The Latter Rain — Robert B. Thompson

Lord, we thank you for your goodness to us this night. Lord. I just praise you. I thank you for bringing us here safely. I Praise you Lord. I pray for the loved ones represented here that your hand will be upon them and That you will keep them Lord while we're away lead them into your kingdom.

We pray. I thank you Lord. I remember especially Paul Cohen tonight Lord. I know you will hear this tape I know how he longs to be here and Lord we pray that you will make a way for this man Paul and Lisa to come and have their place with us Lord according to your holy will and in your time now Lord just help us tonight to cover the ground that you want brought forth here and We'll be careful appraisal in Jesus name and everyone said Amen, you heard us talk about the latter rain now.

The Biblical Meaning of the Latter Rain

It seems that we're hearing I'm going to have it in the women and actor from several places ministers meetings and so on. That we're on the edge of a tremendous revival. I've been preaching it for well, but since before we were here that's more than 20 years.

And we're going to have a big revival greatest revival of all time. Smith Wigglesworth prophesied over of it others have seen it coming. Oh, it's for a lot of rain a lot of rain. What does that term mean?

What does it mean? Anyone like a ladder ring? In Israel, oh, yeah, the rain cycle is as follows. You have a planting rain as brother said. Which occurs at the beginning of October roughly and that's they've had prior to that.

They've had six months of drought through the summer and then. Then the ground is hard. Then the rain begins to fall on the planting rain. And throughout the winter they have then I have an occasional rain shower and then starting about the end of February.

There is a very heavy rain called the latter rain and that rain comes when the wheat is starting to come up to maturity to bring it to maturity and then you have Sun in the Sun finishes the job and hardens the heads of wheat and Then it can be good if we can be cut threshed.

All right. Now when we say bladdering then we're talking about a rain that would come at the end of the church age just before a time of tribulation before and Its purpose is to bring the wheat on the earth.

God's people are type of wheat bring it up to Maturity you don't want too much rain. If you get too much rain, it rots the wheat it rots it it becomes counterproductive. You want just enough? To cause the wheat to come up just nice and then it stops.

So it has to be you know, if they're going to have a good harvest that is so when we're talking about latter rain. We're talking about that in the last days before the Lord comes. There'll be a heavy downpour heavier than the book of Acts.

Our personal opinion is that the book of Acts is the former rain or the seed rain or the planting rain that the latter rain started to sprinkle at the time of Martin Luther and you can see from that time that there's been an increase in Glory from the time of Martin Luther.

We're coming up to something and every Spiritual person that I know of has spoken of this. It was spoken of in the convention people. Don't call it latter rain latter rain got itself a bad name because of some things that people did.

But that has nothing to do with anything. Now, where is the latter rain mentioned in the Bible? That's you need to know the people a lot of a Cult that you know, where does this say it in the Bible in the old and one in the new?

That's the reference there's just memory says the farmer has long patience. Receives the early and the latter rain that's in the book of James. That's a farmer Plants the earth and he has long patience for it until it received.

I don't know the reference of these times when I didn't know in the last minute what I was going to be preaching. It's in the book of James. Anybody find it? Did you find it bill? Five seven read it mark was the same you need to know that.

People are free to talk about revival, but they don't know where it is in the Bible the Old Testament. There's three references. Do you know any of them? That's good. That's good. That's in the book of Joshua, you know, I think it's three repeated somewhere else either in judges or in.

No, I wouldn't be good around have to be and would have to be judges. Joshua and judges twice that incidents in there where Caleb's daughter asked him for the upper and the lower Springs. Yes. Yes, Joel 223.

The first one is in Joel. Okay, read it. Be glad to you children of Zion and rejoice in the Lord your God. For he is giving you the former rain faithfully. And he will cause the rain to come down for you the former rains and the latter rains in the first month.

Yeah, so yeah, so we can expect in the end time in the time in which we live a ring in other words it means both evangelism and matured present in a Tremendous revival and double portion in the last days the former rain speaks of planting.

So that's revival new soul and then the latter rain speaks of the Saints coming to mature in the revival is coming up. It will be worldwide evangelism. Revival on the Saints will call it what you want.

But it is predicted to be in the last days in the first month. Okay? Yes, Janet Maria is the second one six three read that. Yes. Yes, and that morning then corresponds to the to the first month. See, in other words, it's a beginning you'll find where the great revivals mentioned in Ezekiel 40.

Where is the East it's talking about the beat. That's where the Sun rises. It's talking about the beginning the day of the Lord. All right, so we had Joel and we had Hosea. What's the third? Yes, I had ten one.

That's the third reference to the latter rain in the Old Testament. Yes. Oh that one read it. That's a reference to the natural but it's alright, it's it's good. It's substantial. You can see that it that you don't have to reach.

This is a real Bible doctrine. I read Zechariah 10 1 for this for everyone now. What does it tell us to do in the time of the latter rain? This is a time to ask for God's Holy Spirit. Now because this is the great revival That will bring fruitfulness to everyone bright clouds and so on so we see That it is absolutely scriptural.

That there'll be a tremendous outpouring of God's Spirit. Before the Lord comes before the harvest the Lord's coming is the harvest of the earth. Judgment and harvest of the things of the earth and before that will be this enormous revival.

That properly and scripturally is called the latter rain. The latter rain got a bad name because it was a group that call themselves the latter rain. They got into some screwy stuff, so everybody's afraid of the term you don't have to be afraid of the term.

It's an absolute Bible turnstile. Check a person notice he made reference to that revival as a valid revival. He didn't give it the term latter rain, but he did reference it in that time period. Very good.

Revelation 10 and the “Again Revival”

Now when you go through the book of Revelation one place Where a tremendous revival occurs and that is in chapters 10 and 11 I consider them as one chapter. They all if the time of the blowing Seventh angel is about to blow you get this tremendous revival in Revelation 2 and 10 and 11 is the only place Thing it's called.

I call it the again revival because at the end of chapter 10 He says you must prophesy again. John there represents the church. And so the church must prophesy again it prophesied to the ends of the earth once in the first century.

It will prophesy again to the ends of the earth in our day this gospel of the kingdom must be preached unto every nation for a witness and Then the end shall come that means the end of the ability to preach and that's in Matthew 24 after the latter rain God is going to allow antichrist to prevail so that sin can come to maturity.

It will be a time of burning sun from the church and figulation to perfect the Saints. So that when the Lord Jesus comes the church will have been separated from Babylon. Will have been purified and most important of all will come up out of the wilderness Leaning on her beloved.

I'll see no Lord Jesus is looking for that and the church today in some respects is as independent as a hog on ice. And we have to have a lot of burning sun in order to make us Dependent on the Lord so we get to where I'm getting.

I'm I guess it's age. But I've had so much age and medical problems in the last year. I'm glad to get through a day, but I have to do it like pray. I had to pray to get strength for tonight. I have to pray all the time.

Well, that's what the Lord wants. So that for everything, you know, we'd have to pray for wisdom for strength. Counseling and I can listen to the Lord carefully for everything comes a million problems.

And that's good because it's making me lean on the Lord. They come up out of the wilderness leaning on her beloved and so that's the sequence. The Lord is coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle or any such thing and it's going to take the latter rain and then Tribulation.

Okay, any questions thus far? Let's go to Revelation 10 now, this is symbolic and I want you immediately you do not understand some reference to raise your hand and ask me. So this is kind of the deep end of the pool.

And this is not simple elementary teaching at all. I'll make it as simple and practical as I can, but it's very symbolic. Yes, Bill. The great revival that's coming is it going to add to the to the church to the body something that it needs in order to be able to endure the great intense time of Maturity, this is the follow bring in the fullness of the Gentiles.

Is it more of an in gathering or is it more of a Imparting to the to the church so as to be able it I would say there are two main purposes. To the end time one we know from James is to bring the church to the tour.

Remember the husband and tell it received the form in the latter means that the Lord is waiting for fruit and that fruit is. Which is really worked out in godly behavior. But the fruit that God is looking for is the image of his son and people right now.

It's in kind of a in a tourist. The second aspect is this God wants a witness of the coming of the nature of the kingdom that has come. Okay, if you don't think of it that way think of it the way that I said Revelation 11 talks about the witness.

Revelation 12 talks about the birth of Christ in the church. See that's why those two are there. But the two purposes of the revival one is to bear witness. See the world is ignorant of the nature of God and God wants to bear witness.

Now a witness is born. Whether a person a witness doesn't mean somebody got saved. A witness means that a clear Testimony of the nature of God was given. It's not being given today. See the test and it's gone over into getting soul safe.

Well, that's not a scriptural expression. It's good and we want people saved. Certainly what we must deal with the scripture. The scripture says you shall receive power after that. The Holy Spirit has come upon you that you may bear witness.

And when you change that into saving souls, that's a human Response and it ends up in a diminution of the witness because in the desire to get people in you begin to Tamper with the witness because you feel well boy.

They can't bear that and so if we have we want to have a heart for soul when I came here. There was a bunch of young kids skateboarding out there. Well, you know one of them waved at me and I waved back, you know I didn't say get out of here.

The problem is it represents a liability to us if one of them fractures the skull out there on a skateboard. His mother will sue the church on the other hand. We don't want to come down on young people.

You know, it's better the skateboard out here than they're up burglarizing some store. So it's a real difficult thing. So we want to have a heart for these kids and not turn them off just because they're boarding around we want to do that.

But we don't want it we want to remember that God's first purpose and putting his spirit upon us is that we'll bear witness. The Bible doesn't say I brought up my spirit upon you as you'll say souls. We human we have a human desire to keep people out of hell.

That's good and it's understandable but it's you would look very hard in the New Testament to find this and One of the things we certainly must do if we're going to stand in the end time is go by the scripture.

If you can find it in the scripture. Plainly, you're on solid ground. If you can't you may just be going by a good idea or the traditions of men. It's not enough to say well, yeah, everybody's saying it.

I want to know what is the Bible say and the Bible stress and so if we keep that in mind We become God centered rather than people centered. When a church gets people centered then we find ourselves. And God says who is on the Lord's side not who's on the people's side who's on the Lord's side.

All listen that makes such a difference in your thinking often. The minister is on the people's side against God. He's telling them take your bill sit down and write 50 take your bill and sit down and write 20.

See and God's not getting his day in court the job of the ministers to present. He's on the Lord's side. He's saying to the people. This is what God is saying to you. If not, he's an unjust steward. Well, does he have heart does he love the people.

Probably does he's probably that type of person that really loves people and cares for people. But that cuts no lines. We're servants of God. We're not servants of people. People best when we serve God.

Yes, it doesn't do any good to people to moon over them and tell them something that isn't true. I mean because we're all going to answer when the Lord comes and We're going to have been a false witness of God.

Yeah, but I love the people. Yeah, but the first commandment is to love God and I love for people has in that other motives. Other motives that are not pure. One of them would be so the people will think we love them and come to church this kind of thing.

It's not a beautiful. It's an understandable motive, but it's not a pure motive. God has given me love for people on occasion many occasions and it's very real and it's gonna be surprising. You know it may I know when Saul will come the first time Saul will come to that church.

I just want to run over that guy. You know, I mean it doesn't make any sense. You know, I didn't even know him but God's love when God is moving toward a person you can feel it and that's real. See, that's real.

I felt that toward a Mexican man Saturday night when I was in the Kaiser and up in LA. Oh, I would have given to talk to that guy and I use a little Spanish that I have. I he was a Mexican man very heavy set about 50 years old.

I walked in and I just took a look at that guy was just drawn to him. I couldn't tell him about the Lord, but I I said Oh Senor, yes, Diego Diego. He said no hold it when we both went back to the doctor and I kind of petted him when I was a total stranger.

But I just felt drawn to him and when I come out I said adios senor and he just grin being that's a bleak. You don't know when you do little things like that. The last person I testified to was last week.

We were at we change insurance agents. After we got through talking the agent and I would come out there Audrey says I feel like I've been in church. Before that I was to the dermatologist and Kaiser the preceding week and that guy just pumped me about you.

Where do you go to you know, he wanted to know all about tongue. It just happens. It just happened. It just happened when you're serving the Lord, but it's when we're God-centered. That's when we're God-centered.

That's that it comes on God's love comes it just flows and it's real and people feel that. Oh, listen, you get a bunch of Mexicans sitting in there and we're the only gringos in there. You know, they're very sensitive to people and Audrey loves and so she was looking at the children.

They feel that they they were studying us. And we left a very good Feeling at least in race who knows how God would. I wanted I said that to balance the fact that this to witness thing contains elements that The church is not ready to hear just yet.

We'll get into that. Are we okay so far? Okay. Now we're talking what we want to describe in Revelation 10 and 11. This is the latter angry Bible as I understand it and It has two purposes. And one is to bring Christ to the fullness in the church.

See you find it in Isaiah 66 maybe somebody wants to turn 66 and It's what it's around verse 7 where it says the nation shall be born at once. Very key scripture and what we're talking about. We're talking about now that the one half of the latter rain That's destined to bring this God's elect to maturity.

What's the other half of the latter rain? What does that do of its purposes is to bring a worldwide witness and don't let me forget I want to tell you a little bit about That every age of God has two witnesses that embody in themselves the coming age.

Changes. God sends two witnesses in advance began with Adam and Eve Witnesses of the day of form of man and they embody in themselves What mankind would be and the next two witnesses were Abraham and Sarah and then most narrow?

Don't let me forget because you need to see the significance of this and why I'm stressing That the latter rain revival will be two witnesses. See that's in the mouth of two witnesses shall every word be established and our all earth has got a part is like and what God will do and It's up to the church to bear a true witness and The second purpose of the latter rain is that's revelation.

Okay, read now once in Isaiah 66 gave birth before her pain came. She delivered a male child. That is referring to Jesus Christ. Jesus was born with no travail on the part of the church so more Zion travailed.

She brought forth a son. That was Jesus Christ, I read on. That's talking about the birth of Christ in the church suddenly in the first month. Okay the the church has travailed for 2 ,000 years and suddenly a Nation will be born and that nation is the Holy Nation.

Remember first Peter you are a holy nation a kingdom of priests that nation will be born at once one moment. You'll have Babylon which we have today a thousand different denomination the next moment You'll have people showing forth in themselves the fullness of Christ the fullness of Christ and people will be accomplished by two things.

Suffering and glory you cannot have one without the other and get the maturity you want. You must have unprecedented suffering and unprecedented glory. It's just like childbirth. You have suffering and you have we're in for days of suffering and glory and the suffering is nothing to worry about.

Apart from it. You wouldn't be you wouldn't get what it is. You want to get which is To be a part of God's royal priesthood. See it's the royal priesthood. That's a holy nation and that's the nation that will be born at once.

That when Zion prevails now that that's what's been talked about, you know, you're going to give birth here. Something's being born here something's being born here. What's being born here? There's Christ in us, which is the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the step after Pentecost.

All we're coming into is grand beyond belief. Then and Stan was saying that they mentioned that in the convention that before the Lord comes to the world He will come to the Saints and that's in Hebrews unto them that look for him.

Shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation? That's not the coming of the Lord in the clouds of glory. That's the coming of the Lord to those who look for him now. It's happening. That's what all the prophets sense.

What is God doing? What is it tremendously or what we're talking about tonight is where it is in the Bible. Did you hear what and remember where that was Isaiah 66? See before Zion prevailed she brought forth Jesus Christ, but then Zion prevailed and brought forth the children of God you'll find the same thing in Micah 5 and we're talking now about verse 2 of Micah 5 you're kind of getting a sense of the awesomeness of what's about to take place or is taking place.

Are you getting a sense of it? See and people say what's it going to be like the outstanding minister? Hey, but they're asking about the last revival. Well, I'm no criticism of the last revival. Hopefully it will help a multitude of people but she went inspected and she didn't have anything negative to say about it.

She just said this isn't what we're looking for. You know, I mean, it's good a helpful help many people I'm sure but it's not what we're looking for. What we're looking for is this tremendous tremendous Growth.

Okay, someone read Micah 5 to There are his brothers his saints go ahead until the time that shall Israel he's going to give up Israel what she has done until the time that she who is in labor has given birth.

That's the church. Go ahead. That's why wherever you find Fervent Christians today. They've got a desire to go back to Israel. That's the reason it's the time now for Christ brothers. Remember we're brothers.

He forgets to be conformed that he might be the firstborn among many brothers, where does it say that 29? Okay, his brothers turn to the children of Israel when Zion prevailed. I'm going to see that and I'm marvelous I told you it's kind of the deep end of the pool.

But it's nothing you can't understand. If you're going to understand what people say in a revival is coming revival is coming. It's got to be in the book of Revelation. Okay, and this is where it is. There you see there's something awesome is taking place here now, by the way a very important and we're in chapter 10 of Revelation.

It was just have to do to rebel with Revelation verse 7 but in the days of Revelation 10 7 in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he is about to sound so there be a period of time Called the days of the seventh angel and that's what we're entering now.

To the days of the seventh angel as he's poised to sound there's going to be a period of time when this latter rain Is going to fall now look what it says the mystery of God is finished. That's the key the mystery of God the mystery of God.

Christ in Us as the Mystery of the Gospel

Now what is the mystery of God? Yes right now turn to Colossians 1. Starting with about verse 24 Colossians 1 history, and if you don't think it's a mystery you haven't tried preaching it Colossians 1 25 of this church.

I was made a minister. According to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit that I might fully out carry out the preaching of the Word of God. That is the mystery understood it's a remains a mystery to this day and That's why it's highly significant where it says in Revelation 10 7 the mystery of God should be finished, okay?

Which has been hidden from the passages has now been Manifest to his Saints and Paul did preach it in the former rain. He did preach the mystery. See we're not talking about getting soul saved. We're talking about the mystery of God in his days the mystery of God should be finished, okay?

Which have Among the Gentiles the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is a Messiah in you now now for During the church age we are still preaching Christ to you or Christ with you like in our celebration of Christmas even all the saved people.

We tell them you know I pondered why is it that every time we go to preach we say to people Let Christ into your heart, and you won't find that in the book of Acts. And I thought why is that they never in the book of Acts preached let Christ into your heart never you won't find a one-time.

But now it seems so natural and so right. I don't doubt that. This is the time Once enter the hearts of people certainly in Revelation in the third chapter. Where Christ said I knock at the door that's to the church of Laodicea to the last church.

But Christ says I stand at the door knock. So the last year evidently we're coming into a time now when God wants the church to realize that the gospel is not Christ with us. But Christ in us, but as you listen to preaching you'll see yeah.

Yeah, or when people talk about heaven whenever people talk about heaven what they they don't picture Christ in them. They picture Christ with them. I'm going to go live in a mansion and and there's Jesus.

And there's Paul you'll never. I've never read and I've read all every vision I could find of Saints who are that a vision of heaven never wants that they have anything to say about Christ in them and You'll see on Christmas when Christmas comes when Easter comes people go and stand in the morning to worship.

About Christ coming from the tomb we ought to be talking about Christ in us. That's the mystery not Christ coming from the tomb. That's not the mystery of the gospel. Christ on the cross that's not the mystery of the gospel that's plain and easy to understand what people don't dig.

It's Christ in us and the significance of that that means that means that's all the difference that has to do with the bride it has. To do with the body of Messiah has to do with the servant of the Lord.

It's what Paul said. I'm crucified nevertheless I'm living but as Christ is living in me. That is the gospel. That is the mystery of the gospel not the Christ is crucified. That's the atonement or the Christ rose out of the cave.

That's our hope and our justification. But the mystery is Christ in us and it remains a mystery to this day now, I mean, yes, but. Yes, yes, but that's right. Yes, it is it's it's said. But when it works out in practice, it's not real in people's minds.

Now we just came from a convention, but I didn't hear any accent at all. It was wonderful, but I didn't hear an accent on Christ in us or that any particular significance. Because you see that's the Feast of Tabernacles.

We haven't been there yet. That that's Pentecost is the Holy Spirit on you and. So there's a lot of talk about the Holy Spirit. Which is good because the former in the latter in the first one that we need the Holy Spirit revival comes by the Holy Spirit.

There's no question about that. But the mystery of the gospel is not the Holy Spirit. It's not revival. It's none of these marvelous things. It's something that is infinitely more significant and infinitely more challenging and that's the fact that we are changing from a human being a son of Adam into An individual who has moved by the Messiah.

Being birth and growing and acting and thinking in us infinitely more challenging infinitely more significant. The science prevailed that's the nation born in a day that has nothing to do with Calvary.

I hope I don't sound irreverent. Just discussing one aspect yes. Yeah, the treasure in earth and vessels and of course Paul preaching in the first century. Preaching on the full in the full fullness of the revelation no doubt made clear to many people.

What the mystery of the gospel was well when the second generation of preachers came and begin to deal with Latin and Hebrew and Greek. And commentaries and everything they lost that see it wasn't. It was reserved for the end time.

It's reserved for the latter rain. And it's really the big news of the hour that Christ is in us. Oh of course I know you know the Christian knows that Christ is in him he let Christ into his heart, but it doesn't work out.

To where it connects he's still thinking in terms of getting saved and going to heaven to be with the Lord so shall we ever be with the Lord the and being with the Lord is true and He's both in us and with us.

But his main concern is what happens in us because he was with the Apostles but he couldn't set up his kingdom then because he can't set up his kingdom until he's in us and Being with us is Important and marvelous beyond words, but it doesn't make that kind of an event on us.

Well Christ in us makes a total than it. Total you know where is Christ and who you know he's being formed in us, and that is very painful. Because he's setting up housekeeping. And I mean he's interested in every grain of dust and we just gotta be a perfect house, but we can't do that but he can and You see God's end purpose in the church is to form a living temple.

Because once he gets his temple, then he can reveal himself to men and angels. But until he gets that living temple he cannot do that. He's the invisible God and but he first made Christ is his Chief cornerstone of his temple, that's why it says God was manifest in the flesh.

He was manifest in Jesus and the angels decided he'd never seen God before it's a mystery and the end. And the invisible God who is so great. He's not even comprehensible made himself Real that could be seen by men and angels in Jesus Christ.

There's God. There's a father has decided to make himself real. But as Jesus said in my father's house are many rooms. Yes. Yes. Yeah, Jesus is not the father Jesus, you know, they'll come a day. Let me put it this way even simpler.

Paul said I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live yet not I but Christ lives in me in the life, which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God. Well He said Paul said I'm not living anymore.

It is Christ who is living in me. Okay now was Paul Christ. Yes, and one said I had to Paul and he's not living the Christ is living in him and you shook his hand whose hand would you be at the mystery of the incarnation of God and.

No, Jesus Christ is not the father if if Jesus Christ were the father you would probably have to throw out. Well in the book of Revelation many many verses many verses Jesus is God's Word his expression his high priest.

His prophet his servant the revelation of himself a perfect revelation in itself. But if you say Jesus is the father. Then get Germany is a mockery. Because he said not my will but thine be done. Well, there's obviously two wills there and if there's two wills there's two individuals.

They tell us a mystery. It's a mystery of the Godhead. But there's no need to be confused. I have people say to me well, what is the relationship. I say Jesus is God's son. That's what the Bible says.

And it's nothing like going back to the Bible. Jesus is God's son. Is he God? Yes, God made him God. Is he the father? No, he's the father's son. He said when he rose from the dead go tell my brothers I ascend to my father and your father and my God and your God.

Well, if you say Jesus was the father, that's the you have to throw offers that they don't make any sense. So no, he is not the father, but he can say he that has seen me has seen the father. Why? Because he was filled with all the fullness of God and a day will come somewhere down the trail in eternity.

When you'll be able to say he that has seen me has seen Jesus. Why because you will be so alive with the life of Christ. That the words you speak will be the words of Christ the actions you do will be the actions of Christ.

So for all practical purposes, he that has seen you has seen Christ. Now why is Jesus God and why can we worship him and pray to him because God made him God. God said to him Thy throne O God is forever.

See God said that to Jesus. He made him God. In fact, he said that to Moses. He said that to Aaron. He said I have made you God and Aaron is your prophet. I don't think anybody wants God. But the father see the Lord said to my Lord David said Speaking of the father speaking to Christ the Lord the father said to my Lord Christ and Jesus referred to that.

So no, it's no big deal. It's a very easy to understand to me. I have no no problem. No problem in you. I have no problem that to me. Jesus is God's son. He reflects his glory and his image and it's filled with him.

But you want to remember this that Jesus is the chief cornerstone in the temple of God. So what does that tell us? There'll be other stones made a room in the house of God my father's house. There are many.

Well, I think theology has done a number on us. I think theology has done a number on us and made the simple. You know, my theory is isn't it people tend to make that which is simple. Difficult, I'm sure you found that in your job and everybody else.