LET ZION ARISE

In the Book of Joel 2:23-27, we have a prophetic word for the Church of Christ, which here is referred to as Zion. The passage reads:

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 

 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.  

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.  

And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

Rain, as we know, is figurative of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit from God. The first major out pouring was on the early Church on the Day of Pentecost. The events that were recorded on that day were prophetically foretold in the same Book of Joel in Joel 2:28-29 and following:

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

        And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

The above scripture was quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost when he stood up to address the crowd which had gathered to witness what was happening. Peter, speaking by the unction of the Holy Spirit said, "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God; I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

        And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

These prophetic words put the timing of the outpouring in a unique period of time. Joel speaking by the Holy Spirit says, “it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;". However, Peter, speaking by the Holy Spirit says "it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:” By this progressive revelation of the Holy, we understand that the time in which this outpouring would begin coincides with the Day of Pentecost. So we can safely say that the initial installment of the “former rain" which God promised in Joel 23 came at the inception of the Church at Jerusalem. This outpouring of God's Spirit had continued over the years since the Day of Pentecost in varying measures on the Body of Christ, at several locations on earth upon believers who have continually demanded from God based on His promise. But the Body of Christ has come to what I call the last of the Last Days, now we expect not only the former rain, but also the latter rain as well. This being so, we need to be expectant of a mighty deluge upon our earth.

Notice that a farmer, who tills the ground, is very conversant with the seasons and with the characteristic rainfall patterns of the seasons. This knowledge guides him to plan his farming for maximum profit. In like manner, as students of prophetic scriptures, we need to be like the children of sons of Issachar who not only had understanding of the times, but they also knew what Israel ought to do. (1Chr.12:32). An understanding of where we are prophetically will motivate us to act in line with God's word so that what He has promised for our time and for this season will become a reality in our lives. We are in the last days, we have been promised an outpouring of God's power which has never been witnessed before in the History of any People of God. We need to seek God's face earnestly and receive for our day that which have already been promised.

God promised in the Book of Haggai 2:1-9, the Bible records,  

"In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying, 

Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts."

The above passage is speaking prophetically to the end-time Church of Jesus Christ, which here is referred to as the "latter house". God by His Spirit is releasing upon the latter house His mighty glory; this will cause the attention of the world to be focused on the Church, thus the Church, witnessing to the fact of Jesus as Messiah will lead an unprecedented multitude who will believe in Jesus into the Kingdom of God. By the operation of the Holy Spirit, multitudes around the world hearing the good news of Jesus will come to God and make Jesus their personal Saviour. Believers after being empowered by the Holy Spirit will perform signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus. Miraculous healings will take place Great signs and wonders will abound to advertise that wonderful name JESUS. The kingdom of Satan will be depopulated; glory will come to the Name of Jesus and blessings to multitudes of men from one end of the world to another. For these things to get underway, a glorious Church who knows its rights and privilege in Christ, walking in holiness and the righteousness of the Lord must emerge. There must arise a company of mature sons and daughters of God, who knowing what the Word has said concerning them will take the World by storm through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We must therefore arise. Arise in prayer and intercession, arise boldly confessing what God has said in His Word about us and about our time, arise by the power of the Spirit of God within us to shine as the light which God has made us to be in the earth. We've got to manifest the glory of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.