Smith Wigglesworth Prophecy

Before his death in 1947, Smith Wigglesworth shared a powerful prophecy. He spoke of two future moves in the Church—one of God’s Word and one of God’s

Smith Wigglesworth prophecy is one of the most quoted and compelling spiritual predictions of the 20th century Pentecostal movement. Spoken shortly before his death in 1947, this prophecy outlined a coming dual move of God—first through the restoration of the Holy Spirit’s gifts, and then through a growing hunger for God’s Word.

Smith Wigglesworth Prophecy Quoted (1947, to Lester Sumrall)

"During the next few decades there will be two distinct moves of the Holy Spirit across the church in Great Britain. The first move will affect every church that is open to receive it, and will be characterised by the restoration of the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The second move of the Holy Spirit will result in people leaving historic churches and planting new churches. In the duration of each of these moves, the people who are involved will say, ‘This is a great revival.’ But the Lord says, ‘No, neither is this the great revival but both are steps towards it.’

When the new church phase is on the wane, there will be evidence in the churches of something that has not been seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit.

When the word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest move of the Holy Spirit that the nations, and indeed, the world have ever seen. It will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and Welsh revivals of former years.

The outpouring of God’s Spirit will flow over from the United Kingdom to mainland Europe, and from there, will begin a missionary move to the ends of the earth."

Prophecy from Smith Wigglesworth — Smith Wigglesworth Prophecy by Lester Sumrall

Bullet-Point Summary:

Two major moves of the Holy Spirit will happen in Great Britain.

The first brings back the baptism and gifts of the Spirit to open churches.

The second leads to people leaving old churches to plant new ones. Neither move is the final great revival but steps toward it.

Eventually, the Word and Spirit will unite in churches.

This union will spark the greatest revival ever seen.

The revival will spread from the UK to Europe and worldwide.

About the Prophecy

Many believe the Smith Wigglesworth prophecy was fulfilled in part during the Charismatic Renewal and the rise of independent churches. However, its final stage—the unity of Word and Spirit—is still anticipated by many believers as the spark for a great worldwide revival.

Far more than a prediction, the Smith Wigglesworth prophecy is seen by some as a roadmap for preparing the Church: walking in truth, filled with the Spirit, and ready for a move of God that brings transformation on a global scale.

He Refused to Read Anything But the Bible: He famously never allowed newspapers in his home, believing only the Word of God was worth reading. Even Christian books were set aside in favour of Scripture.

He Prophesied Two Great Waves of Revival: In addition to his well-known prophecy, he described a global revival where the Word and the Spirit would work together—a dual movement he had not yet seen in his lifetime.

Many have repeated the Smith Wigglesworth prophecy over the years. It is often mentioned alongside the well-known 1967 vision by evangelist Jean Darnall, which also spoke of a coming move of God across the UK and beyond.

Together, these two revelations have stirred hope in the hearts of many who believe their time of fulfilment may be drawing near.

In 2016, author and worship leader Jarrod Cooper wrote the book When Spirit and Word Collide, inspired by Wigglesworth’s prophecy and its call for a Church filled with both power and truth.

That same year, Christian leader Malcolm Duncan shared a powerful word in Premier Christianity (March 2016), prayerfully suggesting that 2017 could mark the beginning of God’s fulfilment of these long-awaited prophetic promises.

One Fulfilment of This Prophecy

In the 1960s, a man named Michael Reid came to faith in Christ. He went on to become one of the most influential Pentecostal preachers—not just in the UK, but around the world. What truly marked his ministry was the powerful combination of the Word and the Spirit.

Peniel College of Higher Education, which he founded, became one of the top charismatic Bible colleges in the UK—and one of only two worldwide affiliated with Oral Roberts University. To this day, I have yet to meet anyone with the depth of scriptural understanding that Bishop Reid carried.