Dear ScottA,
Yes, the Early and Latter Rains concept is a part of the farming analogy. The farming analogy teaches the pathway to salvation. It is one of many analogies that Christ uses in scripture.
The Latter Rain is what makes a person ready for the harvest into the Kingdom of Heaven. It is the baptism.
The Early Rain is what makes an unbeliever into a believer. It will give the person their faith and certain spiritual gifts - but it is given in a small measure as Joel pointed (Joel 2:23). It is not the baptism. When a person has only the Early Rain, they will remain a babe who can only draw milk. The Latter Rain is what will heal the babe's spiritual blindness so that they finally understand the spiritual teachings of Christ.
To be saved, an Elect person begins with the Early Rain and then after a time of waiting, they will receive the Latter Rain. After they receive the Latter Rain, Christ will spiritually appear and begin the Day of the Lord within the person. Christ teaches this judgment in Mat 24:37-41 and in Rev 19:11-21.
Also, the Early Rain was not fulfilled at Pentecost - that was the Latter Rain that made the Jewish Elect ready for harvest into the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Gentile churches that Paul began received only the Early Rain. Look closely at 1Corinthians - Paul is talking to carnally minded babes who can only understand "Christ and Him crucified" (Christ's physical work). They could not understand the spiritual work that Christ was presently doing under the New Covenant.
Here is what Paul said to them about the Early and Latter Rains though he did not use those terms:
1Cor 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
A person will make a confession of faith (their testimony) and receive spiritual gifts when they receive the Early Rain. After a person receives the Early Rain, they begin a time of waiting for Christ to return with the Latter Rain. Paul refers to the Latter Rain in verse 8:
8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Being confirmed to the end (same as end of the ages) is a person's moment of salvation when they become a child of God who enters the Kingdom of Heaven.
Paul mentions the end of the ages here:
1Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as types, and have been written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
Paul mentions the time of waiting for the Latter Rain in this verse:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
The first time Christ appears to a person is after they are given the Early Rain. This is when they see Christ in the flesh (Christ and Him crucified). That is when the person becomes a babe in Christ who can only draw milk. When Christ returns with the Latter Rain to bring the babe their salvation, He will appear spiritually to them. That is when the spiritual teachings of the New Covenant will open up to the person's understanding - that's what the scales falling from Paul's eyes represented when he was converted. Paul blindness was healed when he received the Latter Rain. Paul received the Early Rain on the Damascus Road and that is why scripture says Paul remained blind and unable to eat for three days. The food Paul could not consume was the bread and wine of the New Covenant. The number three represents a spiritual process. The spiritual process that Paul went through during those three day was being made "worse than the first" (Mat 12:43-45) and becoming a man of sin. For that reason, Paul lodged in Judas' house. After the three days were complete, Paul prayed and Christ (typed by Ananias) came to Paul on a street named "straight" - this represents that Christ's way was made straight (faith alone, no mixing of works).
Here is what James says about the Early and Latter Rains:
James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the EARLY and LATTER RAIN. 8 Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
James is writing to babes who have only received the Early Rain. James is encouraging them to have patience while they wait for the Lord to return with the Latter Rain. James even tells them that the Lord's return to them "draweth nigh". In the farming analogy, the Elect are the "precious fruit of the earth" (wheat). As James says, the wheat is not ready for harvest until it has received both the Early and Latter Rains.
Here are four other verses that use the Early and Latter Rains:
Job 37:6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain (Early Rain), and to the great rain (Latter Rain) of his strength.
1Sam 12:17 Is it not wheat harvest to day? (day of salvation/conversion) I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder (voice of God) and Rain (Latter Rain); that ye may perceive and see (spiritual blindness healed) that your wickedness is great (have become apostate/man of sin), which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.
Jer 3:3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no Latter Rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed (time of being an apostate babe/man of sin).
Psa 68:9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful Rain (Latter Rain), whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary (in an apostate condition).
The Early and Latter Rains concept is taught in many of Christ spiritual teachings but since it is taught in His spiritual language, babes cannot see it being taught.
Joe
