Genuine repentance will lead a person to acknowledge their sin and confess it. “The examples in God’s word of genuine repentance and humiliation reveal a spirit of confession in which there is no excuse for sin or attempt at self-justification. Paul did not seek to shield himself; he paints his sin in its darkest hue, not attempting to lessen his guilt.”3 The apostle John writes, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8, 9). This is a wonderful promise: If we confess our sins, we are forgiven and are cleansed.

After we repent and confess our sins we are invited to be converted. Conversion is a complete 180° turn in our lives, taking the opposite direction. The Lord invites us to turn away from the world to Him, willingly, not by coercion:

“Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil” (Joel 2:12, 13).

“A change will be seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits.”4

This is not just a little improvement in our spiritual life but a complete change.

“There is no evidence of genuine repentance unless it works reformation. If he restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, confess his sins, and love God and his fellow men, the sinner may be sure that he has passed from death unto life.”5

As we have also seen during this Week of Prayer, only sins confessed and forsaken can be blotted out, or cancelled in the book of life. The cancellation of sins must take place before we receive the “refreshing”—the “latter rain.”

“The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel, are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. Here are ‘the times of refreshing’ to which the apostle Peter looked forward when he said, ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out [in the Investigative Judgment], when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus.’ ”6

When the early rain fell on the day of Pentecost most of the disciples were gathered into one place, in the upper room. What were they doing there for ten days? The Bible tells us:

“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren” (Acts 1:14).

“These days of preparation were days of deep heart searching. The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely. They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls.”7

This was fulfilled in Acts 2:1–4.

“The promise of the Holy Spirit is not limited to any age or to any race. Christ declared that the divine influence of His Spirit was to be with His followers unto the end. From the Day of Pentecost to the present time, the Comforter has been sent to all who have yielded themselves fully to the Lord and to His service.”8

In spite of the fact that the Holy Spirit is given us today in a certain measure, to teach us and guide us into all truth, the promised latter rain is needed for the finishing of God’s work, for the conclusion of the proclamation of the everlasting gospel. And this promise will be fulfilled:

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit” (Joel 2:28, 29).

When we read the word “afterward” in the book of Joel we understand that in the last days a work must be accomplished before the Holy Spirit will be given us with the greatest measure. In the previous verses of Joel 2, the prophet makes it clear the work that must be done before the latter rain:

“Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people” (Joel 2:16-–18).

No one will receive the “refreshing,” or “latter rain,” if his sins are not blotted out, or cancelled. Yet, it is sad to say, that many are expecting to receive that great blessing in their sinful condition, without repentance and conversion, expecting that in the time of the latter rain they will be reformed. The cases of such are hopeless, as we read in the following statements:

“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. . . . I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action.”9

“Those who delay a preparation for the day of God cannot obtain it in the time of trouble or at any subsequent time. The case of all such is hopeless.”10

“Day by day we are to seek the enlightenment of the Spirit of God, that it may do its office work upon the soul and character. Oh, how much time has been wasted through giving attention to trifling things. Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”11

“Today you are to have your vessel purified that it may be ready for the heavenly dew, ready for the showers of the latter rain; for the latter rain will come, and the blessing of God will fill every soul that is purified from every defilement. It is our work today to yield our souls to Christ, that we may be fitted for the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord—fitted for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”12

“Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children.”13

“As the members of the body of Christ approach the period of their last conflict, ‘the time of Jacob’s trouble,’ they will grow up into Christ, and will partake largely of His Spirit. As the third message swells to a loud cry, and as great power and glory attend the closing work, the faithful people of God will partake of that glory. It is the latter rain which revives and strengthens them to pass through the time of trouble. Their faces will shine with the glory of that light which attends the third angel.”14

“Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for 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” (Joel 2:23).

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17, 18).

“At the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.”15

“ ‘The commencement of that time of trouble,’ here mentioned does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.”16

“The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received ‘the latter rain,’ ‘the refreshing from the presence of the Lord,’ and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received ‘the seal of the living God.’ Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above.”17

As we study the Scriptures containing the wonderful promises of God in bestowing upon us the Holy Spirit in fulness, we should understand that in the time of the early rain the power of the Holy Spirit was given collectively on those who “were all with one accord in one place.” In the time of the latter rain the experience of God’s people should be similar. The Bible verse in Zechariah says:

“Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain” (Zechariah 10:1).

Many times we have read this Bible verse, and put a strong emphasis on the words: “Ask the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain,” and forget the last part of the verse which says that the Lord shall give the showers “to every one grass in the field.” These last words indicate that every one that is in the field (the church), which at that time must be a purified church, will receive the latter rain. Those that had neglected to make their preparation for the blessing of the latter rain will not be be found among them. They will be eliminated from the remnant people of God by a mighty shaking. The word of inspiration makes it very clear:

“God is sifting His people. He will have a clean and holy church. We cannot read the heart of man. But the Lord has provided means to keep the church pure.”18

“Some had been shaken out and left by the way. The careless and indifferent, who did not join with those who prized victory and salvation enough to perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness, and their places were immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the ranks.”19

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11–13).

“When the character of the Saviour shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim His own. It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten, the coming of our Lord.”20

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30, 31).

“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:31–34).

As we read about the experience of the early disciples at the beginning of the Christian dispensation when they received the former rain, we can see that those who were in the upper room received the baptism of the Holy Spirit collectively. The other members of the church received it afterwards, individually.

Could it happen so also in our time? The latter rain is spoken of, and we have prayed about it very often, as an event which will take place in the future. When will it be fulfilled? Is it the Lord’s fault for the delay to receive this great blessing? The Bible tells us: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).

In a few weeks’ time, the representatives of God’s remnant church will assemble together. Will the Holy Spirit be poured out on the delegates at the General Conference session in 2025? Can the wonderful promise of the latter rain be received then? Dear brethren, let us get ready for that great blessing. The Lord will help all who have this desire to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Prophecy advises us:

“Angels of God are watching the development of character and weighing moral worth. Probation is almost ended, and you are unready. Oh, that the word of warning might burn into your souls! Get ready! get ready!”21

As one of your fellow servants, I desire to make an appeal to everyone who will go as a delegate to the General Conference session in 2025: Please, go to the Conference empty, free from all preconceived ideas, make a thorough preparation, and make peace with God and with man, have a blameless conscience, and be ready to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. Who knows whether the much expected promise will be fulfilled? And all of us, brethren, who are not delegates, should examine our lives, confess our sins and faults to God and to one another, and ask forgiveness, so that our sins may be blotted out, and pray earnestly for the success of the Conference, that the Lord may visit His servants with showers of great blessings. The Spirit of Prophecy advises us:

“Let Christians put away their dissensions, and give themselves to God for the saving of the lost. Let them in faith ask for the blessing, and it will come. The outpouring of the Spirit in apostolic days was the ‘former rain,’ and glorious was the result. But the ‘latter rain’ will be more abundant.”22

“Today you are to give yourself to God, that you may be emptied of self, emptied of envy, jealousy, evil surmising, strife, everything that shall be dishonoring to God. Today you are to have your vessel purified that it may be ready for the heavenly dew, ready for the showers of the latter rain; for the latter rain will come, and the blessing of God will fill every soul that is purified from every defilement. It is our work today to yield our souls to Christ, that we may be fitted for the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord—fitted for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”23

Amen!