What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Meaning of the late rain and the Holy Spirit in Adventist understanding"
Answer
In Adventist understanding, the “early rain” symbolizes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, while the “late rain” represents a special gift of divine grace at the end of time to prepare the church for Christ’s second coming. This spiritual refreshment gives believers the necessary power to complete the gospel mission and to sanctify their character. Only those who daily grow in faith through prayer and devotion and who already make use of the grace of the “early rain” will be able to receive the power of the late rain.
The significance of the late rain at the end of the harvest
»Near the completion of this world’s harvest, a special gift of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of Man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the late rain; and to receive this additional power, Christians are to ask the Lord of the harvest “at the time of the late rain.”«
Preparation and character formation through the Holy Spirit
»Just as dew and rain are first given to cause the seed to germinate, and then to bring the harvest to maturity, the Holy Spirit is given to advance the process of spiritual growth from one stage to the next. The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God’s grace in the soul. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the moral likeness of God in character is to be perfected.«
The necessity of progress
»If we do not move forward, if we do not adopt an attitude to receive both the early and the late rain, we will lose our souls... The measure of God’s Spirit that we have received must be continually expanded through prayer and faith.«
The late rain as power for the final warning
»At that time, the “late rain” or refreshment from the presence of the Lord will come to give power to the loud voice of the third angel and to prepare the saints to endure in the time when the seven last plagues are poured out.«
The connection between early and late rain
»The late rain, which lets the earth’s harvest ripen, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of Man. But if the early rain has not fallen, there will be no life; the green stalk will not sprout. If the early showers have not done their work, the late rain cannot bring a seed to perfection.«
Historical and individual fulfillment
»As the late rain prepared the grain for the harvest, so the final infusion of the Spirit’s power shortly before Jesus’ return will complete the work of redemption in the hearts of God’s waiting people and enable them to be prepared for the rapture.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
