George H. Warnock — Pneumatology
b1 — The Feast of Tabernacles
Work of the Spirit — leading into all truth
Warnock describes the Holy Spirit as the one who removes the veil from God’s secrets and initiates believers into the mysteries of God:
“Such is the office work of the Holy Spirit, to lead and guide the saints into all truth, and to reveal the things which are to come. (Jn. 16:13). A consecrated and holy walk in the Spirit, therefore, is the only genuine basis we have for a proper understanding of the Scriptures.”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 1 — Introduction
Interpretation: Warnock positions “walking in the Spirit” as an epistemological prerequisite for understanding Scripture — not theology as an academic exercise but as “a living, vital, powerful demonstration of the Spirit of God.”
“After all, theology is the study about God and about Truth; whereas Truth is a living, vital, powerful demonstration of the Spirit of God, pulsating with Divine life and power and wisdom and knowledge.”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 1 — Introduction
Gifts of the Spirit — restoration and purpose
Warnock describes the restoration of gifts and ministries as God’s method for building up the body of Christ:
“The saints of God are receiving gifts of the Spirit, the gifts are developing into ministries of the Spirit—and these ministries constitute God’s only method ‘for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.’ (Eph. 4:12, 13).”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 1 — Introduction
Warnock also sharply delimits the significance of gifts:
“Gifts of the Spirit are really no evidence of spiritual attainment; God bestoweth His gifts freely by His grace upon whomsoever He will. But with fruit it is entirely different.”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 10 — The Latter Rain
“the fruits of the Spirit, and not the gifts of the Spirit, constitute the real test of spiritual life; for the latter are given to produce the former, and it is the fruit that is the embodiment and expression of Christ-likeness within the heart and soul.”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 10 — The Latter Rain
Interpretation: Warnock affirms the present-day validity of gifts (continuationism), but places them functionally subordinate to fruit. Gifts are means, not ends.
New Birth and Spirit Baptism — explicit distinction
Warnock makes an explicit distinction between new birth (resurrection day) and Spirit baptism (Pentecost):
New birth:
“On resurrection day ‘He breathed on them, and saith unto them, receive ye the Holy Ghost.’ (Jn. 20:22). The original Greek of the word ‘receive ye’ proves conclusively that right there and then the Spirit of God entered into the disciples—and that imparted life brought them into the experience which we call regeneration or new birth.”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 5 — The Feast of Pentecost
Spirit baptism (distinct from new birth):
“This experience, however, was not sufficient by way of equipping them for the great and mighty tasks which lay just ahead of them; and so the Lord ‘commanded that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father… For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.’ (Acts 1:4, 5).”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 5 — The Feast of Pentecost
“He is invited to drink into God’s Spirit, and be baptized with the Holy Ghost. In justification he is pardoned; in this new experience he is empowered for service.”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 5 — The Feast of Pentecost
Interpretation: Warnock describes two distinct experiences: (1) new birth on resurrection day — the Spirit entering the disciples (John 20:22); (2) Spirit baptism at Pentecost — empowerment for service (Acts 1:4-5). This is classic second-blessing pneumatology.
Pentecost — continuationism and unfulfilled promise
Warnock opposes the cessationist position that Pentecost was merely a once-for-all historical event:
“Many evangelical circles have gone to considerable trouble in an attempt to prove that Pentecost was an event of ancient history, and that its power and glory were not for present-day experience. But a large group of hungry souls have proved by the Word and by experience that Pentecost was and is for personal appropriation by faith, just as the Passover was.”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 5 — The Feast of Pentecost
At the same time Warnock argues that even the fullness of Pentecost has not yet been reached — it is only firstfruits:
“Pentecost signifies a great harvest, that is true. But compared to the coming glory, it is really but a harvest of firstfruits… Pentecost is wonderful… But wonderful as it is, Pentecost is but the firstfruits of great and mighty things awaiting the Church of Jesus Christ in the Feast of Tabernacles.”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 5 — The Feast of Pentecost
“Our generation has had a foretaste of Pentecost, that is true. But we have by no means seen the fulness of the Pentecostal experience, as recorded in the Book of Acts.”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 5 — The Feast of Pentecost
Interpretation: Warnock positions Pentecost in a three-stage progression: (1) early church = first light of dawn; (2) twentieth-century Pentecostal restoration = a foretaste; (3) the coming fullness = noonday sun. The Feast of Tabernacles surpasses even this.
Fruit of the Spirit — the ultimate goal
Warnock connects the fruit of the Spirit with the harvest feast. New wine and oil are types of the fruit:
“New wine and oil… beautiful symbols of the fruit of the Spirit in the saints. Said Paul, ‘Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit’ (Eph. 5:18). And the oil, as we know, is a symbol of the anointing. ‘The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you…’ (1 Jn. 2:27).”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 10 — The Latter Rain
The fruit encompasses Paul’s full list:
“We know what they are: ‘Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance’ (Gal. 5:22). But we shall never appreciate any measure of their real glory until the fruit of the Spirit becomes visibly manifest in the saints of God.”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 10 — The Latter Rain
Love is the highest fruit and the ultimate goal:
“Follow after love, and desire spiritual gifts… (1 Cor. 14:1). Gifts are absolutely necessary, for they are the means to the end; but Love is the end, the consummation, the fruit for which God is waiting. Love is the Ultimate, because ‘God is Love,’ and it is His purpose to conform the saints even unto ‘the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren’ (Rom. 8:29).”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 10 — The Latter Rain
Former Rain and Latter Rain — typological outpouring of the Spirit
This is the most extensively developed pneumatological theme in the book. Warnock connects the early and late rains of the Jewish agricultural calendar with two historical outpourings of the Spirit:
“He hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil” (Joel 2:23, 24).”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 10 — The Latter Rain
Former rain = Pentecost (moderate):
“Dispensationally this was Pentecost, when God first poured out His Spirit in copious showers of the former rain. Peter therefore could testify: ‘This is that…‘”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 10 — The Latter Rain
Latter rain = end-time outpouring (Feast of Tabernacles):
“God has promised to do something most unusual; for He would give, not only the former rain which belongs to that month, but He would give the former rain and the latter rain combined!”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 10 — The Latter Rain
The Latter Rain is linked to the coming of the Lord:
“James associates the bestowal of the latter rain with the ‘coming’ of the Lord: ‘Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.’ (Jas. 5:7, 8.) Notice in this passage how the truth concerning the latter rain is sandwiched between these two statements concerning the ‘coming of the Lord.‘”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 20 — The Coming of the Lord
Hosea also connects the coming of the Lord with rain:
“He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth” (Hos. 6:3).”
— Warnock, The Feast of Tabernacles, Chapter 10 — The Latter Rain
Interpretation: Warnock explicitly identifies with the Latter Rain movement (1948 revival). The former rain = early church and early twentieth-century Pentecostalism; the latter rain = the end-time fullness of the Spirit fulfilling the Feast of Tabernacles. Joel 2’s prophecy was only partially fulfilled at Pentecost in Acts 2; its complete fulfillment — including a re-outpouring of the former rain — lies yet in the future.