to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15). He said in Acts 1:8, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” This mandate only happens when a vision more significant than ourselves immerses us.
3. Revival Gets the Church Back on the Right Track and to Move Forward with Great Authority.
Revival, as with Isaiah, must bring us to a state of repentance and recognition of the cleansing that comes from the blood of Christ.
As Isaiah cries out, the angel takes a coal from the fire of the altar of sacrifice and touches Isaiah’s lips. He declares that your iniquity is cleansed, restoring your heart to your right relationship with God, and your speech can reflect the same. Cleansing and forgiveness brings us back to the place of the holiness of God. This cleansing restores our hearts to Him, and we can now speak at the level of our redemption. A fresh infilling with the Holy Spirit refires the heart of God in us and gives us the power and authority to speak His word and kingdom with strength once again.
4. Revival Must Drive the Church Back to its Purpose.
The message of the gospel must be preached. The only way for it to be effective is when the church is walking in the supernatural footsteps of Jesus.
Our message is supernatural, and our speech must be supernatural.
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to pull down strongholds (2 Corinthians 4).
We are up against the principalities and powers of another spiritual kingdom.
If we are carnal, then we have no authority against Satan’s spiritual kingdom.
If we are powerless or complacent, we will never succeed in any advancement, and with any opposition, we will fail and or step back from the fight against Satan’s kingdom. If we are cold to God, we will never choose to see others won to Christ. The church is called to be a powerhouse amongst the nations. We must have God’s heart and zeal, walk in God’s holiness, and be driven by God. Revival does all this.
At the end of the vision of Isaiah, God asks who will go for us. Isaiah only saw God’s glory and heard the seraphs worship Him for all He is. From that, he got the vision of the nations, and when asked who would go for us, he answered, “Here I am, send me.”
Revival will grip us with a passion for souls. Revival will grip us with a heart for more of God.
Revival will set us back on the right course to once again step up into the call of God, take our place, and declare, “Here I am, send me!”
Blessings,
