WILL A SPIRITUAL REVIVAL HEAL OUR LAND OF PLAGUES, FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, AND/OR CIVIL UNREST?

It probably seems that 2020 will remembered in history as the year of the plague. Many followers of Jesus were promoting the idea on social media that COVID-19 was a plague, a judgment of God, on our nation and world because we have abandoned the Lord and adopted all sorts of ungodly behavior.

Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, that year included all sorts of other difficulties: economic stress, civil unrest, social isolation, and medical anxiety. In response to these challenges, many of God's people were advocating that if Christian around the world would repent and experience a revival, God would relent and heal the land of the plague and all these other problems. This isn't really a new idea. This same message was promoted during the economic downturn of the late 1970s and the great recession of 2008.

Many turn to 2 Chronicles 7:14 to support the hope of revival as the key to the restoration of God’s blessing on His people. Here's how it reads in the most familiar way it is quoted: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (KJV).

The problem is, this verse isn’t speaking about our nation or our difficult circumstances. Let’s take a closer look.

THE ANCIENT TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM

First, we need to consider the biblical context. This passage is referring specifically to the ancient temple in Jerusalem, not Washington, DC or the United States. The verse falls in a chapter of Scripture detailing Solomon's dedication of the temple he built for the Lord. In 2 Chronicles 7:12-22, God gave His response to the temple dedication. God kept emphasizing the temple, saying He had “chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice” (v. 12), that He would hear “prayer offered in this place” (v. 15), and that He had “consecrated this house [temple]” (v. 16). God also promised to destroy the temple in response to sin (v. 20). Of course, we have no holy temple in Christian countries and in fact, no temple exists anywhere today.

MY PEOPLE ISRAEL

Second, the phrase “My people, who are called by My name” refers to the people of Israel not to Americans, not even to American followers of Jesus. Throughout the whole Old Testament, the phrase “My people” refers to Israel. But, specifically, in 1 and 2 Chronicles, the phrase usually adds the word “My people Israel.’ In fact, in the books of Chronicles, God declared that David would be leader “over My people Israel” (1 Chron. 17:7; cf. 1 Chron. 11:2), that He would “appoint a place [of worship] for My people Israel” (1 Chron. 17:9), and that He chose Jerusalem for His own namesake and for the Davidic dynasty to lead “My people Israel” (2 Chron. 6:5-6). So the phrase “My people” in 2 Chronicles 7:14 clearly refers to the people of Israel, not to Americans.

DISOBEDIENCE TO THE TORAH

Third, the sins described in 2 Chronicles 7:14 refer to disobeying the Torah (the Law of Moses). In verse 19, the sin of Israel is de-scribed as abandoning God's “statutes” and “commandments,” words that describe the Law of Moses. Even the disciplines in the passage, “no rain” or “pestilence” (v. 13) are promised in Deuteronomy 28:21 and 24 as consequences of disobeying the Torah. In fact, ultimately, Israel would be dispersed from the land for their failure to obey the law of Moses. This isn't about the sins of the United States but the sins of the nation of Israel.

THE LAND OF ISRAEL

Fourth, the land to be healed was the land of Israel, not the United States. When God says He will heal their land, He is referring back to the promises in the Torah telling Israel that when they repent, God will restore them to their land (Deut. 30:1-6). This will yet take place “at the end of days” (Deut. 4:30), when the nation of Israel will turn to their Messiah Jesus in faith and God will circumcise their hearts (Deut. 30:6), so the whole nation will experience the New Covenant. The evidence is clear: 2 Chronicles 7:14 doesn't really address any pandemic, economic downturn, civil unrest, natural disaster, or any other difficult circumstances in the United States. This is based on a crucial principle of biblical interpretation, that there is only one meaning to a given text of Scripture. This verse promises the restoration of the nation of Israel if they would repent.

APPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

There's another important principle to biblical interpretation. It is that although there can only be one meaning to a passage, there can be many applications. And we certainly can apply 2 Chronicles 7:14 today. First, God desires revival in all places for all of His people. We are correct to think that God longs for the United States to have a mass return to Him by faith in Jesus.

If God cared for Nineveh so much that He sent the prophet Jonah to preach to the pagan capitol of Assyria (Jonah 1:2; 3:2; 4:10-11), He certainly cares about our nation as well. Also, when Nineveh repented, God relented from the judgment that He was about to inflict on the Ninevites (Jonah 3:10). Similarly, if our nation repents, God will heal our land of sin and unrighteous-ness. He may even keep His hand of blessing on His people. Nevertheless, revival in our nation will not necessarily lead to the ultimate end of any plague, economic problem, or civil unrest that may be afflicting our country. This verse can also be applied to our local church congregations, and the New Testament confirms this principle. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul dealt with a congregation that was tolerating an open immoral relationship (1 Cor. 5:1).

In fact, they were boasting about it (1 Cor. 5:6), perhaps saying something like, “See how open and tolerant we are?” Paul exhorts this community of believers to “clean out the old leaven [a symbol of sin]” (1 Cor. 5:7), so they can be restored to God. Their own tolerance of sin led to the spread of sinful behavior, like yeast in dough, throughout the whole congregation. If the Corinthian church, or any other local congregation, “would humble themselves and pray” and turn from their sinful behavior, certainly God would restore it spiritually and revitalize that community of believers.

Spiritual revival will bring spiritual renewal to our local congregations. Perhaps most important of all, we can apply this verse to ourselves! If we have strayed from the Lord and decide to come back to Him, confessing our sin, we know that the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Turning back to the Lord will bring God’s restoration. This doesn’t mean we'll be protected from getting a disease or that we're promised to recover if we do. It doesn’t mean that we will gain material prosperity either. The focus of this truth is that God will heal our lives of sin and restore us spiritually to fellowship with Him (1 John 1:7).

FINAL THOUGHTS

So, should we pray for revival in our Place/Country? Absolutely! The entire Bible confirms this. As the psalmist prayed, “Will You not Yourself revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” (Ps. 85:6). God wants to use the difficulties and distress of our times, whether a worldwide disease, civil crises, or global financial crises, to cause all people to see their need for a Redeemer and turn to the Lord Jesus. He causes all things to work together for our good and for His glory (Rom. 8:28). If we turn back to Him, then our nation, even our world, will be healed of a far greater disease than COVID- 19; it will be healed of sin.