Its Going To Rain

The true child of God is always passionate about revival and harvest time. Even the thoughts of a great visitation of the Spirit brings joy and praise to the sanctified soul. In the natural, harvest time has always been one of the most exciting experiences of life. To watch a great tractor and harvester glide gracefully across a wheat field is a beautiful sight. To see workers move through a cornfield leaving corn stacked like teepees along the way is like watching a work of art. But nothing compares to seeing sinners respond to a Gospel preacher and receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Even the angels in heaven join in rejoicing over one sinner that repenteth. (Luke 15:10)

Biblical language for spiritual harvest time is called, “the early and latter rain”. James the brother of our Lord carefully stated that the great rapture of the saints is awaiting the harvest of the “precious fruit of the earth”. The full text reads beautifully, “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” (James 5:7)

The early rain began in the First Testament as a remnant that was gleaned from the careless thousands that heard but mostly rejected the Shepherd of David. On the Day of Pentecost the early rain came in great torrents but soon gave way to the loss of their first love. It is great to study the history of the church and witness every moment of the moderate rains that fulfilled what Scripture called the “former rains moderately:” Joel stated this prophecy. “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.” (Joel 2:23)

Peter on the day of Pentecost quoted this prophecy stating emphatically that the outpouring of the Holy Ghost was a step in fulfilling this truth. The quote also shows that its ultimate fulfillment is in the end when God’s judgments are in the earth. Note this fact connected to the final days of earthly consternation. “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:” (Acts 2:19-20)

Reading these and other scriptures leaves no doubt that it is going to rain again and this time the torrents of rain will never cease. The earthÂ’s inhabitants will drink without hesitation and multitudes will be converted. This will be the greatest harvest in human history and will sweep millions into the Kingdom of God. The Creator of this universe has ordained a prophesied and celebrated event to coincide with this coming rain and harvest. Joel mentioned it in a text quoted earlier and Moses wrote about it in his great description of the seven major feasts of the Lord. (Leviticus 23). Joel had stated that this rain and harvest would occur in the first month.

The first month is the dated occasion of one Feast of the Lord called the Feast of Trumpets. The former rain is connected to the Feast of Pentecost but the latter rain is connected to the Feast of Trumpets. Do not be confused by the fact that there are two calendars in the Jewish economy. One is civic and one is sacred. The civic calendar starts on the seventh month of the sacred one. The first day of the first month of the civic calendar is the day of creation. The Feast of Trumpets is the next Feast of the Lord to be fulfilled, the first four having been fulfilled by the actual events connected to Jesus Christ up to the Pentecost. Remember that Joel prophesied that this latter rain is in the first month when the Feast of Trumpets will be fulfilled. There is a special Jewish custom to this feast because prior to its beginning there are thirty days of preparation. Trumpets blast every day except the last day before the Feast Day. I believe those trumpets sounding for twenty-nine days reflect the coming of the latter rain of spiritual visitation. This feast celebrates the harvest of the earth, both in salvation and the resurrection of the dead.

Our God is coming down to act both in judgment and harvest. One prophet said, “… For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:9) The prophet further stated, “Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.” (Isaiah 64:1-3)

We are extremely close to this breathtaking moment when God will be revealed to the nations and earth’s inhabitants. When the Son of God visited the temple of His day, He disrupted the human schemes that were on display. He will certainly disrupt the flesh that is master of today’s church. It will be judged and the false religionist will be forced to bow their heads before the remnant of the faithful. John the Revelator prophesied to the Philadelphia church, “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” (Revelation 3:9) It’s going to rain. When evil is at its worst and the cup is full, our God always acts. The Bible is clear, the judgment of sin is at hand but there is a rainbow around the throne. Do not despair. Do not fret over evildoers (Psalm 37:1). Lift up your head and look up. Clouds of rain are already in the air.