LatterRains

The Feast of Tabernacles lasts seven days. The day after this feast ends, which would be the eighth day (Lev. 23:36), is called Shemini Atzeret. Today happens to be that Eighth Day. A detailed description of this day is not given in scripture, but it is written as a day of solemn assembly, and a sabbath of no work. It is also referred to by many in Judaism as "the last day". This day became associated with the beginning of the latter rains of the year, and prayers were said, beginning on Shemini Atzeret, for those latter rains. These prayers would continue into the spring, and the Feast of Passover. Generally speaking, believers are familiar with the expression "latter rains". The prophets wrote about the latter rains. Joel wrote, "Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD has done marvellous things! Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; for the open pastures are springing up, and the tree bears its fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their strength. Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you- the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust have eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wonderously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame." (Joel 2:21-27). The LORD here is not discussing a rain cycle. What the LORD is doing in these verses He describes as "marvellous". It is a restoration work. He tells the land and the beasts to "Fear not...do not be afraid...". There was a destruction that four different kinds of locusts caused, but the LORD will restore bountifully all that was lost. The kind of locusts mentioned here are crawling locusts, which have not yet developed wings. As they crawl on the ground, they devour everything. Flying locusts go from place to place, but crawling locusts keep progressing upon the ground, until all is eaten- not an inch of ground is missed or spared. This time of year in Israel, the summer crops have already ripened and have been harvested, including the summer crop of wheat. From the wheat crop, the grain is ground into flour, and a light, delicious bread can be made. Wheat, as it grows, does not like "wet feet". It does not grow well in puddled water. It preferrs a clay soil. By the time wheat is harvested in Israel, the ground is dry, hard, cracked, and baked in the hot summer sun. The latter rains that must begin after the Feast of Tabernacles softens and prepares the hard, dry, caked soil left for a barley crop to be planted for harvesting in early spring. The moisture level of the soil must be about 60% from the tillering of the soil until the barley plants begin to flower. Without the latter raains, the soil cannot be planted successfully, and there will be no harvest in the spring. If we consider these things on the spiritual level, after the great wheat harvest, the hard, depleted, dry earth is telling God that there will not be another planting and harvest. However, God will not allow the earth to refuse Him another harvest. He begins to send a "rain" that will force the earth to receive His seed, and produce another harvest. The LORD will not be satisfied until He reaps the last willing soul from the earth. The end result He is looking for is not total destruction, but a seedtime and harvest of souls. In the Book of Revelation, John sees a great multitude in heaven worshipping God and the Lamb (Jesus). An elder in heaven asks John, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" The elder then goes on to answer his own question, because John does not know: "These are the ones who come out of great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb...He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb...will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Rev. 7:9-17, excerpt). There is a harvest of salvation that comes out of the Tribulation period. The latter rains of Tribulation have broken the hard earth and allowed a final harvest before the return of Christ. How can we know that the latter rains may be associated with the Tribulation? The Hebrew word and meaning for "barley", the crop that results in the natural from the latter rains, reveals a great deal to us. Barley in Hebrew is the word, "seora". It means "roughness", which describes the texture of the barley awls. However, the root word for barley is saar, which means "be (horrible), afraid, tempestuous, hurl as a storm, dread, bristle, come like a whirlwind". Barley is associated with terror and destruction in its meaning. The prophet Joel, after describing the former and latter rains as we read above, says that following this, there will be an outpouring of God's Spirit as we have never before seen. Peter likens this outpouring to the one on Pentecost, after Christ's death and resurrection (Acts 2:15-21). Joel wrote that the outpouring will be upon "all flesh" (Joel 2:28-32). For a remnant in those days, there shall come salvation in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem for "whoever calls on the name of the LORD". Out of the destruction (imagery of crawling locusts), there will come fruit, oil, and wine, as Joel wrote. May the LORD cause the earth to produce a harvest of souls by His latter rains - even out of the darkest, most troubled times the earth has known. Our Father will send the latter rains of Shemini Atzeret.