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| Let's ask for God's guidance: |
| Our Almighty Father, As we study the prophetic Word, we often come across the subject of the latter rain. It is now time for us to understand what this event represents. This is why we once again ask You to help us, for without Your precious light, we would remain in total darkness. We thank You in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 2 |
The Latter Rain |
Joel 2:23,24 |
Comments |
| Be glad then, you children of
Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully,
and He will cause the rain to come down for you - the former rain, and the latter rain in
the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat. |
In our previous lessons, we have seen that, at the
time of the shaking, shortly before the great harvest which will gather souls into the
barns of heaven, God will send a special «rain» on His
people. Prophecy uses the words «the former rain and the latter rain». What does this rain symbolize? |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 3 |
The Latter Rain |
Jeremiah 5:24 |
Comments |
| Let us now fear the Lord our
God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest. |
In Palestine, the «former
rain» represents the rains which, after six months of dry weather, moisten the
ground during the autumn sowing period, allowing the seed to sprout and grow. In spring, the «latter rain» comes in turn, allowing the plants to reach full maturity, with a view to the harvest which follows shortly afterward. Now, what do these rains symbolize at the spiritual level? |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 4 |
The Latter Rain |
Joel 2:23,28 |
Comments |
| Be glad then, you children of
Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully,
and He will cause the rain to come down for you - the former rain, and the latter rain in
the first month. (...) I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. |
Bible prophecy often takes its symbolism from the
agricultural sphere, as we have seen with the sifting (or shaking), the harvest, and the
vintage. Now, the former and latter rains are used to symbolize the Holy Spirit being poured out on the people of God. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 5 |
The Latter Rain |
Ezekiel 36:25,27 |
Comments |
| Then I will sprinkle clean water
on you, and you shall be clean (...). I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. |
The symbol of a beneficial rain is often used in the Bible to represent the Holy Spirit being poured out on the people of God. |
Isaiah 44:3 |
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| For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, My blessing on your offspring. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 6 |
The Latter Rain |
Acts 2:1-4,16,17 |
Comments |
| Now when the Day of Pentecost
had 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 the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. (...) «This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh."» |
The former rain took place on the Day of the Pentecost, fulfilling the first part of Joel's prophecy. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 7 |
The Latter Rain |
Acts 2:37,38,41 |
Comments |
| Now when they heard this, they
were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, «Men and brethren,
what shall we do?» Then Peter said to them, «Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.» (...) Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. |
The aim of the former rain is to make the seed sprout
and grow. Likewise, the rain of the Holy Spirit, at Pentecost, made the Church sprout and grow. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 8 |
The Latter Rain |
John 14:16 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said,] «I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.» | Shortly before returning to His Father, Jesus announced to His disciples that they would receive this special rain, so that God's Church might be born, and then grow by proclaiming the gospel to all nations. |
Acts 1:8 |
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| You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 9 |
The Latter Rain |
John 7:37-39 |
Comments |
| Jesus stood and cried out,
saying, «If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the
Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.» But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive. |
Coming directly from God, the Spirit's rain is truly a thirst-quenching source of living water. |
Revelation 22:17 |
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| And the Spirit and the bride say, «Come!» And let him who hears say, «Come!» And let him who thirsts come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 10 |
The Latter Rain |
Acts 4:31 |
Comments |
| And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. | Since this former rain, the Holy Spirit has been working continuously, bringing souls to the cross of the Savior, Jesus Christ. |
Acts 10:44 |
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| While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 11 |
The Latter Rain |
1 Corinthians 6:11 |
Comments |
| But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. | After having led us to salvation, the Holy Spirit plays an important part in our sanctification, that is, our continuous spiritual growth. |
2 Thessalonians 2:13 |
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| God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 12 |
The Latter Rain |
1 Samuel 10:6 |
Comments |
| Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and be turned into another man. | This spiritual growth can happen only by the power of the Holy Spirit, who transforms us day after day into the image of our Savior Jesus Christ. |
John 14:17 |
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| The Spirit of truth (...) dwells with you and will be in you. | |
Galatians 2:20 |
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| It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 13 |
The Latter Rain |
Galatians 5:16,17 |
Comments |
| Walk in the Spirit, and you shall
not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. |
The sinner has a natural tendency to go
against the will of God. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the power to obey God. |
Galatians 5:25 |
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| If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 14 |
The Latter Rain |
1 Thessalonians 4:1 |
Comments |
| Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God. | Being justified in Jesus Christ, we are now called to
increasingly understand the will of God. But even more, through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit within us, God calls us to obey His will, so that we «should abound more and more». |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 15 |
The Latter Rain |
Galatians 5:19-22 |
Comments |
| Now the works of the flesh are
evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery,
hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions,
heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you
beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will
not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. |
What a transformation the Holy Spirit can carry out in the heart of the sincere repentant man! |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 16 |
The Latter Rain |
Hebrews 6:7 |
Comments |
| For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God. | The believer, transformed by the Holy Spirit, gives off a wonderful essence of blessing around him, and works without respite in God's harvest. |
Galatians 6:8,9 |
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| He who sows to the Spirit will of
the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 17 |
The Latter Rain |
Joel 2:23,28 |
Comments |
| Be glad then, you children of
Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully,
and He will cause the rain to come down for you - the former rain, and the latter rain in
the first month. (...) I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. |
After the former rain comes the latter rain. What does this rain symbolize, bringing the plants to full maturity, before the harvest? |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 18 |
The Latter Rain |
Acts 2:1,4,16,17,20 |
Comments |
| Now when the Day of Pentecost
had fully come, (...) they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. (...) «This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh (...). The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and notable day of the Lord."» |
The prophecy of Joel announced the former rain that
fell at Pentecost. That same prophecy also annnounces the latter rain, which, for its part, will fall shortly before «the great and notable day of the Lord». |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 19 |
The Latter Rain |
| The latter rain is closely linked to Jesus' return: |
| «[God] will cause the rain to
come down for you - the former rain, and the latter rain. (...) The sun shall be turned
into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and terrible day of
the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be
saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has
said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls.» (JOEL 2:23,31,32) «Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.» (HOSEA 6:3) «Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.» (JAMES 5:7,8) |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 20 |
The Latter Rain |
Ezekiel 34:22,23,26 |
Comments |
| I will judge between sheep and
sheep. I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them - My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. (...) I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. |
The latter rain will be poured out on the people of
God at the time of the shaking, that is, when God «will judge
between sheep and sheep». God's purified flock will then be entrusted to the safekeeping of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, here symbolized by David the shepherd. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 21 |
The Latter Rain |
Psalm 68:9 |
Comments |
| You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, when it was weary. | In our previous lesson, we have seen that the shaking,
which will soon begin, will take place in the midst of great calamities and upheavals,
plunging the whole world into great distress like never before, and severely shaking the
Church. The believers who remain faithful to God will make up a «weary inheritance», needing to be confirmed and strengthened. It is in this arid period that the beneficial latter rain will fall on God's people. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 22 |
The Latter Rain |
Isaiah 44:2,3,5 |
Comments |
| Thus says the Lord who made you
and formed you from the womb, who will help you: «Fear not, O Jacob My servant; and you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring. (...) One will say, "I am the Lord's"; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; another will write with his hand, "The Lord's", and name himself by the name of Israel.» |
This rain will fill the people of God with a power even greater than that of Pentecost, an unequalled portion of the Spirit of God. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 23 |
The Latter Rain |
Isaiah 55:10,11 |
Comments |
| For as the rain comes down, and
the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring
forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word
be that goes forth from My mouth. It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. |
God's goal, in granting the latter rain to His people,
is not simply to support them during the trial of the shaking. He also wants to enable them to carry out a very demanding final mission... |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 24 |
The Latter Rain |
Revelation 18:1,2,4 |
Comments |
| After these things I saw another
angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with
his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, «Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen!» (...) «Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.» |
This crucial mission will be to proclaim the message
of the fall of Babylon and to send out a final call to the inhabitants of the earth to
accept salvation, before Jesus' return. This will be the subject of our next lesson. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 25 |
The Latter Rain |
Hebrews 3:7,8,13 |
Comments |
| As the Holy Spirit says:
«Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.» (...) Exhort one another daily, while it is called «Today», lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. |
Before closing this lesson, let's answer this
fundamental question: «How can we receive the latter rain?» First, we must have had a taste of the beneficial action of the former rain, that is, to have favorably responded to the Holy Spirit calling us to repentance, and to have let Him work within our hearts, helping us to spiritually grow in Jesus Christ. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 26 |
The Latter Rain |
John 14:15,16 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said:] «If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.» | The Holy Spirit causes us to grow and increase spiritually, as we obey the truth He reveals to us day after day. |
Acts 5:32 |
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| And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 27 |
The Latter Rain |
| Our obedience to God will allow us to receive the latter rain: |
| «If you diligently obey My
commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all
your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its
season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new
wine, and your oil.» (DEUTERONOMY 11:13,14) «The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. (...) The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand.» (DEUTERONOMY 28:9,12) «If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, then I will give you rain in its season.» (LEVITICUS 26:3,4) |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 28 |
The Latter Rain |
| On the other hand, disobedience will deprive us of the latter rain: |
| «But this people has a defiant
and rebellious heart; they have revolted and departed. They do not say in their heart,
"Let us now fear the Lord our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in
its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest." Your iniquities
have turned these things away, and your sins have withheld good things from you.»
(JEREMIAH 5:23-25) «Lift up your eyes to the desolate heights and see: where have you not lain with men? By the road you have sat for them like an Arabian in the wilderness; and you have polluted the land with your harlotries and your wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain.» (JEREMIAH 3:2,3) |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 29 |
The Latter Rain |
Isaiah 30:21-23 |
Comments |
| Your ears shall hear a word
behind you, saying, «This is the way, walk in it», whenever you turn to the right hand
or whenever you turn to the left. You will also defile the covering of your graven images of silver, and the ornament of your molden images of gold. You will throw them away as an unclean thing; you will say to them, «Get away!» Then He will give the rain for your seed with which you sow the ground, and bread of the increase of the earth. |
This passage summarizes well the way to follow. Indeed, a persevering obedience to the Holy Spirit who sanctifies will lead us to the latter rain which brings maturity. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 30 |
The Latter Rain |
Luke 11:13 |
Comments |
| [Jesus said:] «If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!» | If we have not yet responded to God's call to
repentance, and if we have not yet received the former rain, there is still time to act. If we sincerely desire that the Holy Spirit work within our hearts to transform us, teach us, and guide us, the promise is plain: God will fill us with the Holy Spirit. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 31 |
The Latter Rain |
Zechariah 10:1 |
Comments |
| Ask the Lord for rain in the
time of the latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone. |
And if we have already received the former rain, and
if we are following the path of sanctification which the Spirit shows us, God invites us
to pray right here and now for the latter rain. For only the latter rain will make us reach full spiritual maturity, and help us to carry out the great final evangelical work before the return of Jesus. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 32 |
The Latter Rain |
James 5:7,8 |
Comments |
| Therefore be patient, brethren,
until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. |
Jesus will return very soon. As we are waiting for this glorious event, it is now up to each one of us to make sure that we «establish our hearts» in Christ. May the Holy Spirit help us every day to deepen and strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Lord and our God. |
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Lesson 75 |
Screen 33 |
The Latter Rain |
| Let's pray: |
| Lord, It is written: «Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.» (Hosea 6:3) As the former rain makes us grow through obedience to Your will, we humbly ask You to also send us the latter rain, so that we may come to full spiritual maturity, before the time of the great harvest. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. |
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The Latter Rain