Podcast Summary: Girls Gone Bible

Episode: John Bevere & Second Coming of Jesus
Hosts: Angela Halili (A), Arielle Reitsma (B)
Guest: John Bevere (C)
Date: February 6, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Angela and Arielle welcome author and minister John Bevere for a powerful discussion about faith, ministry, and his latest book, The King Is Coming. The main theme centers around the Second Coming of Jesus, why it's a foundational Christian doctrine, and how it should influence the way Christians live. Bevere shares personal experiences, biblical insights, and practical applications, urging listeners to stay passionate and pure in anticipation of Christ’s return.

Key Discussion Points

The Importance of Genuine Faith and Staying “On Fire”

• Ministry & Faith Today (02:09-04:28)

  • John reflects on his 42+ years in ministry and warns against losing passion and authenticity.
    • [John Bevere, 02:29] “The most important goal in ministry is to be more in love with Jesus than when you started ministry. So the day I leave this earth, I want to be more in love with Jesus than the day I started ministry.”
  • He emphasizes keeping free from offense and pride and walking in the holy fear of God.
  • “You don’t have to build yourself or your ministry. God’s the one that gives the increase.” (03:13)

• Glorifying God, Not Self (05:26-06:22)

  • John describes his prayer life and the importance of giving God all the glory.
  • He prays that God would “take me out” before he would shame the name of Jesus.
    • “Anything we do is just out of ‘thank you, thank you, thank you,’ and you get all the glory.” (06:22)

The Book: The King Is Coming – The Second Coming’s Powerful Impact

• Why Write on the Second Coming? (07:06-09:12)

  • John admits he avoided the topic due to past apocalyptic speculation (notably the false “88 Reasons Why Jesus Will Return in 1988” prediction).
  • Observed negative effects of end-times obsession: escapism, apathy, irresponsibility.

• Personal Transformation through Study (09:12-13:16)

  • After thousands of hours studying, he experienced greater passion for souls and ministry, tenderness toward family, and a desire for spiritual purity.
  • “I started becoming more passionate to get soul saved… just mornings weeping... I was kinder to my family. I didn’t get upset with my staff as much.” (09:12)
  • He notes the Second Coming is the second most emphasized topic in the Bible, with 318 New Testament verses dedicated.
  • “Why would God emphasize this so much?” He connects it to a biblical principle: heightened anticipation leads to spiritual purification.

Eager Anticipation: Purifying Power & Historical Patterns

• Biblical Example: Simeon & Anna (12:43-15:22)
  • Simeon and Anna, two people waiting for the Messiah, recognized Jesus as a baby because they were “eagerly waiting” and lived unified, humble, godly lives.
  • Eager anticipation is scattered throughout New Testament instruction.
    • “All who have this eager expectation will purify themselves even as he is pure.” (15:23)
  • John explains that hope in Christ’s imminent return motivates self-purification and detachment from worldly desires.
  • Analogy: Engagement to Lisa—eager anticipation of their wedding prevented distraction or infidelity.
    • “When we are so anticipating his coming because we are so in love with him... this world loses its attraction.” (19:03)

Addressing the Delay: “The Lord Is Coming Soon!”

• Understanding “Soon” & Generational Readiness (19:08-22:13)
  • Reconciling biblical language about Christ’s “soon” return with 2,000 years of waiting:
    • One day with God = 1,000 years for humanity (20:49).
    • “God’s not lying. He’s just protecting us.”
    • Christians should live as if Jesus could return today, but plan as if He won’t for generations.
    • “We should live like He’s coming today, but plan our lives like He’s not coming for 400 years.” (22:12)

The Jewish Wedding & the Book of Revelation

• Why Read Revelation? The Ancient Wedding Model (23:23-32:29)

  • Revelation promises a blessing for reading/listening/obeying it (23:10).

  • The Jewish wedding—parallels with Christian life and eschatology:

    • Engagement included a covenant (“ketuba”), a bride price (“mohar”), and a period of separation as the groom prepared their new home.
    • Jesus’ promise in John 14 (“I go to prepare a place for you”) echoes this.
    • When the groom returned unexpectedly for the bride, she had her dress and lamp ready—mirroring vigilance for Christ’s return.
    • The parable of the bridesmaids (Matthew 25) directly connects.

    “We are his wife. She’s got to make her wedding dress. To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. For the fine linen is the righteous acts, works of the saints. What we’re doing for him... you’re literally making your wedding garment.” (34:24)

  • Modern Christians, John warns, often live for themselves and may not “have enough material to make a bikini, let alone a wedding dress.” (35:06)

Salvation, Grace, and Eternal Rewards

• Preparation and Reward (35:07-40:24)

  • Parable of the wedding banquet: “The king walks in and notices this guy doesn’t have a wedding garment on... Bind him hand and foot and take him out.” (37:03)

    • Salvation is by grace alone, but our response (obedience and works) determines our reward and position in eternity.
    • “He gives us the grace that we can do the works that make our wedding dress.” (38:54)

  • Life now is “forming our job descriptions for eternity” (40:24), with levels of responsibility and reward based on obedience.

Living in Light of His Coming

• How Do We Live It Out? (40:33-41:00)
  • “What is most important is that we live a life that's obedient to God. ... Every day when we get up, we should be, ‘Lord, I'm yours. Whatever you want to do with me today, I'm yours.’”
  • God calls every believer to their unique sphere—preaching, work, motherhood, healthcare, etc.—to be the “restraining force” against lawlessness.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Lifelong Passion for Jesus:

  • “The most important goal in ministry is to be more in love with Jesus than when you started ministry.” (John Bevere, 02:29)

• On Perspective of Time:

  • “An average human being... 80 years old, that’s a little less than two hours to God. … One hour to God is 42.6 years.” (John Bevere, 20:49)

• On Readiness:

  • “We should live like he’s coming today with that kind of eager anticipation, but we should plan our lives like he’s not coming for 400 years.” (John Bevere, 22:12)

• On Practical Readiness:

  • “We are actually, we're forming our job descriptions for eternity right now in this short life.” (John Bevere, 40:24)

• On the Modern Church:

  • “We have people that go to church for 90 minutes and then they go out and live for themselves the rest of the week. … I don’t think we’ve got enough material to make a bikini, let alone a wedding dress.” (John Bevere, 35:06)

Timestamps for Critical Sections

• [02:29] – John’s ministry philosophy and lifelong pursuit
• [07:26] – Why focus on the Second Coming, and personal impact
• [09:12] – Fruit and transformation from studying the Second Coming
• [12:43] – Biblical examples of “eager expectation”
• [15:23] – Purifying power of anticipation; analogy to engagement
• [19:08] – Understanding “soon”: God’s time vs. our time
• [23:23] – The blessing of reading Revelation
• [26:22] – The ancient Jewish wedding as a model for Christ’s return
• [34:24] – Making your own wedding garment: righteous works
• [38:54] – Grace, works, and wedding dresses
• [40:24] – Eternal job descriptions set by obedience now
• [40:45] – How to practically live out readiness

Conclusion

This episode provides a biblically-rich, thought-provoking exploration of the Second Coming of Jesus, urging listeners to maintain a passionate, obedient faith and to live with a deep sense of anticipation and purpose. John Bevere’s insights offer both encouragement and challenge—reminding Christians that their choices and devotion in this life directly shape their eternity.

For more: Read John Bevere’s book, The King Is Coming, and connect with the Girls Gone Bible community for ongoing faith conversations.