Joel 2:23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
The Latter Rain spoken of in the above passage has to do with the final outpouring of The Holy Spirit on the earth, just before the second coming of Christ. Copious amounts of grace will be bestowed upon all of earth’s inhabitants so that every living person can make an informed choice, either for or against God.
Thus, the Latter Rain will be poured out upon the righteous and the unrighteous to bring the harvests of earth’s multitudes to maturity, which will cause a sealing of one’s destiny through the choices that are made.
The living righteous will be permanently sealed into righteousness, and the wicked would be brought to maturity in wickedness by the choices and decisions that are made. Three segments of the study today will deal with the following:
[1] Situational awareness [2] The maturing of earth’s harvests. [3] Our personal preparation for the Latter Rain.
However, before we delve into the study, there is important information that we must observe as it will pertain to the time of the latter rain, because it will be seen that many of the recorded events which took place at Pentecost, will be repeated when the latter rain is poured out. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
[Last Day Events pp 148] Let those who desire to be refreshed in mind and instructed in the truth study the history of the early church during and immediately following the Day of Pentecost. Study carefully in the book of Acts the experiences of Paul and the other apostles, for God's people in our day must pass through similar experiences.
We will begin with situational awareness.
The out pouring of the latter rain does not coerce a person’s conscience, nor does it force anyone into choosing either good or evil. It does however enable all to see the truth clearly so that persons can make up their minds permanently, as it pertains to God’s kingdom of light, or satan’s kingdom of darkness.
This is accomplished when The Holy Spirit brings to the forefront of the conscience, present truths that need to be decided upon, and if persons respond in the positive, then they will be booked for heaven.
On the contrary, when the truth is brought home to the conscience in a concentrated blaze, when there is no escaping, or reasoning away of the facts in the matter; if a person then chooses to reject Christ and the truths associated with Him, then one’s decision is recorded for eternity, and such folks will receive their dues.
Day by day persons are given opportunity to choose between Christ and satan, between truth and error, and between good and evil, and thus, the choices a person makes become permanently crystalized into character, for the decisions that will be made at the time of the latter rain, represent for the most part, a culmination of choices which have been made over the course of one’s lifetime.
Persons would not get up one morning, and decide to take the mark of the beast suddenly, and persons should not expect to be sealed suddenly either, for both the sealing work and the mark of the beast are representative of processes of preparation that have been ongoing for many years, in most instances.
God has been working and He’s currently working in many hearts and some of the recipients of His grace may not have a clue that such a work is taking place in the background. The thief on the cross who gave his life to Christ did not do so suddenly. Long before he acknowledged Christ publicly, the Holy Spirit had been working with him.
Therefore, when we see him blurt out those words, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Your kingdom”, that was a culmination of God’s work on his heart that had been in progress for many years. The seed had been sown long before, and now, it springs up, and bears fruit. Let’s read:
[The Desire of Ages pp 749] Both the men who were crucified with Jesus had at first railed upon Him; and one under his suffering became more desperate and defiant. But not so with his companion. This man was not a hardened criminal; he had been led astray by evil associations.
He had seen and heard Jesus, and been convicted by His teaching, but he had been turned away from Him by the priests and rulers. Seeking to stifle conviction, he had plunged deeper and deeper into sin, until he was arrested, tried as a criminal, and condemned to die on the cross.
And now, all sin-polluted as it is, his life history is about to close. He calls to mind all he has heard of Jesus, how He has healed the sick and pardoned sin. The Holy Spirit illuminates his mind, and little by little the chain of evidence is joined together.
In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging upon the cross, he sees the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. Hope is mingled with anguish in his voice as the helpless, dying soul casts himself upon a dying Savior. “Lord, remember me,” he cries, “when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.”
Under the outpouring of the early rain, Paul became frustrated with some apparently stubborn hearts in a certain town, and he was just about ready to call it quits with the people.
But God instructed Paul, that contrary to what had taken place, Jesus actually had many people in that city, and he was to remain there, working in their behalf, until their minds were fully persuaded of the truth. Paul did, and the rest is history. Let’s read:
Acts 18: 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.
9 Then spoke the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:
10 For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.
11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Again, when we read in Revelation the words “Come out of her my people”, God is calling persons, upon whom the work of God’s Spirit has been ongoing for many years, yet they were sitting in partial darkness, as regards the Bible Sabbath, and the immutability of all the commandments of God.
They do not just suddenly become God’s people, for they were always His people, but they did not have the clear unadulterated truth brought home to their consciences in ways that brought conviction. Several passages of scripture confirm this fact. Let’s read:
John 10: 15 As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there will be one fold and one shepherd.
Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Isaiah 43: 6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
Thus, as the Latter Rain gains steam, we should be cultivating situational awareness, meaning that care must be taken not to proscribe persons who might seem to be settled into false doctrine, or erroneous ways. The Latter Rain represents Christ’s last-ditch efforts to save as many persons as He possibly can, and this is the perspective which He now desires us to cultivate. Let’s read:
[ Special Testimonies To Ministers and Workers vol 3 pp 28] Among the Catholics there are many who are most conscientious Christians, and who walk in all the light that shines upon them, and God will work in their behalf.
[Letters And Manuscripts Vol. 5 par. 11] There are many among the Catholics who live up to the light they have far better than many who claim to believe present truth, and God will just as surely test and prove them as He has tested and proved us. From that which God has shown me, a great number will be saved from among the Catholics.
It is true that many individuals will be hearing truths about the Bible Sabbath for the first time, while to others, who may have known about it, but were not fully persuaded, its importance would be brought home to their consciences with remarkable clarity, through the power of The Holy Spirit.
Therefore, the latter rain should be understood in the context of that special bestowal of God’s grace, given to bring to maturity, and permanence, a work that has been taking place all along in the hearts of many. It would reach its crescendo in the latter rain, but the process itself had always been ongoing.
The outpouring of the early rain by The Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was a microcosm of what will be taking place as we near the close of probation, and because we are living on the brink of eternity, it will be wise to study the circumstances of the early rain to better understand and to be prepared for the latter rain.
The latter rain is scheduled to fall upon all who live upon planet earth, including the good, the bad or in between. It isn’t restricted to the remnant people of God, but instead will be made available to everyone who would be alive at that time. Let’s note well the similarities in the following passages. Let’s read:
[The Early Rain] Acts 1: 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
This leads us to the second segment of the study:
[2] The maturing of earth’s harvests.
It is of critical importance that any light which God is shedding on our pathway, be incorporated into our daily experiences, for it is only as truth and duty are synthesized that spiritual maturity can take place. To hold the truth only in a philosophical format doesn’t do any good, but instead can make things worse for those who are hearers but not doers.
Wickedness is also brought to maturity, and it could become so deep-seated that it would define who a person is. Latent tendencies strengthen with every indulgence, and the clamors of our fallen human do nature become more aggressive and assertive every time they satisfied, contrary to the scriptures.
Thus, both the good and bad of earth’s harvests are gradually chiseling out their own destiny, as choices and decisions to do either good or evil are ramped up. This is why in Revelation chapter 14 we read of two harvests and the word “Harvest” obviously only applies when the produce in question has been fully developed, or in other words, have come to full maturity.
It is most worthy of note that the reaping of earth’s harvests occurs in the very same chapter which will bring every person to the point of decision in taking either the mark of the beast, or in obeying all of the commandments of God, including the fourth which focuses on the Sabbath. Let’s read:
Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Without a doubt, it was the outpouring of the Latter Rain which was the catalyst for the speedy ripening of earth’s harvests. Prior to this time persons might have been dilly-dallying with their eternal destiny, but now, as The Spirit of God puts the issues very squarely on the front burner of the mind, persons will have to certify their choices.
Ananias and Saphira were partakers of the early rain but, instead of maturing them into righteousness, it caused them to come to maturity in wickedness. In other words, the choices that they had been making all along culminated and converged during the early rain, thus bringing their probation to a permanent close.
If one who knows better has been secretly robbing God in tithes and offerings all along, the Latter Rain won’t necessarily bring about some sudden change in practice. Instead, the habit and practice will most likely be confirmed and cemented forever, if positive change is not instituted.
Reasoning away one’s obligations to God on rational grounds, sets the stage for persons to be vacillating in their convictions, and this in turn opens the door for logical reason to take precedence over a known duty.
When persons make a commitment to God whether it be monetary or a pledge of service, it should be held as sacred, and such persons must do all in their power, to make good on that which was promised. But, to reason away a commitment, on apparently rational grounds, will put us at cross purposes with God. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
Under the outpouring of the Early Rain, Ananias and Sapphira had basked in the presence, and power of The Holy Ghost, yet they had chosen to retain errors that would only be made manifest when tested.
None should believe that they suddenly defrauded God, for as was stated before, the choices a person makes all along, often become crystalized into the character, if necessary changes in habit or practice do not take place.
In other words, what they were indulging secretly all along was brought to maturity under the Early Rain, and it converged and culminated when it came time for decisions. Just so it will be with all who pay hush money to conscience in an effort to stifle conviction.
If we have sinned in robbing God or if we have done anything that is contrary to truth and duty we must call sin by its right name when confessing, but never should we attempt to make excuses or reason away the voice of conscience on rational, logical grounds.
Their decision to hold back part of the money from the land they had sold was the result of the habit of rationally reasoning away convictions of conscience, a habit that had been in process, and development for many years.
Rationalism and logic are two peas in a pod and are two of the many false prophets in our day that have driven some persons to compromise truth and duty, whenever it is more convenient, profitable, or easier to do so.
Whatever persons may know to be right, however miniscule and insignificant it might seem to be, it must and should be done conscientiously, if one is to continue to grow in grace. This is what Ananias and Sapphira did not do, and it ended in a tragedy that caused great fear and consternation among the believers. Let’s read:
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
The man “Joses” was not coerced to sell his land nor was he forced to bring the proceeds thereof to the church. The Holy Ghost had impressed him to do so, but he was left free and clear to choose to follow his convictions.
The same thing had taken place with Ananias and Sapphira, for they were convinced by the Holy Spirit to follow Joses’ lead. Yet they, like Joses, were left free and clear to do, or not to do as convicted. If, in their minds, the commitment may have seemed to be too much then they could refrain from making it.
But to make the commitment, and then to reason it away on rational grounds, set them up for what was to be their last church service. Whenever a promise, or a commitment is made to God, we should expect satan to challenge it on rational grounds.
The quicker the commitment is fulfilled is the better it will be for the person in question, because waiting can give satan time to employ logic in tempting such an one to renege on his or her promise. If a person’s budget is tight, it may be preferable to return one’s tithes, and offerings at a different time, than when the mortgage or rent is due.
If the both obligations were to converge at the same time, the enemy of souls would undoubtedly try his best, to reason away the commitment to God, using logic, as he did so successfully, with those two who were brought to the point of decision, at Pentecost. Let’s read:
Acts 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Acts of the Apostles pp 71>72] In sharp contrast to the example of benevolence shown by the believers was the conduct of Ananias and Sapphira, whose experience, traced by the pen of Inspiration, has left a dark stain upon the history of the early church.
With others, these professed disciples had shared the privilege of hearing the gospel preached by the apostles. They had been present with other believers when, after the apostles had prayed, “the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.” Acts 4:31.
Deep conviction had rested upon all present, and under the direct influence of the Spirit of God, Ananias and Sapphira had made a pledge to give to the Lord the proceeds from the sale of certain property.
Afterward, Ananias and Sapphira grieved the Holy Spirit by yielding to feelings of covetousness. They began to regret their promise and soon lost the sweet influence of the blessing that had warmed their hearts with a desire to do large things in behalf of the cause of Christ.
They thought they had been too hasty, that they ought to reconsider their decision. They talked the matter over, and decided not to fulfill their pledge.
And now, we turn to the final segment of the study: Our personal preparation for the latter rain.
One of the issues that had to be addressed, before the early rain could be poured out, and one which Jesus had to deal with on several occasions was that of seeking for the highest place, a motive which had and has the potential to bring about strife.
When the disciples James and John, with their Mom went privately to Jesus to ask for the highest place in His kingdom, it triggered a severe backlash from the other disciples who had become incensed at the thought that these two could presume to go behind the others backs, and dare to make such a brazen request.
Again, when at the upper room for the last supper, none of them would stoop so low as to wash their brethren’s feet. A callous indifference pervaded the atmosphere, as they each determined that such a duty was too menial for them, and thus they waited and waited, until Jesus Himself did that which they would not do.
Thus, with this mindset, they would not be prepared for the outpouring of the early rain, and therefore, a chain of circumstances would be permitted by God, in an effort to cure the problem once and for all. Thus, after Jesus was crucified and buried, they now found themselves huddling together in the upper room for fear of the Jews, for they now realize like never before that the highest place carries with it the highest risk.
Therefore, a common fear for their lives was one of the catalysts in the preparation of the disciples to receive the early rain. Up until the time when Christ had been crucified, they were haggling over who should be the greatest. Now, there is only silence and trembling, not a word about who should be the greatest is heard, and the common threat to them all, serves to unify them like never before. Let’s read:
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Similarly, it is quite possible that a common threat to the Remnant people of God in our day may bring all arguments about status, rank, and position to a screeching halt and as a result, there could be unity, and singleness of heart, the likes of which we have never seen before.
Pride, and sin in all of its varied forms must be put away, and there must be deep soul searching, as per our motives, and intents, to see if we are harboring sentiments, feelings, and aspirations which do not meet the gold standard.
This work must be done in tandem with God, for it’s only He who can search us and try us to see if there is any wicked way in us. And then, if there is He bids us come to the throne of grace that we may obtain power and grace to relinquish such defects in our characters.
A thorough, and systematic study of the Bible, with the intention to obey that which is studied, is very important, because the sealing work is two pronged in nature, meaning that persons must be practicing righteousness on an ongoing basis, through the indwelling of the Holy Ghost.
But the sealing work is also intellectual in nature, for we would have to be so rooted, and grounded in the truth and in Christ, that we would not be shaken by the undeniable evidences of our five senses, when the miracle-working power of demons overspreads the land.
But, for us to wait until some general threat to the Remnant people of God becomes a reality, to then huddle together in fear, will demonstrate that we have not learned our lessons well.
Hence the reason why the servant of God cautions us to study carefully in the book of Acts, that which the early believers went through, because many of the same things are scheduled to be repeated when the Latter Rain begins to gain momentum.
Let us all then make a thorough preparation for the Latter Rain, so that when it does fall, we would have been brought to maturity in Christ. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which certifies the things that were spoken and it is the will of God that our decisions from day to day would come down on the side of good, not of evil. Let’s read:
Joel 3: 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
16 The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
God Bless!