Dear Friend,

Every heaven-sent revival - or visitation or move of the Spirit - in this Church Age is a little millennium, a sample of the blessings of the coming kingdom age. Let me explain.

True revivals supercharge churches and Christians with kingdom power, truth, grace, and works.

The first example of this was Jesus' earthly ministry. The kingdom of God visited Israel in the Son of God's teachings and miracles.

The second example was the amazing Ekklesia that arose at Pentecost. The body of Christ continued, and even enlarged, the kingdom power, truth, grace, and works begun by the bodily Christ (Acts 1:1), as He, the King, remained present and working by His Spirit in His newly formed spiritual kingdom: "The Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (Mark 16:20).

Whenever genuine revivals come, the present spiritual or invisible kingdom - the church or body of Christ - is enlarged by conversions, stirred by preaching, strengthened by teaching, improved by correction, and inspired by miracles, all as a foretaste of the coming visible kingdom that will begin on this earth after Jesus returns in power and glory.

While heavenly revivals don’t give the church political authority to rule this present world, they do impart miraculous “power,” or spiritual influence, to turn unbelievers to the faith and grow believers in Christlikeness (Acts 1:8). And the results amaze.

Eager converts hungrily study God’s Word, and can't get enough of it! Established Christians have new life breathed into them and they seek God intimately and diligently again, their "first love" restored and surging (Revelation 2:4). Divine healings prompt sinners who receive or witness them to become the Healer’s diligent disciples and ardent worshipers. Divine deliverances occur regularly, as the power of the Holy Spirit snaps the most powerful chains of addiction. Prayer meetings are transformed into God encounters, where thanksgiving, intercession, petitions, and worship in the Spirit flow and the powers of darkness flee. Oh, but there's more!

Dead and lukewarm churches rise to walk closely with the One who is again walking and working among them. Worship flourishes with fresh songs of praise and old hymns sung with new meaning. Holy awe and a sense of God’s presence fill church buildings from the altar to the basement to the parking lot. Teachers instruct congregations with heavenly authority, preaching grips them with conviction, counselors speak as God's mouth, and Christlike character formation flourishes. Even this isn't the end of it!

The Spirit calls missionaries and launches missions: "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:4). Churches sprout new Spirit-led ministries. They also simplify and, relying on the Spirit's superior guidance and power, become exponentially more effective with fewer programs and committees.

As God's revival continues, false teachers and religions are discredited and their joyless followers converted to join Christ's growing kingdom of joy. Cities, states, and nations, are profoundly changed as godliness increases, godlessness diminishes, virtue sprouts, and vice withers - and all without government programs, public relations campaigns, and political movements! Or, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6, ESV). Proud denominational walls collapse under the steady, irresistible pressure of the river of God’s nonsectarian Spirit and, liberated from their divisive shackles, all true believers begin flowing together in mutual respect and fellowship if not organization.

Beholding this wonder, we wonder, "Is this the Millennium? the thousand years of Christ's rule on this earth? the kingdom now?"

No, net yet. It is a little millennium, a small foretaste of the coming kingdom—but it packs a large blessing! It's time for prayer: "O Jesus, we plead no merit, only mercy. In your loving-kindness, and for your great Name, relieve our desperate need. Send us a little millennium. For this large blessing, we will offer You large sacrifices of praise. By faith, we thank you now, Lord!"

Since we have prayed, there's but one thing to do: Watch for a little millennium!

Watching,

Greg Hinnant
Greg Hinnant Ministries