Biblical Revivals and Awakenings
So far in our series we’ve looked at twenty-eight examples of revival in the Bible:
- Seth
- Noah
- Job
- Abram
- Joseph
- Moses
- Joshua
- Judges
- Naomi
- Ruth
- Hannah
- Samuel
- David
- Solomon
- Jehu
- Elijah
- Elisha
- Jonah
- Amos
- Hosea
- Isaiah
- Hezekiah
- Micah
- Nahum
- Zephaniah
- Josiah
- Jeremiah
- Daniel
King Nebuchadnezzar took Daniel and other Hebrew young people captive in about 605 BC. They were taken from Judah to Babylon. Even though it was a difficult time for Daniel and his friends, we saw how God protected them and brought glory to His name.
Nebuchadnezzar took a larger group of Jews captive about 597 BC. That’s based on 2 Kings 24 saying it happened in the “eighth year” of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. Ezekiel, a priest, was one of those Jews taken captive. Let’s see what we can learn about revival from Ezekiel.
[Listen to a Podcast of this study by clicking this link.]
Ezekiel the Prophet
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there. Ezekiel 1:1-3
We know about Ezekiel from his lengthy writings. Even though some of his writings are repeated in other parts of the Bible, the only time we find his name mentioned is in his writings. The name Ezekiel means “God strengthens.” We know that Ezekiel was a priest. We know he lived by the River Chebar in Babylonia during his captivity. We also know that Ezekiel lived among other captives and God spoke “expressly to Ezekiel.” We know that Ezekiel saw “visions of God” in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity. That would have been about 592 BC.
The visions God gave Ezekiel may seem a bit bizarre to many people, but what God gave us was a vision of some of His creation that we cannot see. Keep in mind that Jesus Christ created “all things” that are in Heaven and on earth, “visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16). God allowed Ezekiel to see what some of those creatures look like. It was a window into the invisible realm. You can read about the vision in Ezekiel 1:4-28.
After seeing this amazing vision, God called Ezekiel to prophesy to His people in captivity – “As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them” (Ezekiel 2:5).
God made it clear to Ezekiel that his prophetic ministry was specifically to the Hebrew people – “For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand” (Ezekiel 3:5-6).
Moreover He said to me: ‘Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears. And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse. Ezekiel 3:10-11
God appointed Ezekiel to be a “watchman” for His people. Being a watchman was a weighty job as it carried severe penalties if Ezekiel did not do what God required of him (Ezekiel 3:16-27). Ezekiel did what God commanded and prophesied to the captives. Keep in mind that Jerusalem and the Temple were still standing when Ezekiel began prophesying. Much of his early prophecies concerned the soon destruction of both. The future of Judah looked bleak –
Therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will also diminish you; My eye will not spare, nor will I have any pity. One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. ‘Thus shall My anger be spent, and I will cause My fury to rest upon them, and I will be avenged; and they shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it in My zeal, when I have spent My fury upon them. Moreover I will make you a waste and a reproach among the nations that are all around you, in the sight of all who pass by. ‘So it shall be a reproach, a taunt, a lesson, and an astonishment to the nations that are all around you, when I execute judgments among you in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I, the Lord, have spoken. When I send against them the terrible arrows of famine which shall be for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, I will increase the famine upon you and cut off your supply of bread. So I will send against you famine and wild beasts, and they will bereave you. Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword against you. I, the Lord, have spoken.’ Ezekiel 5:11-17
Ezekiel and God’s Glory
Ezekiel’s prophecies are fascinating to read. He lived in Babylonia, yet God showed him the secret things priests were doing inside the Temple in Jerusalem, which was hundreds of miles away. God sees everything and can reveal it to His prophets. That included the “glory” of the Lord leaving the Temple and moving eastward from Jerusalem prior to the Babylonian army destroying the Temple and Jerusalem – “And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city” (Ezekiel 11:23). The mountain that is on the east side of the city of Jerusalem is Mount Olivet.
As with other prophecies God delivered to His people through the prophets, God promised to restore Israel at a future time. That restoration would come when His glory returned from the “way of the east.”
And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Ezekiel 43:2-4
Jesus Christ, who is the glory of God (Hebrews 1:3), ascended to Heaven from Mount Olivet. Angels told Christ’s apostles that He would return just as they had seen Him leave (Acts 1:9-12). What Ezekiel prophesied was the return of Jesus Christ to enter into a new Temple where He would dwell with His people (Ezekiel 43:6-7). That’s when Israel will experience true and lasting revival – when Jesus Christ is on His Throne in Jerusalem.
Ezekiel and New Life
Another interesting prophecy concerning the return of Jesus Christ is found in Ezekiel 37. God showed Ezekiel a valley that was full of bones and told him to prophesy to the bones.
‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: ‘Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.’ Ezekiel 37:4-6
Ezekiel did as God commanded and the bones came together and were covered by sinews, flesh, and skin. However, there was no breath in them. God told Ezekiel to prophesy “to the breath.” Ezekiel did as he was commanded and breath came into them – “and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:9). God then explained the vision to Ezekiel –
‘Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,‘ says the Lord.’ Ezekiel 37:11-14
God spoke to Ezekiel again and told him that He was going to unite Israel and Judah into one kingdom under one King.
‘Thus says the Lord God: ‘Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God. ‘David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.’ Ezekiel 37:21-28
No king from the lineage of David has ruled from Jerusalem since the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC. The prophecy was about Jesus Christ, the Son of David, ruling His people from a new Temple in the city of Jerusalem. Jesus, the Seed of the woman, will destroy the seed of the serpent.
Ezekiel and Daniel Revival Lessons
As far as we know, Ezekiel and Daniel died in captivity. They faithfully executed their calling to prophesy to God’s people in Babylon. Their prophecies during some of the darkest days of God’s people included hope for personal and national revival that would bring great glory to God on earth. God would bring His people back from spiritual death to experience life again.
The names of each of the prophets help tell the story of what God is going to do for Israel in the future. Daniel’s name means “God is my judge.” Ezekiel’s name means “strengthened by God.” God judges His people, then strengthens them with His promises of future glory and peace with Jesus Christ ruling from a new Temple in Jerusalem.
God will not tolerate sin by His people. As we read in 1 Peter 4:17 – “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” Fortunately, we have a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. We are saved from God’s judgment and wrath because of what Jesus accomplished on the Cross. However, that doesn’t mean we can live in sin. As the Apostle Paul wrote –
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? … Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:1-2, 12-14
Christians today are not Israel or Judah, but we can learn many important lessons from the Old Testament about how God revives His people.
Listen to a Podcast of this study by clicking this link.
Next Time
We know that Daniel lived long enough to see the day when King Cyrus of Persia allowed Jews to return to their homeland after 70 years in captivity. We’ll see what we can learn about revival as God brought His people home again. That’s in the next part of our series, Revival – To Live Again.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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