"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." Hosea 6:3

The Early And Latter Rain

                                                                                                                          

As we begin this year, we see that the Elijah ministry in the earth today is proclaiming that there is an abundance of rain on the horizon. This is the promise of the early and latter rain upon the earth which is to come at the beginning of the seventh day when God is going to bring forth His right hand anointing. This Early and Latter Rain Anointing is the Anointing of Peace and Power. It will come at the beginning of the New Day. That New Day is directly ahead of us. Now is the day to prepare our lives to receive this new anointing.  The Elijah ministry is in the earth today bring forth the Double Portion Anointing in His people. The Double Portion Anointing is spoken of throughout the Word.

James informs us in the New Testament:

"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 latter rain." James 5:7

The early and latter rain anointing is the double portion anointing, the fulness of the Spirit. This is the anointing we need to do the greater works Jesus spoke that His body would do. Our Father has long patience for this fruit. We, too, are to be patient, and establish our hearts. Today the Father is bringing His precious fruit to maturity so that He may pour out all His glory, power, and authority upon that mature fruit to complete His plan in His original creation.

God is about to pour out His rain upon His body, not the early rain, nor the latter rain, but the early and latter rain together. The early and latter rain is the Double Portion Anointing God is going to pour out upon His body. God promises that those who walk into that New Day will receive the rain [the anointing], the latter and the former rain together.

The Apostle Paul spoke about having the firstfruit anointing of the Spirit:

"And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Romans 8:23

Paul realized he only had the firstfruit anointing. The first fruit anointing is in the earth today. These outpourings of the firstfruit anointing have brought forth the unfermented wine church systems. These moves of God all came with the sign of speaking in tongues. But there still has to be much cleansing by the cloven tongues of fire to bring this fermentation process to the new wine state.

To give you a bit of historical information, the latter rain was poured out in the last century where many Holy Spirit revivals were recorded all over the earth. In our nation it was the Azusa Street Revival in 1906, the Latter Rain in 1948, and the Charismatic Movement in the late '60's and early '70's. These outpourings are nothing when compared to what God has promised for the very near future.

The prophet Zechariah spoke of the days directly ahead of us:

"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

God is about to pour out His rain upon His body, not the early rain, nor the latter rain, but the early and latter rain together. Many are running ahead of God proclaiming they have it all now. We need to ask if we have it all now, why are we not doing the greater works Jesus spoke of in John 14:12? It is because the greater works will be accomplished in the coming millennial day, the seventh day Kingdom Age.

God has promised to pour out His Double Portion Anointing, the former and latter anointings together after two days.

"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 to us as the rain, the latter and former rain unto the earth." Hosea 6: 2-3

We need to come to the understanding that our promise is not in the early rain, nor is our promise in the latter rain. Our promise is that we will receive the early and the latter rain together.

It is the Elisha anointing that is coming after two days. The Elisha anointing will come upon those who follow on to know their God. They will know Him, not just know about Him. These who know their God are going to receive the early and latter rain anointing. That anointing is coming on the third day to the body of Christ. This is the Double Portion Anointing that God is going to pour out on those who overcome the river of death, those who have come out of their wilderness experience victorious in the Kingdom of God.  This Elisha ministry God will do the greater works, greater than Elijah or Jesus. God has ordained that those who totally lay down the flesh and follow on to know the Lord will be endued with the early and latter rain on the third day. These will do the greater works.

The "Greater Works" Ministry lies just ahead for those who will hear God's anointed voice in the wilderness. These are those who are willing to follow the "Anointing" all the way. Those who refuse to follow on will turn aside to their old religious orders. They will follow the mouth of false prophets who have risen up in the earth to declare, "We have it all now, and there is no need to change". Only those who follow on, totally willing to shed their mantle of flesh, will receive the Double Portion Anointing.

We have only received the former rain, moderately. We will receive the former and latter rain in the first month; or in the beginning of that New Day.  Our Father knows we cannot do the greater works with the cloven tongue anointing. He is going to pour in the wine, the new wine. This new wine anointing is also referred to as "The Former and Latter Rain Anointing".

The prophet Joel proclaimed:

"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

Joel writes to the children (sons) of Zion, those who have come to the high place in God. He has given them the former rain which is the first fruit anointing. Those who follow on to know the Lord will be prepared for the morning, or the New Day, the glorious seventh day of God's creation.

These are those who will receive the early and latter rain, double portion anointing. Many promises have been made to this overcoming people. Joel also prophesied of this time:

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit." Joel 2:28-29

We are looking for the early and latter rain that is soon to come upon the earth. This is when the Spirit will be given to His Body without measure; Jesus being our example.  This will be the double portion outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the Spirit without measure. This is the same anointing Jesus received on the banks of the Jordan.

Most in the church today believe all that is necessary to enter into that place in God is to ask forgiveness of sin and be baptized. If they will do this, they are home free. The Pentecostals and Charismatics, or those who are in the "Latter Rain Movement" believe because they have been baptized by the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues they, too, are home free, with nothing more to be accomplished in their life. Both these groups have failed to drink of the cup that Jesus drank of; nor are they seeking the baptism that Jesus received, which is the Spirit of the dove. Those, upon whom the early and latter rain will come upon, will go forth in power, reclaiming that which rightfully belongs in the Father's kingdom. It will be those who have the true Word of God in their mouths.

God is going to pour out His Spirit abundantly, but this is not the end of the prophesy God gave Joel:

"And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, My great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and My people shall never be ashamed." Joel 2:25-26

What wonderful promises God makes to His overcomers. Those who only see through the eyes of today cannot understand why God's true people are not concerned about the future. To those whose hearts are failing them for the fear of nuclear war, the collapse of the economy, and God's soon coming judgment, there is no hope. But, men of vision look to God's Word for their hope, and they believe God's promises, even though they may not see them.

Jeremiah recorded:

"Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed." Jeremiah 3:3

Many stand before God with an unrepentant heart who have a whore's forehead (mind). Their mind is set on everything except the things of God. God has withheld the showers of refreshment and the anointing from those who have a whore's forehead because they have prostituted themselves with the idol worship of the world in the name of the Lord. They, as King Saul, will be rejected as kings and priests. They will suffer the wrath of God that will be poured out on His day of judgment. Their blood will run to the horse's bridle, Revelation 14:20, because they have not turned from their wicked ways. Because of these things, their land has not been healed (reconciled) before God.

Ezekiel wrote to the house of Israel:

"I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols." Ezekiel 23:30

Our desire should be to go on into the fullness of God, and experience the anointing of the early and latter rain, a place where we can spread out, without all the hindrances of the strife, contention, hostility and accusations of the church system.

All these promises of God will come after the two days of the church age, when we will walk into eternal life. It will be in the third day (the seventh day, the great last day) which is the beginning of the Kingdom age, that we will obtain eternal life. This is when, as John stated, Christ 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." Hosea 6:3        

We must prepare our lives today to come into the place where we can receive His early and latter rain in the first month, Joel 2:23 of the coming seventh day. When God pours out His early and latter rain in the first month of the New Day, those who have a revolting and rebellious heart will not rule and reign in His kingdom.