Vincent Yeung—Cambridge, UK

Most people dislike winter, the coldest period of the year, characterized by dark and gloomy days. In winter, the seas give up their blue and the stones no longer show their russet colors. Naked trees line the avenue. The winter wind howls through the desolate marsh and, on the horizon, the sky melts into the earth in a blend of indistinguishable grey tones. If winter is such a bleak, lifeless and desolate season, would we not be better off without it? Yet the Bible tells us that there is a season for everything and a time for every purpose (Eccl 3:1).

Winter in the holy land is the period of heaviest rain; hence, the rain associated with winter (Ezra 10:9) is known as geshem, a word referring to a violent downpour. Autumn showers soften the parched ground for sowing; come winter, the heavier rainfall allows the crops to grow. When winter is past, the rain is gone. Flowers appear on the earth, fig trees put forth their green figs, and vines hang heavy with tender grapes (Song 2:11–13). In Nisan (March), the latter rains nourish the barley and wheat crops before they are ready for harvest. God gives us seasons and appointed weeks for the harvest. Integral to the entire agricultural cycle are the former and latter rains (Jer 5:24; Deut 11:14).

Former Rain

The eternal purpose of God has been hidden since the foundation of this world (Eph 3:11; cf. 1:4); but this purpose would be disclosed at the appointed time (Eph 3:9). God promised that after the Messiah is pierced, a steady stream of living water will continue throughout the earth in summer and winter (Zech 14:8). This refers to the former and latter rains which bring life. The former rain represents the downpour of the Holy Spirit in the apostolic period. Jesus commanded the apostles to remain in Jerusalem to receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:4, 8). Sure enough, the Holy Spirit alighted upon the apostles on the day of the Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4). Peter then testified boldly for Jesus, and 3,000 received the word and were baptized (Act 2:41). The church was established by the power of the Holy Spirit. The gospel did indeed come “[not] in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess 1:5).

Undoubtedly, when the gospel flourishes, Satan will oppose the church. The Bible depicts Satan as a dragon standing before a pregnant woman (signifying the church), ready to devour her Child (Rev 12:4). In fact, even when the apostles were still alive, the gospel was already being adulterated (Gal 1:6; 1 Cor 15:12; Col 2:8, 18; 2 Pet 2:1; Jude 1:4). Just as Jesus had prophesied through the parable of the kingdom, the church—like a mustard seed that became a colossal tree—would be secularized and institutionalized. The birds of the air would lodge in its branches (Mt 13:32), and snatch the seeds (i.e., God’s word) from people’s hearts (Mt 13:4, 19). The secularized church would be like the leavened dough (Mt 13:31–33; cf. 1 Cor 6:6–8); full of sin, void of the truth and the Holy Spirit.

God had, on many occasions, withheld rain from Israel because of the wickedness and idolatry of the people (Jer 3:2–3; Lk 4:25). Similarly, the cessation and withdrawal of the Holy Spirit caused famine and desolation in the secularized church. In 1517, Martin Luther famously nailed his 95 Theses of Contention to the church door at Wittenberg, listing out 95 issues of heretical theology; the crimes of the Roman Catholic Church epitomised the corruption of a secularized church.

God’s Unceasing Work

During these dark hours, revelation ceased and God seemed far away. God-fearing people sought God but they could neither hear His word nor find Him (Amos 8:11–12).

Even though God’s revelation had ceased, and the Holy Spirit no longer lived amongst humankind, God continued to work and lay the groundwork for the salvation of His chosen people at the appointed time. Jesus told us that “the Father has been working until now” (Jn 5:17b). We may not realize it, but God never stops working; He continues to work behind the scenes, gradually unfolding and realizing His plan.

Throughout the ages, God has inspired devout people to prepare the ground for His chosen ones. In the Old Testamental era, Elijah thought he was the only prophet left when he was relentlessly persecuted by Jezebel the evil queen (1 Kg 18:4; 19:14). Unknown to him, God had preserved 7,000 faithful worshippers (1 Kg 19:18).

In more modern times, God has inspired musicians to leave a legacy of beautiful hymns for present-day Christians. Joseph Scriven (born in 1820) was the lyricist of one of Christendom’s most well-known hymns, What a friend we have in Jesus. His lyrics might have been influenced by the tragic death of his bride-to-be on the eve of their wedding, but his expressions on the burden of sin, the sorrow, and poignant sighs of distress, resonate in every human heart throughout the ages.

God has also inspired translators. Many devoted Christians toiled and even died for their conviction that the Bible should be made available to ordinary people. The first English manuscripts were translated from the Latin Vulgate in 1380 by John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor and theologian. His follower, John Hus, was burned at the stake in 1415 for actively promoting Wycliffe’s idea that the layman should be permitted to read the Bible in his own language. Martin Luther was the first person to translate and publish the Bible in the commonly spoken Germanic dialect. Luther initiated church reform, urging a return to the Bible as the source of the truth. Despite limited success in getting the Catholic Church to return to the original doctrines, his actions led to the emergence of many Christian denominations. The Chinese Union Version of the Bible, for example, was translated by a panel with members from the various Protestant denominations. 

Jesus told His disciples He was sending them to reap that harvest for which others had labored (Jn 4:38); they were to labor until the season that His plan was to be fulfilled (Act 1:7).

God’s Eternal Love

Humankind suffered because of human weakness and God’s righteous judgment. The transgression of Adam brought sin and death into the world and triggered the condemnation of all men (Rom 5:12, 18). The destruction of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms in Jewish history was the result of their wickedness—idolatry in the former (2 Kg 17:13–16) and Manasseh’s sins in the latter (2Kg 24:3). Suffering and destruction also result from human cruelty—when Assyria, the rod of God’s anger, overstepped, they went from being the instrument to become the target of destruction (Isa 10:5, 7; cf. Hab 1:17).

War and famine do not discriminate between the wicked aggressors or innocent bystanders; all have to go through the ordeal; some will survive, some will perish.

Despite man’s weakness, God's eternal purpose and love towards His chosen ones remain unchanged. Before God sent Adam and Eve away, He clothed them with garments of skin to protect them and keep them warm (Gen 3:21). Suffering and judgment were often intertwined with His tender loving care and consolation, demonstrating His eternal purpose and salvation plan. Hearing the people’s outcry during the Syro-Ephraimite war, God promised deliverance and the coming of Immanuel (Isa 7:14). Sennacherib’s onslaught brought affliction and anxiety, but God’s guidance was never far away (Isa 30:20–21). No matter what happened to the physical Jerusalem, a remnant was preserved to take root and to prosper (Isa 37:31–32). The remnant survived due to God’s goodness and eternal purpose (Isa 1:9), without which destruction was inevitable. The “remnant will return,” and a highway will open up for them, even though they had been scattered (Isa 10:20–21; 11:16, 11).

God’s intention is unequivocally declared to the remnant: I will save you and I will bring you back (Jer 30:10, 18). He took the initiative to save His remnant. God’s eternal purpose cannot be frustrated or scuppered by man’s failure. Man fails and becomes faithless, but God remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:11–13). He deals with humankind out of His “everlasting love” (Jer 31:3) and the faithfulness He promised to Abraham (Ps 105:42; Lk 1:72–73). Historically, He redeemed and ransomed, built and rebuilt the exiled people (Jer 31:7, 11, 4). But His ultimate rebuilding work is the making of a new covenant, putting His law into individual hearts and minds (Jer 31: 31, 33); this is fulfilled by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our heart (2 Cor 3:6). Though the post-apostolic church ended in failure because of human weakness, God had already planned to redeem His chosen ones in the last days.

It is interesting to note that Joel’s prophecy, recorded in Joel 2:28–32, was only partially fulfilled by the apostolic church (Act 2:17–21). The last three verses of the prophecy concern cosmological events which would only take place in the last days, before Jesus’ second coming. Those who call on the name of the Lord in those last days shall also be saved.

The end-time portion of God’s salvation plan unfolded when He established the True Jesus Church in Beijing, China, in 1917. This was the time which God had appointed to re-establish His church by the Holy Spirit—when He set His hand “the second time” (Isa 11:11). Through the Holy Spirit, the spiritual wilderness and wasteland became a fruit field, a forest and a garden (Isa 32:15; 51:3).

Hope and Persevere

There is always a tension between present and future. We experience hope in the immediate present, but the fulfilment of that hope is only realized in the distant future. As Paul succinctly put it: “[W]e were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope” (Rom 8:24a). Therefore, both the natural world and the believers still groan and wait for redemption (Rom 8:22–23). God has promised deliverance, but our strength to hold on is derived from hope and perseverance, allowing us to quietly and submissively wait for God’s salvation (Isa 30:15, 18).

It can be difficult to remain hopeful when we go through trials. When the people of God went through periods of turmoil, they were confused, saddened by their sins and plight (Lam 5:22; Ps 137:1), and they lamented on the injustice they had to endure (Hab 1:1, 13). Paul described his own suffering as “above strength,” causing him to “[despair] even of life” (2 Cor 1:8), when he reminded the believers that they had to go through many tribulations (Acts 14:22). In the midst of their trials, the author of Hebrews warned the believers not to drift away, neglect their salvation, or cast away their confidence (Heb 2:1–2; 10:35).

God is the God of comfort and the spring of everlasting consolation (2 Cor 1:3; 2 Thess 2:16). We are born of God, and by faith we can overcome the world (1 Jn 5:4). Only when our faith is tested by trials will it be found genuine and become more precious than gold (1 Pet 1:6–8). God is faithful, He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear (1 Cor 10:13). Paul’s affirmation of his trust in God was not based on the will of man. He had come to the brink of death many times, but survived each ordeal. His past experiences buttressed his present faith, such that he firmly believed God would be able to deliver him from any future troubles, extending to the final act of deliverance into the heavenly kingdom. This assurance is unrestricted by place and time, and encompasses all who trust in God—knowing this enabled Paul to comfort those who were in trouble (2 Cor 1:4, 10). God is a faithful God; His word is righteous and He will not renege on His promises (Isa 45:22–23; cf. Ps 132:11). The Bible describes His will as what He has purposed (Isa 14:24), and His eternal purpose is to fulfil the promise to Abraham and have mercy on Jacob (Isa 14:1; Heb 6:13; cf. Deut 29:13).

Break Up Your Fallow Ground

While waiting, quietly and confidently, for the second coming, we should actively cultivate ourselves spiritually. The Bible uses many active phrases to encourage us to engage positively with our faith. Paul reminded believers to “work out their salvation” (Phil 2:12); Peter used the term “be even more diligent” (2 Pet 1:10); and the Lord Jesus commanded us “to shine” (Mt 5:16). Therefore, we should not just sit on our hands, behaving as a disinterested and apathetic bystander, turning up late for service, melting into the crowd, and not taking any interest in interacting with fellow church members. 

Worse, if we are passive in our faith, then we may become complacent and expect to gain our salvation without any commitment. We might tick the boxes: baptism, foot washing, receiving the Holy Spirit, partaking in Holy Communion regularly, and attending Sabbath services. But what about street leafleting? What if my work colleagues see me? Or inviting friends to evangelistic services so they can hear the gospel? They might not want to be my friends if they find out I’m a Christian. Or leading hymns before Sabbath service? Give others a chance to work for the church. What is wrong with such objections? While we think these are valid reasons for our behavior, these actions (or lack of them) actually show that we are ashamed of Christ, ashamed of being a Christian. We have forgotten why we came to believe. Unknowingly, we have become the fallow and barren ground.

Paul tells us to redeem the time as the days are short and evil (Eph 5:16; Rom 13:11). The dangers before us today are temptations, heresies and idleness. When we give less time to God, He is no longer our priority. In stark contrast, God is gracious. He continues to preserve us, showering us with blessings (Hos 6:3). His Spirit pours into our hearts, just like rain softening the ground to prepare it to be ploughed and sown with seed. Fallow ground, ploughed but not seeded, will yield no fruit. He who sows righteousness will reap mercy, he who sows wickedness will reap iniquity (Hos 10:12). Salvation is purely a result of God’s mercy, but we still need to sow righteousness in words and behavior; then at the right time, a torrent of righteousness will fall upon us.

Conclusion

Winter, a seemingly unfruitful season, is in fact a period of preparation and waiting. It points to God’s faithfulness. Just as He continuously provides rain for the crops to grow, God also keeps showering His grace upon us and continuously nourishes us. We need to make the most of this period to grow and equip ourselves spiritually (Jas 1:3–4).  To realize God’s kingdom on earth, we must first establish His rule in the true church. Instead of yearning and asking, “How long, how long?” we should serve God in joy and with quiet confidence. The kingdom of God will spring up without us knowing (Mk 4:26–27); God will enable His faithful to witness His salvation as long as they wait faithfully (Lk 2:25).

How have you been nourished by God? How do you see God’s faithfulness in your life? Winter is a time of waiting. The farmer has to wait for the crops to ripe, as the winter rain continues into spring. Do you have the patience to wait for God, and to rejoice in and derive your strength from Him (Hab 2:3; 3:17–19)?