As conversations about the end times intensify across the church, bestselling author John Bevere says believers should not be consumed by speculation but by preparation.
In a recent conversation on the Directed Life podcast with host Kap Chatfield, Bevere pointed to what he believes is a rising “Elijah anointing” that will help prepare hearts for Jesus’ return.
Rather than framing the Second Coming as a topic reserved for prophecy charts and timelines, Bevere described it as a call to spiritual awakening. And at the center of that awakening, he says, is a generation marked by the same kind of prophetic boldness that surrounded John the Baptist.
“John the Baptist was sent in the strength and might of Jehovah,” Bevere said. “What was his job? He prepared the way for the Lord’s first coming.”
But Bevere believes that pattern does not stop with John alone.
Quoting Jesus’ words in Matthew 17, Bevere noted that Christ spoke not only of Elijah having already come, referring to John the Baptist, but also said, “Elijah is coming,” pointing to a future work still ahead. “He talked about two different Elijahs,” Bevere said. “I don’t believe it’s one man. I believe it’s sons and daughters, the church, men-servants and maidservants.”
That burden has been on Bevere’s heart for decades. He recalled a word he believes the Lord spoke to him in the 1990s: “Son, I’m going to raise up a generation of Elijah-anointed young men and women. It’s going to start with the young men and women. … They’re going to carry the message of your Bridegroom’s coming. Get ready.”
For Bevere, that message is not rooted in fear, but in urgency, purity and love for Christ.
Chatfield, clearly affected by the discussion, said he felt his own heart being stirred by the message. “The way you’re describing this is like just this eager expectation,” he said. “I’m feeling in my spirit very illuminated.”
Bevere responded by building on that very idea, saying the church is entering an hour when believers must recover the voice of preparation. Referring to Isaiah 40, he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord,” is not only about Jesus’ first coming, but also points to a last-days generation who will herald His return.
“He’s sending every message out possible through this Elijah anointing,” Bevere said. “Through His servants of, ‘Guys, get ready. I’m coming. I’m really coming. Get ready. This is our wedding. Don’t treat it lightly.’”
The two also discussed spiritual opposition. Chatfield drew a connection between Elijah and Jezebel, noting that Elijah’s greatest adversary in the Old Testament was intimidation and corruption flowing through Jezebel’s influence. Bevere agreed that while the coming Elijah company is not the same individual as the prophet in the Old Testament, there is a similar spiritual battle taking place today.
“What does Jezebel do?” Bevere said. “She teaches and seduces God’s servants to commit sexual immorality” and to embrace idolatry, meaning anything placed before devotion to Christ.
The call of the Elijah anointing is not celebrity, hype or spiritual spectacle. It is a summons to holiness, repentance and readiness.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
