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Former Rain/Latter Rain

The Bible talks about the former rain and the latter rain; about a time when it will not rain on the just and unjust a like. While studying this, I discovered they had three major rains, instead of two: The former rains, the latter rains and then, the winter rains.

The former rains of fall permitted seeds to germinate and seedlings to develop into strong plants. Equally essential were the latter rains of February and March, which enabled plants to mature in the following months. October to April is considered the winter season and is cold and rainy.

Let's relate this to the three feast the children of Israel were required to keep naturally; Jesus fulfilled, and we keep spiritually.

Feast of Passover: Crucifixion of Christ: salvation: former rain. He was that corn of wheat that fell into the ground and died that He might bring forth much fruit. (John 12:24)

Feast of Pentecost: Christ returns 50 days later in the form of the Holy Ghost: Baptism of the Holy Ghost: latter rains. This is the Spirit watering the word or seed that was planted.

Feast of Tabernacles: Jesus is transfigured, changed: We are brought to maturity and experience the ‘change’: winter rains.

Notice what you have in store if you have already experienced the first two rains? We always thought it would be warm and glowy!!!! Getting to the fullness of the seventh day is not all rosy, as we thought! I know I have been experiencing some really cold winter rains. It's these cold rains that will change you. The onsets of cold weather and heavy rains endanger the ripening crops. The crops had to really be strong to endure the winter rains; but if they did, they were of excellent quality.

If we endure the winter spiritual rains of judgment or the cleansing and purification of this land (our body), believe it or not, the winter rains will end and then look at the quality we will be.

Song 2:11-13 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; 12The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 13The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

The word winter means to hide as the dark season. Flowers means to be bright or sparkle. This is good news, yes? Out of the darkness WILL come light and life, change. We will have a song of joy to sing and we will be producing life.

Deut. 11:14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

In each one's due season, you will experience the former rain, the latter rain and some, the winter rains. These rains will produce an anointed word of the spirit (corn, wine & oil).

Proverbs 16:15 In the light of the King's countenance is life; and His favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.

Who's the King? Christ. What is found in His appearance? Life

Isaiah 44:3-4 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground (who's the dry ground?): I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: 4and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

If it did not rain on their land, the farmers were ashamed because it was a sign that they had been disobedient to God.

Jeremiah 3:24-25 For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the lord our god, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.

Jeremiah 14:4 Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.

In their land, it could rain a ton here and a few feet away, very little rain. If it rained on your area of land, you were blessed.

Amos 4:7 And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

In the seventh day, which we are now at the dawning, I think we will see more and more of it raining on those serving God and not raining on those who refuse to serve Him.

Ezekiel 34:26-27 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. 27And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

Hosea 6:3 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.

Joel 2:23 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.

Guess what? You can receive the former rain and the latter rain at the same time, if need be; but, you will not make it to, or survive, the winter rains without them. What do we have to do to get it?

Zech. 10:1 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.

All we have to do is ask. Many times, we are to busy griping and complaining about things to simply ask.

Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness (who's to do the sowing?), Reap in mercy (how are you to reap?); Break up your fallow ground (who?): For it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you.

I see a lot of action here on our part. We expect God to do everything. Are we lazy children or what? It is time to seek the Lord. How long do we seek Him? Now, let's get down to the seventh day where we are beginning to walk today. During the dispensation of Grace, which we have been enjoying, it has rained on the just and unjust alike.

Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Just as we no longer live under the dispensation of the Mosaic Law, so will we not have the privilege of living under the dispensation of Grace forever.

Micah 4:1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

Joel 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

The valley of Shittim was the close of their wandering in the wilderness. Shittim was a type of wood. Our humanity is wood. If we are dwelling in the mountains, we will spiritually water humanity.

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Who's the house of God? This house must be judged first before it can water creation. This daily judgment is like the winter rains; cold and miserable, but very needful. Do you want to be in the mountain and be as the waters or in the valley as the wood?

Zech. 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, it is my people: and they shall say, the Lord is my God.

In every dispensation of time, God always preserved a remnant seed and carried it into the next dispensation. We have to go through the fire or the winter rains to be tried in order to stand.

Zech. 14:1 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

The scriptures say that Jesus was that day. If we accept Him, we are suppose to be a new creature in Him, not living as the old man. Here is what you can expect if you are either just or unjust.

Zech. 14:6-21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. 9And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one. 10All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's Gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the King's winepresses. 11And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.12And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.13And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour. 14And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. 15And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague. 16And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.17And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.19This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 20In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, holiness unto the Lord; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.