Part One- Setting the Stage

Revival or Judgment

Rap!t0r25b

 

“While taking tea in the hospitable home of an unusually intelligent Welsh collier along the Rhondda Valley, our host- Evan Roberts’ and mine- assured me that for many years past he had been concerned at the decadent religious life of the district, and said that, so far as his own church was concerned, it must be either be ‘revival or judgment.” (Hicks, 2015)

In studying revival, we see a pattern of how the leaders of a previous revival pass on the baton to a new generation. Key leaders of the next movement are often born during the previous movement. The Welsh Revival was no different. In 1859, a powerful awakening broke out in Northern Ireland and quickly spread throughout the whole of Britain, including Wales.

“One of the results of the 1859 revival in Wales was the realization of the need for new chapels… Many chapels were renewed and enlarged during the period 1859-6, as the tables outside many Welsh chapels bear witness.” (Ellis, n.d.)

 

The revival also brought about prominence in “preaching services (cyrddau pregethu), and what a supply there was to meet the demand.” (Ellis, n.d., p. 89) According to Edwin Orr, around 100,000 were added to the churches during the revival. (Orr, 1973, p. 78)

But like many revivals, the wave passed, and a new generation who knew not what the Lord had done in the past came forth. The older generation spoke of the glory days and the time when, once again, God had visited the nation. Those born during the previous great awakening and those who remembered carried within them the seed of hope for a fresh move of God.

The churches before the revival “were socially, culturally, and educationally active, but spiritually inert and asleep.” (Jones, 1995, p. xiv) But, as the nineteenth century closed and the new century began, there was a growing number of prayer groups arising crying out for revival. Once again, a remnant of believers began to arise, refusing to see a generation lost. “The last six months before the awakening in November 1904, were marked by almost desperate seeking after the blessing” (Jones, 1995, p. xvii)

Church membership during the last decade of the nineteenth century declined, and Dean Howell, a revivalist during the 1859 revival, said before he died-

“Take notice! If it were known that this is my last message to my fellow country men throughout the length and breadth of Wales before I am taken to judgment it would remain thus- the greatest need on my dear nation and country at this time is spiritual revival through a specific outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Heavenly Jubilee, let me see the break of day.” (Morgan, 1909, p. 122)

 

Out of the 1859 revival, the Keswick Convention Movement grew. The Keswick Convention taught a doctrine of Scriptural Holiness by Faith and encouraged and strengthened believers to evangelize. Evan Roberts was a man who discerned the times and became broken to see the purpose of Heaven on earth. He refused to let his nation be lost and his generation be swept into hell. It was with passion, intensity, and commitment he pressed in and went after Heaven. Wales had been a nation known for revival. But much like the Children of Israel, Wales would see a spiritual rise with each revival, followed by a spiritual decline.

 

One minister wrote of Wales before the revival-

It is ever the darkest hour before the dawn. The nation always seems to be given over to the Evil One before the coming of the Son of Man. The decay of religious faith, the deadness of the Churches, the atheism of the well-to-do, the brutality of the masses, all these, when at their worst, herald the approach of the Revival. Things seem to get too bad to last. The reign of evil becomes intolerable. Then the soul of the nation awakes. (Stead, et al., 1905, pp. 16-17)

 

As we read, in 1859, an incredible revival broke out in Ulster and spread into Wales. It was a glorious move of God. But as time passed, men’s hearts grew cold, and at the beginning of the 20th century, Wales was in deep winter. Churches were empty, and the nation was in a moral decline. Dean David Howell announced just before his death…

“Take notice! If it were known that this is my last message to my fellow countrymen before being summoned to judgment- the chief need of any of my country and my dear nation at present is a spiritual revival through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” (Orr, 1973, p. 1)

 

As Roberts understood, the Lord has his appointed times. In the pre-revival season, the Lord begins to prepare hearts. Evan Roberts would later share these words at Bible School before receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

 

The Pre-Revival Season

As explained, Wales had a strong revival history, and many great voices rose in that land to share the Gospel, including Hywel Harris in 1735 and then Daniel Rowland, who would both become good friends with George Whitefield. In the nineteenth century, voices like Thomas Charles and Christmas Evans would preach throughout the land.

 

The awakening of 1859 moved powerfully through Wales and saw around 100,000 converts. Dafydd Morgan was a major leader during that revival. By the end of the nineteenth century, Wales saw the rise of the liberal social Gospel through men like David Adams. At the same time, hunger grew in Wales at the close of the century as people began seeking a fresh move of God.

 

For everyone who loves studying revivals, you will know all about the Welsh Revival of 1904-05 and Evan Roberts. Like most people, you will assume the revival started with Evan Roberts, who played a clear leadership role. But what Evan Roberts did was take the flames of revival that had started and bring them to the tipping point that ignited throughout the country. Roberts carried the mantle for the revival, but for around two years before Roberts came on the scene, come churches were experiencing a revival.

 

What so often happens before a revival breaks out is a pre-revival season in which God begins to stir His people and call them to ask for rain. He also begins to raise voices to aid people in pressing in to see the revival birthed. One key voice was R. A. Torrey.

 

Prayer is the vital breath of a true revival. Prayerless revivals are a sham.2

 

Torrey explained at the heart of the prayer for revival is holy desperation to see God move and the lost won for Christ. When His people become disturbed by the state of the Church and are broken for the lost to such a degree that they refuse to be silent before Heaven, we can enter a pre-revival season. Torrey put it this way-

 

“O God send us a revival or let me die.”2

 

“There is nothing for me to do but wait for the fire to descend. The altar is ready, the wood upon it, and the sacrifice ready, only waiting for the fire to descend.” (Lewis, et al., 1989, p. 38)

The “Scranton Republican,” Monday, December 5th, 1905, based on an article by Rev. J. Cromwell Hughes, gave a brief spiritual history of Wales worth noting…

 

“’Revival’ is one the greatest words of the Welsh nation. The Welsh people have always been easily acted upon by religious influences; this was characteristic of the Celtic race in ancient and medieval Wales.

The history of the pre-reformation church contains a number of instances of great religious awakenings. In the seventeenth century, the famous Vicar Prichard attracted immense congregations everywhere and made a profound impression on the history of the race. Griffith Jones was a great revivalist at a later period. Jones, in fact, was the forerunner of the greatest revival Wales ever had, i.e., that of 1735. Out of this grew the preaching of Howell Howe and of the Rowlands. The next revival was in 1859. This was the greatest shakeup which Wales experienced in the eighteenth century. The pioneer of this great movement was the great Humphrey Jones. The leading features of this revival, namely spontaneous prayer meetings among the masses of people, union among religious bodies, and a personal zeal for the conversion of the irreligious.” (Republican, 1905)

Evan Roberts was a man who, in approximately a year and a half, saw a nation change and his desire for 100,000 people to come to Christ. But then he would disappear with only the occasional appearances during the next fifty or so years of his life. His story reveals the critical need for the right people in our lives to support us in the call from Heaven. We must avoid those who seek to build their call or want to manipulate and control. The kingdom bears consistent fruit that honors Jesus. It builds and strengthens families as well as changing nations for the better. In his revival days, Evan saw such fruit, but after he disappeared, he withdrew from people and abandoned his family. So, let us not, with a critical or judgmental spirit, look at this man’s story and learn from him. Few have truly laid hold of the heart of Heaven and dared believe God for a nation like him. He paid a great price at such an early age.

The Birthing of a Revival

 

“The power of the revival in South Wales is not of men, but God.”

Evan Roberts (Arthur Goodrich, 1905, p. 5)

 

So, at the beginning of the century, many religious leaders who were agonizers and not organizers were desperate for a move of God. Such agonizers discerned the times and heard the cry of the Spirit and, as a result, became desperate for a fresh move. A convention based on the Keswick style was held at a spa, with a second convention that followed in 1902. Several ministers, including Seth Joshua, Joseph Jinkins, W.S. Jones, and E. Kerri Evans, started missionary trips throughout Wales to deepen the church’s spiritual life.

Seth Joshua, a powerful revivalist, was born on April 10th, 1859, during the last revival in Wales. He was concerned that the emphasis placed on intellectual qualifications for ministers rather than spiritual attainments was the problem. When men are in a dry season, that ugly religious spirit that kills every revival and seeks to quench any future move makes its presence and power known. This revival would truly challenge traditional thinking and bring a revelation that the Holy Spirit is the Lord. Men have quenched so many moves of the Holy Spirit by dictating the rules of the revival. In this revival, the Holy Spirit would once again challenge men’s thinking by using lay people and involving women. The spiritual feudal system that dictates only the elect few can and will be used, as throughout history, caused many so-called “nobodies” to abort the call of God and fail to fulfill their divine purpose. Whether deliberately or inspired by the Holy Spirit, Seth Joshua prayed that the Lord would raise a “nobody” from the mines or fields of Wales. This is exactly what the Lord did. Oh, how the Lord loves to use what we consider “the foolish” to confound the “wise.”

Torrey added regarding revivals, an important fact-

“All the plans for the revival, and all the details of the plans should be submitted to the Holy Spirit for His guidance; He should be the recognized chairman of every committee.” (Torrey, n.d., p. 6)

Torrey called on the people to get their eyes off men and trust the Lord to raise the right vessel. As Torrey explained, God uses human vessels working under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Regarding these vessels, he said-

God tells us that He has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty, and the base things of the world, and things which are despised, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are. (Torrey, n.d., p. 7)

 

In the Welsh Revival, Evan Roberts was not the only person used by the Holy Spirit; in fact, there were many revivalists. Revivals occurred in churches and chapels without Evan Roberts being present. But somehow, the Lord had anointed Evan Roberts to lead this revival. When Evan Roberts went off the scene, the Revival would fade. Then, when Evan Roberts stepped back up to the plate or pulpit again, a revival started again. The Lord appoints and anoints, and when He does so, He backs up the call with the authority and resources of Heaven to fulfill the call. It is important to note regarding the Welsh Revival that there were countless nameless intercessors also called by Heaven who were faithful to their call and one day in heaven will receive the same reward as those whose names we know about.

 

Enter Evan Roberts

Evan Roberts, a former miner and, to the general public, a nobody, entered the scene.  A man called with a heart after the Lord. The Daily Republican, on Friday, May 12th, wrote of Evan Roberts…

“We find ourselves in the presence of a tall, fair, gracefully built young man, who looks younger than his twenty-six years, and who fails to impress us as possessing any qualities, intellectual or otherwise, above the average. Except for a smile of some charm, and an air of purity about his person, he might easily pass without notice of any kind. Evan Roberts is the son of a sturdy and independent couple who may be taken as types of the Welsh mining class in Wales. His father is a collier of sterling character, not noted for any specially marked traits; and in this case, as in so many others, it is to the mother that may be traced some of the religious simplicity and zeal that are so marked in the son.” (Republican, 1905)

David Matthews, an eyewitness of the revival, wrote of Evan:

“For some years, the mind of Mr. Roberts had been turning in the direction of the Christian ministry. His spare time was avidly devoted to reading such literature as would assist in the preparation of his lifework. Although his friends “with one consent” acknowledged his un­doubted religious sincerity and unspotted moral char­acter, there does not appear to have been manifested, to the observant eyes of vigilant church leaders, any outstand­ing oratorical gift or special expository brilliance, such as is universally expected in Wales in a candidate for such an exalted office. Evan Roberts quietly persisted in the pursuit of his dream. Everything religious secured pre-eminence in his mind and heart. Every one of his acquaint­ances concluded, “that Evan intended to be a preacher.” (Matthews, n.d., p. 139)

 

Evan Roberts was born on June 8th, 1878, in Loughor, a village around eight miles from Swansea. He was born to staunch Calvinist parents, Henry and Hannah Roberts. He was the fifth eldest of eight surviving children.

 

“It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he should bear his yoke in his youth.”

Lamentations 3: 26-27

Evan was trained in the ways of the Lord as a child. He was an obedient son who honored his parents. Even at an early age, Evan was a voice for those who suffered and would defend weaker boys from being bullied.

“Our revivalist seems to have been noted for his undemonstrative, studious habits when other boys romped and roamed. His nature, and perhaps his religious inclinations, held him in a vise-like grip.” (Matthews, n.d., p. 151)

An important point about Evan Roberts is that he refused to be dictated to by the opinions of others, whether favorable or not. (Matthews, n.d., p. 138) Evan Roberts may have been quiet and humble, but he “compelled the men around him not to use foul language when he was within hearing.” (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 33). Evan attended the national school of the day until he was eleven, when he became a “door boy” at the Mountain Colliery in Gorseinon. (Williams, 1968, p. 28)  This was because his father was involved in an accident, and Evan stepped up to the plate to help his family after his father’s foot was injured in the mines.

 

“So, Evan Roberts, the little Welsh boy of twelve, laid aside his childhood. Almost literally became his father’s right hand, until Mr. Roberts recovered from the accident.” (Shaw, 1905, p. 1454)

Not long after, Evan Roberts asked to start a Sunday School for the miners’ children. (Shaw, 2017, p. 1464) While Evan was working as a door-boy, he was nearly killed when a tram broke loose and almost crushed him to death. But to Evan, his first pay of around five shillings meant he was no longer a boy, but now he was a working man. (Adams, 2004, p. 21)

It was clear even at this early age, Evan was called into the ministry. In an interview during the revival, Roberts said, “For years I have known I was to be the means of bringing about a revival in Wales, but I have kept it a secret, it will spread throughout the world.” (Guardian, 1904)  What is clear is that religion played a major part in the Roberts family’s life. On Sunday afternoon, the family would gather for family worship, and Evan and his brother Dan would sing and play instruments. Evan, for a long time, resisted the call, but secretly, inwardly, he knew it, and it was growing inside of him. (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 35)

Evan remained working at the colliery until he was sixteen, when others laid him off from work. Evan found work at the Blaengarw Colliery, north of Bridgend. But within six weeks, he was able to find employment at the Broadoak Colliery near his home.

It is hard to imagine that this tall young boy with wavy hair was called to change a nation and impact the globe. He would wrestle with the other boys and go fishing or skimmed small stones on the water. Evan even saved his brother Dan several times from drowning when they were kids. At school, he loved history and reading, and while he was not a brilliant student, he was very disciplined. He was also known for going for long walks and enjoying train spotting. From the natural order of things, it appeared Evan would grow up to work in a store or a forge or, like his father, go underground and be a miner. But the Lord, even from an early age, kept calling Evan. G. Campbell Morgan et al. wrote of Evan, “his habits and his gifts all seemed to mark him out for ministry.” (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 35)

Evan’s father had a well-read Bible from which his father had memorized many verses, which helped instill a love of the Word into Evan as well. Evan’s father taught him the Word, and his mother imparted to Evan a love of worship and singing hymns to God. She, too, was well known for her love of the Word. His father was a highly disciplined and diligent worker, and Evan took after him. He was a faithful member of the Moriah Calvinist church, where Evan would eventually see the revival started. Evan attended Sunday school classes at this church, where he learned church doctrine and the Bible.

 

In 1893, Evan Roberts became a teacher and secretary in the Sunday school’s colliery offices. He would later become the superintendent. (Adams, 2004, p. 21)

Evan always carried his Bible and declared he would be a preacher. Every spare minute he had in the mines, he studied his Bible. It was clear that even when he worked in the mines, he would be friendly but would not participate in their vulgar jokes or use their language. The call separates you from “normal” life and draws you into a holy life unto the Lord.

 Evan Roberts was almost killed again in a mine explosion, but he was saved by his Bible, which was scorched in the incident. The accident at the Broad Oak Colliery on January 5th, 1897, cost the lives of five men, and for days, Roberts was unable to go back down the mine to see if he could get his Bible. When he did, he found it in shreds with pages scattered everywhere. Roberts stated regarding finding his Bible, “I had to go on my knees …to get hold of the truth.” (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 35)

Evan would then work for a short season at the Mountain Ash Colliery before returning to the Broad Oak Colliery, where he stayed until 1902.

When he was thirteen, one of the deacons, William Davies, told Evan, “Remember to be faithful. What if the Spirit descended and you absent? Remember Thomas! What a loss he had.’ I said to myself, ‘I will have the Spirit.’” (Shaw, 2017, p. 730)

 

Never underestimate the power of words from the voice of an authority to strengthen or

weaken the call. Wise counsel helps shape a person for their destiny. We need to ensure our children are fed the Word and surrounded with words that will edify and strengthen their gifts and callings.

Evan Roberts had a diary of these years, which was lost. It would have revealed so much, but what we do know is that Evan Roberts became desperate to know and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

William Davies, the deacon, said one night in the society’ ‘Remember to be faithful. What if the Spirit descended and you absent? Remember Thomas! What a loss he had.’ I said to myself, ‘I will have the Spirit.’ And through all weather and in spite of all difficulties I went to the meetings. Many times seeing other boys with the boats on the tide I was tempted to turn back and join them.” (Shaw, 1905, p. 730)

Evan Roberts later said about his teenage years…

“For ten or eleven years, I have prayed for a revival. I could sit up all night to read or talk about revivals. It was the Spirit that moved me to think about revival.” (Orr, 1973, p. 4)

Faith comes by hearing and hearing, of course, by the Word. As Evan read the Bible and the past revivals, some stirred in him, and faith arose. George Muller’s writing impacted Evan Roberts in terms of prayer and faith. (Jones, 1995, p. 12)

Evan Roberts felt the call to obedience even to death. He told his parents…

“I will do my best and the consequences will be God’s. It would be terrible for me, when I go to the judgment seat, for Christ to tell me, ‘You could have preached for me, but you refused.” (Jones, 1995, p. 13)

You can hear the burden of the call clearly in those words.

During a strike, Evan Roberts decided after twelve years in the mines to become a blacksmith in 1902. He left the mine to work for his uncle as a blacksmith for twelve hours a day to save money to go into ministry. (Jones, 1995, p. 13) In September of 1902, Evan began his apprenticeship and even lodged with his uncle  Evan Edwards at the forge in Forest Pontardulais, around four miles from his home. Evan was twenty-four at the time, and the apprenticeship was to last for three years. However,  after fifteen months, Evan terminated the agreement as he felt it was time to pursue ministry. (Stead, et al., 1905, p. 28) Roberts had hoped to save enough money to become an itinerant evangelist. (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 35) But his burden for ministry grew, and in 1903, he decided to change plans, end the apprenticeship, and enter the ministry. (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 35) In addition, the long twelve-hour days and even working Saturdays hindered his time for church work. People described Evan as quiet during this time, but he came alive when you started talking about religion. His maternal grandmother lived next to the forge, and as she was a Baptist, she and Evan would often get into discussions on differences, such as water baptism. (Adams, 2004, p. 30)

Evan had taken classes in shorthand and “tonic sulfa.” (Stead, et al., 1905, p. 29) He had begun writing poetry and had several poems published in the South Wales Weekly News. Even at this point in his life, Evan was a man of prayer. His family said he would spend hours in prayer. (Stead, et al., 1905, p. 29)  Evan developed a habit of rising early to prayer, which he continued during the revival, which would cause concern for some people.

In August of 1903, according to Stead and Morgan, Evan Roberts attended a convention at which Evan Roberts, along with many others, accepted the challenge by Rev. F. B. Meyer to pledge to pray one day a month for revival. (Stead & Morgan, n.d., p. 54) They also argued that although Evan Roberts was busy doing and following religious traditions, he was not truly converted until around a year and a half before the revival. (Stead & Morgan, n.d., p. 54) However, Roberts said in an interview in 1904 that he had been converted thirteen years earlier. (Adams, 2004, p. 106)

On November 18th, 1903, Evan Roberts was so burdened by the call to preach that he wrote a letter to his friend, William Morgan, who was already in training for ministry in Cardiff. (Stead, et al., 1905, p. 29)  He also had made visits to Professor Williams in Swansea. Evan was advised, to think “seriously of the Pulpit and that it was folly of me to have ever taken to bodily labour.” (Arthur Goodrich, 1905, p. 29)

In a letter dated December 3rd, 1903, William Morgan advised Evan, “Get through the district as soon as possible, say, by the end of March. Then sit the August examination. In the following October you ought to join some school, say Newcastle Emlyn… or prepare for the Trevecca Examination.” (Arthur Goodrich, 1905, p. 29)   The Trevecca Examination is the 1904 equivalent of a high school certificate. Two weeks after obtaining this certificate, Evan broke off his apprenticeship. The next day, Evan Roberts gave his first sermon at the Moriah Methodist Church and was finally approved to become a minister. (Arthur Goodrich, 1905, p. 31)  Evan was now free to sit for the Provincial Examination in August. At the same time, a man named Sidney Evans was preparing to sit the examination. He would become a key partner and friend in Evan Roberts’s life and ministry. All Evan could think about was preaching.

He sat the denominational exams and prepared to enter the Newcastle Emlyn Academy. Before he entered school, he had a powerful experience that remained with him until he went to school. However, one concern Evan had was that his studies would interfere with his time with the Lord. Evan said of school- “I know I am going on in age, but am I too old? There was a time in my life when the desire was strong, but when I understood that the influence of the ‘schools’ destroyed the spirit of the ministerial students I had no heart within me anymore to venture there. But now I see no other means whereby I may ascend the pulpit…” (Adams, 2004, p. 33)

It is important to understand the heart of Roberts-

“For a long, long time I was much troubled in my soul and my heart by thinking over the failure of Christianity. Oh! It seemed such a failure- such a failure- and I prayed and prayed, but nothing seemed to give me any relief. But one night, after I had been in great distress praying about this, I went to sleep, and at one o’clock in the morning suddenly I was waked up out of my sleep, and I found myself, with unspeakable joy and awe, in the presence of the Almighty God. And for the space of four hours I was privileged to speak face to face with Him as a man speaks face to face with a friend. At five o’clock it seemed to me as if I again returned to the earth.” (Stead, 2015, p. 45)

In an interview, Evan Roberts explained that this experience continued for three to four months. (Stead, 2015, p. 54) When asked about the experience, Evan said:

“I cannot describe it. I felt it, and it seemed to change all my nature, and I saw things in a different light, and I knew that God was going to work in the land, and not this land only, but in all the world.”

The experience disturbed Evan, and one day (October 30th, 1904), he had a vision as he sat in the chapel.

“…always before my eyes I saw, as in a vision, the schoolroom in my own village. And there, sitting in rows before me, I saw my old companions and all the young people, and I saw myself addressing them. I shook my head impatiently, and strove to drive away this vision, but it always came back. And I heard a voice in my inward ear as plain as anything, saying, ‘Go and speak to these people.’ And for a long time I would not. But the pressure became greater and greater, and I could hear nothing of the sermon. Then at last I could resist no longer, and I said, ‘Well, Lord, if it is thy will, I will go.’ Then instantly the vision vanished, and the whole chapel became filled with light so dazzling that I could faintly see the minister in the pulpit, and between him and me the glory as the light of the sun in heaven.” (Stead & Morgan, n.d., pp. 57-58)

Evan wanted to know if the vision was from the Lord or the devil, so he went to his tutor at church and asked for his advice.

“No; I went to my tutor, and told him all things, and asked him if he believed that it was of God or of the devil? And he said the devil does not put good thoughts into the mind. I must go and obey the heavenly vision. So I went back to my own village, and I saw my own minister, and him also I told. And he said that I might try and see what I could do, but that the ground was stony, and the task would be hard.” (Stead & Morgan, n.d., pp. 58-59)

Evan Roberts gave himself to fervent intercession, which was seen throughout his life and ministry. He knew he had to “go” and fulfill the call. He would write later:

“Everyone must obey and go where God directs him. That is the great lesson we have to learn… if God calls, we must obey. Do not ask, ‘What will become of me?’ It does not matter what… God is a God of light. He has plenty of light to shed upon your path.”

 

During this time, Evan began experiencing trances. He would be walking outside, suddenly stop, and stare off into the distance. He loved to walk and pray. The whole community would witness these strange behaviors of Evan walking, praying, and having trances. (Jones, 1995, p. 12) Inside Evan, there was a burden for souls that so consumed him that he would lose sight of the natural and be found in the Secret Place of His Presence. When Roberts was asked why he wanted to go into ministry, he replied,…

“My motive is a passionate desire for the privilege of proclaiming Christ to the lost.” (Jones, 1995, p. 12)

Roberts also later said-

“God’s love yields a spiritual joy, but not that which carries the body from the control of the spirit, but that which brings our whole nature under the principle of Calvary, where we lay down our lives for the brethren. It is not intensity of feelings which proves the power of love, but the fact of our wills brought into the ‘full surrender’ to the will of God, thereby allowing Him to flow through us in the torrent of His love. Surrender, and not feeling, gives room to the love of God. When Christ hung on the cross his physical senses and feelings were in a state of confusion, but He loved unto ‘the end,’ and those who need most to know the way of victory are those abandoned to God, and thus willing to obey Him at any and every cost.”

Evan was a man consumed and wrecked by God’s love, which impacted his whole life. When he went to bed, his colleagues would recall hearing Evan groaning in the Spirit in prayer, but they would be too frightened to ask him about it. (Shaw, 2017, p. 38)

His greatest concern when he returned to school was getting so caught up in his lessons that he would lose his fellowship time with the Lord. Roberts sought to spend at least thirty minutes a day ” practicing the presence of God.” (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 37)

Bend Me

1904 several meetings were held, and the spirit of revival was clearly in the air. During the meetings, many were converted to Christ. Some places claimed to have already been experiencing revival before Evan Roberts finally visited them, but it is clear Roberts took the revival to a new level of intensity. Seth Joshua was a minister holding revival meetings. He began a series of meetings in mid-September and saw the Holy Spirit move powerfully. In his diary on September 19th, Joshua recorded, “The revival is breaking out here in greater power. Many souls are receiving full assurance of salvation. The spirit of prayer and of testimony is falling in a marvelous manner. The young are receiving the greatest measure of blessing. They break out into prayer, praise, testimony and exhortation in a wonderful way.” (Morgan, 1909, p. 122)

Sidney Evans informed Evan of a revival meeting under Seth Joshua. On Thursday, September 29th, 1904, Roberts left Newcastle, along with a group of young people who went to the service. They arrived around 7 a.m. at the convention in Blaenaunerch, Cardiganshire.

Evan felt the Spirit burdening Him to pray, so he waited patiently for his turn while others prayed. He said…

“When a few more had prayed, I felt a living power pervading my bosom. It took my breath away…” (Orr, 1973, p. 5)

That night, as Roberts prayed with sweat dripping down his face, he received what he had sought for years. Roberts had been ill and did not think he could make the meeting. Due to sickness, Evan missed school on Friday and Monday before the meeting. The devil somehow senses an appointment with destiny and does everything to prevent you from making that appointment. But the Lord had prepared Roberts by building into the need always to be faithful. On September 29th, 1904, two prayers were answered. Seth Joshua, who had been praying that the Lord would raise someone from the mines, and Roberts, who had been seeking Baptism for the last thirteen years.2 (Lewis, et al., 1989, p. 41) He also wrote about the experience…

“I held my breath and my legs shivered, and every prayer I asked, ‘Shall I now?’ The living force grew and grew, and I was almost bursting. And instantly someone ended his prayer—my bosom boiling. I would have burst if I had not prayed. What boiled was that verse, “God commending His love!” (Mail, 1904)

At the close of the meeting, Seth Joshua prayed, “O Lord… bend us.” Evan went to the front, kneeled, and prayed, “Lord, bend me.” The event impacted Seth Joshua, who recorded it in his diary. (Joshua, n.d.) However, Joseph Jenkins and John Thickens were disturbed by Evan’s response and were concerned he would cause a spiritual uproar. They considered him a “spiritual neurotic.” (Thickens, n.d.)

Joshua recorded in his diary, “Grand meeting in Blaenaerach, and many cried for mercy. It was a remarkable thing to hear one young man, Evan Roberts.” (Morgan, 1909, p. 122) Evan felt the Spirit burdening Him to pray, so he waited patiently for his turn while others prayed. He said…

“When a few more had prayed, I felt a living power pervading my bosom. It took my breath away…” (Orr, 1973, p. 5)

 

 Evan also told his sister of the event, “was the most awful and pleasing day of my life .” (Arthur Goodrich, 1905, p. 30)

A person present wrote of Evan Roberts-

His face was bathed in perspiration. He cried out, ‘Bend me!’ He was overwhelmed by the verse, ‘God commendeth His love toward us…’ Then a wave of peace flooded his soul. He became concerned for others.” (Shaw, 1905, p. 751)

Evan Roberts later explained that the Holy Spirit emphasized to him the words, “Bend me,” saying, “This is what thou lackest.” (Lewis, et al., 1989, p. 33) David Matthews, an eyewitness to the event, wrote…

“Almost in desperation, the evangelist prayed fervently at what seemed to be the close of the difficult meeting. ‘Bend us- bend us-bend us, O Lord” Speaking humanly, many believe that this very sentence gave birth to the revival. It became famous. Evan Roberts repeated it times without number. A young woman sprang to her feet in terrible agony- Maggie Evans, if my memory serves me right. At this moment, the silent form of a young man rolled off his seat into the aisle. He appeared to be only semi-conscious. God alone knows the miracle that happened. A lady sitting opposite the young man assured me he lay prostrate for a considerable time on the floor of the church, sweating profusely. Nothing seemed more certain but that he would die on the spot.” (Matthews, n.d., p. 197)

Evan was emotionally wrecked, and tears kept pouring down his face. (Arthur Goodrich, 1905, pp. 30-31) He felt filled with the compassion of the Lord and an incredible burden for souls. Evan Roberts would say, “I thought of the bending in the Judgment Day, and I was filled with compassion for the people bent in the Judgment Day, and I wept. Afterwards it was the salvation of souls that weighed on my souls.” (Lewis, et al., 1989, p. 41)Evan Roberts knew that day that something extraordinary was beginning. There is a deep cry that comes from our spirit that only He can hear and satisfy. It is a cry that penetrates the veil. For too many, our prayers simply bounce off the ceilings. We need to learn to breakthrough by spending time in the Secret Place when we are alone. To understand the spiritual power Evan Roberts carried and how the revival was birthed, you need to understand his prayer life.

It has to become real to us, too! Listen to this description of prayer during the revival…

“the entire atmosphere of the room was white-hot with spiritual emotion, and my chief thought was: ‘This is the picture of what must have occurred in the early church in the first century of the Christian era.”’ (Shaw, 2017, p. 38)

Revivals are birthed through a season of passionate and personal prayer.

“Evan Roberts had, he said, been praying for thirteen months, for that wave to come, and he related how the young man was turned out of his lodgings by his landlady, who thought that in his enthusiasm he was possessed or somewhat mad. He spent hours praying and preaching in his rooms, until the lady became afraid of him, and asked him to leave.” (Shaw, 1905, p. 90)

Shaw recorded that before the revival broke out, many prayer meetings began, and many spent the whole night in agonizing prayer of the Spirit. This Spirit of prayer was not limited to one class but spread across all classes and various denominations. (Shaw, 1905, p. 1138)

Regarding Evan, the young revivalist was said to be very joyous and radiantly happy, and the marked essence of his campaign was mirth. (Shaw, 1905) Many sources confirm that Roberts was a person of great joy. When you are in the purpose of the Lord, there is great joy. Real joy!

Organizations do not birth revival but people who humble themselves and seek His face with earnest and passionate prayer. Roberts did not pray nice quiet prayers. He prayed loud and bold prayers that disturbed the enemy and anyone not in tune with the Holy Spirit. The enemy always seeks to shut people down through discouragement. But we must love God more than family, friends, or anything. His opinion must carry the greatest weight in our lives. We must run to see the smile on His face and refuse to be changed by people’s responses. People tried to stop Evan from quitting school and following the Holy Spirit. They even brought him to Dr. Hughes, an American Specialist, who claimed Evan was suffering from religious mania. (Jones, 1995, p. 18). When the status quo is challenged, it often manifests the hardness of the heart of those who resist.

The Welsh Revival and Evan Roberts did indeed challenge the religious establishment of that time. Consequently, both the revival and Evan Roberts were on a collision course with those who resisted God’s move. In the revival and through Evan, God violated the rules men had established regarding the revival. Like every revival, the Holy Spirit took the leadership role, which many of the religious elite didn’t like and never did.

Evan Roberts spoke of the devil seeking to mock him and obstruct him. He even had a vision about it. He confided in friends, ‘The devil is doing his worst these days. He attacks me with all his resources and also ploughs up my past.” (Matthews, n.d., p. 207) Let us never forget Paul’s admonition that we lay aside both the good and the bad of our past and press forward.

 

Returning to school after this phenomenal baptism, studies for the future revivalist were more than difficult—they seemed utterly impossible. He discovered to his amazement that something had happened and now concentrated book-work was a mere drudgery. Day and night, without ceasing, he prayed, wept, and sighed for a great spiritual awakening for his beloved Wales. Hours were spent in unbroken, untiring intercession, to the chagrin of those who did not understand the symptoms and secret of soul-travail. One thing became clear to him—study was impossible for some unaccountable reason. He had to surrender unconditionally to this overwhelming, mysteri­ous impulse, surging through his sensitive, awakened soul (Jones, 1995, p. 25)

The Divine Call to GO!

The Holy Spirit did heart surgery on all who would yield to Him!

“The Spirit of the Lord has broken up, as Rev. John M’Neil writes, ‘that which we value far too much- this deadly, dull respectable formality that passes for Christian worship and Christian work.’ But, unless we are mistaken, the religious systems as a whole must be prepared for permanent transformation, and must seek to adapt and accommodate themselves to this new spirit of life. To attempt to organize the work into forced conformity to the old types, corking up the ‘new wine” in ‘old bottle,’ must be fatal course.” (Shaw, 2017, p. 68)

Evan Roberts heard an inward voice telling him to leave the Bible school and “Go speak to these people.” Roberts told Mr. Phillips, and his answer was, “YOU MUST GO!” This man could never have imagined what this simple statement would do. He could have stopped one of the greatest moves of the Lord right then or at least hindered it, justified it with the Word, and claimed that Roberts was not ready, finished having not finished his schooling, and had not been sent out by them. Yet, he recognized what the Spirit was and was willing to see what the fruit was. Mr. Phillips showed great wisdom in not standing in the way and letting the fruit judge if Roberts missed it. (Jones, 1995, p. 29)

So, Roberts returned to Newcastle Emlyn first to pray for his team, which consisted of Sidney Evans (who would marry Evan’s sister), some young women, and himself. Evan would take these young ladies with him to sing and pray at his services. Evan Roberts withdrew all his savings to pay for his team to follow him.

On Monday, October 10th, Roberts said to his friends, “There is a blessed time awaiting the Church of Christ in the near future. The night beings to vanish, and the dawn extends gradually but certainly.”m (Adams, 2004, p. 67) He knew the revival was about to break out. On the 11th, he explained how “the fire has begun to lay hold of us.”m17

On October 28th, Roberts said, “Oh! That we could all feel that we can be nothing without the Holy Spirit, and in that feeling fall in lowliness before God with a broken heart, beseeching Him to show us His face.” (Adams, 2004, p. 68)

It was almost time for Evan to return home, and he knew the warfare was increasing. On the 28th of October, he said, “Satan has mustered all his regiments, for this is a sign of danger to his kingdom, and tonight we are going to hold a revival meeting at Capel Drindod.” (Adams, 2004, p. 72)

Evan’s last night at Newcastle was on October 30th, 1904. He felt led to committing to a week with the young people at Loughor. Revivals were already beginning in Ammanford and Wrexham. The Ammanford revival would birth the Apostolic Church, a worldwide movement. (Arthur Goodrich, 1905, p. 31)

Next, Evan then reached out to his brother Dan and wrote to him…

“The wheels of the Gospel chariot are to turn swiftly before long, and it is a privilege to give a hand in the work. I do not know whether you possess the joy of the Gospel…but if you are to have it, you must be willing to do the Spirit’s bidding…You must put yourself entirely at the Spirit’s disposal.” (Jones, 1995, p. 29)

In October 1904, Evan had a vision. He was with Sidney Evans in a garden. Suddenly, Sidney went into a daze looking at the moon. Evan looked up to see what he was looking at when he, too, saw what looked like an arm outstretched from the moon, reaching down into Wales. (Orr, 1973, p. 6) Roberts stated, “The moon seemed larger than usual, her bosom heaving continually towards us, and an arm coming out of it, as if lifting something back with it. The brilliance was terrible. We could not understand the hand, but now I understand it was an answer to prayer.” (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 41)

Roberts, according to Lewis et al., was given to many visions. (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 43) Another vision he had was of the devil in a garden hedge mocking him regarding the state of religion in Wales. He saw this vision again but noticed that on his right side, there was another person with a glittering sword in his hand. He struck the devil with it, causing him to flee. (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 41) He also had a vision where he saw Christ weighing men in His balances, and he found himself wanting, until “he had Christ’s merit placed beside him, and then it was weighed down to the ground.” (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 41) He told his brother, “You shall see there will be a great change at Loughor in less than a fortnight. We are going to have the greatest revival Wales has ever seen.” (Arthur Goodrich, 1905, p. 33) Evan told Sidney he had a vision of Wales being lifted up to the heavens and that they would see a hundred thousand souls won for Jesus. They were to get a little band-ready and travel throughout Wales. (Jones, 1995, p. 29) As Edwin Orr recorded, no one forgot the look on Evan’s face that day.

Jones stated that “he had to surrender unconditionally to this overwhelming, mysterious impulse, surging through his sensitive, awakened soul.” (Orr, 1973, p. 6.)

Evan returned home on October 31st and proceeded to talk with his family about his vision. The Roberts family consisted of his mom and dad, his three sisters, Mary, Sarah, and Catherine, and his brothers, Dan and David (and a younger brother probably died before the revival broke out). They struggled with his decision and were confused about why he had left his studies. According to Lewis et al., the burden of the call was overwhelming or “vision” that he had to concede to its appeal. (Lewis & C Campbell Morgan, 1989, p. 43)

His sister, Mary, wrote that she had received a letter from him before Evan had returned home. In it, he explained that he couldn’t concentrate on his studies and that “he had an incredible experience and wanted the young people who he used to meet within Moriah… to be led into the same experience he had had.” (Adams, 2004, p. 95)

 He was not discouraged by his family’s response but proceeded to Moriah Chapel to see the ministers there. He had favor with them and was allowed to hold a meeting with the youth. That evening, after the regular prayer meeting, Evan held his first meeting with seventeen people in attendance. He told them about his experiences and called them to publicly confess their belief in Christ. Evan established four keys that were necessary for the Spirit to move:

  • You must confess and put away unconfessed sin.
  • You must put away any doubtful habits.
  • You must obey the Spirit promptly.
  • You must confess Jesus publicly(Jones, 1995, p. 201)

These sound so obvious to most today, but they were powerful in his day, and if we heard what the Lord was saying through them to us today, they are just as powerful. Most do not feel the need to confess Jesus publicly,