What is the latter rain?
The phrase “latter rain” is an agricultural term found in several places in the Bible (Deuteronomy 11:13–14; James 5:7–8). In Israel’s crop growing season, there were two necessary seasons of rain to bring a harvest. The early rain (also called the “former” rain) fell in late autumn and caused the seeds to germinate and grow. The latter rain fell in the spring and brought the grain to maturity so it was ready for harvest. If the former rain did not fall, there would be no crop to mature for the harvest. And if the latter rain did not fall, the growing grain would not ripen. Both the former and latter rain were essential to harvest a good crop. Therefore, the early and latter rains illustrate the work of the Holy Spirit to prepare people for Heaven.
The work of God is described in terms of a former and latter rain: “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). The work of the Holy Spirit causes spiritual fruit to begin to grow in a Christian’s life. This is the filling of the Holy Spirit that every believer is to pray for and experience. Without the daily filling of the Holy Spirit, there will be no fruit in their life, and the professing Christian will not mature to readiness for Heaven. Even if the latter rain of the Holy Spirit is received by others, it will have no effect on a person who has never asked for or received the Holy Spirit as a daily part of their Christian life.
We are to plead for the latter rain of the Holy Spirit. Even when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, it is our duty and responsibility to continue asking and expecting a greater fulfillment of God’s promise to fill us with His Spirit. We must have the Holy Spirit now, and we must ask for more of the Holy Spirit.
“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.” Zechariah 10:1
Of course, there must be a growing crop for the latter rain to have any effect. Spiritually, we must be studying God’s Word and responding to the Holy Spirit’s promptings today. If we are waiting for a divine power to overtake us in the future and prepare us to do mighty things for God, our expectation will be unfulfilled. We must not wait for the latter rain of the Holy Spirit to prompt us to do what He is already leading us to do today. We will not receive more of the Spirit or more light from God if we are not following the light He has already given us. “For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Matthew 13:12). We are to remove every hindrance to the Spirit’s work in our life by putting away sin and praying earnestly. Without the Spirit, we can do nothing God asks of us: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
The prophet Joel predicted the former rain of the Holy Spirit. “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. ‘And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days’” (Joel 2:23, 28–29).
Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at that time was the fulfillment of this promise (Acts 2:17–18). The manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power through the preaching and healing of the apostles fulfilled Jesus’ promise to give the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; Acts 1:8).
That outpouring upon the Apostles began the early rain of the Holy Spirit, which is offered to every repentant believer who asks. The latter rain of the Holy Spirit is experienced in the life of every believer who is brought to maturity by the Holy Spirit’s prompting. The church, as a whole, will experience the latter rain when the Holy Spirit is poured out in power before Jesus comes. Peter preached that the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit—the times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord—would take place after the judgment begins to blot out sins before Jesus’ return. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things …” (Acts 3:19–21).
This is what is pictured in Revelation, when the angel cries out, “‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads’” (Revelation 7:3). The latter rain of the Holy Spirit settles submitted believers firmly into the truth and obedience so that they are complete in Christ, mature followers of God. Satan has no power to prevent the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the lives of repentant believers. All he can do is endeavor to prevent us from asking and obeying. We must resist the devil’s schemes. The experience that is needed in the future must be obtained today by fervently asking in prayer for the Holy Spirit, and by faith, obeying the prompting of God’s Spirit and His Holy Word.