All around us there is a growing sense that something significant is about to happen. From global unrest to spiritual unease, many believers feel the tension building. The Bible speaks of a time when God will intervene in human history in ways the world cannot ignore. Christians refer to this as a “quickening,” a stirring of the Spirit that points to the closeness of Jesus’ return.
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Pastor Jack Hibbs recently wrote about this very subject in an excerpt from his new book Called to Take a Bold Stand, published by The Blaze. In it, Hibbs explains the signs of spiritual quickening and why every believer should take notice.
What Is the Quickening?
“Can you feel it? Do you sense that something big is about to happen? And by big, I mean an event or events affecting people on a global scale,” Hibbs writes. He draws from the Puritans’ use of the term “quickening,” which means to bring to life, accelerate, or incite. He compares it to a pregnant woman who first feels her child move, a sign that the long-awaited day of delivery is near.
“The Bible says that people are spiritually quickened or made alive when they are born again and will be physically quickened at the resurrection,” he explains. For Hibbs, this is exactly what the church is sensing today: a spiritual stirring that signals the end is drawing close.
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The Acceleration of Events
Hibbs makes the case that what Christians are experiencing is more than just a feeling. “Are there signs that events are accelerating before us, moving us toward the end of the age? Is there a tension that seems to indicate that God is about to intervene in our lives? I would say: Yes!”
He emphasizes that this spiritual quickening is both a warning and an encouragement. “This quickening is a reminder to the church of what is soon to come. And it is a tremendous time to be alive,” he says.
Why This Matters Now
The quickening is tied to the Bible’s teaching about the rapture, when believers will be taken in a moment, separated from nonbelievers. Hibbs warns that this day of separation is inevitable and that salvation must be received now. “When the day of separation comes, you will want to have received the gift of salvation through Christ. He is your passport to heaven.”
To drive the point home, Hibbs reminds readers of Paul’s words in Romans 13:11-12: “Do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”
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The signs of quickening should stir every Christian to action. Just as a mother prepares for birth when she feels her child begin to move, so too must believers prepare for the return of Christ. Hibbs’ message clearly shows us that the time is short, the day is near and the church must be awake.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
