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. 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 passage of scripture contains the promise of the latter rain, a copious outpouring of the Holy Spirit which is necessary to bring the human harvests of earth to maturity, and also to prepare us to stand when the coming of The Son of man takes place. As it is right now, there are millions of people worldwide, who have not been made aware of the climactic issues that will decide their eternal destiny, and there are many others in war-torn countries who have never heard of the name of Jesus. This does not mean that God does not have His people in such places, for the scriptures teach us that in every nation, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of Him. Let's read:
Isaiah 56:4 For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Before the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, God has promised to lighten the entire earth with His glory, so that all may have ample opportunity to make informed decisions, either for or against Christ. But most Christians are in darkness as to the validity of God's law, especially the fourth commandment which stipulates that we honor God by keeping the seventh day Sabbath holy. Years of tradition and superstition had buried this sacred truth for a number of years, and although the Bible is now within easy reach throughout the western hemisphere, yet many still cling blindly to the dogmas of Rome, and thereby hold Sunday as the sacred day of rest, when in actuality there is not a single passage of scripture to support such claims.
This is the reason why the promise of the latter rain becomes all the more important, for there are very many sincere Christians who have yet to come to a knowledge of the truth upon this very point. Thus, when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the world in copious measures, thousands and millions across the globe will be made to see the present truths for this time, and according to the scriptures, very many will turn and be saved in God's kingdom, because they would have made the right decision to follow Jesus all the way in the keeping of all ten commandments. Let's read:
Joel 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage"..... "whom they have scattered among the nations".... 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".... "and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people"
Let us therefore ask for the latter rain, so that we may be fitted to share the good news of the gospel for our day with those whom we come in contact from day to day, and let us therefore be faithful in our corner of the vineyard, so that when The Master comes, He could receive His own with usury. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to ask The Lord for ever-increasing portions of His Holy Spirit, and He promises to respond to us in the affirmative by sending us copious showers of rain. Let's read:
Zechariah 10:1 Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!