Did Charles Spurgeon Prophesy an End-Times Outpouring?

If we think to succeed without the Spirit, we are not after the Pentecostal order. If we have not the Spirit which Jesus promised, we cannot perform the commission which Jesus gave. —Charles H. Spurgeon

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Known as the “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon brought a degree of eloquence to the pulpit that perhaps has never been rivaled.

At the age of nineteen, Spurgeon preached his first message at London’s New Park Street Chapel to the eighty people in attendance. He became their pastor, and the church experienced continuous growth for years. In 1861, the congregation relocated to the new Metropolitan Tabernacle that seated a staggering 5,600 people. Though Spurgeon did not have a college degree, his personal library ultimately contained more than 12,000 volumes.

When Spurgeon died in 1892, close to 60,000 people came to pay respects at the Metropolitan Tabernacle as his body lay in state. In addition to preaching for forty years, Spurgeon had published 140 books and had established a large orphanage, homes for the poor, and a school for pastors. It is hard not to be impressed with some of the externals of Spurgeon’s ministry, but the fruit is most understandable when his spiritual foundation and values are examined.

Spurgeon was known for preaching Christ-centered, Christ-exalting, Bible-based messages, and he vigorously defended the faith in the midst of various controversies throughout his life. In addition to being a man of “The Book,” he continuously acknowledged the enablement and empowerment of the Holy Spirit in his ministry.

Theologically, Spurgeon was a Calvinist, as was George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards, whereas John Wesley and Charles Finney held to Arminian views. Simplistically stated, Calvinists emphasize God’s sovereignty, predestination, and election. Arminian theology, on the other hand, stresses free will and human responsibility. Interestingly, God worked powerfully through all of them as they proclaimed Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Spurgeon made certain statements that expressed his belief that certain gifts of the Spirit had ceased, and yet many statements he made also show his deep reliance upon the Person of the Holy Spirit. Ironically, several of Spurgeon’s experiences seem to fit the description of what modern Pentecostals or Charismatics would call gifts of the Spirit, even though Spurgeon did not classify them that way. Is it possible that genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit can operate through a person even if he or she doesn’t label them as such, or that they are the very gifts described in the New Testament?

A gift exists because of the power behind it, not because of the label we give it. It would be well to remember Shakespeare’s words as conveyed through his character Juliet: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” While cessationists— those who believe certain operations of the Holy Spirit have ceased— and continuationists—those who believe all of the gifts the Holy Spirit are still available—may differ in their interpretations of what Spurgeon experienced, Spurgeon clearly believed that the Holy Spirit was working through his ministry to confirm the gospel and bring people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Spurgeon’s father and grandfather were both pastors, but Charles did not enter ministry simply because it was the “family business.” Rather, he had a very distinct and unique call of God upon his own life. Spurgeon refers to a great soul-winning minister named Richard Knill. This minister was visiting Spurgeon’s grandfather’s home, and he perceived a strong calling upon young Charles. When Spurgeon was around ten years old, Knill laid hands on and prayed for the young boy. He spoke these words over him, “This child will one day preach the gospel, and he will preach it to great multitudes. I am persuaded that he will preach in the chapel at Rowland Hill, where (I think he said) I am now the minister.” 1

One of Spurgeon’s biographers was Russell H. Conwell, the founder and first president of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was also the pastor of the distinguished Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia, and was personally acquainted with Spurgeon. Conwell believed that Knill’s words spoken over young Spurgeon reflect “…a supernatural foresight, and that a gleam of divine light opened to him the future of this servant of God.”2

Conwell also writes, “We believe Mr. Knill’s prophecy was supernatural.” While Spurgeon’s call came from God, and was merely acknowledged by Knill, those words represent a powerful recognition of God’s call. It is easy here to remember the exhortations given by the apostle Paul to his protégé and to see the parallels with what Spurgeon would experience centuries later as a ten-year-old.

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare (1 Timothy 1:18).

Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership (1 Timothy 4:14).

I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands (2 Timothy 1:6).

A Ministry Birthed in Prayer

When Spurgeon first preached at the church he would pastor in London, he quickly discovered that the congregation was greatly given to prayer. Though it was not the large congregation it would ultimately become, Spurgeon commented upon the earnestness of their prayers and acknowledged the presence of God that was tangibly present. He observes:

More than once, we were all so awestruck with the solemnity of the meeting, that we sat silent for some moments while the Lord’s power appeared to overshadow us; and all I could do on such occasions was to pronounce the Benediction, and say, “Dear friends, we have had the Spirit of God here very manifestly tonight; let us go home, and take care not to lose His gracious influences.” 3

Spurgeon notes that tremendous outcomes resulted from the prayers of these believers. He writes, “Then down came the blessing; the house was filled with hearers, and many souls were saved” and that “soon the blessing came upon us in such abundance that we had not room to receive it.”4 Though Spurgeon was no doubt a gifted and talented individual, he fully recognized that the source of blessing was not himself, but God, and that it was the prayers of all the people that made power-producing results available.

Spurgeon and Divine Healing

In his biography on Spurgeon, Conwell has a fascinating chapter titled Wonderful Healing in which he recounts numerous examples of Spurgeon praying for sick members in his church and the recoveries that followed. He writes that Spurgeon had diligently studied, with great interest, the topic of divine healing. Spurgeon, he said, had many experiences of people not recovering from their illnesses after prayer, but notes:

Such experiences would have discouraged him entirely in the theory that there was any use in prayer, had it not been for the wonderfully direct recovery of other people under circumstances which showed that there was no other possible solution to the mystery but in saying that the prayer had a definite and miraculous influence. 5

Conwell proceeds to note the extensiveness of people who benefitted from Spurgeon’s prayers for them while they were on the sickbed. Writing in 1893, he states:

There are now living and worshipping in the Metropolitan Tabernacle hundreds of people who ascribe the extension of their life to the effect of Mr. Spurgeon’s personal prayers. They have been sick with disease and nigh unto death, he has appeared, kneeled by their beds, and prayed for their recovery. Immediately the tide of health returned, the fevered impulse became calm, the temperature was reduced, and all the activities of nature resumed their normal functions within a short and unexpected period. 6

Conwell notes that even though many people were greatly impacted by Spurgeon’s prayers, he was very reluctant and hesitant to draw attention to himself in such matters. Twice he spoke of himself “as unworthy of possessing the gift of healing,”7 yet people were healed nonetheless.

Regardless of the terminologies used or not used relative to these recoveries, God’s power was obviously at work. One young girl who doctors said would die was healed when Spurgeon prayed for her. The little girl told her mother afterward that during the prayer, she felt “a strange sensation running all over her, as though the fever began to decline at her head and gradually passed off at her feet.”8

The Word of Knowledge

Throughout Scripture, in both the Old and New Testament, God would supernaturally reveal certain information to individuals that would further His own plan and purpose. Those who received such insights from God were not omniscient, nor could they just randomly turn the gift on and off at their discretion. Many believe that this operation of the Holy Spirit is what is called “the word of knowledge” that Paul identifies in 1 Corinthians 12:8. R. T. Kendall writes “this gift could refer to theological and biblical knowledge, but it may also be understood as being a ‘special word’ that a person needs urgently: a timely and relevant message from the Spirit that assures one that God and not man has spoken.”9

Kenneth E. Hagin defines this as a “supernatural revelation by the Holy Ghost of certain facts in the mind of God.”10 Similarly, Rick Renner refers to this gift as “a fragment of special knowledge that one supernaturally receives.” 11 Renner also states that the revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit, which include the word of wisdom and the discerning of spirits, as well as the word of knowledge, “cause a person to supernaturally receive understanding from Heaven of something that could not be naturally obtained.” 12

Though Spurgeon never used the term “word of knowledge” to describe various events that occurred periodically in his ministry, his descriptions of those happenings certainly fit these cited definitions. For example, Spurgeon relates a time when he was preaching, and in the midst of the sermon, he suddenly pointed to a section of the congregation and announced that there was a young man present who was wearing a pair of gloves that were not rightfully his, and that he had stolen them from his employer. When the service was over, a young man who was under great conviction came to the back room desiring to meet with Spurgeon. He confessed his sin of stealing the gloves, repented profoundly, and begged Spurgeon not to tell his mother about his misdeed. Spurgeon, reflecting on this event, said, “the arrow had struck the target for which God intended it.” 13

Spurgeon biographer W. Y. Fullerton reports a time when Spurgeon stated that there was a man in the congregation with a bottle of gin in his pocket. Fullerton reports, “It so happened, there was such a man, and he was startled into conversion.” 14 In yet another setting, Spurgeon pointed to a specific man in the congregation and identified his occupation— he was a shoemaker—and described some very specific details about his recent business practices that needed to be adjusted. The man was alarmed and said, “It struck me that it was God who had spoken to my soul through him…. At first, I was afraid to go again to hear him…but afterwards I went, and the Lord met with me, and saved my soul.” 15 This type of thing happened on more than these few occasions. Spurgeon writes:

I could tell as many as a dozen similar cases in which I pointed at somebody in the hall without having the slightest knowledge of the person, or any idea that what I said was right, except that I believed I was moved by the Spirit to say it; and so striking has been my description, that the persons have gone away, and said to their friends, “Come, see a man that told me all things that ever I did; beyond a doubt, he must have been sent of God to my soul, or else he could not have described me so exactly.” And not only so, but I have known many instances in which the thoughts of men have been revealed from the pulpit. I have sometimes seen person’s nudge their neighbors with their elbow, because they had got a smart hit, and they have been heard to say, when they were going out, “The preacher told us just what we said to one another when we went in at the door.” 16

In the midst of this quote, Spurgeon refers to what the woman at the well said of Jesus, “Come, see a man that told me all things that ever I did” ( John 4:29). Jesus had said things to her that He could have only known by the Spirit of God who had revealed it to Him. This is the same type of thing that happened often in Spurgeon’s ministry and he freely acknowledged that the Spirit of God moved him to say such things.

In an article written in 1865, Spurgeon states that his spiritual journey had been “frequently directed contrary to our own design and beyond our own conception by singularly powerful impulses, and irresistibly suggestive providences” and validates the idea “that God occasionally grants to his servants a special and perceptible manifestation of his will for their guidance, over and above the strengthening energies of the Holy Spirit, and the sacred teaching of the inspired Word.” 17

Spurgeon was cautious, though, in these matters, and he fully recognized the need for discernment in evaluating the validity of such leadings. He acknowledged the danger of abuses and the potential problems of unstable individuals arbitrarily following misguided notions. He soundly rejected any type of impression that violated Scripture, common sense, or reason.

But notwithstanding all the folly of hair-brained rant, we believe that the unseen hand may be at times assuredly felt by gracious souls, and the mysterious power which guided the minds of the seers of old may, even to this day, sensibly overshadow reverent spirits. We would speak discreetly, but we dare say no less.18

It is important to understand that how we label an operation of the Holy Spirit is less important than the operation itself. I might call what happened with Jesus and with Spurgeon a “word of knowledge” while others might refer to it as an “impression” given by the Holy Spirit. Either way, though, it is God supernaturally working through a yielded vessel to meet the needs of the person.

This raises a fascinating question: Is it possible that certain gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12 could operate through a person who believed that such “gifts” had ceased? I think it is entirely possible that certain believers who assume that gifts of the Spirit have ceased could actually experience those gifts and recognize that God was at work without ever realizing that, technically, there was a gift of the Holy Spirit in operation.

It is good to remember that while there might be certain norms, God doesn’t always move in accordance with our preconceived ideas or expectations. For example, the high priest Caiaphas is certainly not portrayed as one of the good guys in the Bible; he had a part in orchestrating Jesus’ crucifixion. He saw Jesus as a threat and said, “it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish” ( John 11:50). In retrospect, the apostle John writes, “He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation” ( John 11:51 NLT). It is not the norm for someone in spiritual darkness to prophesy, but that’s what happened here. It’s also not the norm for the Lord to open the mouth of a donkey either, but it happened in God’s dealings with Balaam (Numbers 22:28-30).

The Source of Spurgeon’s Power

In addition to continually exalting the person and work of Jesus Christ, two things are very noticeable in reading about Spurgeon— his total reliance upon the Holy Spirit and his heartfelt commitment to prayer. Consider some of the statements Spurgeon made regarding his profound dependency upon the supernatural power and presence of God:

We have felt the Spirit of God operating upon our hearts, we have known and perceived the power which He wields over human spirits, and we know Him by frequent, conscious, personal contact. By the sensitiveness of our spirit we are as much made conscious of the presence of the Spirit of God as we are made cognizant of the existence of the souls of our fellowmen by their action upon our souls, or as we are certified of the existence of matter by its action upon our senses…. We know that there is a Holy Ghost, for we feel Him operating upon our spirits. If it were not so, we should certainly have no right to be in the ministry of Christ’s church. 19

To us, as ministers, the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. Without Him our office is a mere name…. We believe ourselves to be spokesmen for Jesus Christ, appointed to continue His witness upon earth; but upon Him and His testimony the Spirit of God always rested, and if it does not rest upon us, we are evidently not sent forth into the world as He was. At Pentecost the commencement of the great work of converting the world was with flaming tongues and a rushing mighty wind, symbols of the presence of the spirit; if, therefore, we think to succeed without the Spirit, we are not after the Pentecostal order. If we have not the Spirit which Jesus promised, we cannot perform the commission which Jesus gave. 20

In one place, Spurgeon describes what seems like a certain type of euphoria or ecstasy that he would sometimes experience while ministering. Though Spurgeon clearly had a great mind, he said:

The divine Spirit will sometimes work upon us so as to bear us completely out of ourselves. From the beginning of the sermon to the end we might at such times say, “Whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell: God knoweth.” Everything has been forgotten but the one all-engrossing subject in hand. If I were forbidden to enter heaven, but were permitted to select my state for all eternity, I should choose to be as I sometimes feel in preaching the gospel. 21

While Spurgeon enjoyed the presence and empowerment of God while he ministered, he realized that the Holy Spirit was not given simply for his pleasure and benefit. Rather, the Holy Spirit anoints the minister in a human-divine partnership to produce results, to transform people’s lives, and to bring much glory to God.

Miracles of grace must be the seals of our ministry; who can bestow them but the Spirit of God? Convert a soul without the Spirit of God! Why, you cannot even make a fly, much less create a new heart and a right spirit. Lead the children of God to a higher life without the Holy Ghost! You are inexpressibly more likely to conduct them into carnal security, if you attempt their elevation by any method of your own. Our ends can never be gained if we miss the cooperation of the Spirit of the Lord. 22

Two other statements by Spurgeon powerfully reveal his dependence on the Holy Spirit and on prayer. These certainly were great keys in the supernatural touch that rested upon his ministry.

A very important part of our lives consists in praying in the Holy Ghost, and that minister who does not think so had better escape from his ministry. Abundant prayer must go with earnest preaching. We cannot be always on the knees of the body, but the soul should never leave the posture of devotion. The habit of prayer is good, but the spirit of prayer is better. 23

I hope, brethren, that none of you will say that I have kept back the glorious work of the Holy Spirit. I have tried to remind you of it, whenever I have read a chapter, by praying that God the Holy Spirit would open that chapter to our minds. I hope I have never preached without an entire dependence on the Holy Ghost. Our reliance upon prayer has been very conspicuous; at least, I think so. We have not begun, we have not continued, we have not ended anything without prayer. We have been plunged into it up to the hilt. We have not prayed as we should; but, still, we have so prayed as to prevail; and we wish it to be on record that we owe our success, as a church, to the work of the Holy Spirit, principally through its leading us to pray. 24

And how did Spurgeon pray? In one message, he states:

I must pour out my heart in the language which his Spirit gives me; and more than that, I must trust in the Spirit to speak the unutterable groanings of my spirit, when my lips cannot actually express all the emotions of my heart. Let none despise this prayer; it is matchless….25

In yet another sermon, Spurgeon declares:

The Spirit of God is not sent merely to guide and help our devotion, but He Himself “makes intercession for us” according to the will of God. By this expression it cannot be meant that the Holy Spirit ever groans or personally prays, but that He excites intense desire and creates unutterable groans in us and these are ascribed to Him…. He can enable us when we are on our knees to rise above the ordinary routine of prayer into that victorious persistence against which nothing can stand. He can lay certain desires so pressingly upon our hearts that we can never rest till they are fulfilled. He can make the zeal for God’s house to eat us up, and the passion for God’s glory to be like a fire within our bones, and this is one part of that process by which, in inspiring our prayers, He helps our infirmity. 26

Did Spurgeon Prophesy and End-Time Outpouring?

Spurgeon believed that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had been minimal in his era, but he anticipated a significantly greater work to come. While his theology did not seem to permit him to envision biblical types of miracles occurring, his expectations are still profoundly challenging and encouraging. In one particular message, he proclaimed:

Another great work of the Holy Spirit, which is not accomplished, is the bringing on of the latter-day glory. In a few more years—I know not when, I know not how—the Holy Spirit will be poured out in a far different style from the present….

I do hope that perhaps a fresh era has dawned upon us, and that there is a better pouring out of the Spirit even now. For the hour is coming, and it may be even now is, when the Holy Spirit shall be poured out again in such a wonderful manner, that many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased—the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the surface of the great deep; when his kingdom shall come, and his will shall be done on earth even as it is in heaven.

My heart exults, and my eyes flash with the thought that very likely I shall live to see the outpouring of the Spirit; when “the sons and the daughters of God again shall prophesy, and the young men shall see visions and the old men shall dream dreams.” …There shall be such a miraculous amount of holiness, such an extraordinary fervor of prayer, such a real communion with God, and so much vital religion, and such a spread of the doctrines of the cross, that every one will see that verily the Spirit is poured out like water, and the rains are descending from above. For that let us pray; let us continually labor for it, and seek it of God. 27

What about these “impressions” or words of knowledge that Spurgeon experienced? Can the Holy Spirit still guide people that way today? I once had an experience during a time of congregational prayer. After some instruction, the people were directed to pray. Some knelt, some stood, and some walked, but all prayed. At one point, my attention was drawn to a young man I had never seen before who was kneeling in prayer at the front of the sanctuary. All of a sudden, I had the distinct impression that this young man was dealing with temptation regarding suicide. My “perception” surprised me, and I wondered if it was just an overactive imagination on my part, but the impression persisted.

After deliberating briefly, I went over and knelt down beside the young man and asked if I could talk with him for a minute. He agreed, and I said to him, “As I was praying, I saw you, and I seemed to have an impression that perhaps you are dealing with suicidal thoughts. I could be wrong, but I wanted to see if maybe this is something you have been struggling with.” His eyes widened, and with a sense of great surprise, he acknowledged that my impression was correct. He asked me how I knew that, and I explained to him that I felt the Lord had shown me that so he would know that God loved him and wanted to help him.

He allowed me to minister to him, we prayed together, and he had a real spiritual breakthrough. His hope was restored, and I encouraged him to stay in touch with me. He called me the very next day and was beginning to make new plans for his future. He advised that he was about to look for a job and asked if I “could do that thing I had done the night before.” I asked what he meant, and he said, “You know, could you ask God and maybe He could tell you where I should go and apply for a job.” I was touched by his sincerity, but I needed to explain to him that such happenings were not like a light switch—something that I can just turn on and off at will. I did pray with him, though, that God would give him wisdom in his job search and that God would give him favor with his potential employer.

We should never underestimate God’s love or willingness to reach hurting people with His love and compassion. In some cases, it may be expressed through a high profile person such as Spurgeon, but God may work through any of His children who will make themselves available as a vessel He can work through. We don’t necessarily have to have some kind of supernatural insight into people’s lives to reach out to them with love and compassion, but such an insight from God can be one of many tools that can be used in ministering to others.

Endnotes

1. Charles Spurgeon, Charles Spurgeon—An Autobiography: Diary, Letters, and Records (Harrington, DE: Delmarva Publications, 2013), loc. 955, Kindle.

2. Russell H. Conwell, The Life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Philadelphia, PA: Edgewood Publishing, 1892), loc. 553, Kindle.

3. Spurgeon, Charles Spurgeon—An Autobiography, loc. 951, Kindle.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid., loc. 1365, Kindle.

6. Ibid., loc. 1405, Kindle.

7. Ibid., loc. 1485, Kindle.

8. Ibid., loc. 1445, Kindle. Church-History_text.indd 224 11/5/20 10:47 AM 225 Spirit-Empowered Evangelism

9. R. T. Kendall, 40 Days with the Holy Spirit: A Journey to Experience His Presence in a Fresh New Way (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2014), 160, Kindle.

10. Kenneth E. Hagin, The Holy Spirit and His Gifts (Tulsa, OK: Faith Library Publications, www.rhema.org, 1991), 85.

11.Rick Renner, Why We Need the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Shippensburg, PA: Harrison House, 2018), 37.

12. Ibid., 35.

13. Spurgeon, Charles Spurgeon—An Autobiography, loc. 17360, Kindle.

14.W. Y. Fullerton, Charles Haddon Spurgeon: A Biography (Harrington, DE: Delmarva Publications, 2014), loc. 3736, Kindle.

15. Spurgeon, Charles Spurgeon—An Autobiography, loc. 13091, Kindle.

16.Ibid., loc. 17360, Kindle.

17.Charles Spurgeon, “Two Episodes in My Life” in Sword and Trowel, October 1865 (Seattle, WA: Amazon Digital Services, 2010), loc. 2463, Kindle.

18.Ibid., loc. 2471, Kindle.

19.Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, www. zondervan.com, 1875), 185, Kindle. Used by permission of Zondervan.

20.Ibid., loc. 186, Kindle.

21.Ibid., loc. 191, Kindle.

22.Ibid., loc. 195, Kindle.

23.Ibid., loc. 196, Kindle.

24. Spurgeon, Charles Spurgeon—An Autobiography, loc. 26691, Kindle.

25.Charles Spurgeon, “The Fatherhood of God,” vol. 5, in Spurgeon’s Sermons (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, September 12, 1883), 97.

26.Charles Spurgeon, “The Holy Spirit’s Intercession,” in Spurgeon’s Teaching on the Holy Spirit (Seattle, WA: Amazon Digital Services, 2017), loc. 169, Kindle.

27.Charles Spurgeon, “The Power of the Holy Spirit,” in Twelve Sermons on the Holy Spirit (Seattle, WA: Amazon Digital Services, 2014), loc. 945, Kindle.