Are You Ready? John Bevere's Final Warning About the Return of Jesus
In a conversation that left me fighting back tears, bestselling author John Bevere sat across from me with a message so urgent, so piercing, that I could feel the weight of heaven's concern for the church. His new book The King is Coming carries a warning that should shake every believer from complacency. After 40 years of avoiding end times controversy in his ministry, Bevere finally received a mandate from the Holy Spirit to address the most critical question facing Christians today: Are we truly prepared for the return of Jesus?
This isn't another sensational prediction about dates or timelines. Bevere's message cuts deeper. He's addressing something far more dangerous than confusion about prophetic schedules. He's warning that half of American Christianity may be spiritually asleep, discipled more by culture than by Scripture, and headed toward a devastating wake-up call when Christ returns. The parable Jesus told about ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom haunts Bevere. Five were wise, and five were foolish. Not nine wise and one foolish. The ratio should terrify us.
The Parable That Keeps John Bevere Awake at Night
When Bevere speaks about the parable of the ten virgins, you can hear the urgency in his voice. "Mike, when you think about it, these are virgins," he told me. "They all have lights. They're not harlots. They have lights. Jesus says to believers, you're the light of the world. They're all looking for the Messiah's return."
Yet despite their spiritual credentials and their anticipation of Christ, five were foolish and five were wise. This 50/50 split reveals something sobering about the church. These foolish virgins weren't atheists or mockers. They were believers who carried lamps, who claimed to wait for the bridegroom, who appeared outwardly ready. But when the critical moment arrived at midnight, their lamps went out.
The distinction between wisdom and foolishness comes down to one thing: the fear of the Lord. Bevere explains that the beginning of wisdom is fearing God, which means taking His Word seriously rather than allowing culture to disciple us. The foolish virgins were more shaped by the world around them than by Scripture. They sat in churches surrounded by other unprepared believers and assumed their spiritual condition was normal.
"If you are in a room full of sick people and everybody's sick, you come to the place where you think we're all normal until somebody healthy walks into the room," Bevere observed. American Christianity represents only 5% of the world's population, yet we've convinced ourselves our version of faith is the standard. Meanwhile, believers in Vietnam who spent 20 years in prison for preaching the gospel radiate more joy than many who sit in comfortable pews every Sunday.
Simeon's Secret: Recognizing the Messiah in Your Midst
Bevere draws a powerful parallel between the parable of the virgins and the story of Simeon in Luke 2. While the Pharisees could quote the first five books of the Bible from memory, they couldn't recognize the Messiah when He stood before them at 30 years old, casting out demons, raising the dead, and healing the sick. Yet Simeon recognized baby Jesus at just 40 days old.
What made the difference? Simeon was righteous, devout, and eagerly anticipating the coming Messiah. He acted out of godly character. He feared God and took the Word seriously. His relationship with the Holy Spirit positioned him to see what religious experts missed entirely.
The parallel to our generation is striking. Many believers can quote Scripture, attend church regularly, and maintain the appearance of faith. But are they truly ready for the return of Jesus? Or are they like the Pharisees, so discipled by their cultural moment that they'll miss the most important event in human history?
The test of readiness isn't theological knowledge alone. It's whether God's Word shapes your daily life more than Netflix, social media, sports, or career ambitions. "Most American Christians, when their mind's in neutral, it goes to the NFL, the NBA, World Cup, Instagram, their girlfriend they want to get to know," Bevere said. "Their minds aren't set on things above."
The Bride Making Herself Ready
Perhaps the most sobering revelation Bevere shared concerns who bears responsibility for being prepared. Revelation 19 declares, "The marriage of the Lamb has come, and the bride has made herself ready." Notice the verse doesn't say God made her ready. The bride made herself ready.
"How was she made ready?" Bevere asks. "To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, for the fine linen is the righteous behavior and acts of the saints." Just as Simeon lived out of his godly character, believers must make themselves ready through righteous living. This isn't works-based salvation. It's the natural outworking of genuine faith and love for Christ.
The relationship between Jesus and His church mirrors an engaged couple longing to be together. Bevere shared how when he was separated from his wife Lisa for two months before their marriage, every day felt like a week. When he called her two days before flying to see her, he said, "Baby, I'll see you soon." There's a reason Jesus uses the same language. "I'm coming soon," He promised.
A lovesick bride doesn't obsess over flight schedules and arrival times. She longs for reunion with her beloved. Similarly, our focus shouldn't be dissecting prophetic timelines and arguing about pre-tribulation versus post-tribulation rapture. Our hearts should burn with desire to see Jesus face to face and reign with Him forever.
The Danger of Christian Entertainment Over Obedience
One of the most convicting moments in our conversation came when Bevere addressed how believers approach end times teaching. "We get so caught up in the controversial things because it becomes a form of Christian entertainment," he observed. "We get enough dopamine off of listening about things like this than actually going and fulfilling the great commission."
For 40 years, Bevere avoided teaching on the return of Jesus because he watched people set dates in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, only to see those dates pass. He observed believers arguing about rapture timing while neglecting the Great Commission. The controversy and ambiguity seemed like a distraction from kingdom work.
But the Holy Spirit gave him a revelation through his grandchildren's Noah's Ark puzzle. Even when some puzzle pieces are hard to fit together, you can still see the complete picture. Certain truths about Christ's return are absolutely clear in Scripture, even if some prophetic details remain debated.
The warning is this: if you ignore the return of Jesus, you will become more worldly than you are today. Jesus taught that the servant who says, "My Lord delays His coming" will begin to party, drink, get drunk, and beat fellow servants. Complacency about Christ's return leads directly to worldliness and spiritual decline.
What True Readiness Looks Like
So how do we ensure we're among the wise virgins and not the foolish? Bevere offers clear guidance rooted in Scripture.
First, pursue holiness as Simeon did. Act out of godly character in every situation. Let righteousness mark your daily decisions, relationships, and priorities. This isn't legalism but love-motivated obedience to the One who redeemed you.
Second, fear God by taking His Word seriously. Allow Scripture to disciple you more than culture does. When your mind is in neutral, let it default to things above rather than earthly distractions. Set your affections on Christ and His kingdom.
Third, eagerly anticipate Christ's return. Cultivate that lovesick longing for your bridegroom. Remember that you will rule and reign with Jesus throughout eternity, and your position in His kingdom is being established by your faithfulness in this brief life.
The urgency cannot be overstated. We're closer to the return of Jesus than most believers realize. Midnight approaches, the darkest hour before dawn, when lamps begin going out. The question isn't when He's coming. The question is: will you be ready when He does?
The Charge
This message is not about timelines. It is not about tsunamis and blood moons. It is about transformation. It is about being ready.
John reminded me that the marriage of the Lamb has come, and the bride has made herself ready. God did not make her ready. She made herself ready.
I walked away from this conversation with tears in my eyes and conviction in my heart. I realized I have been so focused on reaching the lost, planting campuses, and building something visible that I may have neglected the most important preparation of all: making myself ready for the day when I stand face to face with the One I claim to love most.
The question is no longer whether you believe Jesus is coming back. The question is whether you are living like it matters.
Examine yourself. Where is your mind when it is not required to be elsewhere? Are you more in love with Jesus today than you were yesterday? Are you weaving a wedding garment through righteous acts, or are you showing up unprepared?
The groom is coming. He is lovesick for His bride. The only question that remains is whether His bride is lovesick for Him.
To get John’s new book, The King is Coming, click here. If this message has impacted you, consider supporting this ministry as we continue bringing biblical wisdom to families across the nation.
