God-Appointed Period of Time for Revival

The place may be right for a revival, but if it is not the right time—God’s time—revival will not come. Interestingly, Jonah’s was the fourth and final warning to the city of Nineveh. A serious plague had swept through the city of Nineveh in 765 BC. That was followed by a total eclipse of the sun on June 15, 763 BC, and another plague in 759 BC. People in ancient cultures reacted differently to disasters and heavenly happenings than Western cultures do today. They were not secular in their worldview. They believed that the “gods” were intimately involved in their daily lives. If there was a disaster, they thought they were being punished. If there was an eclipse in the heavens, the sun and moon gods were at odds with one another. Whether they were right or wrong, they took signs seriously. So when a bald, bleached prophet appeared in their city (following two epidemics and an eclipse), they were ready to listen.

Is it possible that through some of the events we witness in our culture today, God is preparing us to hear the Word of the Lord? The onset of AIDS, tragedies that spark news all over the world, continued violence, the breakdown of the family, assassinations of leaders—all of these things should be awakening us to the fact that we desperately need to hear the voice of God.

The revival in Nineveh happened at a time orchestrated by God so that when the message came, it would find hearing among the people. It was a God-appointed time for a revival in Nineveh.

Excerpted from The Runaway Prophet, by David Jeremiah.