Revival is a season of a visitation of God that is marked by deep working of repentance, calls to intense holy living and marked by dramatic conversions, creative healings and undeniable deliverance from sin and demonic activity.
While people who believe in Kingdom Now theology teach this, it is not grounded in history or scripture. We do not develop a culture but invade the secular culture around us.
The truth is that revival is to re-align the church back to apostolic faith (New Testament). Once that has been established, it is no longer revival but simply a congregation walking in the apostolic witness.
While there has been some fake revivals over the years, I look to Azusa Street, Voice of Healing and the Brownsville Revival of examples of what we are praying for.
I would suggest reading anything by Smith Wigglesworth, David Wilkerson, Leonard Ravenhill or Steve Hill. Those are a great place to start.
It is simply hearing from God for someone. It is not telling people what they want to hear or sugarcoating truth. Prophecy is given as you get it. Word for word.
Despite common belief, prophecy and encouragement is two different gifts. 1 Corinthians 14 is directed at one church in one city in one generation. Prophecy can be encouraging but does not have to be in all cases.
The goal of any prophetic word must be to create more hunger for Jesus, more desire for holy living and more passion for His purposes. If any of these are not present, any “word” must be questioned.
The simple answer is the bible tells us more about false prophets than authentic prophets. False prophets must be discerned and cast on a bed of suffering (cast out of fellowship).
Anyone who claims to be have been to Heaven should not speak of it. (Col. 2:18) They also would be required to have signs and wonders following. No one can be in Heaven and not carry the anointing. A lack of miracles would demand they are a fraud.
