I’ve been mulling over a question lately that hit me while watching R.T. Kendall preach online at Times Square Church last Sunday.
He spoke of a revival before the rapture, a sweeping move of God’s Spirit right before Christ snatches His Church away in the rapture.
This got me very emotional with what he spoke and stirred something inside me, and as I paced my room, I couldn't help but wonder, could it really be true? So, I dove into the Word and explored it further. Another thought crossed my mind: what about Israel? Romans 11:25 hints at a beautiful Jewish awakening, perhaps even during the Tribulation.
I’ve been chasing these ideas through Scripture all week, bouncing them off teachers like Kendall, David Wilkerson, and Chuck Smith, reading on Blue Letter Bible and watching videos on YouTube. Here’s where I’ve landed so far; perhaps you can help me too: two revivals, two moments, one God who loves to renew.
A Revival Before the Rapture – The Church’s Last Call
Kendall’s words stuck with me: a great revival before the rapture. He’s got this hope, rooted in Joel 2:28-29 (NKJV), where God says, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”
That “pour out” feels big and lavish, even. I see it as God’s heart to wake up His Church one last time before we’re caught up. David Wilkerson, who founded Times Square Church, preached something similar. In a sermon called “The Last Revival,” he pictured a “midnight hour” outpouring, a triumphant surge before the end.
He leaned on Acts 3:19 (NKJV): “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” That phrase, “times of refreshing,” grabs me. Could it be a hint of revival right before the trumpet sounds?
Then there’s Chuck Smith, the Calvary Chapel founder who shaped the Jesus Movement. I wondered if he had bought into this. Smith was about the rapture’s nearness, preaching 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NKJV): “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” He saw it as an “any moment” deal, no prerequisites, just readiness.
Revival? Sure, he’d welcome it, after all, he lived in the ‘70s, but he didn’t peg it as a must before Christ returns.
I lean more toward Kendall and Wilkerson myself. Scripture’s pattern of mercy before judgment, like Noah’s ark or Nineveh’s reprieve, makes me think God might spark something big first.
What do you reckon?
No Mandate, Just a Whisper of Hope
You know me, you will know I get very emotional about this, but II hit a snag: Is there a biblical mandate for this? I dug into the Word, hunting for a clear “Revival must happen before the rapture.” I didn’t find it.
Take Joel 2, it’s a promise fulfilled at Pentecost, sure, but could it stretch to the last days too?
Acts 3:19’s “refreshing” sounds revival-ish, tied to repentance, yet it’s vague on timing. Then there’s Matthew 24:14 (NKJV): “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.” That’s a condition, the gospel going global, but does it mean revival? Maybe. It’s a surge of souls, not a command for an awakening.
I turned to 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NKJV): “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed.”
That “falling away” stumped me; things getting worse, not better. But could a revival shine bright before that darkness? The rapture in 1 Corinthians 15:52 (NKJV), “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet”, feels sudden, no prelude required. So, no mandate, just whispers. I’m left with hope, not certainty. God doesn’t need a revival first, but could He want one? That’s where my heart sits, wondering.
A Jewish Revival – Israel’s Awakening in the Tribulation
Then this thought popped up: What about the Jews? I’d been meditating on Romans 11:25 (NKJV): “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” That “until” jumped out. If the rapture ends the Gentile age where the church is caught up, could the Tribulation be Israel’s turn? Verse 26 adds, “And so all Israel will be saved,” quoting Isaiah 59:20 about a Deliverer from Zion. It’s a promise, clear as day.
This is how I see it: the Church raptured, then God refocuses on Israel. Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV) says, “They will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son.” That’s a revival, a nation turning to Christ. Revelation 7:4’s 144,000 from Israel’s tribes could be the spark, preaching through the Tribulation’s chaos.
This reflects my pre-tribulation beliefs, influenced by Kendall and Wilkerson. They envision a Gentile awakening before the rapture takes us to heaven, but I’ve been contemplating Israel’s moment, which occurs after the fullness of the Gentiles is completed (Romans 11:25, NKJV). God’s Spirit acts in two phases: first for the Church, and then for His covenant nation. Have you ever imagined it unfolding like that?
Two Revivals and One Faithful God
So, here’s where I land: two revivals, maybe. One before the rapture, sweeping the Church into glory, Kendall’s hope, Wilkerson’s fire. In the Tribulation, redeeming Israel, Paul’s mystery unveiled. Scripture doesn’t demand either, but it leaves room.
We have Joel’s outpouring, Matthew’s witness, Romans’ fullness are threads of possibility. Smith’s “any moment” rapture keeps me on my toes, but I can’t shake the feeling God loves a grand awakening of the church. Psalm 85:6 (NKJV) asks, “Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” I think He might, twice.
I’m still pondering this. Could a pre-rapture revival wake us up, then a Tribulation one to restore Israel? It’s not definite; it's merely a path I’m pursuing.
Kendall’s optimism pulls me, Wilkerson’s urgency drives me; Smith’s readiness steadies me.
What about you, does this double revival stir you like me? I’d love to hear your take is on this article, especially to you guys who know these men that have inspired me to get deeper into God’s Word, chasing His heart and gems of scripture for the days ahead.
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