2 Kings 25: A Call for Resurgence (Concluding the Book of Kings)

Verses 7-9:

They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.

◇ A kingdom that had been ruled by 22 kings over approximately 400 years was destroyed. Zedekiah, the last king, fled Jerusalem with his bodyguards but was soon captured. As the Babylonian army approached, his troops deserted him, and he was taken alone in a pitiful state. He was forced to watch as his sons were killed before his eyes, then he was blinded, bound in bronze shackles, and taken as a prisoner to Babylon.

The temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, the royal palace, and the homes of the nobles were all burned and reduced to ruins. The holy temple, where God dwelled, was turned into a heap of stones. The once magnificent royal palace and the homes of the nobles vanished without a trace. The impregnable fortress of Jerusalem, protected by its walls, was left in ruins, with only stones scattered across the desolate landscape. The city of David, known as the city of peace, Jerusalem, was left in ruins.

Jerusalem, once the envy of the world, receiving tribute from numerous neighboring nations and a destination for pilgrims from afar, how did it come to such a tragic end?

The reason for Judah's destruction was that the king and those in power had turned away from God and abandoned the powerless and the weak. Without exception, God, who loves all of creation without discrimination, destroys those who forsake Him to follow idols and exploit the vulnerable and the created for their own desires. God brought ruin to the descendants of David, to Jerusalem, and to the temple that He had cherished.

What about the Korean church, which is said to have experienced an unprecedented revival? The lexical meaning of revival is "the act of something that was in decline becoming restored to life" or "causing to rise again." The Latin word for revival, Revivisco, means "to regain life" or "to be resurrected." The Hebrew word for revival, 'chaya,' has meanings such as "to live," "to have life," "to be revived," or "to regain life or health."

Revival signifies the regaining of life, being revived and restored. It means our parched spirits coming alive again, not just living because we exist, but truly living life. It is about restoring our longing for God, our hope for the kingdom of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Revival is not about outward expansion; it is about the revival and restoration of the dry spirit. The Pyongyang Great Revival Movement, which could be considered the start of revival in Korea, was a movement of repentance. When they sincerely repented before God, even for the smallest things, their parched spirits were revived, and their longing, hope, and power for God were restored.

So, how stands the Korean church, which like the kingdom of David, achieved great revival? It is declining and losing its light. How can it rise again and be revived? How can revival happen once more?

We must learn from the kingdom of David. There is no other way but to cut off the reasons for the kingdom's destruction from among us. We must repent and turn back.

God, the kingdom of David has been destroyed in a dreadful manner. The nation established through your servant David has fallen terribly. We see the end of those who have left you. God, make us turn back. Lead us to repentance and revival. Let us rise again and be revived. Like the father of the prodigal son, eagerly waiting, let us return to your embrace. Holy Spirit, guide us in truth!