Clouds of the Latter Rain
(week 18/02)
Olubi Johnson
We are living the time of the latter rain. It is vital for us to understand what the clouds of the latter rain are and how to follow them. This is what we will be examining in our article this week.
What are the clouds?
Zechariah 10:1 KJV: Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.
Joel 2:2 KJV: A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
These scriptures reveal to us that the clouds symbolically represent people or ministry gifts who will give rain, wind and lightning flashes. The wind and lightning flashes are symbolic of the manifestations of the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:2-4 KJV: And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
But what does the rain represent?
What is the rain?
The rain is the teaching of the Word of God.
Deuteronomy 32:2 KJV: 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:
A false gift is one that has no teaching from the Word that will bring forth fruit. It has clouds and wind without rain: a lot of apparent manifestation of power and “hype” but no teaching of the word that will bring forth fruit.
Proverbs 25:14 KJV: Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.
The rain of the teaching of the Word waters the ground of our heart to produce fruit.
Hebrews 6:7-8 KJV: For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs(or fruit) meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
Jesus said “of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” and “a good tree bringeth forth good fruit”:
Luke 6:43-45 KJV:For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Following the clouds to become a cloud
Hosea 6:2-3 KJV: After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.
Here the scripture reveals to us that after 2 days and in the 3rd. day the Lord will revive and raise us up and we will come to know the Lord if we follow on to know. How do we follow? By following the clouds: the people and ministry gifts that bring the rain or teaching of the Word of God in the end-time that will cause us to come into the perfection and fullness of Christ.
We see the truth of following the cloud typified in God leading the children of Israel by the cloud in the wilderness to the Promised Land.
Numbers 9:19-23 KJV: And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not. And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed. And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
So the children of Israel followed the cloud by the commandment of the Lord through Moses. In the same way today we follow the cloud by obeying the teaching and copying the example of those who are giving us the teaching or the rain of the Word of God that will produce the fruit of the perfection and fullness of Christ in our lives.
Proverbs 13:20 KJV: He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
Philippians 4:9 KJV: Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Here the scripture shows us that if we will walk with wise men we will be wise and that we should copy the examples of those like Paul who have preached and taught the truth of the Word of God.
So we see that we too can and should become clouds of the latter rain as we follow the teaching and examples of those who are already clouds.
