Jesus’ resurrection was symbolized by the feast of first fruits, a Jewish feast celebrating the initial fruits of the harvest. Pentecost was the Greek name for the Jewish feast of weeks, called Pentecost because it was seven weeks (49 days) after the first fruits. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost signaled the pouring of the autumn rain, necessary for the growth of the harvest. But there was a stop in the descent of the Holy Spirit, which is noted by a break in the historical timeline of spiritual tongues, which evidence receiving the Holy Spirit. Even Pentecostals, a group of Christians who uphold the Pentecostal experience of speaking in tongues, are often confused why speaking in tongues stopped for a certain period in church history. This stopping period can be paralleled to the winter season, which though characterized by torrential rain, was actually a period of drought for the church.

The Holy Spirit again descended early in the twentieth century, in 1917, and established the True Jesus Church. The Holy Spirit’s outpouring at the present time is parallel to the spring rain in Palestine. Spring is followed by summer. Jesus prophesied: “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors!” (Mt 24:32–33). The fig tree represented the kingdom of Israel, restored in 1948, which began budding and leafing.

We now know the coming of the Lord is near, i.e., that summer is near. We are living in the time of the spring rain, which will be followed by summer (fire). In the past, i.e., in the winter period, the sky was shut with drought (Lk 4:25; Jas 5:17). Drought comes about because of the sins of the church. Revelation 11:6 prophesied that after the apostles died, the early church would begin to deviate from the truth and the heavens would be shut. The church declined when it began to deviate from the truth and became politicized. The church eventually split, due to political maneuverings, into the eastern and western church (Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic). We see from church history that very early on the Holy Spirit stopped its descending. How do we know, we see the stoppage of the Holy Spirit of truth, evidenced by speaking in tongues.