Zechariah 12:10 refers to the promised latter rain that will precede the final harvest. The Lord is waiting patiently until His last rain is outpoured because it will produce the final harvest!In the early part of this century, a Pentecostal movement began in Canada called the "Latter Rain Movement." It lasted perhaps forty or fifty years. Today, only a few "Latter Rain" churches remain. Yet those who were involved in that movement were convinced they were experiencing the Spirit's great, final outpouring. Many said, "This is it!" But the movement dissipated. And other such movements have come and gone also. Why? Because they were not focused on the harvest!Many so-called Holy Ghost movements vanished quickly because they were man-centeredfocusing on gifts, blessings, self-improvement, happiness. Dancing, laughing, roaring, or any other manifestation attributed to the Holy Ghost is all flesh unless it produces a broken heart for the lost and unsaved. If it is truly of the Spirit, it will result in a hunger and inclination to reach a lost and dying world!Jesus tied the harvest to lost souls when He said, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:38).Any true outpouring of the Holy Spirit will focus on this prayer of Jesus. And the few revivals documented as genuine all were blessed with great harvests of souls. There is no true revival without a great ingathering of lost souls!Consider what happened as a result of Joel 2:28. At Pentecost, 3,000 people were saved in one day and souls were added daily afterward. These believers then were thrust out into all the world to witness Christ to the lost."Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest" (Isaiah 32:15). Isaiah is saying here, "When the Holy Ghost comes, He produces fruit for the harvest. Lost souls are won in abundance!"
_________________SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
I normally like David Wilkerson, quite a bit. However, this seems really off to me. Zechariah 12:10 and the surrounding text is talking about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the hope that He gives, not some Latter Rain that is coming, but one that has already come.
I am sorry to find that David Wilkerson made this observation, which is not grounded in fact.Here is an excerpt from an interview with George Warnock by Steve Eastman several years ago (Latter Rain Pioneer George Warnock Looks To Future). Brother Warnock was involved in that movement, and he makes it clear that those in leadership back then never called it Latter Rain, but simply this move of the Spirit. The name Latter Rain was attached to it later on. He says in the interview:I do not doubt that the name they gave the 1948 movement (Latter Rain) was the promise, the first fruits of Latter Rain; but I think it was wrong to consider it to have been the ultimate Latter Rain. There was a chorus that I believe was given by the Spirit in those days that emphasized this. The chorus began with this line: This is the Promise of the Coming Latter Rain. The ultimate Latter Rain I believe is still to come.The whole interview can be found here. http://www.openheaven.com/forums/printer_friendly_posts.asp?TID=9322(By the way, George Warnock and David Wilkerson had a great respect for one another, and in fact ministered together on at least one occasion that I know of.)
_________________Allan Halton
