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FRIDAY MORNING MANNA
February 28, 2014,
Nathaniel Fajardo
Email:[email protected]
Are We Preparing for the Latter Rain?– Part IX
THE LATTER RAIN EMPOWERS THE FINAL LOUD CRY
Since my earliest quest back in the early 1990s for a better comprehension of the subjects classed as “present, sealing truth,” the subjects of the Holy Spirit, the Latter Rain, and the Loud Cry, etc., fascinated me. Adopting William Miller’s method (GC 319-20), I turned to my Strong’s Comprehensive Concordance and prayerfully studied (and continue) all the direct as well as collateral passages in the Bible referring to each.
In His time, God led me to the works of men possessing deep love and understanding for the same subjects, based on the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White. Two of my favorite resources are The Coming of the Comforter (1949 ed.) by LeRoy E. Froom, and Gordon Collier’s lectures , titled The Early and the Latter Rain of the Holy Spirit (1967 ed).
WHEN is the Time of the Latter Rain? “These are exceedingly vital questions,” Collier says. “We may arrive at the answer in just four simple steps.”
What is the Latter Rain? – The Latter Rain is the power of the final loud cry. –“At that time the ‘latter rain’ or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give powerto the loud voice of the third angel . . . . . “ – E. G. White, Early Writings, p. 86.
What is the Final Loud Cry? – The final loud cry is the final global warning message and movement described in Revelation 18 that “includes the announcement that [verses 2, 3 quoted] ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance (power, margin) of her delicacies.” Verses 2, 3, K.J.V.
This last message announces the complete downfall of spiritual Babylon and the final call to “God’s people” scattered throughout the various religious bodies comprising Babylon to “Come of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not ofher plagues, for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Verses 4, 5.
When does Babylon the Great fall completely? – The second angel’s message of Revelation 14: 8 announced: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” At that time, the churches designated as Babylon were morally fallen for having rejected the first angel’s message and the Midnight Cry announcing the beginning of the judgment hour.
Since then “additional corruptions have entered . . . . “ And yet it has not yet become “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” E. G. White points out: “There are God-fearing men in the fallen churches. If these were not so, we should not be given the message to bear, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen . . . Come out of her My people.” (Evangelism, pp. 558-9).
Historically, “The first angel’s message of Revelation 14, announcing the hour of God’s [pre-advent] judgment and calling upon men to fear and worship Him, was designed toseparate the professed people of God from the corrupting influences of the world andarouse them to see their true condition of worldliness and backsliding.” (Ibid, Great Controversy, p. 379). “It is this work of judgment, immediately preceding the second advent, that is announced in the first angel’s message of Rev. 14: 7. –Ibid, pp. 352-3.
Contrary to the general misconception, “It was not the proclamation of the second advent that caused fanaticism and division. These appeared in the autumn of 1844, when Adventists were in a state of doubt and perplexity concerning their real position. The preaching of the first angel’s message and of the ‘Midnight Cry’ [See Matthew 25]. tended directly to repress fanaticism and dissension.
Those who participated in these solemn movements were in harmony; their hearts were filled with love for one another and for Jesus, whom they expected soon to see. The one faith, the one blessed hope, lifted them above the control of any human influence, and proved a shield against the assaults of Satan.” – Ibid, p. 398. See Rev. 3:7-13 for what church condition this was.
“Both the prophecy of Daniel 8: 14, and the first angel’s message, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come,’ pointed to Christ’s ministration in the holy place, to the investigative judgment, and not to the coming of Christ for the redemption of His people and the destruction of the wicked. The mistake had not been in the reckoning of the prophetic periods, but in the event to take place at the end of the 2300 days. . . . Christ had come, not to the earth, as they expected, but, as foreshadowed in the type [see Leviticus 16, etc], to the most holy place of the temple of God in heaven.
He is represented by the prophet Daniel as coming at this time to the Ancient of Days[Daniel 7: 13 quoted]. This coming is foretold also by the prophet Malachi: ‘The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.’ Malachi 3: 1. The coming of the Lord to His temple was sudden, unexpected, to His people [at that time]. They were not looking to Him there. They expected Him to come to the earth, ‘in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know now God, and that obey not the gospel.’ 2 Thessalonians 1:8.’”-Ibid, p. 424.
Why does Babylon Fall Completely? David prophesied: “It is time for the Thee Lord to work, for they have made void Thy law.” Ps. 119: 126. The law of God will be finally made void by legislation. (see Maranatha 179 ). Collier says: “Babylon falls completely when the long-expected Sunday Law is enacted. This is when Babylon becomes “the habitation of every foul spirit” (Rev. 18:2). The fall of Babylon is progressive—first in America, then in various nations, and finally, throughout the world.”
Therefore the Latter Rain Follows the National Sunday Law. – Collier concludes: “(1) If the Latter Rain is the power of the Final Loud Cry (2) And if the final Loud Cry is the announcement that Babylon the great has fallen, (3) And if Babylon falls completely when the National Sunday Law is enacted (4) Then the Latter Rain follows the National Sunday Law.” “Since the Loud Cry is the combination of two things (a) the message of Revelation 14: 6-12 and 18: 1-4, and (b) the power of the Latter Rain; it takes both the message and the power to constitute the final Loud Cry.”
Thus any one, whether ordained minister, evangelist, Bible teacher, or laymen, including the youth who are powerfully expounding on Revelation 14: 6-11 and Revelation 18 today,are not yet giving the final Loud Cry. They’re doing it under the endowment of the Holy Spirit’s power imparted in the Early Rain experience. While it is true they are proclaiming the message of the Loud Cry, which began in 1888 “with the revelation of Christ’s righteousness,” they are not yet giving the final Loud Cry. Collier says on pp. 28, 29: “Not until the Loud Cry message is united with the Latter Rain in one mighty crescendo will the Final loud cry be given in all its power and glory.”
“If the Latter Rain is the power of the Final Loud Cry, how can the final loud cry precede the Latter Rain? And if the Latter Rain is the power of Final Loud Cry, how can the Latter Rain be poured out upon God’s [prepared] people before the Loud Cry is due? Since the Final Loud Cry is the announcement that Babylon has [completely] fallen, and since Babylon does not completely fall until the National Sunday Law is enacted, how can the Final Loud Cry be given before the National Sunday Law [enactment]?”
However, the Loud Cry is not only the announcement that Babylon the great has fully fallen “because her sins have reached unto heaven” (Rev. 18: 1-4). Collier adds: “It includes also the following: (1) the revelation of God’s character of LOVE to the world (COL 415). This is revealed in the lives of God’s people during the great crisis of the National Sunday Law (2) the final loud cry of the third angel, which is (3) the everlasting Gospel, which is (4) the greatest revelation of Christ’s righteousness, (5) the entire message which God has entrusted to the remnant church to give to the world.”
“The Interdependence of the Latter Rain and the Final Loud Cry. – “The Latter Rain and the Final Loud cry are inseparable. . . . One cannot precede the other or take place without the other.” – Collier, p. 28. Such a conclusion is verified by its predecessor type. Christ’s final instructions to His disciples before His ascension (Acts 1: 1-12), then, during the 40 days He returned to the earth after His ascension, when He “was seen by Cephas, then of the twelve, after that He was seen above 500 brethren at once. . after that, by James, then all the apostles, and lastly, He was seen of me (Paul) .”1 Cor. 15: 4-8.
He commanded them: “Don’t leave Jerusalem until you have received the promised Holy Spirit.” They obeyed and prepared. As promised, the former rain of Pentecost came upon the 120 disciples “as tongues of fire.” Endowed with the divine power of Christ’s Successor, they went forth to proclaim the first edition of the New Testament Gospel of arisen Savior “to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
Yes! The Latter Rain has to be “ten times more abundant” for the concluding message of the Gospel includes the last warning that mankind’s probation is soon to close, followed by the seven last plagues, then, Christ’s glorious second coming immediately after!