(Song of Songs 2:11; Joel 2:23; Hosea 6:1-3)
Zechariah prophesied the renewal of New Jerusalem, saying, “The Lord will again comfort Zion, and I will again choose Jerusalem … My Word will be a wall of fire around her, and I will dwell in her midst.”1Zech 2:10-12 The Word is the Spirit of Christ, who makes the dwelling place of the spirit of God.
Hosea prophesied the return of the spirit of God, saying, “He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.”2Hosea 6:3
The first outpouring of the spirit of God was described in Chapter 2 of the Song of Songs.
Solomon’s bride said, “Lo the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.”3Song 2:11 The spring rain was the outpouring of the holy spirit that began the engagement year of Christ and His Bride.
In Israel, there are two rains. The former rain appears at the end of the year and represents the end-time outpouring of the holy spirit. The prophet Joel said, “He has given you the former rain for righteousness.”4Joel 2:23 The former rain is sent to remove lawlessness from the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus said that when the spirit of truth comes, “it will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.”5John 16:8
Jesus described the Father as the vinedresser who takes away every branch that does not bear fruit.6John 15:2 The spirit of God is sent to sanctify His Church.
The outpouring of the spirit of God brings the hour of God’s judgment to those who worship the image of the beast and receive his mark.
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