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Contending for the Word Q&A
Recognizing Counterfeit Revivals
Question: How Can We Recognize Counterfeit Revivals?
Introduction
Welcome back to Contending for the Word. After exploring the marks of true revival, conviction of sin, repentance, and renewed devotion to Christ, it is vital that we now ask the opposite question, what is false revival?
Scripture warns that not every movement claiming to be a work of God actually is. In Jeremiah 23:16–22, the Lord exposes the false prophets who promised peace and blessing without repentance. “They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.” Their messages soothed the people’s consciences, but their hearts remained unchanged.
True revival humbles people before God, false revival flatters them.
False Revival Exalts Man, Not God
The first sign of a counterfeit revival is that it draws attention to people rather than to the Lord. The false prophets in Jeremiah’s day spoke what the people wanted to hear. They appealed to emotion and pride, not to truth.
False revival thrives where God’s Word is replaced by human ideas, experiences, or personalities. When movements center on leaders, feelings, or claims of new revelation instead of Scripture, they cease to glorify God. Genuine revival always magnifies Christ, false revival magnifies man.
False Revival Offers Comfort Without Repentance
Jeremiah 23:17, “It shall be well with you, they say to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart.”
False Revival Ignores the Word of God
Jeremiah 23:21-22, “I did not send the prophets, yet they ran, I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, then they would have proclaimed my words to my people.”
False Revival Bears Temporary, Not Eternal Fruit
Matthew 7:16, “You will recognize them by their fruits.”
Conclusion
False revival is dangerous because it imitates what is real while leading people away from Christ. It replaces repentance with emotion, doctrine with experience, and Scripture with spectacle.
The remedy is simple and profound, test every spirit by the Word of God. Those who truly stand on God’s Word will proclaim Him faithfully. May the Church reject every counterfeit and seek the genuine awakening that comes only when the Spirit and the Word work together to exalt Christ.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
