A House of Symbols
In His life as the Son of man on earth, Jesus explained many spiritual principles by speaking in parables. A well-known example of this is found in the parable of the sower in Matthew chapter 13. In this parable, our Lord reveals the importance of having the “soil” of our heart to be as “good ground” to welcome and nurture the “seed” of the gospel of salvation.
This groundwork, this “preparation of the soil” of our heart is essential when we consider something very important which is due to occur, and highly relevant in the times in which we are living:
“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 6:3). “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). “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” (Zechariah 10:1). “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory” (Revelation 18:1). “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters (Revelation 14:7).
Here we have read 6 promises, 6 prophecies. Three are speaking about the former and latter rains and three verses about the glory of God.
The Latter Rain will come! That other angel of Revelation 18 will also come, and lighten the earth with his glory! What part can we play? Where do we fit in the picture? What preparation is necessary? Are we just to sit idly by? What shall we do?
There are three classes of people in the world today, those who make things happen, those who stand by and watch things happen, and those who sit around and wonder, “what’s happening?” Dear friend, which class of people describes you?
“Let us read and receive and present to others the second chapter of the book of Acts. We need a deeper piety and the sincere meekness of the Great Teacher. . . . The whole book of Acts is our lesson book. All of us need to humble our own individual hearts, and be converted daily.”1
As we consider the second chapter of the book of Acts, we read that “when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).
“The Holy Spirit abides with consecrated laborers who in any locality are seeking to advance the cause.”2
This outpouring of the Holy Spirit was a clear manifestation of “that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 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. . . . Now when [the multitude] heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:16-21, 37).
Indeed, in considering the wonderful phenomenon of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit without measure, this is the question of the hour: WHAT SHALL WE DO? What can we do? What preparation can we make to receive the Holy Spirit in such fullness?
In reference to this outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the time of Pentecost, we are assured that “God is willing to give us a similar blessing, when we seek for it as earnestly. The Lord did not lock the reservoir of heaven after pouring His Spirit upon the early disciples. We also may receive of the fullness of His blessing. Heaven is full of the treasures of His grace, and those who come to God in faith may claim all that He has promised. If we do not have His power, it is because of our spiritual lethargy, our indifference, our indolence. Let us come out of this formality and deadness.”3
Is there a connection between the latter rain and the glory of the angel of Revelation 18?
“It is with an earnest longing that I look forward to the time when the events of the Day of Pentecost shall be repeated with even greater power than on that occasion. John says, ‘I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory’ (Revelation 18:1). Then, as at the Pentecostal season, the people will hear the truth spoken to them, every man in his own tongue. God can breathe new life into every soul that sincerely desires to serve Him, and can touch the lips with a live coal from off the altar, and cause them to become eloquent with His praise. Thousands of voices will be imbued with the power to speak forth the wonderful truths of God’s Word. The stammering tongue will be unloosed, and the timid will be made strong to bear courageous testimony to the truth. May the Lord help His people to cleanse the soul temple from every defilement, and to maintain such a close connection with Him that they may be partakers of the latter rain when it shall be poured out.”4
“In the work that was accomplished on the Day of Pentecost, we may see what can be done by the exercise of faith. Those who believed in Christ were sealed by the Holy Spirit. As the disciples were assembled together, ‘there came a sound . . . as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them’ (Acts 2:2, 3). And Peter stood up among them and spoke with mighty power. Among those who listened to him were devout Jews, who were sincere in their belief. But the power that accompanied the words of the speaker convinced them that Christ was indeed the Messiah. What a mighty work was accomplished! Three thousand were converted in one day.
“The seed had been sown by the greatest Teacher the world had ever known. For three and a half years the Son of God had sojourned in the land of Judea, proclaiming the message of the gospel of truth and working with mighty signs and wonders. The seed had been sown, and after His ascension the great ingathering took place. More were converted by one sermon on the Day of Pentecost than were converted during all the years of Christ’s ministry. So mightily will God work when men give themselves to the control of the Spirit.”5
Acts chapter 2, in speaking of the Day of Pentecost, refers us to Joel’s prophecy of the last day events preceding the second coming of Christ. “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come” (Joel 2:31).
Notice, these prophecies have already been fulfilled! Our study here is not about the sealing message, but it is connected with it. Our study here is not about seed sowing, but it is connected with it. What we are talking about here is a preparation - soil preparation, that is, HEART PREPARATION!
We often study events to occur before the second coming of Christ, but how much time do we spend studying what has to happen before the latter rain comes? What do we think, will God just one day pour out the prophesied gift, just to see what we will do with it? The Lord does not work that way. Let us read more from the prophecy of Joel: “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” (Joel 2:28, 29). Notice the word “afterward.” After what? What is it that proceeds the pouring out of the Holy Spirit? Why is the book of Acts so important? What, as we read earlier, from the second chapter are we to “read, and receive, and to present to others”?
“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:39). What promise? The promise and prophecy of the early and latter rains, and of the whole earth being filled with the glory of God! This we found prophesied in Joel 2:28, but what is it that proceeds the “afterward”? What has to happen before the prophesied latter rain can come?
“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). Notice, the former rain is spoken of in the past tense, but the latter rain is still future. This then must be exactly the time in which we live today. But it still does not completely answer, “What shall we do?”
In Colossians 3:2 we are bidden, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” How do we, as a people, do that? We will find out in our next issue.