“Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is 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” (Acts 2:14–21).

When the first disciples preached the prophecy about the arrival of His Spirit, were they rapidly approaching the great and dreadful day of the Lord? No, it was still many years away. They had only just received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the early rain.

Yet likewise at the end, in the spreading of the gospel, “the work will be similar to that of the Day of Pentecost. As the ‘former rain’ was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to cause the upspringing of the precious seed, so the ‘latter rain’ will be given at its close for the ripening of the harvest.”—The Great Controversy, p. 611.

The Bible is telling us that there will be another outpouring of the Spirit of God at the close of the gospel just before Jesus returns. When will the latter rain be poured out? What are the conditions for receiving it?

Looking at the eternal gospel in Revelation 14, where three angels are seen giving a message, we can see that the second angel is being introduced differently than the first and the second angels. In verse 7 the first angel is “saying with a loud voice,” and in verse 9 the third angel is “saying with a loud voice.” But in verse 8 the second angel is “saying” not with a loud voice. Have you ever wondered why?

The answer is found in Revelation 18:1, 2, where we are told about another angel. What is interesting is that this other angel in Revelation 18 has the same message as the second angel in Revelation 14. The way he says it, however, is quite different. He says it in a powerful way. Why is the message of Revelation 14 repeated by this angel in Revelation 18 in a more powerful way? How does this happen?

“This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).

The Spirit of Prophecy pinpoints that time as the short time of trouble which will take place just before the seven last plagues.

“ ‘The commencement of that time of trouble,’ here mentioned does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.”—Early Writings, p. 85.

As mentioned above in The Great Controversy, p. 611, the work will be similar to the day of Pentecost. Just as “the early rain” was given at the opening of the gospel when the Holy Spirit was poured out to bring the seed to germinate, so “the latter rain” will be given at its closing to ripen the harvest.

It has been prophesied that signs and wonders are to follow the believers (as in Acts chapters 2 and 3). They are not afraid to suffer for Jesus (Romans 8:35) and it is written that visions and dreams would be given under the inspiration of the Spirit of God (Joel 2:28, 29).

All of the above are included in the effects of the outpouring of the latter rain. However, the primary purpose of the latter rain is found in Joel 2:23, 24. “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. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.” [Emphasis added.]

“The time is coming when there will be as many converted in a day as there were on the day of Pentecost, after the disciples had received the Holy Spirit.”—Evangelism, p. 692.

“For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness” (Isaiah 10:22).

“Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved” (Romans 9:27).

“It is a solemn statement that I make to the church, that not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner.”—Christian Service, p. 41.

“Those who have had oppor–tunities to hear and receive of the truth and who have united with the Seventh-day Adventist church, calling themselves the commandment-keeping people of God, and yet possess no more vitality and consecration to God than do the nominal churches, will receive the plagues of God just as verily as the churches who oppose the law of God.”—Last Day Events, p. 172.

“Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren.”—The Great Controversy, p. 608.

“In the eighteenth chapter of the Revelation, in a message which is yet future, the people of God are called upon to come out of Babylon. According to this scripture, many of God’s people must still be in Babylon. And in what religious bodies are the greater part of the followers of Christ now to be found? Without doubt, in the various churches professing the Protestant faith.”—Ibid., p. 383. [1888 Edition.]

“Christ declared that the divine influence of the Spirit was to be with His followers unto the end. But the promise is not appreciated as it should be; and therefore its fulfillment is not seen as it might be. The promise of the Spirit is a matter little thought of; and the result is only what might be expected—spiritual drought, spiritual darkness, spiritual declension and death. Minor matters occupy the attention, and the divine power which is necessary for the growth and prosperity of the church, and which would bring all other blessings in its train, is lacking, though offered in its infinite plenitude.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 21.

It seems as if we do not want to trouble the Lord with our petitions and ask Him for the gift of the Holy Spirit. But the Lord wants us to “disturb” Him about this! He wants us to press our petitions to His throne, beseeching Him to pour out this refreshing in latter rain power. The great sin of those who profess to be Christians is that they do not open their hearts to receive the Holy Spirit.

“The Lord God is ready to give, but many do not realize their necessity of receiving. They are weak, when they might be strong; powerless, when they might be powerful through receiving the efficiency of the Holy Spirit.”—Testimonies to Southern Africa, p. 69.

“Learning, talents, eloquence, every natural or acquired endowment, may be possessed; but without the presence of the Spirit of God, no heart will be touched, no sinner be won to Christ. On the other hand, if they are connected with Christ, if the gifts of the Spirit are theirs, the poorest and most igrorant of His disciples will have a power that will tell upon hearts.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 328.

“There must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.”—Maranatha, p. 219.

“Christ has promised the gift of the Holy Spirit to His church, and the promise belongs to us as much as to the first disciples. But like every other promise, it is given on conditions.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 672.

“Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully. . . .

“I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action.”—Early Writings, p. 71.

“When we have entire, wholehearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with God. God cannot pour out His Spirit when selfishness and self-indulgence are so manifest; when a spirit prevails that, if put into words, would express that answer of Cain—’Am I my brother’s keeper?’ ”—Counsels on Stewardship, p. 52.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1). What was the reason for this?

“The convocations of the church, as in camp meetings, the assemblies of the home church, and all occasions where there is personal labor for souls, are God’s appointed opportunities for giving the early and the latter rain.”—The Faith I Live By, p. 246.

“When the way is prepared for the Spirit of God, the blessing will come. Satan can no more hinder a shower of blessing from descending upon God’s people than he can close the windows of heaven that rain cannot come upon the earth.”—Messages to Young People, p. 133.

The whole purpose of gatherings is to spend time together. Not to spend time together as brothers and sisters of the church but mostly to know each other, to reach the stage of friends. God was not only Abraham’s Father, He was His friend.

Are we brothers and sisters only—or are we friends? We may be brothers and sisters but we sometimes do not even know the person we’re sitting next to. That’s the whole purpose of gatherings—spending time together, working together, worshipping together, loving one another together. God will not bestow the latter rain upon just an individual. He will give it to His church. Let us prepare wholeheartedly to receive it!

God bless you all, Amen.