Chapter 12 – The Sealing Time and the latter rain
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal; The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Tim. 2:19.
Before the work is closed up and the sealing of God’s people is finished, we shall receive the outpouring of the Spirit of God. Angels from heaven will be in our midst; even now we could be entertaining them.
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”. (Heb. 13:2)
Our heavenly Father does not make claims at our hands which we could not perform. He desires His people to labor earnestly to carry out His purpose for them. They are to pray for power, expect power, and receive power that they may grow up into the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus (Eph. 4:13).
Not all members of the church are cultivating personal piety; therefore, they do not understand their personal responsibility. They do not realize
that it is their privilege and duty to reach the high standard of Christian perfection (Maturity). Are we looking forward to the latter rain, confidently hoping for a better day, when the church shall be endued with power from on high and thus fitted for work? The latter rain will never refresh and invigorate the indolent, who do not use the powers God has given them.
The closing work on the earth is the sealing of the servants of God, a description found in Revelation the seventh chapter. The universe is now waiting for that work to be completed. The only thing in heaven or earth that can hinder the work of God is a lack of spirituality on the part of His chosen people. This is what the devil is counting on. The kingdom over which Christ will reign will be a spiritual kingdom, and while many serve God in the mind, the subjects for whom Christ is now waiting, are those who serve with the whole heart.
When it is fully demonstrated that the Spirit of the Eternal Father can dwell in man, then those who have overcome as Christ overcame, will inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world (Phil 2:5,13). The one hundred and forty-four thousand, together with the multitude of the saved, gathered about the throne and the Lamb on Mount Zion, were shown to the prophetic eye of John (Rev.14:1-5). The sixth seal closes when the one
hundred and forty-four thousand have received the seal of God, and are waiting for the appearance of Christ in the clouds of Glory (Rev. 7).
God had full fore-knowledge that there would be a people at this time in history that would take His word to heart, yield their will to the lordship of the Holy Spirit, and walk in righteousness and holiness, despite the corruption, wickedness and anarchy in our world. It could be that possessing this insight, God structured His plan accordingly. Six-thousand years would be the amount of time needed to accomplish this full commitment. So all through the inspired Scriptures He would drop hints of this 6:1 ratio, a ratio of 6,000 years of human probation contrasted with the 1,000 years of millennial rest, the ultimate Shemitah (release) for the planet.
The living righteous will receive the seal of God prior to the close of human probation. The sign or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the Lord’s memorial of creation. “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples” (Isa. 8:16). Those who are sealed become the prime target of the dragon, for they honor God by keeping His commandments and possess the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 12:17)
God utilizes the weekly cycle (a 6:1 ratio), established at creation, to bring a test of loyalty upon the entire world just prior to the sealing of the remnant and His coming. It is no coincidence that the Sabbath commandment is in the heart of His law. It starts with the word “remember”, quite fitting as most of the world has forgotten God’s memorial of creation and recreation. As each person on the planet has an equal amount of time, this test is totally fair. The only way to worship God in spirit and truth is to honor His Sabbath, the 7th day. This follows after the example of Christ Himself and His disciples.
Scripture informs us that this will be also the day in which we meet with our God and His Son in the world made new; “And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord”. (Is. 66:23)
The very center of the book of Revelation focuses on worship. “All the world marveled and followed the beast. So they (the multitude in the world) worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying , who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Rev. 13:3-4) It is so important for us to rightly interpret this last book of God’s word. Let’s start with the structure itself.