A great revival took place in Wales in the year 1904 which is widely known as the Welsh Revival. This revival did not stop in Wales but it spread to India in 1905. A group of praying people in Los Angeles in the USA when heard about this revival that spread to India from Wales, thirsted for it and revival broke out there in 1906. This revival saw thousands and thousands of people coming to the Lord, committing their life to serve the Lord and many missionaries rose up as a result of this revival who went to different parts of the world to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Such a revival is prophesied in the book of Zechariah and the Lord exhorts us to ask for this “latter rain”.
“Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain.” [Zechariah 10:2 NKJV]
This latter rain brings revival. What’s the pre-requisite for this latter rain? People need to seek the Lord earnestly with fasting and prayer; but not selfish fasting as this book exhorts,
5 “Say to all the people of the land and the priests, When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh, for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? [Zechariah 7:5-6 (ESV)]
When we fast for the Lord, our fasting becomes one of joy and gladness because it brings the latter rain – the revival,
19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace. [Zechariah 8:19 (ESV)]
I am going to show 11 results of this latter rain; that is the signs of revival from the Book of Zechariah; in three categories – in the nation, in our individual lives and in our ministries.
1. Purging of the land of false prophets & religious godmen
and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.” [Zechariah 10:2 (ESV)]
Why do we need the latter rain? Because godmen and false prophets give “empty consolation” to people. But when revival comes,
““And on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies. “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, but he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.’” [Zechariah 13:2-5 (ESV)]
Such people will declare that they are no prophets and no godmen! The result of the latter rain does not stop with this,
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” [Zechariah 8:23 (ESV)]
People will leave the godmen and will be after every true believer. That is, there will no more thronging after godmen and false prophets but every believer will be witnessing for God.
2. Purging of wickedness found in the country
“Then the angel who talked with me came out and said to me, “Lift your eyes now, and see what this is that goes forth.” So I asked, “What is it?” And he said, “It is a basket that is going forth.” He also said, “This is their resemblance throughout the earth: Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket”; then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth.” [Zechariah 5:5-8]
In this verse a woman is portrayed as “wickedness”. This talks about the perverse portrayal of women in all of media; which portrays women as sex symbols, item numbers and commoditisation of women in commercials.
“Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.” [Zechariah 5:9 (ESV)]
“आंदोलन से नहीं आँसू बहाने से होगा”
3. Protection of God during the times of Persecution
As the latter rain brings revival, there will be persecution. But the Lord promises His protection upon His children,
So we need not be afraid of opposition. For He will save us and we will be a blessing.
13 And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.” Zechariah 8:13 (ESV)
4. Purification of God
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. 4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” 5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. [Zechariah 3:1-5 (ESV)]
We will be like a brand plucked from the fire! (v.2)
How will this happen?
God will refine us and test us to make us holy! This latter rain will make us live in constant self-introspection and to seek of the Lord to search our hearts. So much so that, “the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David” [Zechariah 12:8 (ESV)]
5. Power of God to break all barriers
6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’” [Zechariah 4:6-7 (ESV)]
Peak ---> Power of God ---> Plain
What would be the result of this?
9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it… [Zechariah 4:9 (ESV)]
You will complete the unfinished task by the power of God!
6. Participation of people in ministry
As a result of the latter rain, people will come and participate in ministry to help and be part of it.
- People from far off places will come to help the ministry
4 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. 5 And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. [Zechariah 8:4-5 (ESV)]
- People of all age groups will become part of the ministry
22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. [Zechariah 8:22 (ESV)]
- People from various places and different backgrounds (those who are strong and were resistant) will come to the Lord
7. Peaceful understanding between co-workers and leaders in ministry
13 It is he who shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”’ [Zechariah 6:13 (ESV)]
“The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord.” [Zechariah 6:14 NIV]
8. Proper produce in ministry
God will purge the ministry of those who “steal” and “swear falsely”. People who rob God’s money, God’s glory and give false reports and swear falsely against others, shall be removed by God.
10. Punishment of God upon leaders & shepherds who are careless in ministry & care only about their pockets
3 “My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle. [Zechariah 10:3 (ESV)]
5 Those who buy them slaughter them and go unpunished, and those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, I have become rich,’ and their own shepherds have no pity on them. [Zechariah 11:5 (ESV)]
15 Then the Lord said to me, “Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. 16 For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs. 17 “Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock… [Zechariah 11:15-17 (ESV)]
The Lord will also punish the “worthless shepherds” because they,
- do not care for the perishing souls
- do not seek the wandering
- do not heal the maimed
- do not nourish the healthy
But the good news is this latter rain also pours in a spirit of repentance.
11. Pouring out of a spirit of compassion & supplication
“And I will pour out a spirit of compassion and supplication…” [Zechariah 12:10 NRSV]
For what would they cry and supplicate?
“Listen, the wail of the shepherds, for their glory is despoiled!” [Zechariah 11:3 NRSV]
They cry unto the Lord for their “glory is lost”. As this latter rain would come upon us, we will seek the Lord for His glory in our life and ministry as Zechariah says,
God’s glory within [Zechariah 2:5]
Sent by God’s glory [Zechariah 2:8]
Let us seek the Lord to send the latter rain in our life and ministry so that we may glorify God and become the reason and part of a great revival.
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