Many attempts have been made to explain the strange behaviour that sometimes occurs, in otherwise normal people, during times of Christian revival. These explanations range from hypnotic effects to divine intervention and demonic possession.

In Western church history this kind of behaviour has occurred under the preaching of John Wesley, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney, Evan Roberts, and some modern Pentecostal and Charismatic preachers.

Jonathan Edwards wrote:

These words of Jonathan Edwards need to be taken very seriously by modern church leaders before hastening to any conclusion.

The Bible teaches us about a very strange incident in Israel's history when their king Saul was actively seeking to murder David. David, Samuel the prophet and writer of Israel's monarchical constitution (1 Sam.10:25), and his associated prophets, were prophesying together at Naioth in the district of Ramah. Prophesying together? Did that not simply mean inspired preaching? No, it never has.

The word 'prophesy' in our Old Testament is נבא (nâbâ) which means 'inspired speech' and nothing more, which could be in song, in worship, in addressing people, or in any other situation when the human voice is directly inspired by God. Our book of Psalms is a recorded collection of this kind of inspired speech. The Bible's description of this collective prophesying at Naioth was undoubtedly of inspired worship, particularly in view of the persons involved. Now comes the reason for this report being preserved for our instruction.

King Saul sent his officers to Naioth to arrest David, three times, and each time they were unable to do it because they began prophesying as they approached the physical locality of the inspired vocal-worship of Samuel's group. In this situation, it was not something which these officers could voluntarily stop. Eventually, King Saul in frustration came himself to take David.

Saul's murderous heart was not changed. He had not repented. His body was simply overpowered by the presence of God as the Spirit of God's presence rested upon the physical assembly of Samuel, David, and the prophets while they worshipped. What did he prophesy? We don't know but the text gives us a clue. He tore his clothes and "lay naked all that day and all that night". Why? In the cultural expression of that time, it was his body-language for grief, grief He caused God and Samuel (1 Sam.16:1). So, falling down, and even prophesying, is not a sign that God is pleased with that person, it merely represents a physical encounter with the power of God's presence and nothing more.

It is therefore in the light of this revelation in Holy Scripture that we should understand church services where the Spirit of God is present and persons begin barking like dogs or roaring like lions – for the presence of the Spirit of God is the presence of the Spirit of Truth and unconscious demonic contaminations and other corruptions are likely to be exposed.

The sad thing is that some, in hankering after signs of the supernatural have turned this exposure of a corrupted consciousness, such as barking or roaring, into a sign of God's approval. How bizarre is that!