1 Kings 18:41-46
"41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel.46 And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel."
Notice the sequence in the climax of the story of Carmel - first the fire, then the rain. There is a symbolism here suggestive of the divine order in the things of the Spirit. In the new dispensation, the fire that fell on the sacrifice of Calvary was followed by the descent of the Spirit with refreshing showers of Pentecostal blessing. There is a lesson here for the Church; indeed, the whole pattern of events in the story has much to teach us. We should remember, for example, in all our thinking about revival, just how much had to be done before the heav- ens opened for Elijah, particularly the repairing of the altar of the Lord and the laying of the sacrifice upon it. This is a pointer to the real need; to repair the broken down altar of the Lord is an act of penitence, and deep heart-repentance by the Church must precede her prayers for revival. The fire of God must fall upon the sacrifice before the rain comes, and in this connec- tion we do well to recall David's words, 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise' (Psalm 51:17). This is just as true in the life of the nation. In time of crisis it will not do to call the nation to prayer for the intervention of God. What our nation needs is a call, a summons, to repentance, and without this the mighty sin-hating God of the Scriptures is not likely to heed our hapless cries.