Jonathan Edwards wrote a treatise encouraging widespread corporate prayer, on the premise that the Bible makes many promises that have not yet been fulfilled. This being the case, there was great reason for God's people to anticipate and seek their fulfillment.

Do the Scriptures promise great revivals? That is a very important question. If we believe that the promises apply to the extension of the Messiah's kingdom, then we should feel constrained to explore their meaning. And as we view the prophecies, they create hope and vision, which in turn lead to intercession.

A bright future prospect for Christ's kingdom on earth inspires missionary zeal and enterprise. When the way is hard and exacting, having a vision of ultimate victory will engender courage and impart perseverance.

Edwards refers to several references in this connection, such as Micah 4 and Isaiah 60:2-4; but the thrust of his treatise is based on an exposition of Zechariah 8:20-22 (NIV):

Many peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, "Let us go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself am going." And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him.

Edwards asserts of this passage: "There never happened anything, from the time of the prophet Zechariah to the time of Christ, to answer this prophecy."

From an examination of Edwards' exposition, it is clear that he is not being presumptuous about the text, as though the fact that it sounds good is sufficient basis to encourage prayer. Rather, having scrutinized the meaning and context, he makes five practical observations about revival praying that this text inspires.

Characteristics of Revival Praying

1. Purposeful. Zechariah's prayer is extraordinary. It is with the specific purpose of intercession, and of seeking the fulfillment of great good, that strong nations unite in their mission of prayer.

2. Focused. The expression "seeking the Lord" is often used in the Scriptures, and it implies that God himself is the great good to be desired and sought after. The characteristic of saints is that they seek God. As the psalmist cried, "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you" (Ps. 63:1). If the Lord has been absent from the church, then surely we must seek his return.

3. Unified. In the text, multitudes from different parts of the world unite and conspire in this matter of seeking the Lord. Edwards saw in this promise the impact of worldwide revival: "In this manner religion shall be propagated until the awakening reaches those who are in the highest stations, and till whole nations be awakened, and there be at length an accession of many of the chief nations of the world to the church of God."

4. Resolute. There is clarity about the objectives sought. The peoples and nations understand the promises that form the basis of their prayers, and they are resolute in their purpose to go together at a set time. There is no apathy or sluggishness here.

5. Urgent. The manner of prayer agreed on is urgent: "Let us go at once to pray." In contemporary language, it reads, "Let's go for it!" The idea is that there is strength and quality in the going. There is a determination in this going to seek the Lord together.

There is the element in which the answer, "No!" will not be acceptable, as Jacob insisted, "I will not let you go unless you bless me!" Vast blessings are promised. They are to be obtained through asking (Isa. 62:6-7).

Finding Strength in Dark Times

Of great encouragement to the people of God is the fact that many of the promises of God were made against dark backgrounds. For example, there could hardly be a gloomier scene than that after the fall of Adam. Yet the promise is made that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head (Gen. 3:15). The fulfillment of this promise came in the victory of the cross.

Before the birth of Isaac, it seemed to Abraham and Sarah as though the possibility of offspring was nil. That Abraham actually despaired of the promise being fulfilled is seen in his taking Hagar as a wife in order to have a son. Yet the promise was firm, and in due time it was fulfilled. Part of the promise was that all nations on earth would be blessed through him (Gen. 12:3; 18:18).

When Moses was discouraged by the rebellion of the children of Israel, he was told of God's purpose to fill the earth with his glory (Num. 14:21). Likewise when Habakkuk was deeply depressed and flabbergasted at the destruction of God's city Zion by the Chaldeans, he was assured that "The revelation awaits an appointed time." The righteous must live by faith. "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:3, 14).

As a captive in Babylon, Daniel was given the ability to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The colossal image representing four great empires, "an enormous, dazzling statue," was struck by a rock on its iron and clay feet. The statue tottered and fell. All vestiges of the empires that it represented have been blown away by the winds of time, but the rock that struck the statue is a living rock. It grows, and goes on growing to become a huge mountain which fills the whole earth. That rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands, "will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever" (Dan. 2:35, 44).

Zechariah was called to encourage the leaders (Joshua and Zerubbabel) and the people in their struggle to re-establish the Commonwealth of Israel. It was a daunting task to accomplish from dust and rubble. From that time of arduous reconstruction came messianic promises, including the picture of the Messiah riding into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey. The extent of his dominion is described: "He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth" (Zech. 9:10).

Revelation 20:1-3 refers to the eventual defeat of Satan. The binding of Satan means he will no longer be able to deceive the nations. If the nations are not deceived, then surely they are exposed to the glorious light of the gospel. In this way Satan is thwarted. The victory is not his. Even though the whole world is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19), he will eventually be crushed, not only with regard to the liberation of individual souls, but also in the curtailing of his rule over the whole world.

But Romans 11 is the key New Testament passage with regard to God's purpose during this last time before the return of Christ. Maurice Roberts' exposition on this passage gives us great encouragement to persevere in our prayers for revival:

It appears from Paul's manner of arguing in Romans 11 that God in fact is purposing to bless the world by what may be termed a threefold progression: first Jews, then Gentiles, then both together. Not until the Spirit is poured out on Israel in the future will the high-water mark of God's purposes be reached in his gracious dealings with fallen mankind. . . .

Romans 11:25 should have the further effect upon us all of stirring us to pray earnestly and frequently for this great event to come to pass. However blind the Jewish world is today—and blind, alas, it certainly is towards Christ's gospel—we are divinely assured that it will not always be so.

No greater encouragement could possibly exist for Jewish missionary enterprise than this. But the same is true for all missionary enterprise and, indeed, for all faithful Christian endeavor of every kind.[1]

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Gal. 6:9).

[1]"The Mystery Concerning Israel," Banner of Truth, Issue 304, January 1989.

Adapted from Give Him No Rest by Erroll Hulse, copyright © 1991 by Evangelical Press Books. ISBN: 0-85234-283-7. Used by permission. For other titles by Erroll Hulse, including the newly released Who Saves, God or Me?, visit www.epbooks.com.