Did you know that the 'Latter Rain' is claimed to already have come, so did we miss it? In the late 19th century members of the Baptist and Methodist churches started a movement with radical Holiness theology and Revivalist fever which began in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. They callled it the Latter Rain Movement and their beliefs held by the group varied depending on time and place. In the early days, the movement saw itself as non-denominational and sought to bring all other denominations under its umbrella to reconstitute a universal Church. The group also frequently proclaimed Dispensationalist themes such as interpreting the Book of Revelation as predicting future events (futurism), rather than predicting events that have taken place throughout history (historicism).They also took hold of the belief of a pretribulation rapture and the belief that God has yet to fulfill His promises to national Israel. These promises include the land promises, which in the future result in a millennial kingdom where Christ, upon His return, will rule the world from Jerusalem. They held to many of the same precepts as the Holiness movement with a doctrine of holiness as being a work arising out of grace, following justification. They also had prominent acceptance and encouragement of Spirit baptism, glossolalia or speaking in tongues with speech-like syllables, prophecy, miracles. Elements of the movement gave rise to and merged with what would become modern Pentecostalism. Glossolalia came to prominence in the Azusa Street Revival of 1906 and in the subsequent growth of the Pentecostal movement
So is this a true 'Latter Rain' and just keep in mind some key points which are being pushed even today.
1) Non-denominational and sought to bring all other denominations under its umbrella to reconstitute a universal Church.
2)Promises from God that in the future result in a millennial kingdom where Christ, upon His return, will rule the world from Jerusalem.
3)Salvation by work arising out of grace, following justification.
4)And of course, glossolalia or speaking in tongues as the utterance of meaningless syllables.
Since we know the prophecy will be fulfilled, if this is not the true outpouring of the Holy Spirit, how will we know what is, how do we know the true from the false?
