The End of the Church Age...and After

    In this study, we have learned that God has a carefully developed plan to evangelize the world. It consists of three seasons and three times. Thus far in our study we have examined in some detail the first two times, that is, the three and a half year famine of Jesus’ day and the spiritual famine of hearing the Word of God during the Great Tribulation.

    We also examined in some detail the first season called the early righteous rain which was the Old Testament era that resulted in the harvest of Jesus Christ Himself as the Messiah. We then examined the second season which was called the early Pentecostal firstfruits, the complete fullness of which is typified by the number 144,000 which God speaks of in Revelation 7 and Revelation 14. Later we will examine the 144,000 in greater detail to see why they are the complete fullness of the church age.

    We are now ready to consider the third and final season, that is, the season of the latter rain. We will discover that it is a time that coincides with the last part of the Great Tribulation.

    In the Bible, the use of the word “rain” can be teaching God’s curse or God’s blessing. When God destroyed the world in Noah’s day, much of the water that came upon the earth came as rain. We read that it rained forty day sand forty nights. That rain was a judgment upon the earth. On the other hand, we frequently read of rain upon the earth as an expression of the salvation message, the true Gospel, coming from heaven to earth. Deuteronomy 32:1-3 teaches this principle:

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto your God.

    As we learned earlier in this study, this rain of the Gospel is divided particularly into two seasons during the New Testament era. These seasons of rain and the time between these seasons of rain are so important that we will again review some of the material presented thus far.

    First of all, there is the early or first Pentecostal rain and following this there is the latter rain. In Deuteronomy 11:14, 15 we read:

That I will give you the rain of your land in this due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in they corn, and they wine, and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth in prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

    That there is the early or former rain and the latter rain each in its season instructs us that God anticipates the sending forth of the Gospel in more than one season. This accords with the teaching of Jesus in Acts 1:6, 7:

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

    The restoration of the kingdom of Israel is accomplished as the Gospel goes forth. Those who become saved becomes an eternal part of the Israel of God.

    How then are these seasons of early rain and latter rain divided. We can learn something about this when we go to Deuteronomy 11:16, 17:

Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the LORD’S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruits; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.

    This is a very significant passage because it teaches there is a break between the first rain and the latter rain. This break will come if those who are commissioned and mandated by God to bring the true Gospel begin to serve other gods by bringing doctrines that do not come from the Bible.

    We can further understand the early and latter rain when we recognize that the purpose of rain is to bring forth a harvest. Remember in Deuteronomy 11:14 God declared:

That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.

    We thus must understand what the Bible has to say about harvesting. There was an early Pentecostal harvest and a harvest at the end of the year. In Exodus 23:16, God speaks of these two harvests:

And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

    The feast of harvest was celebrated at Pentecost. The feast of ingathering or the feast of tabernacles was celebrated in the seventh month. The feast of Pentecost, which was observed seven weeks after the Passover, was the time the firstfruits were brought in. We read in Leviticus 23:16, 17:

Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven;

they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

    This offering of firstfruits was from the first or early harvest of the land. It, therefore, would relate to the first or early rain. In the New Testament this day was called Pentecost because it was fifty days after the atonement.

    The feast of tabernacles was in the seventh month of the Jewish year and coincided with the completion of the harvest. We read in Deuteronomy 16:13:

Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine.

    This feast, therefore, would relate to the latter rain which we are studying in this chapter.

Three Seasons of Rain

    As we assembled Biblical information that helped us understand the early and latter rain, we read in Joel 2:21-24:

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the filed: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. 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. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

    Because of the very helpful character of these verses, we will look at them again.

    This passage is more complicate din that it declares, “He hath given [should be ‘gives’] you the former rain moderately [Hebrew word should be translated ‘righteously’], and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in [should be ‘after’] the first.” This passage is speaking of two seasons of rain. The first is the righteous former rain. The second is another season of rain that divided into two parts, an early or former rain and a latter rain. The second is to come after the first righteous rain.

    Remember we learned in this study that the former righteous rain was the Old Testament ear that produced Jesus as the harvest. The next early or former rain identifies with Pentecost and brought as the harvest all of those who became saved during the church age.

    To help us to further understand this, we should now turn to James 5:17, 18 where God declares:

Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

    This passage immediately sends us to I Kings 17:1, where we read:

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

    The end of the severe famine that followed came immediately after the contest on Mount Carmel. We read I Kings 18:22-24:

Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullocks, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: And call ye on the name of your gods. And I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

    Immediately following this contest, we read in I Kings 18:43-45 that there was a great rain. In other words, the famine was ended.

Mount Carmel Points Us to the Cross

    When we look for the spiritual meaning of this famine and this contest on Mount Carmel, we see quite clearly that it relates to Christ’s ministry, including His crucifixion and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at

Pentecost. Elijah clearly represented Christ. James 5:17 discloses to us that the famine of Elijah’s day continued for three years and six months. This is the exact time from the baptism of Jesus, when He was officially announced as the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world, until He was brought to the cross. It was at that time that the fire of God’s wrath was poured out on the sacrificial animal laying on the altar, and both the animal and the altar represent Jesus who is the fulfillment of all sacrifice. The fact that the 450 prophets of Baal could not call down fire form heaven is proof that Satan could not and did not bring judgment on Christ. Only Christ as the high priest could offer the sacrificial Lamb, which was Christ Himself, which was to com under the fire of God’s wrath. The fact that the 450 prophets of Baal were killed by Elijah (I Kings 18:40), represents the fact that Satan was given a death blow when Christ paid the penalty of God’ wrath for our sins. Thus, before this three and a half years had come to an end, judgment had come upon Christ and judgment had come upon Satan.

    Do you remember that earlier in this study we learned that there was a spiritual famine during the three years and six months that Jesus was bringing the Gospel to the land of Israel? This was so in spite of the fact that He was the perfect preacher. Did not He declare in Luke 4:43:

And he said unto the, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

    Indeed, He was the perfect preacher. He is God Himself. But preaching alone does not bring salvation. God the Holy Spirit must apply that preached Word to the hearts of those who are to be saved. We read in Matthew 13:2:

And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

    When the disciples asked Him in verse 10, “Why speakest thou unto them in parables?” Jesus answered in verse 11:

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to

know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

    That is, only those to whom God gives understanding will the Gospel be understood. Those who have not been given understanding will not understand the Gospel. Jesus further declared in Matthew 13, verses 14-16:

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive; For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

    Now we understand why after three years and six months of perfect preaching, there were only 120 in the upper room (Acts 1:15). Additionally, we read of 500 seeing Him after His resurrection (I Corinthians 15:6). Very few were being saved. For example, in John 6 we read of Jesus doing many miracles, including the miraculous feeing of the 5,000, and yet, when Christ began to teach the true nature of the Gospel, we read in John 6:66:

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Besthsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, then for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalt to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

    Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum were cities near or on the Sea of Galilee. They were cities closets to where Jesus did most of His preaching, and yet this language is implying that virtually no one became saved there. This language underscores the complete unbelief of those to whom Jesus ministered. Indeed, the prophetic declaration of Amos 8:11 is clearly in evidence:

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

    There was plenty of spiritual bread and water because Jesus was the perfect preacher. But there was a total famine of hearing the Word of God.

    What we are understanding is that during the three years and six months that Jesus was preaching, there was not a problem of the presentation of the true Gospel. The problem was that of hearing the Word of God. In that sense, heaven was shut up and there was no rain.

    We may assume that many if not most of the 120 and the 500 mentioned above were saved before Jesus began to preach. We know that the shepherds, Mary, Zacharias, Elizabeth, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, and John the Baptist are a few of those who were saved before Christ began His ministry.

Pentecost Ends the Spiritual Famine

    This famine of hearing the Word of God ended with Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is now in the midst of those gathered together. The season of the church age has begun. Jesus promised in John 14:16, 17:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

    The Holy Spirit who is God Himself began to apply the Word of God. Thus, even though Peter was far from being the perfect preacher that Jesus was, about 3,000 were saved in one day. Acts 2:41:

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

    The three years and six months of the famine of hearing the Word of God was over when Christ arose and the former or early or first rain had begun. That is, the church age, which would continue for more than 1950 years, had begun. In principle, it began when Jesus arose from the dead for we read that He is the firstfruits (I Corinthians 15:20, 23). As long as the Holy Spirit remains in the midst of the believers who gather together as a church or congregation, the former rain continues. All who become saved are the firstfruits, that is, all who become saved during the church age are the firstfruits.

    That is why in Revelation 14:4, the 144,000 are called the firstfruits. In Revelation 7, the 144,000 are identified with twelve tribes of Israel. This is so because they were typified by these twelve tribes of Israel. Remember, the nation of Israel consisted of thirteen tribes. Yet 144,000 are all the tribes of Israel even though the tribe of Dan is not mentioned. Thus, these twelve tribes who were typified by literal Israel are in fact the Israel of God which consists of all believers throughout the world.

    In the Book of James, these same twelve tribes are in view as we read the salutation of James:

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

    That accords with the statement of James 1:18 where God states:

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

    Thus, we can be assured that the Book of James is speaking particularly of the churches and congregations of the church age. The people saved during the church age are called the firstfruits both in Revelation 14 and in James 1:18. As we are learning, it is during the church age that the firstfruits of the Pentecostal harvest were brought into the kingdom of God.

The Great Tribulation Time

    And then there is another break in the rain from heaven, a time when three years and six months are again featured as a time of no rain. That is, it would be a time of famine of hearing the Word of God. The Bible records this in Revelation 11:2, where God prophesies that the temple would be trodden underfoot for a period of forty two months, and we read:

But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

    The time period of forty two months equals three years and six months. True, the three years and six months when Jesus was preaching, and when there was such a famine of hearing the Word of God, was exactly, very literally, three years and six months. On the other hand, the forty two months of Revelation 11:2 is to be understood figuratively. Literally, it is a longer period. This period identifies with the 2300 evening mornings of Daniel 8. This possibly could be an exact literal period of time. This famine which began at the completion of the church age effectively signified that the harvest of the firstfruits had been completed.

    This same famine of forty two months or three years and six months is further declared in Revelation 11:9, 11 to be a period of three and a half days. Understanding the Biblical principle that a day can signify a year, the three and a half days that the bodies of the two witnesses who have been killed lie outside the gates of Jerusalem become equivalent to the three and a half years or forty two months of Revelation 11:2. As we are learning, the spiritual harvest from the latter rain period is the end of the year or the final harvest. We learn that this, too, is the same time period and the same event during which there is a famine of hearing the Word of God.

The 42 Months of Revelation 13

    Remember in James 5:17, 18, we read that there was no rain for three years and six months and then, “the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” Thus, the famine of hearing the Word during Jesus’ ministry was immediately followed by the resurrection of Jesus and Pentecost, which brought into being the New Testament church age.

    Likewise, the famine of hearing the Word of God signified by the 42 months or the there and a half days of Revelation 11 is immediately followed by the latter rain when the earth brings forth its fruit. As we are learning, the spiritual harvest from the latter rain period is the end of the year or the final harvest.

    The Bible discloses to us the follow-up of the famine of Jesus’ day. We read in Acts 2 that on the first Pentecost, about 3,000 were saved. But where does the Bible talk about much fruit being brought in after the famine of hearing the Word of God and during the time that the two witnesses lay dead? This is found in Revelation 7:9-14. Later in our study, we will look at

These verses which teach that after the 144,000 were sealed, a great multitude which no man can number become saved. Revelation 7:14 assures us these are saved during the period of Great Tribulation.

    Thus, we have learned from the Bible that there are two parallel events that encompass the entire New Testament era. Both begin with the time of three and a half years during which there is a famine of hearing the Word of God. Both are followed by a great program of salvation that extends into all of the world. The first event of salvation is the entire church age during which the church was commissioned to bring the Gospel to the world. The second event is the activity of those outside of the churches and congregation bringing the Gospel to the world. This is the bringing in of the final harvest of souls.

The Land Enjoys Her Sabbaths

    Earlier in our study we learned that the Great Tribulation of Matthew 24:21 was typified by the terrible period of God’s wrath on ancient Jerusalem and Judah. It extended from the death of the last good king, Josiah, in 609 B.C. until Babylon was conquered by the Medes and the Persians in 539 B.C. This period of seventy years symbolizes and points to the entire period of the Great Tribulation that occurs immediately before the end of the world. This is the Great Tribulation the world is now experiencing.

    This seventy-year period is spoken of in II Chronicles 36:20, 21, where we read:

And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: To fulfil the word of the LROD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

    What does it mean when the Bible teaches that during the seventy years, the land would enjoy her sabbaths? We will discover that this is a very important statement. A further reference that bears on this question is found in Leviticus 26:33-35:

And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and

enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

    We are greatly interested in this statement of Leviticus 26 because it, too, makes references to a time of enjoying the sabbaths. II Chronicles 36:20 also relates the idea of enjoying the sabbaths to seventy years. As we have already learned, the seventy years have everything to do with God’s judgment at the end of time, and it begins with God’s judgment on the churches and congregations of our day.

    Therefore, we will now look more closely at Leviticus 26. In doing this, we will find complete harmony with everything else that show that God’s judgment is upon the churches of our day.

    In Leviticus 26:1-4, God sets forth very important commands that He expects the believers to obey. We read:

Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

    The first emphasis is that the believer is not to worship other gods. The second is that they are to keep the sabbaths. The promise is then made that if you will do this, God will give rain in due season and the land will yield her increase. These promises are further developed in the verses that follow, ending with the promise of Leviticus 26, verses 11 and 12:

And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

    Later, we will look at the commandment that believers are not to worship other gods. However, first, we wonder why the keeping of sabbaths is featured in this language. We are very interested in this because we are wondering about the language that the land would enjoy her sabbaths during the seventy years. Since we have learned that the seventy years identify with the Great Tribulation of our day, we want to know, if possible, the meaning of the phrase “the land will enjoy her sabbath.”

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

    In these verses, God is insisting that if any work of any kind was done on the seventh-day Sabbath, that person was to be put to death. God demonstrated the certainty of this law by reporting to us an incident that occurred when Israel was in the wilderness after they had left Egypt. In Numbers 15:32-36, the Bible reports:

And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

    What a terrible punishment for what appears to be such a minor offense, picking up a few sticks on the Sabbath day. The solution to this puzzle, in which what appears to be such a minor offense is met with such drastic punishment, is found in the language of Exodus 31:13. There we read that the keeping of the Sabbath was a sign “that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.”

    A commandment that was a sign is a commandment that points to some spiritual reality. The sign has no spiritual substance within it. It is a ceremonial law that is pointing to a principle that is of great spiritual substance. The spiritual substance or the spiritual reality that this sign was pointing to is the fact the Jehovah is the one who sanctifies us when we become saved. It is a parallel truth to that which is reiterated in many places in the Bible. For example, we read in Ephesians 2:8-10:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

    The work of salvation is entirely the work of Christ. God is so jealous of our understanding this that He records the incident of a man picking up a few sticks on the Sabbath day. This would be like someone believing that Christ has done all the work in saving me, but I entered into the work of becoming saved because I accepted Christ, or I was baptized in water, or that faith that God gave me and which I exercised was an instrument God used to save me.

    We began looking at Leviticus 26, and remember, we read that two commands from God were especially in view. The first was tat we are not to worship any other gods and the second was that we are to keep His Sabbaths.

Enjoying Its Sabbaths Equals a Gospel of Grace Alone

    Now that we understand that keeping His Sabbath means that we are to be altogether certain that Christ alone has done all the work to save us, we can understand how that relates to worshipping other gods. Let us see how these commandments relate.

    When we put our trust in anything, that becomes a god we are serving. The essence of serving God is that we are trusting Him for every aspect of our salvation. If we trust in our bank account, then that is our god. If we trust in any doctrine that is not firmly taken from the Bible, then we are trusting in our own minds. In that event, our minds and the individuals who designed that doctrine is our god.

    Likewise, if we trust in anything that we have done as an assist or as a condition for our salvation, then that makes these works, doctrines, ceremo-

    nies, or the church itself our god. Even though we may insist we are saved by grace alone, if we hold any doctrine that teaches that anything, however small or insignificant it may appear to be, assisted in our salvation, we are worshipping another god. The account of the man picking up a few sticks should ring in our ears as it emphasizes the absolute character of salvation being entirely the work of Jesus alone.

    Any time any doctrine is taught that it is not altogether based upon the Bible, it is a spiritual high place, it is the worship of another god. However, in Leviticus 26, God warns that the high place of believing the teaching that even the slightest thing we have done assisted in getting ourselves saved is especially serious.

    Ancient Israel fell into this sin. We read in Romans 9:31, 32:

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

    They were trusting in their faithful observance of the ceremonial laws as a condition for their salvation. However, we must sorrowfully admit that this is the problem that also exists in the churches and congregations of our day. It is embedded in prestigious confessions like the Westminister Confession and the Belgic Confession. It is loudly trumpeted by those who teach that water baptism is a condition for salvation or that we must pray a certain kind of prayer or reach out and accept Jesus in order to become saved. It is probably the basic reason that most people who are members of churches today cannot even think about the possibility of leaving their church as God commands. If they are trusting in even the slightest fashion in their water baptism, or their confession of faith, or their church membership, or their participation in the Lord’s Supper as giving substantive spiritual benefit to them, they cannot countenance the idea of leaving their church. Even though they may not realize it, their trust for their salvation is based entirely on things

such as water baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which are ceremonial laws pointing to aspects of what salvation is.

The Land Enjoys her Sabbaths during the Latter Rain

    With this knowledge of the latter rain in hand, we can now return to an earlier question: “How is it that during the seventy years the land would enjoy her Sabbath?” (Leviticus 26:34, II Chronicles 36:21.) Remember the seventy years identify with the Great Tribulation of our day. Remember, too, that during this present period of Great Tribulation, there is bread and water. That is, the true Gospel is plentifully available, but at the same time, there is a famine of hearing the Word of God. We have learned that this famine is in the temple, the churches and congregations that have come under the judgment of God. The Holy Spirit is no longer in the midst. Satan is ruling.

    However, outside the churches, the true Gospel is still going and will continue to go into all the world until Christ returns. The major character of this Gospel which identifies with the latter rain is that the high places have been removed. That is, every possible effort is made to ensure that this Gospel of the latter rain is altogether faithful to the Word of God.

    Remember, too, we learned that a dominate high place that is a problem in virtually all churches and congregations is that of a works-grace gospel. Insistently and insidiously, doctrines are held that man must contribute some of his effort to become saved.

    However, if one outstanding characteristic could be named concerning many who are endeavoring to faithfully bring the true Gospel outside the churches, it is that salvation is 100 % by grace alone. Under no circumstance can any effort on our part, however small or unimportant we may think it is, be in any sense a contribution to our salvation. Remember, we are not to do any work of any kind to become saved. This important fact was typified by the seventh-day Sabbath when no physical work of any kind was to be done. Thus, when a Gospel is preached all over the world that emphasizes grace and grace alone, the land, the kingdom of God, will enjoy its sabbaths. It will enjoy a totally works-free Gospel.

    The importance of a works-free salvation presentation cannot be stressed too strongly. When God wrote the Bible, He placed within the Scriptures some testing programs. In the Garden of Eden, He tested our first parents by planting a special tree and giving it an exotic and tempting name, “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” He then commanded our first parents not to eat of the fruit of this enticing tree.

    Likewise, throughout the Old Testament, God commanded that if one were to experience blessings of God, he must kept he commandments. If he disobeyed the commandments, he would be under the curse of God. Ancient Israel, therefore, tried hard to obey God by religiously keeping the commandments. But they failed to achieve the blessing of God. Why? In Romans 9:31, 32, God informs us:

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

    They failed to realize that alongside these commands that they were to keep perfectly were the ceremonial laws such as burnt offerings and blood sacrifices. These observances were directing them to look for and put their trust in the Savior who would come to pay for their sins. At times, God spoke very plainly about this as He declared, for example, in Isaiah 53:4-7:

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

    God also gave them many illustrations of the fact that only God could save them. Think, for example, of God taking them out of the land of Egypt strictly by God’s efforts and bringing them through the Red Sea entirely by the work of God.

God’s Judgment Will Fall

    We are beginning to see that Leviticus is a very serious and important warning to us today. Fact is, Leviticus 26:14-16 warns:

But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, the cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

    This warning of judgment upon those who violate these commandments continues for many more verses. These should be read and pondered very carefully by everyone and anyone who is concerned about his salvation. We should call special attention to verse 30, where God declares:

And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

    Remember, we have learned that high places have to do with the worship of false gods. That is, they have to do with any doctrine we hold that is not faithfully true to the Bible. This chapter focuses especially on the high place of violating the seventh-day Sabbath (that is, even in the slightest sense, having a works-grace gospel). Actually, however, the litany of high places is very long in our day. Think, for example, of the Biblical laws that churches have violated in teaching that there can be divorce for fornication and that there can be remarriage after divorce.

    This verse is teaching that if a church has high places, those high places will be destroyed. The verses that immediately follow instruct us as to how this destruction of the high places will be accomplished. In verse 31-33, we read:

And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among

the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cites waste.

    This warning was literally carried out against the ten tribes of Israel, which were entirely destroyed by Assyria in 709 B.C. It was also literally carried out in 587 B.C., when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. IT has also been carried out in our day as the churches and congregations have become desolate. God’s judgment is upon them so that the Holy Spirit is no longer in their midst and Satan is ruling.

God is Constantly Testing

    Indeed, ancient Israel was constantly under tests. Would they try to get to heaven by their efforts to obey God’s commandments or would they realize that they could not be good enough? Would they therefore search out God’s promises of salvation for them? As we learned from Romans 9, except for a remnant chosen by grace, they consistently failed the test.

    The very same testing condition exists for the New Testament readers of the Bible. God commands us to believe on Christ, to confess Him, to repent of our sins, to seek Him with all of our heart, etc. Most people immediately conclude, therefore, that if we do these things, we will become saved, and theologians argue that it has to be so because a good God would not command us to do something we are totally incapable of doing. They correctly admit that only Christ can pay for our sins, and this is to be understood as the grace of God. And so the Gospel is present as the grace of God but it does require some action on our part, however small and insignificant that action might be.

    These theologians and Bible teachers fail to realize that the Bible clearly teaches that we are spiritually dead. We are as dead as the dry bones in the valley of dry bones of Ezekiel 37. We are as spiritually dead as Lazarus of John 11 was physically dead so that his body stank. They fail to realize that God gave the commands to believe, to repent, etc., because we are created in the image of God. Therefore, even though we have become

spiritually dead, we are still accountable to God. That is why God can righteously bring judgment on the unsaved even though they of themselves could never have pleased God. God does not look at mankind as robots or animals. He regards mankind as those who were created in the likeness of God, and therefore, completely answerable and accountable to God for the way in which they have lived.

God Commands Even Though We Cannot Obey Those Commands

    God, therefore, speaks to and commands mankind to do things as if they were still capable of doing those things. He gives the commands to believe on Him, to repent, to seek Him because mankind was created to obey God. Mankind was created in the very likeness of God.

    But, as we must do with any statement of Scripture, we must bring the whole Bible to bear on the verse that commands us to believe on Christ. It is then that we discover that we cannot believe, we cannot repent. We are slaves of sin. We are in bondage to Satan. Spiritually, we are dead. We are told that no one will seek after Christ. We are told that no one can come to Christ unless God the Father draws him.

    Moreover, we discover that to become saved, every one of our dirty, rotten, rebellious sins must have been laid on the Lord Jesus. This is so because He alone is capable of paying for those sins. And only God can make the choice as to whose sins were to be laid on the Lord Jesus. More than that, we discover that even after our sins have been paid for, another stupendous miracle must take place. That is, God must apply the Word of God to our life and give us a brand new resurrected soul. All of this has to happen before we are saved. And there is no part of this that we can assist. No wonder God says that it is by grace we are saved, and not of works.

    When we honestly understand all that is required in order for us to be saved, we realize why our works, our efforts, could never assist in any way with our salvation. Then when we add to this the knowledge that we are a spiritual corpse, we know beyond a shadow of doubt that the only one who can save us is God Himself. We are completely at His mercy.

    True, we do know that God is a merciful God. We also know that we can

plead with God for His mercy. We know that it will not assist in any way in getting ourselves saved, but at least we have the assurance that God knows of our desire for salvation.

    Because faith comes by the hearing of the Word of God, we can place ourselves in that environment. This will not assist us to become saved, but it does place us in an environment where God can apply His Word to our heart if it should be His good pleasure to save us.

    That is the reason for the existence of an organization like Family Radio. Our only purpose for existence is to put people all over the world under the hearing of the Word of God. Who God will save or when He will save someone is entirely God’s business. The one huge principle we must observe is that we are never to teach in any way that any individual can provide any kind of assistance to get himself saved.

    This truth that all the work to get someone saved must be done by God can clearly be seen when God saves a baby. John the Baptist, for example, gave evidence that he had already become saved long before he was born. Obviously, the whole activity of that baby becoming saved has to do with God’s activity.

    Only as we bring this kind of salvation message will the land (the kingdom of God) enjoy its sabbaths.

    Thus, it is a Gospel whereby the land, the kingdom of God, can enjoy its Sabbaths. Through ministries like Family Radio, through individuals and groups who fellowship together outside of the churches, the true Gospel is going into all the world. Let us pray that this activity may be continued faithfully until the last day when Christ returns.

    We have learned from Revelation 7 that after the 144,000 have been sealed, a great multitude which no man can number will come to salvation. Remember, these 144,000 are the complete fullness of all those who became saved during the church age.

    In Revelation 14 we find a second reference to these 144,000. Revelation 14:1 declares:

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name

written in their foreheads.

    Verse 4 assures us that they are of the church age because they are spoken of as being “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” Following these references to the 144,000, the Bible continues with verse 6, wherein God declares:

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

    This verse like verse 9 of Revelation 7 is speaking of another event, independent of the 144,000. We will discover that it is speaking of those who are identified with the latter rain.

    Note first of all that this verse speaks of a continuing of the Gospel proclamation that is to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. This language is virtually identical to that which we read in Revelation 7:9, “of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues.” It is the preaching of the Gospel to the nations of the world by those outside of the churches, after the church age has come to an end.

    Revelation 14:7 is of singular importance because it details the nature of the preaching that is going to all the world after the church age. We read in verse 6 that it is the everlasting Gospel that is to be preached unto them that dwell upon the earth, but verse 7 gives more details concerning the emphasis the Gospel is to have. Verse 7 declares:

Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountain of waters.

can easily see the reason for it. Sad to say, in the church world in our day and for many decades in the past, there has been little or no evidence of the fear of God.

    Let me illustrate. The mandate that is given to every Bible teacher and preacher is to faithfully bring the whole counsel of God to those to whom they are teaching or preaching. Any time they teach a doctrine that is not faithful to the Bible, effectively, they are in rebellion against God. Effectively, they are saying that they know better than Almighty God. They are insisting that their wisdom is greater than the wisdom of God.

    To illustrate this reality, think, for example, that there are preachers who preach the doctrines of the Lutheran church, others preach the doctrines of the Baptist churches, others preach the doctrines of the Methodist denomination, others, the Reformed churches, etc. Each of these denominations frequently holds their unique understanding of a particular subject, while another denomination has a different understanding of the subject in question that is altogether true to the Word of God, and all of the others are teaching a false doctrine.

    Therefore, with the knowledge of all of these differing views on the same subject, pastors and teachers who want to be entirely faithful to God’s Word, and who tremble at the responsibility they have to bring the truth, should be constantly studying the Word of God and making correction to doctrines that they have been teaching incorrectly.

    To say it another way, how many pastors today are ready to take issue with a statement or a doctrine in their church’s or denomination’s confession if they suspect it is not quite as faithful to God’s Word as it should be? Those who have a true fear or God should constantly be studying God’s Word and be ready to modify their church confession or doctrine if it is not as faithful to God’s Word as it should be.

    Again, for example, for hundreds of years, it was the correct Biblical position of most denominations that the there is not to be divorce for any reason and there is not to be a second marriage if the divorced spouse is still living. Today, virtually every congregation teaches that divorce for fornication is possible and remarriage after divorce is also possible. The great

number of divorce people in the churches of our day and even in the ruling bodies of the churches testify to the reality of this sin.

    How many pastors and elders or deacons wake up at night in a cold sweat because they realize their church is violating God’s marriage laws? In Philippians 2:13, we are told to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. If anyone should tremble before God, it is teachers and preachers of the Bible. It is with good reason that God instructs those of the latter rain that the first thing they should emphasize in their Gospel proclamation is the fear of God. And, of course, if they are to preach the fear of God, they themselves should tremble before God and make sure that they are faithful to the whole counsel of God.

    Remember that the Bible teaches that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that Israel in 709 B.C. and Judah in 587 B.C. were destroyed by God because of their refusal to remove the high places. These historical evidences of God’s actions should cause every pastor to tremble in fear. No church today has any more protection from the wrath of God then Israel and Judah had at the time they were in the focus of God’s relationship to mankind.

All Glory to God

    The third aspect of the Gospel message that should be preached during the latter rain is that we are to give all glory to God.

    This seems like an unnecessary command. Any time we bring the Gospel, are we not glorifying God? The fact is, if we have any kind of a works-grace gospel, we are not giving all glory to God. To some degree we are glorifying man for their part in the salvation process. If, for example, we believe that our church confessions are on a lower level of authority, and yet in practice, they are the standard by which a church measures any doctrine, then God is not being glorified. The church fathers who wrote the confessions are being glorified.

    Any time a church follows any doctrine that is not firmly based on the Word of God, it is man who is glorified rather than God. In fact, today, if a

church refuses to obey the abundant warnings of the Bible that it is under the judgment of God, it is not glorifying God.

God’s Judgment Has Come

    A fourth aspect of the Gospel that must be preached is that God’s judgment has come.

    Let us look closely at Revelation 14:7 where we read:

Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

    We are instructed that another aspect of the Gospel message that should be preached during the latter rain is that the hour of God’s judgment has come. The manner in which this sentence is written should cause all who read it to tremble with fear. The whole phrase is, “give glory to him[God]; for the hour of his judgment is come.” We should immediately think of the statement of Joshua to Achan just before Achan came under the wrath of God. Achan had disobeyed God by taking for his own gold and silver that should be been destroyed. God showed Joshua that Achan had done this. As Achan stood before Joshua, Joshua said to him in Joshua 7:19:

And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

    Achan confessed his sin but it was too late. By God’s command, he was stoned to death.

    In parallel fashion, we must remember that God is fully aware of each and every sin of the churches and congregations. He is fully aware of the high places, the doctrines produced by the lofty thoughts of theologians rather than by humble submission to the Bible. And now, we who have the true Gospel are told to proclaim to all who claim to have an interest in the Bible, to give glory to God, for the hour of His judgment is come.

    It might be noted that the proclamation that the time has come for God’s judgment upon the churches and congregations is the most unhappy proclamation possible. The prophet Jeremiah had the same unhappy task in his day when he was instructed to declare to Judah that God was going to destroy Judah by the Babylonian armies. Many theologians have called him

the weeping prophet, and so he was. It brought no joy to him to preach judgment to Judah.

    Likewise, this is the saddest possible task assigned by God to true believers outside the church. The task is to proclaim to the churches and congregations that the time of judgment has come. The evidence that we are at a time cannot be denied.