It s Time For Rain Apostles Kelley Varner & Jerry Hester Dominion Church International January 2, 2010 Zechariah 10:1 (KJV)> ASK ye of the LORD rain in the TIME of the LATTER RAIN ( or spring rain--amp); so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime, and He will answer with lightning and showers (TLB). [Note: Everyone gets their harvest!] BACKGROUND: Zerubbabel and Jeshua and 50,000 pioneers had returned from Babylonian Captivity in 536 B.C. due to Cyrus Decree. It is now about 525 B.C. and work on the House of the Lord had ceased because of the Samaritan opposition (Ezra 4). There was a danger of apathy as they were tempted to flirt with idols. Haggai and Zechariah were raised up to encourage them. They eventually resumed the work and finished and dedicated the House of the Lord in 520 B.C. (Ezra 6). [Note: The foundation of the house had been laid, but the house wasn t finished! It was in this situation that Zechariah said: Ask the Lord for rain!] Hosea 6:1-3 (KJV)> 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. After two days will He revive us: IN THE THIRD DAY He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. 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. KEY PRINCIPLE: RAIN is a symbol of: His PRESENCE the revelation of God Himself! His FAVOR (in an agrarian society) His affirmation upon their labors. His POWER life-giving release, acting upon the germ of life held encapsulated within the seed.
PRINCIPLE: The SOURCE of this RAIN is GOD His presence, His favor, and His power, in DIRECT CONTRAST to any IDOL. [Note: It is easy to get pulled off purpose when you look to something besides God to provide, even when it was God-authored to begin with. Placing something of God in front of God will only destroy us!] PRINCIPLE: We are to ASK ( inquire, request, demand Isa. 45:11), for the OUTPOURING of this rain at a PARTICULAR TIME. THE FORMER RAIN AND THE LATTER RAIN All these blessings happened in Joel s day because the seasonal rains returned. Rain upon us, O God! The promise declared in this next verse is only made to a covenantal, governmental people the children (sons) of Zion. Joel 2:23 (KJV)> Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately We are to be glad and rejoice (Joel 2:21). He has given (bestowed, granted by His grace) the former rain. This word is mowreh (Strong s #4175), and it means, an archer; also teacher or teaching. This is the early rain or the first rain (Deut. 11:14). Its root yarah (Strong s #3384) means, to flow as water (to rain); transitively, to lay or throw(especially an arrow, to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by aiming or directing the finger), to teach. Compare the active participle yowreh (Strong s #3138), which means, sprinkling; hence, a sprinkling (or autumnal showers); the early rain, the autumn shower. Note the following key verses that mention the former rain. Hosea 6:3 (KJV)> 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 the former rain unto the earth (compare Psa. 84:7 with Rom. 1:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; and Jer. 5:24). James 5:7 (KJV)> Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until He receive the early and the latter rain.
This former rain, the early rain of autumn, is the rain that prepares the arid soil for the seed. It begins gradually in late October until early December, and comes generally from the west or southwest (Luke 12:54). At no period in the winter, from the end of October to the end of March, does rain entirely cease. The former autumn rain comes moderately. This word is tsedaqah (Strong s #6666), and it means, rightness, righteousness, rectitude, justice, virtue, prosperity. Thus, the former rain moderately (Joel 2:23) literally means, the teacher of righteousness (preparing the soil of our heart to walk all the way to Zion)! The former rain corresponds to the firstfruits (Rom. 8:23) and the earnest (Eph. 1:13-14) of the fullness of the latter rain (see below). Joel 2:23 (KJV)> and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. God will cause to come down (bring down, send down) the former rain, and the LATTER RAIN. This word is malqowsh (Strong s #4456), and it means, the spring rain; figuratively, eloquence; the March and April rains which mature the crops of Palestine. Its root laqash (Strong s #3953) means, to gather the after crop or latter growth; to glean, to take the aftermath, to take everything; to despoil, to gather everything from, to strip. This latter rain, the later spring showers, especially in March, matures the crop for the harvest. Compare the verses given above on the former rain, and then note these additional key verses that mention the latter rain. Deut. 11:14 (KJV)> 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. Prov. 16:15 (KJV)> In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain (see Job 29:23; Jer. 3:3). The former rain was the planting rain, and was historically poured out in the Book of Acts (2:1-4) during the former, or early part of this age. This represents the former Feasts of Passover and Pentecost. The latter rain was the harvest rain, and is presently being poured out (Eph. 4:11-13) during the latter part of this age. This represents the latter Feast of Tabernacles.
[Note: The latter rain actually began at Asuza St. in 1900.] SUMMARIZE: Genesis 8:22 (KJV)> While the earth remaineth, SEEDTIME (the Former Rain) and HARVEST (the Latter Rain) 1. The FORMER RAIN was the rain for PLANTING. The soil was dry, hard, and parched. It prepared the soil to receive the SEED. There are four kinds of soil or conditions of the heart (Matt. 13) you can t get CROPS out of ROCKS (people who do not have your heart). NOTE: The Former Rain impacts the SOIL; the Latter Rain impacts the SEED! 2. The LATTER RAIN matured the seed for HARVESTING. It assumes the Former Rain and the planting of the Seed. Life must break forth from within. Your LABOR is not in VAIN. This is your TIME of HARVEST and the REWARDING of your FAITH. This is YOUR TIME and SEASON your Seed is coming up! [Note: The latter rain assumes the former rain; it assumes you have planted something! Have you planted your seed? Your money, your time, your treasure, your life? To come into the fullness of what God has for you, you need the latter rain to pour upon your seed sown!] [Note: It is time for God to pour out His latter rain on all that you have planted! Why do you plant a garden? Because there is a law of seedtime and harvest! You must dress right for the season you are in. You must prepare for the seasonal rain that God is releasing to you!] PRINCIPLE: But why ASK for rain in the time of Latter Rain, when it is already raining? RAIN is already on God s AGENDA: 1. We must LINE UP (position, posture) our lives for that which is already on the way! 2. We must discern HIS AGENDA at HIS TIME = what HE is doing in the earth. We cannot expect SUNSHINE if we are asking for RAIN there will be CLOUDS and THUNDER; the sky will be DARK and STORMY.
Dominion: Your anointing is too flimsy. Your greatest enemy is MEDIOCRITY. We must want EVERYTHING that God has promised and EVERYTHING that God has planned for our lives and this ministry! Ephesians 3:20 (KJV)> Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] and do superabundantly, far over and above all we [dare] ask or think infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams (AMP) CLOSING: Deuteronomy 11:7-9 (KJV)> But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did. Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it. And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey. 1. GO IN and get it! It ALREADY belongs to you! Deuteronomy 11:10-11 (KJV)> For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is NOT AS THE LAND OF EGYPT, from whence ye came out, where thou sowed thy seed, and WATERED IT WITH THY FOOT, as a garden of herbs: But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh WATER OF THE RAIN OF HEAVEN: [Note: What God has promised us is bigger than a garden of herbs. It is bigger than our water cans; it requires the rains of Heaven!] 2. The TIME of the LATTER RAIN is a NEW DIMENSION. It is nothing like what you ve come from. It s too BIG to water BY FOOT ( laboriously, AMP). Throughout this ministry, we must be delivered from a WATER-CAN MENTALITY. Our end-time HARVEST will necessitate the RAIN OF HEAVEN! It s going to RAIN on this Church, this county, this community, this country... It s going to RAIN on your life, your home, your family, your business