No
I am witnessing both.
The latter is here.
Peter declared it at Pentecost.
He said "THIS IS THAT..." Speaking from Joel.
Vivid and true.
Dear rebuilder 454,
When a believer receives the Early Rain of the Spirit, they are given a
measure of faith and certain spiritual gifts.
In the first chapter of First Corinthians, Paul was addressing the Corinthian church who had only received the Early Rain of the Spirit and had not yet been converted. At this point, the Corinthians had only been "
called" to be saints. They were not saints yet (not converted).
1Cor 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
1Cor 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you (with the Early Rain): 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
For the Corinthian believers to whom Christ will come a second time, Christ will confirm their Elect status by giving them the Latter Rain of the Spirit. This will make them "blameless" with they are judged.
1Cor 1:7 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The story of the woman taken in adultery is a "type" which teaches when a believer is no longer condemned by the Law. In the story when Christ first writes in the earth, He is writing the Law of the Spirit in the woman's heart. This represents her receiving the Early Rain of the Spirit. At this point, the Pharisees who administer the Law, DO NOT drop their stones (a stone is a symbol for the law). The law still accuses the woman. Christ then writes in the earth a
second time. This represents the Latter Rain of the Spirit. At this point, the Pharisees drop their stones and leave. The Law can no longer accuse the woman. She is now under the blood of Christ.
When a believer receives the Latter Rain of the Spirit,
the most significant effect is the healing of the believer's spiritual blindness. It is at this point when the believer (who has fallen away and become "worse than the first", Mat 12:43-45) will "see" the Abomination of Desolation. The A of D previously occurred within them (the temple of God) shortly after they received the Early Rain when Satan came to them via the spirit of anti-Christ. These scriptures apply:
Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand. 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Mat 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself SEVEN other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
The spiritual symbol of an unclean spirit represents a spirit which teaches Satan's false truth through lies and deceptions.
Since a new believer remains
spiritually blind (
Mark 8:21-25) after receiving the Early Rain of the Spirit, they cannot replace their worldly false beliefs with the truth of Christ. ONE unclean spirit leaves but comes back with SEVEN more. The number "seven" represents perfection. In this case, the number seven represents the perfection of Satan's lies/deceptions which come to a believer by the indwelling of the spirit of anti-Christ. Now, instead of ONE unclean spirit within the believer, they now have EIGHT. The number eight is a spiritual symbol which represents a
new spiritual condition. In this case, the new spiritual condition is
worse than the first.
This "worse than the first" spiritual condition causes the believer to become a
False Prophet, a
Man of Sin, a
Minister of Satan and a
Seven Headed Beast with Ten Horns & Crowns.
After an Elect believer receives the Latter Rain of the Spirit, they will no longer fellowship with those who they used to call brothers/sisters in Christ because
light does not fellowship with darkness. They will quickly leave the apostate church they attend and begin worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth.
Note: Shortly after Paul's death, all the churches became apostate because they were indwelt with the spirit of anti-Christ. No Elect believer (after receiving the Early Rain) can avoid passing through the apostate church. At the time Paul wrote his letters to the churches,
the apostasy had not yet occurred. Those in the churches at that time, remained faithful. However, this is no longer true. The church now follows "another gospel" (2Cor 11:4) which mixes man's works with faith. When a believer accepts this false gospel, they are committing the one and only sin that leads to death (loss of salvation).
Consider this verse:
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
The "many" who are called to be saints are people to whom Christ gives the Early Rain of the Spirit (like the Corinthians). The "few" who are chosen are the ones to whom Christ "comes again" and gives the Latter Rain of the Spirit. Both Rains are required for salvation & conversion into a child of God.
This is how Christ differentiates the "many" who are called to be saints from the "few" who have actually been chosen to be saints.
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; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Joe
www.britannica.com
