The Latter Rain, also known as the New Order or the New Order of the Latter Rain, was a post-World War II movement within Pentecostal Christianity which remains controversial. The movement saw itself as a continuation of the restorationism of early Pentecostalism. The movement began with major revivals between 1948 and 1952 and became established as a large semi-organized movement by 1952. It continued into the 1960s. The movement had a profound impact on subsequent movements as its participants dispersed throughout the broader Charismatic and Pentecostal movements beginning in the 1960s.

The Latter Rain Movement had its beginnings in the years following World War II and was contemporary with the evangelical awakening led by Billy Graham, as well as with the Healing Revival of Oral Roberts, Jack Coe, and William Branham. In the fall of 1947, several leaders of the small Pentecostal Sharon Orphanage and Schools in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, were inspired to begin a period of intense fasting and prayer for "outpourings of the Holy Spirit" after visiting one of Branham's healing campaigns in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. After weeks of fasting and prayer, the participants had ecstatic experiences and reported miracles.Gideon Chiu (1982), "The History, Teaching and Practice of the Latter Rain Heritage", thesis. Later that year, groups organized large revival events, and news quickly swept across Canada and the United States, influencing many Pentecostal believers. The movement was deeply influenced by British Israelism and many of the movement's doctrines, including their interpretation of the "Latter Rain" prophecy, were based on parallels drawn between the church and Israel based on British Israel ideology.

Joseph Mattsson-Boze was an important leader of the movement and helped organize many revival conventions. He publicized the Latter Rain movement and its leaders in his Herald of Faith magazine in the 1950s and 1960s. Boze was instrumental in bringing the Independent Assemblies of God in the revival. The IAoG were key supporters of the Latter Rain movement and provided an early framework for the movement which emphasized the independence of the local church and opposed complex denominational structures. As the revival died down after a few years, those who had been swayed by the doctrine formed various loosely affiliated groups. William Branham, Ern Baxter, Sam Fife, John Robert Stevens, Paul Cain, Emanuele Cannistraci, Dick Iverson, Kevin Conner, Dick Benjamin, Leonard Fox, Violet Kitely, Reg Lazelle, David Schoch, George Evans, Charlotte Baker, Fuchsia Pickett, Jim Watt and others, were prominent ministries that influenced and were influenced by the Latter Rain.

The Latter Rain strongly emphasized relational networks over denominational structures. Latter Rain emphases are some of the most noticeable differences between Pentecostals and Charismatics, as delineated, for example, by the Assemblies of God USA in their 2000 position paper on end time revival. The Latter Rain movement was rejected by classical Pentecostal denominations. The broader Pentecostal movement began to strongly reject elements of the Latter Rain movement starting in the early 1950s, which caused significant discord and confrontations between participants in the Latter Rain and the leadership of older Pentecostal groups. The term Latter Rain increasingly became a pejorative label among the broader Pentecostal movement; therefore, many ministers who were influenced by the movement became reluctant to share their connections to the movement. Much of the movement, along with elements of the Healing Revival, integrated into parts of the larger Charismatic movement.

History

Background The late 1940s was a time Pentecostals considered "of deep spiritual hunger,"Schmitt, Charles P. (2002). Floods Upon the Dry Ground, Shippensburg, PA: Revival Press. as they were concerned about the declining operation of the gifts of the Spirit they claimed were once so evident when Pentecostalism began in the early 20th century.Nichol, John Thomas (1966) Pentecostalism, New York: Harper & Row. In response, about 70 students gathered in October 1947 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, to begin the first term of the newly formed Sharon Bible College.Wanagas, Ewald A. (2000). The Revival & Outpouring of the Holy Spirit: Things I Have Seen and Heard, North Battleford: Sharon Children's Homes and Schools. Most were first-year students, but some were second and third-year students from the Pentecostal Bible College in Saskatoon.

From the latter part of October 1947 until February 1948, members of the school participated in daily fasting and prayer. Classes were suspended at times to encourage the movement which the majority of the school began to participate in. The students believed that God was about to do something new and unique for the church. Some students issued prophecies that urged others "to seek the face of the Lord". Some students reporting difficulty studying because of their intense motivation to pray and fast.“The History, Teaching and Practice of the Latter Rain Heritage” by Gideo Chiu, 1982, thesis.

By day, the students labored to construct buildings to serve as new classrooms and gathered for prayer in the evenings, which included intercessory prayer, prophecy and fasting. Some fasted between three and forty days. At the time, the school consisted of three buildings at the North Battleford airport.Warnock, George H. (1978) The Feast of Tabernacles, North Battleford: Sharon Schools

The group was led primarily by George Hawtin and Percy G. Hunt, two former pastors of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, and Herrick Holt, a pastor of the Church of the Foursquare Gospel in North Battleford.Albert James Dager, "An Examination of Kingdom Theology", Apologetics Index They were later joined by George Hawtin's brother Ernest Hawtin, and brother-in-law Milford Kirkpatrick. The initial 70 Sharon School students had followed Hawtin and Hunt from Bethel Bible Institute in Saskatoon, where both had formerly taught. Hawtin had been asked to resign for lack of cooperation with the institute, and Hunt resigned in sympathy.

Initial revival (1948)

On February 11, 1948, a young woman prophesied "that we are on the very verge of a great revival, and all we have to do is open the door, and we could enter in." After the prophecy Pastor Hawtin prayed, "Father we do not know where the door is, neither do we know how to enter it."

A following prophecy described the open door as the doorway into the gifts and ministries in the Body of Christ. Then, the following day, the students began to have ecstatic experiences which were described as "the rain pouring down". One of the eyewitnesses, Ern Hawtin, brother of Pastor George Hawtin, reported the outpouring as the revival suddenly began in the largest classroom where the entire student body was gathered. One student claimed to experience a vision. Other students claimed they were under the power of God as they collapsed on the floor.“The History, Teaching and Practice of the Latter Rain Heritage” by Gideo Chiu, 1982, thesis.

Some students knelt in worship and reported feeling in "deep awe of God". One claimed to be directed by God to lay his hands upon a student and pray for him. After doing so, he uttered a prophecy to the student. Then another lengthy prophecy was given by Ern Hawtin that the gifts of the spirit will be restored to the church to be received by prophecy and the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Haltingly, the members of the school began to pray and lay hands on people, and there were reports of multiple healings as result of the prayers. Prior to this, the laying on of hands for this purpose was viewed as heretical and had not been practiced for several decades throughout Pentecostalism. Pastor G. Hawtin came to believe that the nine spiritual gifts had been restored to the Church.

Thomas Holdcroft wrote about the events:

In the spring of 1948 on Easter weekend, special services were held which the school called the "Feast of Pentecost". Many people who had heard of the revivals in North Battleford attended these services. This led to what is considered the first "Camp Meeting" during July 7–18, 1948, which began drawing large crowds in the thousands.

The revival quickly spread across the country and the world and was joined by numerous churches and individuals. Glad Tidings Temple in Vancouver, British Columbia, became an important church that spread the message of revival around the world through her publications, tapes and missionaries worldwide and Bible schools in Vancouver, Taiwan, Mexico, the Arctic and in Uganda. The Philadelphia Church in Chicago became another important hub of the Latter Rain revival. Its pastor, Joseph Mattsson-Boze was a leading figure in the Independent Assemblies of God, whose denomination embraced the movement early on. Herald of Faith magazine began to print and publicize the events of the revival. Bethseda Missionary Temple in Detroit began interacting with the movement in December 1949 and became another important bastion of the movement. Franklin Hall, who published Miracle Word magazine, began participating in the movement in 1948.

Israel and the church The Latter Rain movement was deeply influenced by British Israelism which impacted the development of some of the key teachings of the movement. The teachings from the revival came to be known as "Latter Rain" because its leaders began to connect the timing of the revival with the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948. They believed their revival was a fulfillment of a prophecy of a coming "latter rain" by Joel the Prophet. The Latter Rain movement believes that the Church is the spiritual counterpart of Israel. They believe parallels exist between the history of Israel and the Church such that whenever Israel experiences restorative events, the Church similarly experiences a spiritual restoration.

In 1900, when the Zionist movement was seeking a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine, it coincided with "a restoration of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit" at the Azusa Street Revival in 1906.Chieu, Gideon. Thesis on Latter Rain (1982) "The History, Teaching and Practice of the Latter Rain Heritage." "Latter Rain Teachings on Restoration." (Pages 4, 40) Appendix A. "New Move of God Israel Vision." "In 1980, Latter Rain came to understand that before the final truths ... could be restored to the Church, Israel must first be restored." "Divine Confirmation Through Emmanuel Cannistraci". "Glad Tidings Temple [Canada]... on April 17, 1980... the voice of Emanuele Cannistraci, an accepted prophet in revival circles... from the States ... immediately broadcast live ... and subsequently circulated in a print-out ... message totally confirmed what the Lord was initiating." In 1948 when the modern nation of Israel was established, they claim God restored the doctrine of the laying on of hands and praise through the Latter Rain Revival and raised up healing evangelists such as Branham and Oral Roberts. This teaching was widely promoted by Branham, Hawtin, Mattson-Boze, Ern Baxter, and many other prominent figures connected to the movement. In 1967, Israel won the Six-Day War and restored Jewish control over Jerusalem. The Latter Rain movement connected the event with the charismatic movement which it said was restoring the gifts of the spirit to the church. Groups influenced by and descended from Latter Rain have continued the pattern of connecting what they believe to be restoration events in church to restoration events for the nation of Israel.