Moses and the Latter Rain

Moses Vegh addressing the Washington for Jesus rally on the National Mall in 1980

Moses Vegh, who is the head of Ambassador Ministries, has written a new book that is not only a faith-building autobiography but it also provides some of the history of the Latter Rain Movement of 1948.

The Chronicles of Moses: Acts of an Apostolic Journey (available at Amazon.com) tells how Vegh was a teenaged preacher in the late 1940s and met a girl from the Bethesda Missionary Temple in Detroit who would later become his wife.

Betty and Moses Vegh

Moses and Betty Vegh have enjoyed 60 years of marriage and have traveled the globe preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. He pastored Hope Temple in Findlay, Ohio for 27 years and is known to many as a prophet of God. A video of one his sermons from 2012 (which includes six minutes of Latter Rain history beginning at the 18:15 mark) can be seen in its entirety below.

In The Chronicles of Moses here is what he reports about the beginning of the Latter Rain Movement of 1948:

"We had heard the report of a dedicated group of Bible students who had been gathering in a Quonset hut on an abandoned air field in North Battleford, a suburb of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Something supernatural was happening with this unusual group. We heard of the phenomenal outpouring of God's spirit upon about seventy students and teachers who had set themselves apart to fast and pray and seriously seek the Lord for a restoration of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They were given a special emphasis on the revelation of the five-fold ministry in the book of Ephesians.

"Two teachers, Ernest and George Hawtin, were brothers who led the excursion into the vast dynamism that would be poured out on them. Spontaneous revelations came to them that led them deeper than they had ever been before. The stories of divine revelation and subsequent manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including powerful healings and miracles, are now recorded history. These men of God didn't just have conferences on psychosomatic medicine. They healed the sick. They didn't just say their prayers. They really talked with God."

His book also addresses how the revival exploded in Detroit at the Bethesda Missionary Temple (Vegh was raised just across the river in Windsor, Ontario, Canada):


Mom Beall

"Pastor Beall and her family had heard of the 'Latter Rain' outpouring in Canada. The Bealls traveled to Vancouver, B. C., on the west coast of Canada where the 'Latter Rain' group from North Battleford, Saskatchewan, had gone to conduct prophetic presbytery meetings at a camp. At that meeting the word of the Lord given to 'Mom' Beall, through the prophetic presbytery, was a powerful confirmation of all that the Lord had spoken to her about the 'armory' in Detroit. She returned to her congregation with a fresh touch of God on her life, and revival broke out spontaneously in their basement church. (The new sanctuary was almost completed at that time.)

"The next Sunday, Pastor James Lee Beall, the eldest son of M. D. Beall, led the morning worship service in his customary manner. Suddenly, the whole congregation broke out in spontaneous worship with a new sound from heaven. It was the birthing of the song of the Lord. Many called it the 'heavenly choir.' After this phenomenal outpouring, a new and refreshing atmosphere of worship prevailed in every service. It was characterized by heavenly harmony. This became the hallmark of the revival which bore the title of 'Latter Rain.'"

This is just a sample of what he has to say about the Latter Rain Movement, and of course Moses' book chronicles more than just the Latter Rain Movement of 1948. His ministry has literally taken him across the globe (including meeting and praying with Boris Yeltsin!) He has rubbed shoulders with and ministered alongside not only the Bealls but also Charles Green, David Kiteley, Ern Baxter, Oral Roberts, and many, many others.

Here he describes how you should view his autobiography:

Buckingham

"I often think of our old friend Jamie Buckingham, a prolific writer and speaker, who said, 'When you see me I want you to see a bumble bee. I am like a bumble bee that flits around from flower to flower, gathering nectar, and then distilling it into honey.' I also have gathered much nectar from so many anointed teachers and inspirational writers over the years. What you are getting in these Chronicles is a distillation and compilation of so many 'bumble bee' trips."

The book does not present, though, an unbroken series of mountaintop experiences. Among the many wonderful blessings the Veghs have experienced (and there are many!), Moses also writes candidly about a "serious mistake" he made in Findlay, Ohio and also about the premature death of his gifted son Marcus.

In his endorsement of the book, the 700 Club's Pat Robertson says:

"This is a commentary on the faithfulness of God watching over His word to perform it! This is a 'must read' which I am delighted to endorse."

And in my opinion, those interested in a vibrant piece of Pentecostal and Charismatic history should definitely obtain The Chronicles of Moses: Acts of an Apostolic Journey.

[UPDATE 1/10/2014] ...  friends I just learned that Moses Vegh has been diagnosed with an advanced stage cancer and is in need of everyone's prayers ... this article was posted January 4 and the news came out January 9.

[UPDATE 1/26/2014] ... Moses Vegh passed away on January 25 ... videos of the memorial service for Moses Vegh can be seen online (Part One ... Part Two) ... the service was held February 1 at Capo Beach Church in California. A 25-minute video slideshow commemorating Moses' life can be seen here.

[UPDATE 9/27/2021] ... Betty Vegh went to be with the Lord September 26, 2021.


Vegh wedding 1953 Tue, Sep 15, 1953 – 23 · The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) · Newspapers.com Vegh with John Lloyd (1990) 11 Aug 1990, Sat Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Florida) Newspapers.com Moses Vegh, Dean Demos (1978) 09 Sep 1978, Sat The Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) Newspapers.com Moses Vegh begins Hungarian ministry (Nov 1990) 24 Nov 1990, Sat The Lima News (Lima, Ohio) Newspapers.com Moses Vegh at Shiloh (May 1988) 14 May 1988, Sat Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Newspapers.com Moses Vegh (Nov 1992) 14 Nov 1992, Sat Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Newspapers.com