A Nugget of Truth.
12 Steps to Revival, That Will Open Your Eyes in These Last Days.
In a world drifting further from God's truth, the Lord is calling His people back to genuine revival. Throughout Scripture, Elijah and John the Baptist stood as powerful messengers raised up to prepare hearts for God's work. Their lives reveal a pattern of faithfulness, courage, humility, and unwavering devotion that God desires to see again before Christ's return.
The Bible teaches that the same spirit and power that rested upon Elijah and John will be manifested among God's people in the last days. Their messages were not merely for their generation—they are a prophetic blueprint for end-time revival. As you study these 12 characteristics, prayerfully consider how God may be calling you to participate in this final movement of spiritual awakening, reformation, and preparation for the soon coming of Jesus Christ.
"And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias... to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." — Luke 1:17
1. Bold and Fearless Preaching—Even Before Leaders
Elijah—Elijah told Ahab, “I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim” (1 Kings 18:18).
• John—“John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife” (Mark 6:18).
Both John the Baptist and Elijah were fearless in preaching a straight message before rulers and governments. Jesus said this would happen again in the last days. “Ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them” (Mark 13:9). "
2. Simple Diet and Lifestyle
• Elijah—“Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand” (1 Kings 17:11).
• John—“He did eat locusts and wild honey” (Mark 1:6).
Both Elijah and John were known for their simple diets and wilderness living. These basic rigors kept their mental faculties clear and their bodies strong, that they might be prepared for the special work God called them to do. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Likewise, the church in the last days must be revived to the truth that there is a strong connection between the body and the spirit. What we eat and drink, as well as our personal living habits, has a direct effect on our mental clarity and ability to discern truth.
3. Modest Dress, Simple Clothing
• Elijah—“He was an hairy man [with a garment of hair], and girt with a girdle [belt] of leather about his loins [waist]” (2 Kings 1:8).
• John—“And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin [leather belt] about his loins [waist]” (Mark 1:6).
In a time when kings and priests loved to wear ornaments and long, flowing robes, Elijah and John’s modesty and simplicity were a stinging rebuke. We live in an age where there has never been more arrogant attention given to flamboyance and fashion. The main goal of modern clothing designers is to highlight a person’s sexuality. Sadly, everything from body piercing to tattoos is being indulged even among professed Christians. Once again, the church desperately needs last-day Elijahs to witness for Christ by their example of humility and simplicity through modest clothing and appearance.
4. Discipling Others
• Elijah—“So he departed thence, and found Elisha … and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him” (1 Kings 19:19).
• John—“And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things” (Luke 7:18).
The Scriptures record that Elijah not only discipled Elisha, but he also visited the schools of the prophets (also translated “the disciples of the prophets”), which were scattered all through the land of Israel (2 Kings 2). These training centers combined spiritual instruction with practical work skills, and the young men trained there went throughout Israel to teach others the ways of God. John, likewise, reproduced his faith by teaching the disciples who followed him. Both John and Elijah spent most of their time training not the priests and Levites, but rather the common people. Similarly, the last great movement of God will not be led by clergy alone, but also by Spirit-filled laypersons. This is why the Elijah message must give attention to training, discipling, and mobilizing every member of God’s church.
5. Preaching Baptism of Repentance and Death to Self.
• Elijah—“And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan” (2 Kings 2:6).
• John—“Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matthew 3:5, 6).
One identifying mark of the Elijah message is that it calls people to the Jordan River—a symbol of repentance and baptism. The children of Israel had to cross the Jordan to enter the Promised Land, just as we enter the waters of baptism and cross over to a new life. The great commission of Jesus to the church will have its finest hour in the future, when once again modern Elijahs will baptize converts to Christ in explosive, Pentecostal-like numbers. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19)."
6. Manifested Humility.
• Elijah—“And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees” (1 Kings 18:42).
• John—“He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear” (Matthew 3:11).
Before Jesus comes again, the people of God will have learned to reflect the meek and humble character of Jesus in an age of arrogance and pride. “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)."
7. Endure Religious Persecution.
• Elijah—“Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them [who had been killed] by to morrow about this time” (1 Kings 19:2).
• John—“And she went forth, and said unto her mother [Herodias], What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist” (Mark 6:24).
In the Old Testament, a pagan queen named Jezebel married Ahab, the king of Israel. Jezebel and her daughter, Athaliah, persecuted God’s people and tried to entice Ahab to kill Elijah and the other prophets. In the New Testament, Herodias, the pagan wife of king Herod, and her daughter Salome succeeded in enticing Herod to kill John the Baptist. The persecution experienced by Elijah and John will soon be repeated. In the last days, Revelation tells us the “Mother of harlots” and her daughters will persecute God’s remnant people, the last-day Elijahs. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17).
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Revelation 17:5, 6)."
8. Running Before the King.
• Elijah—“And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel” (1 Kings 18:46).
• John—“As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias
Isaiah Smith the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Luke 3:4).
When a monarch traveled in Bible times, servants often ran ahead to prepare the path for the approaching king. They cleared the road of rocks and obstacles, filled in potholes, cut down high spots, and straightened the crooked turns. In the same way, those preaching the Elijah message in the last days will help prepare people for the coming of our King Jesus. They will proclaim a message that makes the way of salvation clear, plain, and easy to understand.
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6)."
9. Supreme Interest in Glorifying God
• Elijah—“Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again” (1 Kings 18:37).
• John—“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
Those preaching the Elijah message will make glorifying God their top priority. They will be wholly consecrated to God’s cause, just as were John and Elijah. They will be willing to make any sacrifice that others might be saved—in other words, to spend and be spent in the work of God.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1)."
10. Repairing God’s Altar.
• Elijah—“And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down” (1 Kings 18:30).
• John—“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1, 2).
The Elijah message will be a trumpet call to return to “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). Today, when so many are telling us that the teachings of the Bible are old-fashioned and need to be revised to better fit the times, we desperately need to be reminded that God said, “For I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).
“And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (Isaiah 58:12)."
11. Messages Spark Reformation.
• Elijah—“Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel. … And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:19–21).
• John—“John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:4, 5).
In the days of Elijah and John the Baptist, God’s people had been corrupted by the pagan influences around them and had compromised God’s truth (1 Kings 19:14; Matthew 3:1, 2). These two brave prophets delivered a message that sparked revival and reform among God’s people. Today, once again, it seems that much of Christianity is lukewarm and worldly. If judgment is going to begin at God’s house (Ezekiel 9:6; 1 Peter 4:17), then certainly the revival must start there too! Since God’s plan is for His people to reach the entire world, He must first send the Elijah message to reach the church."
12. Point People to Christ.
• Elijah—“Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God” (1 Kings 18:36).
• John—“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
The burning desire of modern Elijahs will be to turn people to Jesus, that they might know Him and have everlasting life.
A Nugget of Truth.
12 Steps to Revival, That Will Open Your Eyes in These Last Days.
In a world drifting further from God's truth, the Lord is calling His people back to genuine revival. Throughout Scripture, Elijah and John the Baptist stood as powerful messengers raised up to prepare hearts for God's work. Their lives reveal a pattern of faithfulness, courage, humility, and unwavering devotion that God desires to see again before Christ's return.
The Bible teaches that the same spirit and power that rested upon Elijah and John will be manifested among God's people in the last days. Their messages were not merely for their generation—they are a prophetic blueprint for end-time revival. As you study these 12 characteristics, prayerfully consider how God may be calling you to participate in this final movement of spiritual awakening, reformation, and preparation for the soon coming of Jesus Christ.
"And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias... to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." — Luke 1:17
1. Bold and Fearless Preaching—Even Before Leaders
Elijah—Elijah told Ahab, “I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim” (1 Kings 18:18).
• John—“John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife” (Mark 6:18).
Both John the Baptist and Elijah were fearless in preaching a straight message before rulers and governments. Jesus said this would happen again in the last days. “Ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them” (Mark 13:9). "
2. Simple Diet and Lifestyle
• Elijah—“Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand” (1 Kings 17:11).
• John—“He did eat locusts and wild honey” (Mark 1:6).
Both Elijah and John were known for their simple diets and wilderness living. These basic rigors kept their mental faculties clear and their bodies strong, that they might be prepared for the special work God called them to do. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Likewise, the church in the last days must be revived to the truth that there is a strong connection between the body and the spirit. What we eat and drink, as well as our personal living habits, has a direct effect on our mental clarity and ability to discern truth.
3. Modest Dress, Simple Clothing
• Elijah—“He was an hairy man [with a garment of hair], and girt with a girdle [belt] of leather about his loins [waist]” (2 Kings 1:8).
• John—“And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin [leather belt] about his loins [waist]” (Mark 1:6).
In a time when kings and priests loved to wear ornaments and long, flowing robes, Elijah and John’s modesty and simplicity were a stinging rebuke. We live in an age where there has never been more arrogant attention given to flamboyance and fashion. The main goal of modern clothing designers is to highlight a person’s sexuality. Sadly, everything from body piercing to tattoos is being indulged even among professed Christians. Once again, the church desperately needs last-day Elijahs to witness for Christ by their example of humility and simplicity through modest clothing and appearance.
4. Discipling Others
• Elijah—“So he departed thence, and found Elisha … and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him” (1 Kings 19:19).
• John—“And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things” (Luke 7:18).
The Scriptures record that Elijah not only discipled Elisha, but he also visited the schools of the prophets (also translated “the disciples of the prophets”), which were scattered all through the land of Israel (2 Kings 2). These training centers combined spiritual instruction with practical work skills, and the young men trained there went throughout Israel to teach others the ways of God. John, likewise, reproduced his faith by teaching the disciples who followed him. Both John and Elijah spent most of their time training not the priests and Levites, but rather the common people. Similarly, the last great movement of God will not be led by clergy alone, but also by Spirit-filled laypersons. This is why the Elijah message must give attention to training, discipling, and mobilizing every member of God’s church.
5. Preaching Baptism of Repentance and Death to Self.
• Elijah—“And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan” (2 Kings 2:6).
• John—“Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matthew 3:5, 6).
One identifying mark of the Elijah message is that it calls people to the Jordan River—a symbol of repentance and baptism. The children of Israel had to cross the Jordan to enter the Promised Land, just as we enter the waters of baptism and cross over to a new life. The great commission of Jesus to the church will have its finest hour in the future, when once again modern Elijahs will baptize converts to Christ in explosive, Pentecostal-like numbers. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19)."
6. Manifested Humility.
• Elijah—“And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees” (1 Kings 18:42).
• John—“He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear” (Matthew 3:11).
Before Jesus comes again, the people of God will have learned to reflect the meek and humble character of Jesus in an age of arrogance and pride. “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)."
7. Endure Religious Persecution.
• Elijah—“Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them [who had been killed] by to morrow about this time” (1 Kings 19:2).
• John—“And she went forth, and said unto her mother [Herodias], What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist” (Mark 6:24).
In the Old Testament, a pagan queen named Jezebel married Ahab, the king of Israel. Jezebel and her daughter, Athaliah, persecuted God’s people and tried to entice Ahab to kill Elijah and the other prophets. In the New Testament, Herodias, the pagan wife of king Herod, and her daughter Salome succeeded in enticing Herod to kill John the Baptist. The persecution experienced by Elijah and John will soon be repeated. In the last days, Revelation tells us the “Mother of harlots” and her daughters will persecute God’s remnant people, the last-day Elijahs. “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17).
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Revelation 17:5, 6)."
8. Running Before the King.
• Elijah—“And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel” (1 Kings 18:46).
• John—“As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias [Isaiah] the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Luke 3:4).
When a monarch traveled in Bible times, servants often ran ahead to prepare the path for the approaching king. They cleared the road of rocks and obstacles, filled in potholes, cut down high spots, and straightened the crooked turns. In the same way, those preaching the Elijah message in the last days will help prepare people for the coming of our King Jesus. They will proclaim a message that makes the way of salvation clear, plain, and easy to understand.
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6)."
9. Supreme Interest in Glorifying God
• Elijah—“Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again” (1 Kings 18:37).
• John—“He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).
Those preaching the Elijah message will make glorifying God their top priority. They will be wholly consecrated to God’s cause, just as were John and Elijah. They will be willing to make any sacrifice that others might be saved—in other words, to spend and be spent in the work of God.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1)."
10. Repairing God’s Altar.
• Elijah—“And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down” (1 Kings 18:30).
• John—“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1, 2).
The Elijah message will be a trumpet call to return to “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). Today, when so many are telling us that the teachings of the Bible are old-fashioned and need to be revised to better fit the times, we desperately need to be reminded that God said, “For I am the Lord, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).
“And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (Isaiah 58:12)."
11. Messages Spark Reformation.
• Elijah—“Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel. … And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:19–21).
• John—“John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:4, 5).
In the days of Elijah and John the Baptist, God’s people had been corrupted by the pagan influences around them and had compromised God’s truth (1 Kings 19:14; Matthew 3:1, 2). These two brave prophets delivered a message that sparked revival and reform among God’s people. Today, once again, it seems that much of Christianity is lukewarm and worldly. If judgment is going to begin at God’s house (Ezekiel 9:6; 1 Peter 4:17), then certainly the revival must start there too! Since God’s plan is for His people to reach the entire world, He must first send the Elijah message to reach the church."
12. Point People to Christ.
• Elijah—“Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God” (1 Kings 18:36).
• John—“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
The burning desire of modern Elijahs will be to turn people to Jesus, that they might know Him and have everlasting life.
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