11. The Glory of the Latter Rain

By John Thiel, The Consummation of the Everlasting Covenant Conference, Study 11, mp3

We have been contemplating the scope of the everlasting covenant. In the far distant past of eternity everything that was to transpire in dealing with the possibility of an insurrection was foreseen and provided for and today we are living very close to its consummation. We have had a close examination of this everlasting covenant. We saw the covenant was couched in Christ the rock of ages and we saw that this rock the foundation upon whom all God’s children are to be built upon, would ultimately become the great mountain that would cover the whole earth. We saw simultaneously to the building of that temple there would be a counterfeit. It would finally lead to the great consummation. But there is another aspect to the development of this everlasting covenant. This figure is identified in Joel.

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].

What is the former and the latter rain connected with? What is rain for? It is for growth. The spiritual application of this is found in Acts of the Apostles.

Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in Eastern lands at seedtime and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold the bestowal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God’s church. The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early, or former, rain, and glorious was the result. To the end of time the presence of the Spirit is to abide with the true church. {AA 54.2}

The true church, the building of the temple is portrayed us as the apostolic church that runs through to the remnant. The remnant is the same as it’s beginning. The latter and the former rain give a description of the process to its final consummation. The former rain falls in autumn for the seed to grow thought the winter, to spring and to summer when it dries out ready to be harvested. Can you see the process to the consummation through the autumn rain, the shooting of the grain and the germination; the winter experience, through to the spring and the latter rain and the final harvest, the final consummation.

Near the close of earth’s harvest, a special bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain; and it is for this added power that Christians are to send their petitions to the Lord of the harvest “in the time of the latter rain.” In response, “the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain.” “He will cause to come down . . . the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain,” Zechariah 10:1; Joel 2:23. {AA 55.1}

In response to the petition this will happen to the true church.

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

It is not just the corporate church being addressed but to every one grass. Are you grass, a part of this product then you are addressed personally not just the corporate. If you are part of the corporate you better make sure you receive it individually and recognize what the corporate is looking for. Ask ye of the Lord rain. What are we meant to be asking for? The rain is a figure of the Holy Spirit. There are many people who expect an outpouring of the Holy Spirit who will not recognize it because they ask for something different to the way the Holy Spirit will be poured out. We need to know what we are asking for when we says ask for the rain because Satan has been standing in the holy place since Jesus left and went into the most holy place to His Father. What are we asking for if we ask for the Holy Spirit and the latter rain? Many are asking for the Holy Spirit but if they don’t know what they are asking for Satan will breath upon them and they will think it is Jesus. Hosea 6 will tell us what we are asking for.

Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. 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.

Verses 1 and 2 are referring to the people who fall on the rock Christ Jesus and are all broken up. On the cross Jesus was smitten and on the third day he rose. I will bind him up and how shall we know if we follow on to know the LORD. He will come to us in the way of the former rain and the latter rain to its harvest time. This is what we are to expect. I will clarify it thoroughly so we don’t make any imaginary confusing conclusions. In Joel it says ‘the former rain moderately’ and in the margin it says the ‘Teacher of Righteousness according to Righteousness’. That is not what people generally are looking for when they ask for the Holy Spirit/the rain. They are usually expecting a grand outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

They are full of the spirit saying Halleluiah and praise the Lord and full of their own sense of pre-eminence over others. This is not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a very gentle selfless being. He is not going to come upon a people to make them feel proud of themselves that the spirit has fallen on them. Deuteronomy 32:1-4 is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is the Spirit speaking.

Deuteronomy 32:1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

No matter how tender you are, even a youth or a little child is to receive the rain, the Holy Spirit. Don’t believe the children and the youth cannot understand the beautiful things we are studying. I can testify they can understand because one who has been preaching here at this conference heard and understood when only 14 years of age. To believe a child cannot receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is a farce. To believe that youth need to be entertained to enjoy a spiritual conference is a farce also. I am very adamant about that because the church entertains the youth to make the conference acceptable to them they are making a gross mistake. Every tender herb will receive the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Bring your children and the sucking child gather yourselves together oh nation not desired so the Holy Spirit in His doctrine can fall upon everyone in the gathering.

Deuteronomy 32:3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 4 [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he.God designs that the plan of redemption shall come to His people as the latter rain: 1MR 195.2.

God designs his plan of redemption should come to His people as the latter rain. We are to comprehend the deep things of God. Can you as an adult comprehend the deep things of God; no so neither can the youth and neither can you or the children but we are to be comprehended. How are we to comprehend.

1 Corinthians 2: 9-13 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

If I try and tell you something that is in my mind that I know you don’t quite catch on, I cannot convey to you my spirit. I find it hard to pass on the things in my mind to you. So it is with God and us but.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

The word tells us it is possible for us to understand the deep things of God unless the Spirit that is in God will take it and show us. He must come into me or I will never understand. Someone else cannot understand the things that are in another man unless his spirit is in him and that cannot happen but the spirit that is in God must come into us or we will never understand. Until the Spirit of God is in the individual grass in the field the grass cannot grow to a harvest. The seed that grows must be the seed of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ.

How man can be a counterpart of Jesus Christ is beyond human comprehension. SD34

Counterpart of Jesus Christ! I read in the Spirit of Prophecy that when we wash one another’s feet we are literally touching Jesus Christ because he is identified with his people. Can you comprehend that?

But the Holy Spirit can strengthen our spiritual eyesight, enabling us to see what our natural eyes cannot see, or our ears hear, or our minds comprehend. By the Spirit which searches all things, even the deep things of God, have been revealed precious truths which cannot be described by pen or voice. {SD 34.2}

Are we picking up what the possibilities are? Eyes and ears have not seen or heard but the spirit has revealed precious truths that cannot be described by pen or voice. This is what is meant by the Holy Spirit pouring upon people.

Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [even] the sure mercies of David.

The everlasting covenant is the subject of this conference and as we have been studying have we been able to comprehend these things and the things, which we have not understood before.

Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Some people stop there and say, how can we understand God? But what did he say? I am going to make an everlasting covenant with you. The things that have been hidden in the secrets of my mind from eternity I will reveal to you and the Holy Spirit says the doctrine that I teach will fall as rain. It says hearken diligently to me because the deep things of God, the thoughts that are not your thoughts and the ways that are not your ways I am going to communicate with you. The Holy Spirit was specifically sent to help us comprehend these things.

John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

In these verses Jesus is speaking as a man because the people saw him as a man. As a man he said they are not mine because every man does not have it in him. It must be somebody that gives it to you so you can pass it on. Jesus was the messenger of the covenant.

John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or [whether] I speak of myself. 18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

If we say we are the church of God what does that mean? It means the truth is not in you because he that testifies of himself is immediately disqualified. Jesus didn’t disqualify himself. He said I am sharing the doctrine that was given to me from the Holy Spirit. To comprehend what the doctrine is requires doing the doctrine in order to know the doctrine. This is a very important ingredient to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain let alone in the former rain.

A bare assent to the truth is not of saving value to any soul. The submission that arises from conviction will be revealed The submission that arises from conviction will be revealed by the self-surrender of the will. {12MR 75.3}

John 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,

When the surrendering of self to the will of God is exercised then and then only do we truly receive the word and the true source of knowledge.

Without the Spirit of God a knowledge of His word is of no avail. {COL 408.3}

If I am a student of the word, if I have gone to theological college and have studied the theory of God’s word I might have been trained in the understanding of Adventist doctrines but it will be of no avail without the Spirit of God.

The theory of truth, unaccompanied by the Holy Spirit, cannot quicken the soul or sanctify the heart. One may be familiar with the commands and promises of the Bible; but unless the Spirit of God sets the truth home, the character will not be transformed. Without the enlightenment of the Spirit, men will not be able to distinguish truth from error, and they will fall under the masterful temptations of Satan. {COL 408.3}

Here is a fact that unless the Holy Spirit cements the doctrine we shall fall under the masterful temptations of Satan. It is a promise not a threat. To receive the latter rain requires surrender and submission. The words of Revelation 3:20 say Behold I stand at the door and knock. I want to come in. The Holy Spirit and Jesus are speaking. It says we will come and make our abode with you. I want to come into your heart so you can understand what you cannot see and understand with your natural mind so you will need to open the door to me. Isn’t the Holy Spirit a most gently and loving gentleman. In him we live and move and have our being but he still hasn’t had access to the heart. He gently asks I am already keeping you alive may I come in a bit deeper.

God reads the heart, He weighs the character, and is acquainted with every man’s work. He gives His Spirit in proportion to the consecration and self-sacrifice manifested by those who engage in His work. {OHC 306.6}

How much of the Holy Spirit can be poured upon you? The capacity to fill you is in proportion to the capacity you have provided for him and to the degree of your consecration and sacrifice. If I give over a little he will only come in a little. If I give over a bit more he will come in a little more but only as far as you let him. We talk about asking for the fullness of the Holy Spirit and we say please send him to us and we still hold to our own opinions. And when the truth is conveyed I say oh no it means this and this.

In doing this you are preventing the Holy Spirit from entering.Any personal opinion that is not surrendered prevents the entire fullness of the Holy Spirit. So we have the Holy Spirit Praise the LORD he is with us but how much have we have opened to him. The disciples were bought to a degree of resignation and it continued to develop in the church. Resignation to the former rain germinated the seed. The moisture of the former rain provided germination then as the heart is opened more by surrender the growth continues and then when springtime comes the entire surrender provides the swelling of the grain in the fruit.

At no point in our experience can we dispense with the assistance of that which enables us to make the first start. The blessings received under the former rain are needful to us to the end. Yet these alone will not suffice. While we cherish the blessing of the early rain, we must not, on the other hand, lose sight of the fact that without the latter rain, to fill out the ears and ripen the grain, the harvest will not be ready for the sickle, and the labor of the sower will have been in vain. Divine grace is needed at the beginning, divine grace at every step of advance, and divine grace alone can complete the work. TM 507

It comes as a developmental process as former, winter and spring rains do. He is dealing with intelligent people who must let go and resign and keep on resigning, and resigning and resigning until he has the entire intelligent mind. As you study the bible the word becomes alive to you. As you surrender look what happens.

No one can be truly united to Christ, practicing His lessons, submitting to His yoke of restraint, without realizing that which he can never express in words. OHC 306

Follow carefully and examine yourself in this scenario. If you are truly united with Christ and have opened your heart to him you will realize;

New, rich thoughts come to him. Light is given to the intellect, determination to the will, tenderness to the conscience, purity to the imagination. {OHC 306.4}

That is what will happen when we are truly united with Christ. Have you experienced some of these events in your life? Rich thoughts. Light and determination come to you. As this happens is it a smooth and comforting experience? What did we read in Hosea? You will break your heart you will crucify your flesh because your flesh squirms and wriggles under that manifestation. Anything in the heart that has not been totally resigned will be in danger of rejecting what has already taken place. The growth is spoken of in Proverbs.

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

The just are those who have opened their hearts to God, to the power of the cross of Christ to some degree. Then there comes a flood of light but ever so gentle it is as a shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day. The degree of the resignation made to the Spirit is the degree to which the person can understand. I must die daily. I must carry in my being the dying of the LORD Jesus every day so the resurrection of Jesus may be repeated in me every day. That is the growth of the just person. What does the ground do when it rains?

Let your soul be absorbed in meditating upon the glorious truths contained in the Word of God, and you will have no constant craving for something which you have not. You will despise cheap, vain thoughts. You will be ever trying to meet the elevated standard of virtue and holiness which is kept before you in the gospel. You will seek for higher attainments in the divine life. Converse with God through the medium of His Word. . . . {HP 161.5}

By contemplating the lofty ideal He has placed before you, you will be uplifted into a pure and holy atmosphere, even the presence of God. When you abide here, there goes forth from you a light which irradiates all who are connected with you. {HP 161.6} HP 161

2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Each surrender brings in another glory and we are changed into the same glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. It is the former and the latter rain; the teacher of righteousness according to righteousness will bring out the righteousness through the doctrine in you not in just talking about the doctrine. Oh how my heart aches when I hear preachers preaching the theory of it when there is nothing in the preaching that produces the righteousness. Listen diligently to these words. Don’t forget what we have learned. To the degree of our surrender will this happen.

When one is fully emptied of self, when every false god is cast out of the soul, the vacuum is filled by the inflowing of the Spirit of Christ. GW 28

The degree with which you let him in to that degree he will come .We see this in our breathing. If we breathe shallow the only amount of oxygen we will receive will be according to what we have allowed. If we breathe deeply with our abdomen the air will come down and fill up the entire space. If we consistently breathe shallow the lower parts of the lungs will fill up with fluid and there will be no place for air.

The vacuum is filled by the inflowing of the Spirit of Christ. Such a one has the faith that purifies the soul from defilement. He is conformed to the Spirit, and he minds the things of the Spirit. He has no confidence in self. Christ is all and in all. He receives with meekness the truth that is constantly being unfolded, and gives the Lord all the glory, saying, “God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit.” “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” [1 Corinthians 2:10, 12.] {GW 287.1}

It says the Christian will receive with meekness. As the LORD gives us certain truths, what does your mind or heart say? If it says no I don’t quite believe that and so the Holy Spirit will say okay you haven’t given me that space. If a soul is totally surrendered he will receive it with meekness even if it is contrary to what he is used to. The truth is being unfolded. If the truth is being unfolded it means you didn’t know it before. You may have had an opinion of your own but now as it is unfolding you gulp and say oops I thought it was this way but if you are meek you will surrender your opinion and give the LORD the glory. I will not go around saying look what I know. You will give God the glory. You will say God revealed it to us through his Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

The Spirit that reveals also works in him the fruits of righteousness, the teacher of righteousness according to righteousness. This is the latter rain, the fruit swelling.

The Spirit that reveals, also works in him the fruits of righteousness. Christ is in him, “a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” [John 4:14.] He is a branch of the True Vine, and bears rich clusters of fruit to the glory of God. What is the character of the fruit borne?–The fruit of the Spirit is “love,” not hatred; “joy,” not discontent and mourning; “peace,” not irritation, anxiety, and manufactured trials. [Galatians 5:22, 23.] {GW 287.2}

Are you sometimes discontented and mourning? That is not joy. Joy is what the Spirit brings. Are you irritated and anxious about sometimes? Do you have manufactured trials? The fruit of the spirit is

long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. [Galatians 5:22, 23.] {GW 287.2}

Have you ever noticed that when you are irritated you sense the Lord drawing near to you trying to calm you? Sometimes God sends a messenger to you saying it is okay, don’t get upset. When the Lord sends someone to trigger the Holy Spirit in you don’t say I know that already leave me alone. Open your heart in meekness because the Lord is trying to help you bear fruit in meekness. Make room for him so these beautiful qualifications will develop. It is human pride the element of self that won’t let me meekly receive the blessing. Oh how many times we do that. We are living in the time of the latter rain. The latter rain is telling us he wants what he has already caused to grow to come to its final fruition so the people of God in these last days will not be irritated with all the negatives that will come upon them and will not lose their joy by murmuring and being discontented with their circumstances.

Remember we are going to have to live for a long time, a whole year in total depravity during the plagues. No showers, no toilet paper, no beautiful air conditioners to keep us cool. We will learn under the outpouring of the latter rain to be prepared to meet that. This is what we are receiving at this conference. The invitation is to entirely give up everything with long suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Don’t you love to meet a person like that? We will be changed from glory to glory this is the glory of the latter rain? It is through these souls that God will reveal that light and power which will enlighten the whole earth with his glory. This is the theme of our conference. This is what we are receiving here. Are you receiving it? Or are there some remnants of thought such as I don’t know about what we heard I think it is his opinion and a human ingredient and I don’t really accept it. If you have an opinion that disagrees with the pure word of God it will be the problem.

Isaiah 59:21 As for me, this [is] my covenant with them…

The consummation of the everlasting covenant is addressed in this verse.

Isaiah 59:21 …saith the LORD; My spirit that [is] upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth [my doctrine], shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. [The latter rain.] The glory of the latter rain is risen on thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

What is that? It is the very characteristics that I have just been reading.

Thus will the truth be brought into practical life, and thus will be answered the prayer of Christ, uttered just before His humiliation and death: “That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” John 17:21. The love of Christ, the love of our brethren, will testify to the world that we have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Then will the message of the third angel swell to a loud cry, and the whole earth will be lightened with the glory of the Lord. {6T 401.1} 

What will the whole earth be lightened with? Theoretical doctrine or big public outreach? No. The glory of the Lord will be risen on you, and what will it be? The love of Christ and the love of the brethren will testify that we have been with Jesus that is the glory of the latter rain and that is what will shine across the globe. Such is the glory of the latter rain. It is God’s character and he says arise let it shine. It is the glory of the temple. It is the glorious temple standing there but remember there is another temple. It is a counterfeit. The two stand in this world.As the glory of this temple shines from God’s people Babylon will be stirred and you will be hated. That will be our message tonight. You will not be hated if you follow the general tenor of Christianity today but you will be hated if you receive the outpouring of the Latter Rain and his glory. May our hearts be tuned to understand the unfolding events in the reality that is upon us.

Amen.