What is the latter and former rain in Hosea 6:3?

Answer

Hosea 6:1–3 foretells that the Israelites would repent and return to the Lord after facing judgment. On that day, they will declare,

“Come, let us return to the Lord;

For though He has wounded us, He will bandage our injuries;

He has struck us down, but He will bind us up.

After two days He will revive us;

On the third day He will raise us up,

So that we may live in His presence.

Let us strive to know Him,

Let us press on to acknowledge the Lord.

His appearance is as sure as the dawn;

He will come to us like the rain,

Like the spring and autumn rains watering the earth” (NKJV).

The “spring” and “autumn” rains are referred to as the “early rains” and “later rains” in the NIV.

The Lord had “wounded” and “struck” His people—meaning, Hosea prophesies that God will discipline them «Come, let us return to the LORD; for He has wounded us, but He will heal us; He has struck us down, but He will bind us up. », (Hosea 6:1)—because they had been unfaithful to the covenant they had agreed to uphold «And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD has spoken we will do. », (Exodus 24:3,7) «Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient. », (Exodus 24:3,7). Although the judgment would be inevitable and harsh, God would exhibit His grace and restore the people. He would heal them and bind up their wounds «Come, let us return to the LORD; for He has wounded us, but He will heal us;He has struck us, and he will heal us.” , (Hosea 6:1). He would come to them like a refreshing and nourishing rain “Then we will know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he will come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain to the earth.” , (Hosea 6:3). He would come like the latter and former rain, which seems to refer to the early rain after planting and the later rain at harvest.

Because of God’s promises, His people could be certain that God would keep His word— that He would indeed come to them as the latter and former rain to restore and refresh. While the context doesn’t specify when this restoration would take place, the passage seems to be pointing forward to the salvation that would be provided through the Messiah: God would revive them after two days and raise them up on the third day “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, and we will live in his sight.” , (Hosea 6:2). This prophecy seems to correlate directly with the events of Jesus’ death, as He died, was buried, and then rose again on the third day (see 1 Corinthians 15:1,3-4). Paul mentions that Christ’s resurrection on the third day was “according to the Scriptures” (or writings). While there may have been a written gospel account by the time Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians (Matthew and Mark may have been written by that time), Paul is probably referring to the Hebrew Scriptures and may have had Hosea 6:2 in mind.

If Hosea’s prophecy of revival in two days and raising on the third day “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.” , (Hosea 6:2).

And we shall live in His sight.” , (Hosea 6:2) points forward to the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah. The immediately following context suggests that God would visit the people of Israel as the latter and former rain, portraying how refreshing and nourishing that event would be for the people under God’s judgment.

In Hosea’s time, a somber judgment was impending due to the people’s disloyalty to God and their transgressions of the covenant. However, there was also a forthcoming day of restoration for Judah “Also, O Judah, He has set a harvest for you, when I return the captivity of my people.”, (Hosea 6:11). God would come to the people as the latter and former rain.

It is crucial to note that God does not overlook sin, and His holy standard is perfection—see Matthew 5:48. When God restores the people of Israel, He first addresses their sin problem. The Messiah would die as a sacrifice to atone for sins; thus, the nation would no longer be in bondage to the Law of Moses (the Old Covenant) or the consequences of breaking that covenant. God would forgive their sins as part of a New Covenant “Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:”, (Jeremiah 31:31). The blessing of forgiveness from sin through the sacrifice of the Messiah would extend not only to one nation but to all the families of the earth “and I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you: and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.”, (Genesis 12:3b). The Messiah would be like the latter and former rain for Israel and Judah “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”, (Hosea 6:3), and He would also be the water of life for all who would believe in Him (John 4:13-14).