Yesterday, in our devotional I spoke of the two rains in Israel, the early rain and the latter rain. The prophet Joel speaks prophetically of these two rainy seasons in connection with the outpouring of God's spirit:
"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;" [Joel 2:23]
Then Joel continues: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit;" [Joel 2:28-29]
Following the Lord's command to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high, the disciples could not have comprehended what God was about to do. Then, when the Holy Spirit descended upon them, astounding both themselves and all the Jews who had come to Jerusalem for Shavuot (Pentecost), the Apostle Peter explained it, quoting directly from Joel's prophecy [Acts 2:17-18] which speaks specifically in this context of an early rain... and a latter rain.
The Hebrew scriptures often reflect the cyclical/repetitive nature of God's creation. The cycle of the 7 day week, the monthly lunar cycle, the yearly passage of the sun through the heavens, etc. Psalm 23 also describes a cyclical pattern in the Lord's shepherding of His sheep, saying literally, "He leads me in circles of righteousness; the word normally translated as "paths" in verse 3 is literally "circles" ("ma'aglei") in the Hebrew. There are numerous prophetic scriptures which have multiple fulfillments, as well. All of this exemplifies a cyclical or repetitive element in the very fabric of God's story.
In light of this observation, I am anticipating a great move of God similar, or perhaps even eclipsing the events of Pentecost. While this has been a much-debated subject, there are scriptures supporting such a move of God, and complementing my expectation of a repeating cycle of outpouring. "Harvest" (a cyclical event) is one of the main metaphors describing the end of the age and I am believing the Lord's love and power will bring a "latter rain" harvest to this world, culminating what He began nearly 2000 years ago. [see Daniel 12:3].
Anticipating an event inspires us to prepare for it. If indeed, a "latter rain flood/harvest" is impending and the Holy Spirit is seeking wise vessels through whom to pour Himself, our expectation will lead to preparation, purification, and passionate prayer. So be a vessel ready to shine in this world of darkness. We're surely entering a season which we barely understand, just as the Apostles in the 1st century; nevertheless, in faith, we can be expectant and prepared for it.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]While we were in the womb, we had eyes, but there was nothing to focus on. Our eyes, equipped with rods and cones to perceive shapes and colors, remained unused in the total darkness surrounding us. Yet, those eyes were designed to see light—a hint of a world beyond the womb, a world we had yet to encounter but were created to experience.
In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their “flying machine” off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.” Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.”
During World War I, in the winter of 1914, on the battlefields of Flanders, one of the most unusual events in history took place. The Germans had been in a fierce battle with the British and French. Both sides were dug in, safe in muddy man-made trenches six to eight feet deep that seemed to stretch forever… but it was Christmas, and what happened next was astonishing, writes Stanley Weintraub, author of the book, Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce.
While Chanukah is not a Biblical feast mentioned in the Old Testament, it is an important one. Chanukah commemorates the story of small group of men with much courage — enough courage to defeat even the greatest of the world’s empires.
As we mentioned a couple of days ago, Chanukah commemorates of the desecration of the holy temple of old, (just another attempt of the enemy to wipe out the Jewish people and the things of God), God’s great grace and the rededication of the temple to Him.
As the world celebrates the end of 2024 and enters into 2025 tonight, it looks toward the conclusion of yet another year. However, God has not been working on his plan according to the Gregorian calendar- rather, according to His own calendar. For example, when Yeshua (Jesus) was crucified and became the Lamb of God slain for the world, it was on the Biblical feast of Passover (Pesach in Hebrew). When He rose again from the dead, His resurrection was on the feast of first fruits. Fifty days later, the Holy Spirit was poured out during the Hebrew Feast of Shavuot or better known as Pentecost. This marked the beginning of the harvest season, and we’ve been in the midst of the great harvest for the past 2000 years. The fall feasts have yet to be fulfilled prophetically, however we as believers are groaning for the world’s redemption!
This parable in Matthew 25 is a warning to the entire body — be ready with your oil! Each of these virgins was anticipating the Lord’s return; none were atheists, or non-believers. They were all virgins who claimed to be awaiting the Bridegroom’s arrival. But notice carefully that only half of them were truly ready.