Healing Revival

The Healing Revival is a term used by many American Charismatics in reference to a revival movement in the late 1940's and 1950's. Although it was concurrent with the more well known evangelical revival led by Billy Graham, and in some ways more broad, it is not recognized in either standard Christian or secular histories.

Oral Roberts was perhaps the leading figure of the movement, and the one to leave the biggest legacy including the University bearing his name. William Branham is widely regarded as the initiator and the pacesetter of the revival [
*Harrell, D. E., "All Things Are Possible: The Healing and Charismatic Revivals in Modern America", Indiana University Press, 1978 p25
* Weaver, C. D., "The Healer-Prophet: William Marrion Branham (A Study of the Prophetic in American Pentecostalism)", Mercer University Press, 2000, p139] . Referring to Branham’s first series of meetings in St Louis’ in June 1946, Krapohl & Lippy have commented: "Historians generally mark this turn in Branham’s ministry as inaugurating the modern healing revival" [Krapohl, R. H., & Lippy, C. H., "The Evangelicals: A Historical, Thematic, and Biographical Guide", Greenwood Press, 1999, p69] . Branham was the source of inspiration for T.L. Osborne's worldwide crusade ministry, and dozens of other smaller ministries involved in the Healing Revival [Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1988) p372] . Other major figures of the revival were Jack Coe and later A.A. Allen. Many of these ministries shared their healing testimonies in The Voice of Healing, a periodical published by Gordon Lindsay, which created cohesion for the group in its nascent years.

A result of these major healing ministries of the post-War era was a renewed belief and emphasis in divine healing among many Christians, and this was a part of the broader Charismatic Movement, a movement which today numbers about 500 million worldwide [Hollenweger, W. J., Pentecostalism: Origins and Developments Worldwide (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1997) p1] .

History

Although the Healing Revival was an outstanding event in modern history, it by no means stands alone in the Christian tradition.

Old Testament

Old Testament Texts.
# "He has granted us new life (revival) to rebuild the house of our God (The Church) and repair its ruins (healing), and He has given us a wall of protection" - Ezra 9:9
# "They that dwell under His shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine" - Hosea 14:7
# "Come, let us return to the Lord. He will heal us; He will bind up our wounds" - Hosea 6:1

New Testament

In the time of Jesus, there were concentrated cases of physical healing that took place: "And people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and He healed them" - Matthew 4:23-25

In the Gospels, Jesus commissioned his followers to do the following:

And He said to them "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents and if they drink anything deadly it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover." - Mark 16:15 - 19 (NKJV)

After speaking this to everyone that was there, He was received into Heaven and sits at the right hand of God. It is the right of every believer to receive healing. Jesus said that healing, amongst the other miraculous attributes of His ministry, will follow all who believe, not in themselves or in their ability, because we have no ability, but in Jesus who is the healer. Healing in this form is supernatural, and is truth.

Recent History

There have been dozens of accounts of healing revivals taking place within the past 400 years.

*The Great Awakening: A series of North American revivals taking place between 1720s and the mid 1900s.
*The World Wide Awakening of 1857-59, including the Fulton Street Prayer Revival, and a revival in Wales.
*The 1904-1905 Welsh Revival.
*The 1906 Azusa Street Revival.
*The 1994 Toronto Blessing, and the related Brownsville Revival in 1995.
*The 2008 Lakeland, FL Revival. [http://www.freshfire.ca More Info]

Beliefs About Healing

*Many believe that healing revivals are "birthed" through persistent prayer over a long period of time (months, and sometimes decades). These burdens of prayer are centred and driven by a hunger and desire for God to reveal Himself, His plans and His will to the people of a particular town, city or nation.
*"Healing" may also be more broadly defined to refer to restoration of not only the physical but also the mental and emotional states of the human person.
*Healing is given to mean the restoration, curing, mending or regaining of health.
*Revival is directly translated to mean "renewing" or "awakening".

References