Laodicea, the self-deceived Church.
The Church in Laodicea needed something to proclaim. Therefore, she waits for the later rain to receive the message. However, the later rain does not bring the message. The Laodicea needs the message. Therefore, she needs the early rain. The latter rain is the power to proclaim the message that comes through the early rain. The message is the good news – Jesus Christ. The Christian Assemblies are to proclaim Jesu Christ. He is the Light to the world, which is to shine from the lampstands, the members of the body of Christ.
The Joel 2:23 verse is often employed to define what Laodicea needs. However, there could be a difficulty in the translation and interpretation of Joel 2:23. Accordingly, the early and later rains need to be understood. The early and the later rains are employed as a comparison. The Jewish experts admit the difficulty in knowing the original meaning of this verse. “Citizens of Zion rejoice! Be glad because of what the LORD your God has done! For he has given you early rains as vindication. He has sent you the rains both the early and the late rains as formerly.” Joel 2:23, NET. Joel 2:23 is written in the past tense, indicating it addresses God’s accomplished act. It does not refer to a future event. The rains do not vindicate the people. God accomplished it through the body of Jesus on the cross at Golgotha.
The scriptural evidence and the Dead Sea Scrolls indicate that the phrase, usually translated as “early rains,” also means “Teacher of righteousness” or “Righteous Teacher.” This phrase refers to a person in the Dead Sea Scrolls. The early and the later rains have always come at just the right time. It should not be an exception. This phrase could be translated as “I will give you the Righteous Teacher as I give you the early and the later rains.” Therefore, this could refer to the Messiah, the Righteous Teacher. The Messiah came at just the right time, like the early and later rains. Jesus Christ is humankind’s Righteousness from God. God has freed us from guilt and punishment for sin through the body of Jesus Christ on the cross at Golgotha. God has vindicated humankind and has restored it to himself by destroying sin and sinful human life.
Continued in the next blog.
