Meaning
The Latter Rain is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon God’s people during the last days that is to complete the work that the Early Rain (Pentecostal Shower) started. The term is derived from the farming community. It represents the showers that come just before harvest time to ripen the fruit for the sickle. The ‘Early Rain’ germinates the seed; the latter rain perfects it. It is to be a greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit than what took place on the Day of Pentecost.
Purpose
According to Ellen G. White, in her book, Last Day Events, the Latter Rain power of the Holy Spirit is to accomplish the following purposes:
1. Complete the work of God’s grace in His people.
2. Perfect the moral image of God’s character in the life of the believer.
3. Completely transform God’s people into the likeness of Christ.
4. Prepares the Church for the Second coming of Jesus.
5. To bring about the greatest revival of godliness ever seen by man.
6. To give power to the preaching of the 3rd angels’ message—to bring about the “the Loud Cry”.
7. Prepare God’s people to stand during the time of trouble/pouring out of the 7 last plagues.
Latter Rain in the Bible
1. Zechariah 10:1 – God promises to give rain in answer to the prayers of His people.
2. Hosea 6:3 – God will come to us like the former and latter rain upon the earth if we seek Him.
3. Joel 2:23, 28 – God will give the latter rain as faithfully as He gave the former rain. He will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.
4. Acts 3:19-21 – Conversion and repentance prepare the way for the “refreshing” from the presence of the Lord.
5. Revelation 18:1-4 – This “Loud Cry” represents the amplified voice that the “Latter Rain” power of the Holy Spirit gives to the preaching of the 3rd angel’s message.
How to prepare for the Latter Rain
1. Experience conversion through the early rain of the Holy Spirit.
2. Seek for more of the Holy Spirit every day.
3. Attend cooperate worship (home, church, etc); expect God to bless His people during these services.
4. Through confession, repentance, humiliation and earnest prayer, fulfill the conditions for receiving the Spirit.
5. Reformation (a change of ideas, theories, and habits) must accompany revival.
6. Love one another. Put away all selfishness, malice, envy, rivalry, strife for supremacy and division in order that love reign among believers.
7. Give yourselves to the Lord completely for the saving of souls.
8. Complete surrender of the heart to God daily.
9. Gain the victory over every besetment, pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action.
10. By the Spirit of God remedy the defects in our characters; remove every hindrance and cleanse the soul of every defilement.
11. Become a living, active witness for Christ.
12. For most of the church to know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God.
13. Remove indolence and slothfulness from the church.
14. Do not worry about the latter rain; just keep your vessel right side up. Be ready and stay ready.
15. Live up to every ray of light received. Only those who do so will receive greater light.
The consequence of not being prepared
1. Those who make no decided effort to receive the early rain and to overcome every hindrance will lose their souls.
2. They will not understand the movement of the Holy Spirit
3. Holy Spirit will be falling all around them, but they won’t understand the work.
4. They will attempt to oppose the work of God’s Spirit.
Source: White, E.G. Last Day Events (Pacific Press Publishing Association: Idaho) 1952.