Let me say a few words to those who are convinced that there will be no future revival for the Church. First of all I am so very glad that those who held such sentiments before the 1859 revival turned out to be terrible wrong. Before this revival there were those who taught that it was going to get worse and worse and that they were now in the Laodicean age. Im also glad that those who held such sentiments before the 1904 revival were also wrong.
I once read the testimony of William Williams concerning a little prayer group in Wales who became so discouraged with the spiritual climate and with no answer to their prayers for revival that they finally decided to close the small prayer meeting. On that last night as they gathered to pray and with the purpose of then locking the door a dark cloud hung over their heads. But as the prayer meeting drew to an end the Lord came down in mighty power on these desponding souls in such a mighty way that this was the beginning of a genuine mighty prolonged revival that swept multitudes into the kingdom of God.
The history of revival proves one thing: the Lord very frequently came in such a manner, in a very dark and unlikely hour, to a remnant people who had almost lost hope. This has most often been the Lord's rescue plan.
So please understand this. Many times God's true people thought they had passed the day of revival. Many times the Lord has surpried His people. Many times the Lord has utterly shattered and destroyed the enemies of the Gospel at a time when it seemed all was lost.
In the light of this we aught to be careful to return to Scripture to find what is revealed of the heart, mind and purpose of God concerning revival. The Lord may well come and do in the Church very shortly great and mighty things which we have never known or experienced, and which most have not looked for or expected.
Jer.33:3, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
Isa.64:3, "When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence."