During revival the church is refreshed, restored and set on fire again. Spiritual passion is ignited. God encounters us in a profound and deep way, awakening our hearts for Him. We often experience deep inner healing, freedom and personal victory during this stage. God’s manifest presence becomes real to us as we spend time fellowshiping with Him and just “laying on the floor” under His glory.
Though Day Two is glorious, we can’t stay there! Some love Day Two so much they never want to get off the floor. They love the goose bumps and encounters. They could just stay there forever. Entire “revival cultures” have been formed around Day Two. But God has more for us!
DAY THREE
“On the third day He will raise us up that we may live before Him.”
God is bringing us into “Third-Day living.” On Day One we repent and turn to God. On Day Two we are revived, awakened and refreshed. On Day Three we are raised up to live before Him in power.
God is transitioning the church from a “revival culture” to a “resurrection power culture.” Day Three is all about being raised up in resurrection power, as the prophet Ezekiel’s experience shows. God took Ezekiel to a valley filled with dry bones and commanded him to prophesy life to them.
“Again He said to me, Prophesy to these bones and say to them, O you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. [John 5:28] Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath and spirit to enter you, and you shall live; and I will lay sinews upon you and bring up flesh upon you and cover you with skin, and I will put breath and spirit in you, and you [dry bones] shall live; and you shall know, understand, and realize that I am the Lord [the Sovereign Ruler, Who calls forth loyalty and obedient service].
“So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a [thundering] noise and behold, a shaking and trembling and a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked and behold, there were sinews upon [the bones] and flesh came upon them and skin covered them over, but there was no breath or spirit in them.
“Then said He to me, Prophesy to the breath and spirit, son of man, and say to the breath and spirit, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath and spirit, and breathe upon these slain that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath and spirit came into [the bones], and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great host [Rev. 11:11]” (Ezek. 37: 4-10).
First there is a divine alignment of the bones. This alignment signifies things being put in their proper places. The bones are shaken and brought together. When we turn in repentance to God, we get rightly aligned and joined to the rest of the body.
Once proper alignment occurs, then God revives the body by breathing into it. This is when He revives and awakens His people. It’s a glorious Second Day.
But then God continues to move, and eventually the body is not only filled with new life but also raised up so that it stands on its feet, an exceedingly great army!
This is the Third Day!
God is causing us to move beyond personal and corporate revival to serve as His great army in the earth. We became so filled to overflowing in the Second Day that now His power, glory and grace overflow from us to everyone around us. We begin to live before Him in resurrection power. We move in His dominion, kingdom authority to see His power go forth in the world around us. We get off the floor from “soaking in His presence” to being mobilized, equipped and empowered to do great and mighty exploits.
It’s time to shift and move with the Holy Spirit into the next season. As God revives us, we must move with Him off our comfortable church floors into the world, where His resurrection power will be seen. Get ready to be a part of the Third-Day church that God is raising up in these last days!
About the author: Matt Sorger is a prophetic
revivalist who ministers the Word and the power of the Holy Spirit in
conferences, prophetic healing revival services and miracle crusades
throughout America and around the world. He also hosts pastors and
leaders conferences to train and equip leaders in the power of the Holy
Spirit and is the host of his own television program, Power for Life. In his meetings, many are instantly healed and infused with
greater passion for God. Learn more about him and his ministry at mattsorger.com.
