Those who love the Lord are speaking today of God's army. "God is raising up an army. Get ready to march in the army of the Lord." You hear it from many places. Some are proclaiming Joel's army. Others are hoping for the manifestation of the sons of God. Still others are praying for the latter rain to fall. These are exciting times for the saints.

Perhaps a word or two about what is in the future may be of help to those who are pressing forward in the Lord.

There is an army being prepared today. Then there is another army that will return with the Lord when He appears. This second army is Joel's army and is identical with the manifestation of the sons of God.

The army that is being prepared today is still part of the Church Age. It is an army of witnesses. The army of witnesses will march in the authority and power of the latter (harvest) rain.

The army of witnesses will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to every nation. Then the end of the Church Age will be here and there will be a tumultuous period of transition in preparation for the Lord's return to earth.

The army of witnesses, the latter-rain revival, is portrayed in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Revelation as "two witnesses." The two witnesses are Christ, the one Lampstand, and the Body of Christ, the second lampstand. It will be the Lord working with His saints and confirming the Word with signs following.

We have heard about the past revivals and are profiting by the record of success and failure. We understand that the last-day witness of the Lord will be clothed in sackcloth. It will not be a case of highly esteemed preachers dressed in the finery of the world. I think we all are disgusted with the self-seeking we have seen in the recent past.

God is withholding the fullness of His power until a people are prepared who know Jesus and are not seeking to be great in the eyes of the world.

There are contemporary "refreshings" but we are not certain "this is that." It seems while the voice is Jacob's the hands are those of Esau.

In any case, the prophets seem to be speaking with one voice that we are on the threshold of the greatest revival of all time.

The witnesses will be filled with a double (Elisha) portion of the Spirit of God to announce the soon coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth (the original Gospel message). They will be empowered to strike the nations with plagues in order to call their attention to what God is saying.

These are the days of the "greater works" of which Jesus spoke.

It is time today for all the gifts and ministries of the Spirit of God to be operating so the second lampstand may be prepared to bear witness of the soon coming of the Kingdom.

To be continued.