(James 5:7.)

A System of teaching has lately grown up around this passage concerning which it would seem time to give a word of warning. It has for its object the proving that there will be a time of special refreshment and in-filling of the Spirit before the Lord comes, thus affording a season of conspicuous revival and blessing, which constitutes the making ready of the Bride for the marriage-supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9). Of this season, it is claimed, "the latter rain" is a definite promise; while the early, or first, rain was fulfilled at Pentecost. This passage in James, with Deut. 11:13-21, is taken up and greatly enlarged upon in the teaching referred to. It is argued that there is a time of special preparation of the Church, to be fulfilled just before the Lord comes, and that this is the season of "the latter rain." The natural inference is that we are to look for and expect this before He comes. The teaching advanced is dangerous, because it leads to the looking for this latter blessing as a result of fulfilling certain conditions expressed in Deuteronomy and made applicable to the Christian; thus tending to displace the preeminence of Christ, to look for something to be accomplished, instead of looking only for His coming again. It affords an opportunity for boasting and self-exaltation, inasmuch as it sets forth the coming of this "latter-rain" blessing to be the result of carrying out certain conditions which will have its issue in a second filling of Christians with the Spirit.

Let us consider the passage in James. The apostle exhorts to a patient waiting for the Lord's return. The example he gives is the husbandman who with patience waits through the long winter months from the early or autumnal rains until the great latter rains, after which he can gather in the harvest. This is a simple but powerful example for us. And so the apostle concludes, "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh " (verse 8). If it be anything for us here, "the latter rain " is clearly the Lord's coming, and not any preceding blessing. It is forcing Scripture to imply that it means we are to have some exceptional outpouring of blessing, which in that case, as waiting in patience, we are to look for, and would result in occupation with the blessing instead of the Lord's coming, which the Spirit of God presses here.

But further, we cannot make promises to Israel promises also to the Church. This is confusion. Things which happened to Israel are indeed precious types. But this is different from trying to make the example of the husbandman prove that as Israel was promised "the latter rain" on condition of obedience, so the Church is to have literally its latter rain based upon the same principle.

Now what is the typical thought connected with the early, or first, and the latter rain ? As they were of yearly occurrence, and definitely connected with Israel's history, we may look at them in connection with the feasts, or set times of Jehovah, also of yearly occurrence. The early, or first, rain fell in autumn, beginning in the seventh month of Israel's sacred year. The latter was in the spring, particularly in the first month of the sacred year. Typical as these rains must be of the ministry of the Spirit, we can discern from the connection between them, and the set times, the spiritual thought conveyed in them. The latter rain, or that of the first month, is connected with the Passover and sheaf of first-fruits, after which comes Pentecost. How precious a thought! Upon this latter rain the plenty or scantiness of crops and pasture depends. So, upon the outpouring of the Spirit, who came to minister to us Christ crucified (our Passover) and Christ risen (the sheaf of first-fruits), depends the full blessing and fruitful-ness of Christianity, the great harvest of grace in this present dispensation. The early rain is connected with the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Here we see at once that the connection is with the recall, re-gathering, and final blessing, of Israel-not with Pentecost, as the teaching referred to implies. It is the time of plowing and sowing for Israel; and not for her only, but also for the whole world-the time when, in unequaled judgment, God will plow up, but also put in that new seed, to ripen thereafter. The result will be, as He has said, " I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts . . . for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest" (Heb. 8:10, 11). Of the ministry and outpouring of the Spirit at that time, the prophets bear ample witness; but it is clearly different from its present character. We gather from this the true meaning, typically, of the early and latter rain; and can easily see it has no such connection as has been given to it. It is evident the Spirit of God has given no promise of an epoch of special latter-day blessing, the fulfilment of which we should look for before the Lord's coming, as a making-ready, or preparation, of the Bride for the Bridegroom's coming.

How soon we would become, instead of men who wait for their Lord, men who are waiting for the blessing. And then, since it is to be obtained through special faithfulness and service, how soon, when the blessing had been given, would we plume ourselves with the thought that we had merited it! No; we are persuaded that such things are not what the Spirit of God sets before us. If there is revival among the Lord's people, it can only come through Christ having first place among a whole-hearted people. And how purifying and uplifting is that hope which we have! May God, in His mercy to us in our failure and weakness, revive His work in our midst, which is ever by the exaltation of Christ and the entwining of every affection and desire around Him. Oh, to know Him as our chief delight! J. B. Jr.