The Latter Rain of Pentecost

The Holy Bible has clearly promised "the Latter Rain of Pentecostal Power." The False Charismatic movement of the last three or four decades has left the Fundamental Church world leery of any expectation for true Revival. I certainly understand why Bible believers have lost hope for a soul harvest. The present Rick Warren phenomenon has added to this dismay with its empty Schullerism of positive thinking. America and the world need a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin. The Holy Bible is explicit that the Spirit of God will reveal a mixture of grace and judgment to finish the harvest before the end. I believe this move of God has begun and will escalate into a mighty visitation.

An early and latter rain was a principle of the Holy Scripture for the Nation of Israel when they were chiefly a rural people. God promised them that their crops and pastures would always be blessed. The latter rain was promised to provide the barley fields or vineyards just in time to bring the fruit of the fields to full head. The short time before harvest was the most pertinent period right before the gathering into the barns.

It’s beautiful to see how the Holy Spirit took this truth from the natural world and applied it to the spiritual promises. First, look at the beauty of this promise and how Israel missed God’s fullness of blessings. "But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you" (Jeremiah 5:23-25).

Then Hosea shows us how the great hand of God longed to return and lay His best promises at their feet. "Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth" (Hosea 6:1-3).

While Hosea had a spiritual note, it was the Prophet Joel that took this great principle of God’s care for Israel and gave it the broader meaning of the Pentecostal blessing. Joel laid the groundwork for understanding the Pentecostal outpouring that came ten days after Christ’s ascension. Joel shows us that this outpouring of the Spirit would be given in two parts. An early rain given moderately and a latter rain that He implied would be an outpouring. That outpouring is yet to be fulfilled.

Let’s read carefully Joel’s 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). Following this rain of the Spirit was the promise of the Great Harvest and the restoration of a large ingathering. It paints a beautiful picture, but then Joel adds a description strictly speaking of the latter rains of this outpouring to be even greater.

Please notice how Joel separates the early rain and harvest from the latter rain and harvest. He said "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: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. 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 cal l" (Joel 2: 28-32).

This promise is absolutely at the footsteps of those willing to be totally surrendered. There will certainly be a large company of professing believers that choose the New World Religion and serve the Antichrist. It will cost total surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and a separated lifestyle to share the Latter Rain outpouring. It will be greater than the Book of Acts history of the early rain. It has already begun in some Third World countries. Six million Muslims are converting to Jesus Christ yearly throughout the Muslim world.

Apostle Peter, moved by the Holy Ghost, took these exact words of Joel and promised that Acts chapter two was just the beginning. For almost 2000 years, this moderate rain has occurred. Never has there been an outpouring mingled with judgments as both Joel and Peter stated. The judgments of Ananias and Sapphira were a small foretaste of what this latter rain will include. That act of judgment caused great fear followed by miracles, signs, and a wonderful harvest. "And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitude s both of men and women" (Acts 5:11-14).

Now, imagine what fear and conviction will follow the kind of judgment God is preparing for our world. Peter stated that God said, "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: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:19-21). It’s time for the surrendered, sold-out saints to get ready for harvest time. This visitation will not be the kind of insane action and foolishness one sees on a Benny Hinn set or a TBN — Paul and Jan Crouch — screen. They are a joke to Biblical realities.

The glory that will represent the Latter Rain outpouring will bring judgment on the facade of "Pentecostal entertainment." People living the abandoned life, who honor the Lord Jesus and live the Biblical-centered lifestyle, will be the great men and women that God uses. Flesh will be crucified and Christ will be magnified.

James, the half brother of Jesus Christ, gave us this challenge. We, God’s saints, living in 2008 – 2009, etc are surely the ones He is preparing for this harvest. We are told, "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).

James’ words leave no doubt that this is a "Last Days" or "End Times" development. Notice he said "unto the coming of the Lord." Joel had stated that this Latter Rain would be in the "first month." That’s the month of the "Feast of Trumpets," a Biblical type of the Rapture.

Three Biblical Prophecies are developing simultaneously; the war of Gog and Magog, the Latter Rain outpouring, and the Rapture of the Bride. The perfect order of these events must be left to Jehovah God Himself. I’m looking for the Rapture right now; but if He tarries, I’m expecting the Great Judgment of God against the horde of soldiers marching on Israel to shake a world out of complacency. Soon, conviction will fall like rain and Holy Ghost Revival will follow. I fully expect to be in the middle of this outpouring and harvest time until Christ comes for His Bride.