THE LATTER RAIN - Part 2

The late 40’s was a time of spiritual hunger for the Pentecostals.  Unfortunately this hunger would lead some to leave the safe confines of the known and well established written Word of God.  (Any time we forget that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and try to force our own growth in him or give him a newer, cooler, more modern look, we place ourselves at the mercy of the devil.  He will come in and fill you with what appears to be new and exciting “information” that comes from various types of “messengers”.  Herein lays the perfect platform for false doctrine.  To stay focused, we must rely on the Cross and what Jesus did there and the truth and validity of the Word of God.)

In 1947 a group of students from the Pentecostal Bible College in Saskatoon, Canada, gathered to participate in the preparation of the buildings for the opening of the newly formed Sharon Bible College.  At the time the Sharon School consisted of three buildings located at the North Battleford Airport. The leadership of the small group of discontent Pentecostals were former Pastor’s of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.  They were George Hawtin, (who would become known as the father of the Latter Rain Movement) Ernst Hawtin, George’s brother, Percy Hunt, and later were joined by George Hawtin’s brother-in-law, Milford Kirkpatrick, and Herrick Holt who was a Pastor of the Four Square gospel in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada.  The initial 70 students that attended the opening of the Sharon school came with Hawtin and Hunt from Bethel Bible Institute in Saskatoon where both had been on the teaching staff.  Hawtin had been asked for his resignation for lack of cooperation with the Institute in Saskatoon and Hunt resigned in protest and sympathy of Hawtin’s release.

Prior to the Sharon school’s opening, the group of prospective students along with working by day to prepare the new schools classrooms, gathered nightly for intercessory prayer, fasting and prophecy, with some of the students fasting anywhere from 3 to 40 days.  On February 11, 1948 a young woman prophesied about an open door that God had set before the students and was asking them to “enter in”.  This was followed by another prophecy that said the open door was a doorway into the gifts and ministries in the Body of Christ.  In extended chapel services over a period of four days, a procedure emerged of “calling out” members of the audience and imparting a spiritual gift to them by the “laying on of hands” accompanied by a suitable prophecy.  The authorization and direction of these activities was a series of vocal prophetic utterances by the students and their teachers.  (You may ask what is wrong with this?  Nothing, if the utterance is being directed by the Holy Spirit and not man.  Only the Holy Spirit can “impart” the spiritual gifts.  We as Christians can lay hands on each other and pray for the gifts to come, but the “laying on of hands” of man does NOT impart that gift and therein lies the danger.  We start turning to man whether they be Pastor’s, members, or elders of the church for gifts instead of the author of those gifts, which is God the Holy Spirit!)

In the Spring of 1948, Easter weekend, special services were held at the Sharon School.  These services were called “Feast of Pentecost”.  Many came to North Battleford and attended the services out of curiosity.  This influx of people was labeled the “First Camp Meeting” from July 7-18, 1948.  the crowds grew into the thousands.  The teaching at this revival revived the seemingly banished “Latter Rain” movement, although it was “all new” to those in attendance.  (This doctrine of devils was brought back into a world that now had become distracted by war and upheaval.  Although people attended church, their lives were busy and hard and time taken for family Bible and church Bible study had waned.  Satan is a very patient adversary.  He never considers himself as defeated, just put off for a bit.  Like the Terminator, he’ll be back when the timing is right.  We must never allow our spirit man to sleep.  He must ever be alert.)

The revived movement quickly spread throughout Canada and infiltrated into the United States and eventually around the world.  There was deep opposition from denominational leadership, late in the spring of 1948.  The teachings and practices of the movement were severely questioned.  Resolution 7 of the 1949 General Council of the Assemblies of God USA, made the following declaration:  “We disapprove of those extreme teachings and practices, which being unfounded spiritually, serve only to break fellowship of like precious faith and tend to confusion and division among members of the Body of Christ, and be it herby known that this 23^rd General Counsel disapproves of the so-called “New Order of the Latter Rain”

George Warnock, former personal secretary to Ern Baxter, who was associated with William Branham’s Healing ministry, took up residence at the Sharon Schools in the Fall of 1949 in order to support the movement.  Warnock wrote a book titled “The Feast of Tabernacles” in 1951.  This book discussed the role of Sharon Schools and other affiliated groups in living out the completion of God’s feasts for Israel through perfection of the saints and their “dominion” over the earth.  The Jewish feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles were considered in the book to “pre-figure” and typify the whole church age beginning with the death of Jesus on the Cross and consummating in the “Manifest Sons of God” wherein the “overcomers” will step into IMMORTALITY (These people do NOT believe in the Ratpure in as much as it is not for them as the “chosen overcomers”!) and establish the Kingdom of God on Earth. (The Dominionist and the New Apostolic Reformers…i.e. holding the same beliefs as the Latter Rain and for all intents and purposes are one in the same, hold these beliefs to the letter!  As an example, these beliefs are defined in Bill Hamon’s book Prophets and Personal Prophecy and other books he has written.  I single out this man time and again not out of any personal grudge or hate in any form.  This man’s soul is as important to the Father as much as anyone else’s soul.  Jesus died for Bill Hamon as He did for all.  But he has strayed in the deepest sense from the true written Word of God and we pray for his return to Christ and the Cross daily!!  However, this man along with his followers, are doing more in this day and age to further the heretical teachings of the Latter Rain than any others.  They twist, refute and defile the precious Word of God.  To do so labels the Holy Spirit as some feeble minded part of God and He is NOT.  Just as God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, so is the written Word of God as it stands and has stood for centuries.  I love the fact that the King James Version of the Word of God is so near perfect to the original transcripts.  King James was a wise man because he chose to have scholars, men trained and prolific in the Greek and Hebrew languages translate the Word.  These men had no agenda for any individual church or denomination.  They just dealt with the words.  I feel it is the purest translation of the Bible in the world today.  

Many of the followers of Hamon are actually learned men and women that have attended accredited and legitimate Bible colleges. (We have met and spoken with them) And yet they have chosen to serve man and have turned their back on the scriptures as written and make them dance to the tune of man and his doctrines of devils.  What makes all this so much more unpalatable is that they will say that the written Word of God is complete and is in no need of additions nor subtractions.  But by their preaching they exhibit their self appointed right to twist that Word into whatever suits their needs.  They say that they have “divine insight” given to them by God.  Once again I say, why would a loving God give special insight to one or a few men when all man is to be judged by the Word?  And whatever happened to all the poor folks who died prior to this “movement” rearing its head again?  In reality, the Word of God actually explains itself without contradiction.  If you follow closely the doctrine preached by these people, you will find one contradiction after another to what they say is being preached from the Word.)

BELIEFS

The Latter Rain sees Pentecostalism or any other established religion as dry and stagnated.  These people see themselves as movers and shakers for the modern church.  They must abhor Isaiah 40:31 which states Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
³¹ But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. From their inception, the Latter Rain has had no patience for the Word of God and its timelines.  They know better and intend to do God’s work for Him to move things along.  I don’t know why they are in such a hurry as they only think that those who do not follow them will be going in the Rapture.  To state their beliefs as they do….only the “wicked” that will stand in God’s way will be raptured.  Well, this is one “wicked” one who cannot wait to go home to my Jesus!  These people seem so benevolent now.  But things will change when they “take over”.  That is their real purpose for the 7 Mountains Mandate.  They fully intend to see that every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  When Jesus was preparing to leave this earth he left a mandate for us to love one another.  John 13:34-35 (KJV)
³⁴ A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
³⁵ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Only the Holy Spirit can touch a heart and melt it for Christ.  No one can FORCE or “compel” any human being into submission to God!!  Those tactics are no better than the ones being employed by the Muslims!  God Himself gave man “free will” and freedom of choice.  Who are these men to employ such tactics, and who are these men to assume the work of restoration of the earth?!  This will clearly be the honor of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords when He returns to earth!!  He died for that honor!!  Revelation 17:14 (KJV)
¹⁴ These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 

The Latter Rain has changed the focus from Christ to the “works of man” as they claim that they have been ordered by God to do.  They changed doctrinal and practical changes in the Pentecostal churches.  This has made the Latter Rain movement very distinct and it is the wise Christian that sits in any church that listens closely to the doctrine being preached, and gets up and leaves when this false doctrine is preached.  God will not accept the phrase, “but God, I didn’t know they were preaching false doctrine!”  You will be judged by the Word of God….you need to invest time in it, and then put it into practice for the sake of your own soul!  Jesus clearly says that the Father will erase those names from the Book of Life who have followed the doctrines of the Great Whore which is all the churches of the earth who have preached false doctrine and have added to and subtracted from the written Word of the Living God!  Revelation 22:18-19 (KJV)
¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

For specific examples of “beliefs” and Eschatology of the Latter Rain movement, please make sure to catch Dave’s blog being posted, July 6, 2011.  He uses some quotes of scriptural beliefs of the Latter Rain and Post-millennialists which are one and the same as that of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and the Dominionists (DOM) in their foundational beliefs.  Again we remind you that they do not publically admit to any association with the Latter Rain because of its mingling with New Age and even the occult and mysticism. 

Members of the Latter Rain broke with the dispensationalism which is entrenched in Pentecostalism.  It appeared too pessimistic in the opinion of the Latter Rain movement.  Their personal “spin” on the Word of God gives them an absolute victorious outcome no matter what they do or say.  The truth is that we as Christians ONLY have complete victory through Christ and what He did at the Cross!!  The term “latter rain” comes from scripture found in Jeremiah 3:3, 5:23-25, Joel 2:23, Hosea 6:3, Zechariah 10:1 and James 5:7.  The idea of a “latter rain” is not new to Pentecostals.  That is why it “sounds” familiar.  (Please see our previous blog on “The Spirit of the Familiar Scriptures”).  And when scripture “sounds familiar”, many, many, many, sit and foolishly listen to the ramblings of the enemy spoken through Latter Rain taught, and NAR bought preachers.  Bought with the price of their own souls and now they are after the souls of those ignorant of the Word of God.  Could this be you?  Are you really ready to release your young people to these men and women?  Think long and hard.  Remember they say “latter rain” but these people mean “LATTER REIGN” at any price.

In actuality the Holy Spirit makes the former and latter rain clear in Joel.  Joel 2:23-27 (KJV)
²³ Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
²⁴ And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
²⁵ And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
²⁶ And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
²⁷ And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.   I have highlighted verse 23 of this scripture because this is as far as the Latter Rain and the Dominionist’s go in this scripture to make their claims!  Never think that comments like this are speculative on our part.  We have sat in more than one church in south central Texas and others in other parts of the country and listened to this doctrine of devils!!  These folks believe that where ever Israel is spoken of in the Bible, it is them, (the Latter Rain believers) that the Holy Spirit is speaking about.  When the Holy Spirit is talking about Israel He means literal Israel.  If he meant the Latter Rain Movement, or the NAR or the DOM, He would have said just that!  These folks also believe that they have replaced Israel and that Israel has been cut off.  In David Chilton’s book Paradise Restored, Biblical Theology of Dominion(ists) (my insert) this point is made VERY clear.  I have to respect Mr. Chilton’s publications only from the standpoint that he was not afraid of stating exactly what he meant and believed. (Mr. Chilton was struck down at the age of 45 by two heart attacks.  The one in 1997 killed him.)  I find the “I am just a big old teddy bear that would never dream of taking you into the woods to make a snack out of you” approach of C. Peter Wagner, Bill Hamon, Rick Joyner, Lance Wallnau, John Kelly, and the list goes on and on, very underhanded, cowardly, and evil way of preaching and teaching.  They seem to say…”Look at me, I am just like you all!  Here is my lovely wife and my children and we always keep you posted on what we all do and of all the births in our family.  See we are just like you.  Loving Jesus, and His Word as written.”  If you have an agenda and you believe in it…stand up straight and just state your business.  Does it not make you wonder what they have to hide?  We as Christians need to stand up too and ask questions.  After all this is our souls and the souls of our children and family that we are talking about here!!  Ugh…But I digress.

The term “be glad then ye children of Zion” refers to Israel as it will be restored  as the premier nation of the world which will occur shortly after the Second Coming of Christ.  The “former rain” and the “latter rain” refers to the two rainy seasons in Israel.  The first or “former rain” occurred in October and promoted the germination of the seeds already sown and the “latter rain” that occurred in April, which matured the crops and prepared them for harvest.  Spiritually speaking, the “former rain” speaks of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and of its anointing and power given to those of the early church.  The “latter rain” is believed to have begun shortly after the turn of the 20^th Century and that will continue on through the Millennial Reign of CHRIST.  Verse 9 goes on to say that the unjust judgment of fellow Christians is NOT of God.  The Latter Rain fully intends to do that in their “Latter REIGN”.  Verse 9 says also that the judge stands before the door, and that my dear brother’s and sister’s in Christ is unmistakably Jesus Christ alone!  It goes on to point out the PATIENCE of the “former” prophets who were the most long suffering of all.  It speaks of the PATIENCE of Job and of the long suffering of our Jesus Himself.  In patience is testing which builds healthy spiritual strength and character, both physical and spiritual, and gives us ultimate victory through Christ Jesus!

Another Scripture that is twisted in the Latter Rain, NAR, DOM, teachings is James 5:7 as they quote it.  They take it to mean the “take over” by man of the earth!  But if you read the entire scripture, James 5: 7-11 this is what is being stated by the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit through this scripture instructs us to be PATIENT until the return of the Lord.  Nowhere does it tell ANYONE to take matters in their own hands to steer things along!  It goes on to clearly say that the LORD will THEN RESTORE ALL THINGS.  Pretty clear isn’t it?  It also says that we should establish our hearts (NOT THE EARTH) and draw close to the Lord for strength against the evils of this present world.  God the Father nor the Holy Spirit have aged and become doddering old men now unable to function and rule and reign.  Nor has our Jesus.  They DO NOT now nor have they ever needed man to intercede for them.  It is the other way around!!  That is why our Jesus came!  That is why He died on the Cross!  That is why He sits at the right hand of the Father as our Advocate!  AGAIN…IF “MAN” WAS EVER ABLE TO BEAT THE SIN NATURE AND RESTORE THE EARTH TO ITS PREVIOUS GLORY, JESUS WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO US, LET ALONE HAVE COME AND DIED ON THE CROSS FOR US!!!   This is NOT rocket science here.  When ANY man starts talking of “taking over” whether it is his own neighborhood or the 7 MOUNTAINS, in the name of or on behalf of, or by the “private” instructions” of God or a “messenger” then he is a FOOL to himself and is greatly deceived.  At that point man is elevating himself ABOVE GOD, and makes himself an idol to be adored and followed by other deceived and foolish men.  This is the Great Whore of Revelation.  This is the “religious system” that will lead men astray and away from Christ crucified and the Cross and the mighty and eternal work done there!!  DO NOT FOLLOW THESE MEN!!!  And yet they dare to label us as the modern day Pharisees, and they label us as having the “spirit of religion” and being the Laodicean church spoken of in Revelation.  Well, again, if following the Word of God to the letter as inspired by the Holy Spirit is evil and “religious” then evil are we.  But when the NAR/DOM twist scripture and dare to tell us that some things were “lost” in the Dark Ages from the Word, and tell us that only “they” have received the truth, then they are saying the Word, as it has stood for multiple centuries is a lie.  And if one word of the Word is a lie, then the whole Word is a lie.  This is utter nonsense and the church better wake up before it is too late!!   Tell these men to set up “boldly” their own churches and preach their own gospel as do the Mormon’s and the Jehovah Witnesses.  Tell them to keep their twisted scripture out of our churches and to quit using our dollars and the pure and true written Word of God to promote their own evil agendas!!  If they have something to do, then they should stand up as grown men and go do it, but stop trying to use our churches, money, and our precious youth to accomplish their goals.  If they are so sure of it, then they should believe that God is behind them and they don’t need us, our money, or our manpower, to see it through!!!!!  In other words, we too need to stand up like men and women of God and say it!!  If these men and women wish to perish, and we are entitled to our opinions, then have at it, but stop trying to drag the children of God with you!!!  However, in all fairness, no one is hog- tying and dragging the children of God anywhere are they?  People are blindly and sometimes out of shear ignorance following these men.  And this is the saddest statement for the church today!!

I again must state our passion for the true and flawless and COMPLETE Word of the Living God.  When anyone comes against the majesty of our King of Kings and Lord of Lords this passion spews forth like a fountain.  We experience both anger and deep sadness for both the perpetrators and those that follow them.  Our heart aches for their souls and the souls of their children.  Are we intense in our writings sometimes?  Well, yes.  But this does not now, nor will it ever mean that we do not pray for everyone involved in the snares of the enemy of us all and that is Satan himself.  It is never our intention to offend.  Only to provide the truth of the Word as it stands, and to try and protect the precious sheep of God to the best of our ability through our blog.  Monday, we will present Part III which will include an extensive look into “Joel’s Army”.  Blessings…Patti and Dave