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.

Culmination

The Feast of Tabernacles is the last of the fall feasts of the Lord. The depth and breadth of this Feast exists on several different levels: the past, the present, the future, and to the intimately personal, to the nations, and finally, to all creation. Only a few of the many meanings of Tabernacles will be discussed here. To me, Tabernacles represents the completion of the will of God, the culmination of all His work. We are currently in the middle of Tabernacles, which lasts seven days. From the beginning of man, it has been our Creator's intention to dwell among us, His beloved creation. In Genesis, God walked in the Garden of Eden with the man He created, until that man fell in rebellion against His Maker. To tabernacle, or dwell with man was so important to God, that, even before time and creation began, He made a provision to restore His dwelling relationship with man, that provision being salvation, redemption, and atonement through His Son, the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world. Tabernacles begins with the intimate gathering of each family under a shelter built for this occasion called a sukkah. Meals are shared within the shelter or sukkah to remember God's miraculous provision for Israel when He led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness. It is also an occasion to thank God for His continuing provision in all things, physical and spiritual today. Jesus spoke in Revelation about coming in and supping with us if we will hear His voice (Rev. 3:20). Tabernacles is not only the culmination of God's relationshi[p with man, but it is also the culmination of His Word, in both the Old and New Testaments. In Zechariah, one of the last books of the Old Testament, the LORD prophecies His tabernacle among men, and calls all the nations to come to Him in Jerusalem: "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles." (Zech. 14:16). Even the nations that were enemies of His people will be required to tabernacle with the LORD in Jerusalem. It is not for the LORD's benefit that He commands the nations to tabernacle with Him in Jerusalem, but for their own benefit. In the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, there is an even greater vision of a heavenly tabernacle being brought down to earth, to men, as the LORD brings to pass the culmination of Tabernacles: "Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God." (Rev. 21:2-3). In joining in His Feast of Tabernacles, we are not only joining in a prophetic promise of things to come, but we are bringing the blessing of Tabernacles into the NOW, into our lives, into the earth. Those blessings of Tabernacles are: no more tears, no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, all wiped away by God Himself (Rev. 21:4). There is another promise associated with Tabernacles that is not only part of a future time, but, because of Christ, it is part of the NOW, and part of us: "Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." (Rev. 21:5). Those who are in Christ are a new creation. Old things have passed away, and all things have been made new. This is the essence of Tabernacles, according to Revelation. These verses in 2 Corinthians go on to say, "NOW all things are of God who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Cor. 5:17-18). The ministry of reconciliation, which by its description in 2 Corinthians, is the essence of Tabernacles, has been given to us! Shouldn't we be taking part in this victorious Feast of the LORD? We are its present fulfillment in the earth! As we read in Revelation, with the culmination of Tabernacles, the Lord creates all things new, in a new beginning: "NOW I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea." (Rev. 21:1). At the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, which lasts for seven days, there is a mysterious eighth day (eight is the number of new beginnings). It is a day called "Shemini Atzeret". It is mentioned in scripture as a day immediately following Tabernacles, but with no specific description. "Shemini" means "8th", but the meaning of "Atzeret" is unclear. It is translated as meaning a solemn gathering because of the possible root word "atzar", which means "stop". It is also called "the last day". Outside of Israel, Shemini Atzeret is joined with a day called "Simchat Torah". In Israel, these two days are kept separate, one following the other. This year, Shemini Ateret will begin on the evening of October 9, until sundown of October 10. Shemini Atzeret is associated with the beginning of the fall rains, or the latter rains. Prayers for rain continue from this day until Passover in the spring. In the natural, the latter rains soften and prepare the earth for the early planting of the barley crop, from which a type of bread can be made when harvested in early spring. For this reason, these rains of Shemini Atzeret are very important to Israel. They are also important in the Spirit. The Word of God talks about the latter and former rains in connection with His faithful provision, a move of His Spirit, and the going forth of the LORD (Hos. 6:3, Joel 2:23-24). The latter rain also reminds us of the return of Christ: "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. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand." (James 5:7-8). The second day after the end of Tabernacles, Simchat Torah, speaks of wonderful things also. In present practice, the day is observed in the synagogue with everyone handling and dancing joyfully holding the Torah (the first five books of scripture). Usually the Torah is treated with quiet reverence, and careful handling, but on this day of Simchat Torah, it is time to dance, drink, and celebrate with the Torah! They literally dance around the synagogue holding the priceless Torah scroll, and everyone gets a turn. The rabbi is encouraged to say the closing blessing early in the day, because he might be too "happy" to articulate it later in the day. This is like our celebrtion with Christ, the Living Torah or Word, at our wedding celebrtion with Him (Rev. 19:7-9). The wedding. like Simchat Torah is a time to "be glad and rejoice". With Simchat Torah, the last reading in the annual cycle of Torah readings is completed with the last verses of Deuteronomy. However, combined with these ending verses, the beginning verses of Genesis are also read. There is an ending, but there is an immediate new beginning, as well. We can see how this coincides with the new beginning of Tabernacles. In this traditional practice, the cycle of Torah reading remains unbroken. In Revelation, Jesus describes Himself as the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega (Aleph/Tav). Here, during the day of Simchat Torah, we see practiced the eternal connection between the beginning and the ending in Christ's identity as the Word of God. Finally, I would like to reveal an interesting meaning to this Hebrew year of 5781, or 2020-21 in our secular calendar. The year 5781, which began with the first fall Feast of Trumpets approximately 15 days ago, is composed of the Hebrew letters, written from right to left, aleph, peh, shin + tav, (he). These letters in their pictographic meaning could translate into something like "Behold, Adonai (Lord) what is first, the beginning, El Shaddai (Almighty God), the last". May the Lord fill you, the nations and all creation with the new beginnings of the Feast of Tabernacles. and also with the new beginnings in Christ. Our Father has called us to meet with Him during the Feast of Tabernacles.