Restoration "The Latter Rain Movement"
The Early Roots of Latter Rain Theology
The term "latter rain" is a Biblical one coming primarily from the Old Testament and in context it referred to the late rain which was necessary to bring the planting to maturity so it could be harvested.
Deut. 11:14 that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. Joel 2:23 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. Zech. 10:1 Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field. |
Very early in the American Pentecostal outpouring an early Pioneer of American Pentecostalism coined the term latter rain to refer to what was happening in Los Angeles at Azusa Street. In 1907 David Wesley Myland wrote a book of songs entitled "Latter Rain Songs." In 1910 David Wesley Myland wrote his book "The Latter Rain Covenant" in which he attempted to correlate the actual rainfall in Israel, which was abundant with the manifestations attributed to the Holy Spirit at Azusa. The material of his book was initially published in Piper's famous Pentecostal periodical called "The Latter Rain Evangel." Myland's book was the first comprehensive look at the fledgling Latter Rain Movement and is one of the first defenses of Pentecostalism. David Wesley Myland must be given credit as the individual who coined the term "Latter Rain Movement."
One of the most striking facets of Myland's book is the "triple-barreled" approach he took to exegetical interpretation of the Bible. He taught that the Bible could be interpreted on three levels: "There are many scriptures that are not only double-barreled but triple barreled; they are literal, typical and prophetical; or putting it in other words, historical, spiritual, and dispensational."(1) "To Myland, every scripture was to be interpreted by scripture, "under the illumination of the Holy Spirit, to get its deeper sense."(2) This concept of scripture having a prophetic interpretation began to take on life about forty years later by other exponents of the Latter Rain Movement. The Biblical principle of everything producing after its own kind holds true for error. Like yeast it starts out small, but if left unchecked it will spread (1 Cor. 5:6; Matt. 16:6). Myland's book contains error, but not of an extreme manner. Myland's concept of the Latter Rain Movement was simply that God was pouring out His Spirit, like on the Day of Pentecost and thus preparing the Church for the return of Christ, nothing more, nothing less. Years later his concept of the Latter Rain Movement became something totally different and far more aberrant and heretical.
New Order of the Latter Rain as a Movement
The term Latter Rain Movement resurfaced in 1948 in North Battleford Saskatchewan by brother Hawtin and P.G.Hunt. In 1947 they attended a meeting held by William Branham (an indisputable false prophet) and were so impressed with the supernatural manifestations in the Branham meetings that they were encouraged to seek God for the same types of manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their lives. These brethren had an organization and location called Sharon, aka the Sharon Brethren, and published a newsletter entitled The Sharon Star. The following is an except taken from their newsletter regarding the Branham meeting:
| "All the great outpourings of the past have had their outstanding truths. Luthur's truth was Justification by Faith. Wesley's was Sanctification. The Baptists taught the premillenial [sic] coming of Christ. The Missionary Alliance taught Divine Healing. The Pentecostal outpouring has restored the Baptism of the Holy Ghost to its rightful place. But the next great outpouring is going to be marked by all these other truths plus such a demonstration of the nine gifts of the Spirit as the world, not even the Apostolic world, has ever witnessed before. This revival will be short and will be the last before the Rapture of the Church."(3) |
This paragraph has been restated and echoed for the last fifty years. It is significant because it details the restoration concept now held by the Word of Faith Movement, the Prophetic Movement, The Signs and Wonder Movement, and the Apostolic Movement. All of these moves have their doctrinal foundation based on what was to follow from the Sharon Brethren.
William Branham 
is
chiefly responsible for restoring the practice of the
laying on of hands to impart the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts
8:19) and he also laid hands on people to be delivered of demon
spirits. This practice was taken up by the Sharon brethren.
Along with Branham another figure played an important role in
formulating what came to be known as Latter Rain Doctrine, that
was a man named Franklin Hall. Franklin Hall wrote a book on fasting entitled
"Atomic Power With God Through Prayer and Fasting."
This book taught principles for long fasts and the divine power
one could achieve through fasting. His book was widely read and
practiced my most of the Healing Evangelists (Branham, Oral
Roberts, A.A. Allen, etc.).
Hunt and Hawtin began to hold long fasts in 1947 at their small
Bible school. During this time a woman gave a prophecy that a
great revival was to spring forth from Sharon the next year. In
1948 they held a campmeeting which had over 1,000 people in
attendance. During this meeting Hall and Hawtin began to teach
the rudiments of Latter Rain Doctrine.
The following is a brief outline of what constitutes Latter Rain Doctrine:
 | The practice of laying on of hands to be filled with the Holy Spirit (with the evidence of speaking in other tongues). |
| The practice of laying on of hands to impart spiritual gifts other than tongues. |
| The belief Christians can be demonized and need to be delivered through the laying on of hands. |
| The belief that God has now restored all the ministry gifts back to the Church, especially the office of the prophet and apostle {this is where today's prophetic/apostolic move comes from}. |
| Divine healing is imparted via the laying on of hands |
| The concept of the restoration of the Tabernacle of David. Praise & Worship emphasized as a means to usher (1) in God's presence and (2) to usher God's people into His presence. |
| Singing in the spirit congregationally, i.e. in other tongues |
| The "song of the Lord" a prophetic song or one in other tongues but interpreted |
| Emphasis on spiritual warfare |
| Emphasis on personal and directive prophecy |
| Women have a full and equal ministry role in the Church, i.e. women pastors, prophetesses, elders, etc. |
| Physical death will be conquered by the manifest sons of God {an extreme view held by a minority within LR circles}. |
The Reaction of Pentecostal Denominations to the Latter Rain Movement
Whatever one's opinion of the neo-Montanists may be, this much I will give them credit for they had enough spiritual sense to know that what these Latter Rain preachers were proclaiming was not sound doctrine. On April 20, 1949 the Assemblies of God took a stand against the doctrines being promoted by the Latter Rain Movement. Their stance cost them many congregations and members but they stood their ground. In their letter from the Executive Office of the General Council they stated: "The true test of any movement is whether or not it will stand up under the light of the Word of God."
Established Pentecostal churches did not embrace much of what was being taught by the Latter Rain prophets and apostles, yet many in their congregations did and thousands left. Many independent Pentecostal ministries were birthed and released by the North Battleford brethren and Myrtle Beall in Detroit Mi.
While few ministries will admit to being "Latter Rain" the fact remains when asked about their practices one quickly sees they practice and endorse eleven of the twelve points outlined previously. Like the old saying goes "if it walks like a duck, quakes like a duck. . . it is a duck." Welp, if a ministry endorses and practices Latter Rain doctrines, then it is a Latter Rain ministry.
What does this include? Today this includes all Rhema churches aka Word of Faith congregations. Any Church which considers itself a "Prophetic Church." Any ministry which is headed by or submitted to the authority of an "apostle" are Latter Rain ministries.
After the Assemblies of God denounced this movement and excommunicated some ministers it died down as a movement per se. Yet its heretical teachings were never abandoned and they took root in the Charismatic Renewal Movement of 1967, the Discipleship/Shepherding Movement, and all of the other alleged moves of the Holy Spirit, up to an including the Holy Laughter Movement in Toronto which has some of the original N. Battleford people involved in it.
1907-1910 David Wesley Myland teaches rudimentary concepts regarding the Latter Rain
about forty years of dormancy
1947 - William Branham/Hawtin/Hunt begin to teach New Order of the Latter Rain codify teachings into doctrines
another forty years of dormancy
1985-on Latter Rain teachings brought to the forefront by various prophets and apostles such as prophet Hammond, prophet Paul Cain, Rick Joyner, John Wimber, Apostle Turnel Nelson, Apostle Jefferson Edwards, Dr. Noel Woodroffe, Prophet Mike Bickle.
Today on the Internet you can surf a bit and find pages by some of these deceived folks. In fact, Franklin Hall's wife has a page offering his books again (Hall had one title on how to raise the dead . . . I certainly want that one!). I have included some "off" web-sites for your surfing pleasure.
Latter Rain Richard M. Riss, Honeycomb Visual Productions, 1987. Riss's book is a good overview but it biased in that he is a neo-Montanist and views what transpired as being of and from God. Nonetheless, he does cover the period very well.
Strange Fire Travers and Jewel Van der Merwe, Conscience Press, 1995. Not as much of a historical overview as Riss, but some very good insights. Jewel is a fellow soldier in the fight to expose heresy and bring forth God's truth. She can be contacted at Discernment Ministries, Inc. P.O. Box 129, Lapeer, MI. 48446-0129
Just so some folks won't think I'm making this stuff up ):
http://www.goshen.net/elijah_centre
http://www.brownsville-revival.org
Personal Experiences With the Latter Rain
After being ordained into full-time ministry by a Rhema graduate and acknowledged prophet I started a small ministry called "Latter Rain Ministries." I had several cassettes and booklets by William Branham and prayed I too could have such a supernatural ministry. I, like many others believed that God had restored the office of the apostle and prophet back to the Church. Many prophetic words were spoken over my wife and I regarding the move of God and the end time glory which was about to be manifested and our role in this coming move. Now I know that I, and all my friends in ministry, were Montanists to the core, (although probably none of us knew it at the time). It was only recently (within the last two to three years) that the Lord has opened my wife and my eyes to the Truth of His Word, which has been subsequently revealing the darkness of what we once gladly walked in. I know from personal experience the great attraction Latter Rain doctrine holds for people. Christians want to be on the cutting edge of spiritual advancement. Believers want to see God's power manifested, the sick healed, feel His presence, etc. The problem is almost all of what transpires in neo-Montanist congregations is subjective experience devoid of any solid Biblical foundation. The Bible ends up being used to prove the experience, it matters not where the texts are drawn from, and context is immaterial.
In 1990 I began to hear the
term "prophetic interpretation
" in our church which simply meant our
pastor (now elevated to an apostle) could make the text mean
whatever "the Spirit" was revealing. In
Latter Rain circles truth is changing and evolving.
Scriptures do not have one meaning, the meaning evolves as does
the Church. What Latter Rain people look for in the Bible is the
"present day truth" which is arrived at by the
Holy Spirit as revealed through His current crop of apostles and
prophets. In 1990 a shift occurred in the spirit and the
Apostolic Movement began to be birthed. My wife and I
have met no less than six apostles (most of whom used to be
pastors, then prophets, and now apostles). Over the last fifteen
years we have spiritually surfed various
moves of The Spirit and they all can be reduced to being nothing
more than Latter Rain adherents, only the error has progressed
even more radically since 1947.
In Closing, all I want to say is that the New Order of the Latter Rain is alive and doing very well. Well over one million people subscribe to their doctrines and their churches are among the largest and fastest growing in the world. Please pray for these brethren. The vast majority are sincere and want to serve God fully.
©Copyright 1997 Rev. Robert S. Liichow
1. Myland, David Wesley, The Latter Rain Covenant, pg. 15
2. Butcher, Kevin, Thesis on David Wesley Myland, pg. 93, Dallas Theological Seminary
3. Riss, Richard M., Latter Rain, Honeycomb Visual Productions, pg. 56-57