We are approaching the beginning of God’s yearly cycle of Feasts which begins with Passover on March 28th. (actually the evening of March 27th). Modern Judaism has combined the first three feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits into one feast which they celebrate as Passover and goes from March 28-April 4. I have written before about Passover and it’s true meaning, if you haven’t read it, I suggest you do. Passover occurs on the 14th day of the First Month of the calendar God gave to the Hebrews which is called Nisan.

Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month (Nisan) shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” – Exo. 12:1, 2

There were four feasts in the Spring of the year, concluded by Pentecost, and three feasts in the Fall of the year begun by the Feast of Trumpets. I have written about the Feast of Trumpets in The Trumpet is Soon to Blow and many believe this feast prophetically begins the countdown to the Lord’s second coming. The Feast of Trumpets occurs on the first day of the seventh month, Tishri. Modern Judaism celebrates this feast as the New Year because Tishri means ‘the head of the year’ and they have reordered God’s calendar by calling Tishri the 1st. month of the year but, I feel quite sure God doesn’t recognize their reordering. It is still the 7th. month of God’s calendar.

Now my intent with this article is not to reteach about the Feasts of the Lord but, to bring to the forefront a truth these feasts bring forth. All of these feasts were built around the yearly harvest cycle in Israel. The Feast of First Fruits occurred at the Barley harvest, the Feast of Pentecost occurred at the Wheat harvest, and the Feast of Tabernacles occurred at the fruit harvest. Now as the children of Israel left Egypt, God spoke to them about these harvests –

‘And it shall be that if you earnestly 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.” – Deut. 11:13, 14

God repeats this promise again through the prophet Joel –

“Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully (Strong’s moderately), and He will cause the rain to come down for you—The former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” – Joel 2:23

God promised to give the ‘latter rain’ to fully ripen the last harvest before it was picked and it would not come moderately but in abundance! This is the verse James is referring to in his allusion to the farmer –

“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.” – James 5:7

So, the latter rain has to do with the final harvest. The prophet of Joel, quoted above, goes on to say –

“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.

And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood Before the coming of the great and awesome 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 2:28-32

This prophesy has to do with the former and the latter rain. The former rain came at Pentecost as Peter quoted  this prophesy.

“For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But 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; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. ” – Acts 2:15-21

However, the second part of Joel’s prophesy did not occur at Pentecost, it is reserved for the latter rain of the Holy Spirit which will occur shortly ‘Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD’. What events can we expect before this day? Joel prophesied wonders in heavens and signs in the earth beneath. The Sun will be turned into darkness – Eclipses, which we have had in the last 7 years, one which was exclusive to the United States and a third to come in 2024, also only across the United States. And the Moon into blood – the Blood Red Moon Tetrad of 2014-15. and another Blood Red Moon over Jerusalem on July 27, 2018. Occurrences of fire and smoke sounds like volcanos which are greatly increasing now along with earthquakes. These signs have been occurring ever since 2010 beginning with the mass die offs Hosea forecast –

Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed. Therefore the land will mourn; And everyone who dwells there will waste away With the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.” – Hosea 4:1-3

God is warning with signs in heaven and on earth, repent and turn back to Him.

God is warning us to prepare for the final Harvest, a harvest of souls. And He is going to pour out the Holy Spirit in abundance as the ‘Latter Rain’ falls on us. Just as the ‘former rain’ came during a time of great stress in Israel so the ‘latter rain’ will also come at a time of great stress on the earth! There will be warfare, in the heavens and on the earth as God’s angels enter the battle and Satan’s angels are thrown out of heaven and to the earth. The earth itself will shake with earthquakes and volcanos and Satan’s followers will try hard to defeat those who stand with God to reap the final harvest. But, we will overcome him by the “blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony and we love God more than we love our very lives.” 

As we celebrate Passover this year we need to remember, we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to prepare for the final wilderness journey and that is exactly what God promises

“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.” – Joel 2:23″

Notice, the rain will come in the first month, the month of Nisan and the time of Passover. And remember, we are specifically told to pray for it –

“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.” – Zech. 10:1

Continue praying, don’t give up. Remember, on Pentecost, when the former rain came, they had been seeking and praying for 50 days. God will honor His word in due time, don’t give up. He is not going to pour out this latter rain because we are so good, but because we are not so good and we need it for the days ahead!