The Latter Rain
Contents:
Latter Rain (post–World War II movement)
They were "in one accord. When the Lord's obedient people that are actively employed in doing the work come together as one, the latter rain will fall! Listen to a sermon share by Pastor Craig regarding the Latter Rain here. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples. The teachings that had been mysteries to them were made clear. The understanding that came to them with the outpouring of the Spirit made them ashamed of their fanciful theories.
Matar and Geshem
Their suppositions and interpretations were foolishness when compared with the knowledge of heavenly things which they now received. They were led by the Spirit, and light shone into their once darkened understanding. But the disciples had not yet received the complete fulfillment of Christ's promise.
They received all the knowledge of God that they could bear, but the complete fulfillment of the promise that Christ would show them plainly of the Father was yet to come. Thus it is today. Our knowledge of God is partial and imperfect. When the conflict is ended and the Man Christ Jesus acknowledges before the Father His faithful workers, who, in a world of sin, have borne true witness for Him, they will understand clearly what now are mysteries to them. We should therefore be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.
Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. There is nothing that Satan fears so much as that the people of God shall clear the way by removing every hindrance, so that the Lord can pour out His Spirit upon a languishing church. Every temptation, every opposing influence, whether open or secret, may be successfully resisted, "not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts" Zechariah 4: The latter rain will come, and the blessing of God will fill every soul that is purified from every defilement.
This would be a greater harvest in number and in spiritual manifestations will be given to people of all ages both men and women alike. All of the book of Joel is uniquely linked to the national salvation of the Jews preceding Christ's return it is referring to the Tribulation period.
In verse 23, we find the phrase 'the latter rain' that has been used and is still being ascribed to revival: The threshing floor shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. Joel is saying that in the Millennium, both of these rains will occur in the first month. God will pour out His provisions on their crops, thereby giving Israel abundance and restoring the material blessings to their nation which will prove that God is with them again, and that their shame has been removed.
Truly the meaning conveyed here is physical rain needed to restore wheat, wine, and oil. What's even more important is that the latter rain is in the first month.
We love hearing the testimonies and praise reports. This one point of similarity has to do with the manifestation of the Spirit. Yet we hear from promoters of the new revivals, that these people were drunk in the Spirit, acting like drunks. The Latter Rain taught that there would be a restoration of the five ministerial roles mentioned in Ephesians 4: Just as in the Midwest, the early rains prepare the soil for the seed sowing we see the farmers doing each and every year in the early Spring.
In Israel you have two rainy seasons called the former and later rain. At the end of the spring rain you had a harvest that was for grain, at the end of the Autumn season you had a harvest which was for fruit. But you also have a long hot summer in Israel.
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- Yakub (Jacob) The Father of Mankind.
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- The Latter Rain.
To understand this now spiritually. The former rain the latter rain are two rains and they correspond to the 7 feast days given in Lev. In the first portion the former rain, 4 feasts of Israel were fulfilled in the spring season by Jesus' first coming. The last three feasts will be fulfilled by his 2nd coming as he literally comes to earth to bring his kingdom and rule the nations. Israel is Gods timepiece for nations.
The clock is now stopped and is known as the time of the Gentiles and it corresponds to the summer period on the Jewish calendar. It is a time of working and plowing the ground getting the land ready for the next harvest. Now this idea of why the rain comes and stops and the 2nd rain is stronger than the first rain. The rain comes in the beginning and the end, it shows us why so many Jews were saved in the beginning of the Church and why so many will be saved in the end as Romans 11 says. This is the spiritual application of former and latter of the two rains. It is the latter rain that is so abundant that it is like two seasons put together.
This Spirit is poured out on Israel, this first harvest takes place 7 weeks after Passover and it is the grain harvest. On Pentecost three thousand were saved on this day as the first harvest. In between is the summer season the church age the time of the Gentiles and grace.
What is the Latter Rain Movement?
There is very little rain for Israel. In the Jewish calendar the latter rain corresponds to the autumn feasts of Trumpets, day of Atonement, the feast of Tabernacle booths. After this he says v. Specifically Israel's for their salvation. The words 'your sons, your daughters, your old men, and your young men' are all referring to the fact that God is speaking to Israel then and also in the future.
The future fulfillment also refers to the Jews in Israel. This is not applied to the unsaved Gentiles but to all the flesh of Israel Rom. The timing of this event is in the tribulation v. They are called Gods army but this does not mean they are his people. In the same way Cyrus was called Gods shepherd Isa. If we go back to Joel 2: However, the context in which we read about Joel's Army clearly shows that this army is destructive to Israel vs.
So why would anyone want to be part of this army. This all occurs just before the end of the tribulation. Because he stops before v. It is Gods way of humbling them and bringing them to repentance. It is in these days that the complete fulfillment will occur. The judgment of the nations begins after the Tribulation ends, just before the Lord sets up His millennial reign Mt. Only at this time will peace between the nations occur. While there is typology we do not use it to interpret doctrine it is to illustrated it. Doctrine is to interpret typology. Keeping those things in the context in which they were written is most important.
The term “latter rain” was first used early in the history of Pentecostalism, when David Wesley Myland wrote a book called Latter Rain Songs in The “latter rain” is a biblical symbol for the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit, by which the corporate spiritual experience of God's church will be.
If one is not within the sphere of the author's original meaning, then the Word is no longer communicating truth. The only way one can get around this context is to spiritualize or allegorize this passage, ripping it from its intended context. Which is exactly what we find these teachers for the new revival doing, applying it to themselves.
Yoreh and Malkosh
While there is a spiritual application we find it is to Israel and to the unsaved, giving it no application for the church today. The Church today is trying to either make his kingdom on earth now with ruling Apostles and Prophets, or waiting patiently for Christ to bring the kingdom to earth, with him physically being there to rule.
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