The Latter Rain book review

I would dare say that most people who read the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament are flabbergasted by all the symbolism and references to unfamiliar people, places and events. I'll admit, I'm one of them. So, when I got a request to review a book that analyzes Isaiah, I was a bit reluctant. But after giving it some thought, I came to the conclusion that it may actually help me understand one of the most quoted prophets in the scriptures.

The Latter Rain, by James M. Conis, is subtitled, "Using the Book of Isaiah as the key to unlock Bible prophecies that are relevant today." That's a pretty lofty goal--to not only understand Isaiah, but also to "unlock" other prophecies. From there, to relate them to things today? I became more curious how Conis was going to do this.

Off the top, the author discusses prophecy and revelation. He states that people can receive personal revelation if they honestly inquire of God to know the truth of things. He makes it clear there is a difference between personal revelation and revelation given to a prophet meant for a greater number of people. Example: Moses was called of God, so when he was given a revelation, it impacted a large number of people. However, Conis states that anyone, man or woman, can receive revelation that pertains to them--specifically, whether something is true or not.

With that as a springboard, Conis jumps headfirst into symbolism--it is here where the title of his book becomes evident.  He states that "rain" is symbolic of the word of God being given to the people through prophets. He cites how in the Bible there are references to the "Former Rain" and the "Latter Rain". And in-between? Drought, or lack of prophets.

From there the book breaks down all sorts of symbolism by quoting scriptures, cross referencing to other scriptures with Conis drawing parallels or conclusions. It's fascinating how the author follows this pattern to explore what Isaiah was saying.

The amount of time and thought that Conis put into this book is mind-blowing. He is to be applauded for his dedication to something as challenging as this subject. While the concepts can be rather deep at times, his writing makes his observations accessible. 

At the end of the book, he invites people to ask Heavenly Father for themselves to understand the truth and how to use it in their lives. I found this refreshing because after all he had written and discovered, Conis gives credit where credit is due. From what I gathered, he didn't write this book to show people how smart he was, or to convince people to see things his way. Instead, he has an honest love for this subject matter and wants to share that with people.

As for who would like this book? Anyone who enjoys studying the scriptures who isn't afraid to actually pray and study the subject. There is some pretty deep stuff here, so I'm not sure anyone under 18 or so would truly appreciate it.

I see myself using this book as a reference guide as I read the scriptures. It's not really the kind of book you read once and you're done with it. But, I guess the same thing could be said about the scriptures.

If you go to http://www.thelatterrain.net and purchase the book there, and put "Tour" in the coupon code, you'll get 20% off.

You can also buy the book here.

**Disclaimer** While I received a copy of this book for free for review purposes, this didn't influence my opinion of the book. This is an honest review of my impression of the book.