former and latter rain

Former & Latter Rain
3/18/06
“See how the farmer waits for the land to yield it’s valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.”[1] The Israelites were taught to pray to God for both the spring and the autumn rains[2], and these rains ensured good growth and a good harvest. We have been praying for the Lord to pour out His Spirit again, as He did in the late 60’s and 70’s. But what I hear the Lord saying is that, after the seed is planted in the earth, it does not rain every day. The seed would rot in the ground and there would be no harvest. Yet His pattern has been to send and early and a late rain, the latter right before harvest.

I also heard the Lord say “think generations”. There were a group of people in which the seed has been sown, some sooner and some latter, which are growing up into a great people of God. Some are leaving the world and their flesh in the dust, pressing in to serve God. Others have the pride of life, the lust of the eye, and the lust of the flesh undealt with. The latter have found doctrines to allow themselves an easy life on the fence between Christ and the world. The former are going from glory to glory.

The first harvest is when God comes for our fruit or righteousness[3]. God has patiently been waiting for a people who would be ready to serve Him in the time of the latter rain. But the second time He puts in the sickle is for a harvest of judgment[4].

Just as there are 2 kinds of Christians represented by seed growing in the ground (those pressing in to serve, and those on the fence, indecisive), there are 2 kinds of rewards. The faithful enter into the joy of the Lord, the wedding feast, the Sabbath rest. I believe this will be a time of great service to the Lord. Why? Because those who do not enter in will be grieved, and left outside with the unbelievers. It seems evident, therefore, that the faithful must have something glorious to participate in, since the unfaithful to be upset about being left out.

I do not know the exact date of the former rain in which I was saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit. Many people differ on how many years it takes to make one generation, and I won’t state a period of years here. But I am led to Psalms 22:30,31; “A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this”. This scripture tells about a people declaring the Lord’s kingdom (vs 28) and they will continue declaring it to a future unborn generation. Some of you have been witnessing for the Lord for over 30 years, and now have grandchildren who are hearing about Him.

I believe the former rain I mentioned has produced a harvest for the Lord. And I believe that the latter rain is soon to come. The dry periods were needed for our maturity, but the latter rain is needed for our final growth. God has waited patiently. Perhaps this is going to be a good year for harvesting the righteousness of Man. Only God knows. Until then, let’s keep praying for the rain. Amen, come Lord Jesus.

[1] Jms 5:7
[2] Deut 11:13,14
[3] Mt 21:34. See also 2 Cor 9:10 & Heb 12:11
[4] Rev 14:18-20