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A New Beginning

Last Thursday (3 April 2003), as I was walking from a bus-stop, about 1 km away from my home, a sudden and heavy rain overtook me and totally drenched me. That same night, I awoke at 3 am. There and then was another outpouring of rain with thunders and lightnings.

On Saturday (5 April 2003), as we were waiting on the Lord in the House of Prayer, one of the watchmen shared about some great events that happened on the first day of the first month in the Bible.

"This month shall be your beginning of months;
it shall be the first month of the year to you."
(Exodus 12:2)

It is called the "First Month," because it is the Month of Redemption, the month of the Exodus of the Jewish People from slavery in Egypt, the House of Bondage. It is also called the Spring-time Month, because the Hebrew Calendar is set up so that the month must fall in the Spring.

The first day of the first month marks a new beginning! A new beginning for the past to be forgiven and forgotten, and a new spring to begin life right with God.

What had happened on the first day of the first month throughout history?

  • The Flood stopped and the waters dried up (Gen 8:13).
  • The setting up of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting (Exodus 40:2, 40:17).
  • Cleaned and sanctified the Temple (2 Chr 29:17).
  • Ezra began his journey from Babylon to Jerusalem as he had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:9-10).
  • Ezra and the priests finished questioning all the men who had taken pagan wives (Ezra 10:17).
  • The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel (Eze 29:17).
  • To take a young bull without blemish and cleanse the sanctuary (Eze 45:18).
  • The coming of the latter rain (Joel 2:23).

I strongly believe that a new beginning is dawning and beginning to take place in our lives. But before that, God is sending His rain to cleanse us beginning from the Flood (of wars and of Sars) to setting up His tabernacle of David and then unto cleaning and sanctifying His Temple (by seeking, doing and teaching His law), removing spiritual idolatry and adultery, receiving His Word and also the coming of a new rain, the latter rain.

What is this latter rain? It is found in Joel 2:23-29:

Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you-- the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

Now I understand why I was caught in the sudden rain last Thursday evening. It was the beginning of the day called the first day of the first month in the Jewish calendar (evening of 3 April to evening of 4 April, 2003).