What We Believe | Article VI: The Rapture and the Return | Scripture: John 14:1-| Pastor Jonathan Evans | Bible Study
Here’s a 5-day Bible study based on this message about the Rapture, the Return, and the Bride of Christ. You can use this personally or in a small group.
Day 1 – “Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled”
Primary Text: John 14:1–3
Supporting Text: Proverbs 3:5–6
Read:
- John 14:1–3
- Proverbs 3:5–6
Focus:
Jesus speaks to troubled hearts and anchors them in two things:
- Trust – “Believe in God; believe also in Me”
- Hope – “I go to prepare a place for you… I will come again”
He speaks these words to disciples who are grieving, confused, and afraid of loss, just as Pastor Jonathan highlighted.
Reflect / Journal Questions:
- What is currently troubling your heart (grief, loss, unmet expectations, fear of the future)?
- In what specific way have you been leaning on your own understanding instead of trusting God (Prov. 3:5–6)?
- How does knowing that Jesus is personally preparing a place for you shift your outlook on your present struggles?
- What would it look like, today, to “reset” your heart from your circumstances back to the King, not the thing?
Prayer Focus:
Ask God to:
- Quiet your troubled heart
- Restore your trust in Him and in Christ
- Help you see your current situation in light of the place He’s preparing for you
Day 2 – “My Father’s House and the Bride”
Primary Text: John 14:2–3
Supporting Texts: Ephesians 5:25–27, 32; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:6–9
Read:
- John 14:2–3
- Ephesians 5:25–27, 32
- 2 Corinthians 11:2
- Revelation 19:6–9
Focus:
Pastor Jonathan explained that Jesus is using the ancient Jewish wedding paradigm:
- The Father’s house with many rooms = a patriarch’s compound, full of family
- Jesus as the Bridegroom
- The church as the Bride of Christ
Key Ideas:
- You are not just a “member” or an “attendee”; in Christ, you are family and bride.
- The Bridegroom is not only saving you from sin, but preparing a place for you in His Father’s house.
Reflect / Journal Questions:
- When you think of yourself as the Bride of Christ, what emotions or thoughts arise (comfort, confusion, distance, joy, skepticism)?
- Where have you been living more like a guest in God’s house than family?
- Ephesians 5:25–27 shows Christ loving, cleansing, and sanctifying His bride. In what area of your life is He currently trying to cleanse or set you apart?
- How does knowing Jesus is the ultimate Husband (protector, provider, covenant-keeper) challenge your view of security and identity?
Prayer Focus:
Thank Jesus for:
- Choosing you as His bride
- Committing Himself in covenant to you
- Preparing a place for you in the Father’s house
Ask Him to deepen your understanding of what it means to belong to Him.
Day 3 – “The Rapture: Caught Up Together”
Primary Texts:
1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Corinthians 15:50–52
Read:
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
- 1 Corinthians 15:50–52
Focus:
Pastor Jonathan connected John 14:3 to the rapture of the church:
- Jesus comes for His saints, not with them
- The dead in Christ rise first
- Living believers are caught up together with them
- It happens “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”
Key Ideas:
- The rapture is meant to comfort believers, not terrify them.
- It speaks to reunion: with Christ and with loved ones in Christ.
- It affirms both spiritual and physical resurrection.
Reflect / Journal Questions:
- How have you typically felt about the topic of the rapture—fearful, dismissive, curious, hopeful?
- Who are the believers you’ve lost (family or friends) that this passage makes you think of?
- According to 1 Thessalonians 4:18, we are to “comfort one another with these words.” Who in your life might need this comfort right now?
- Where do you need to exchange a worldly finality (e.g., “it’s over”) for biblical hope (resurrection, reunion, and being with the Lord forever)?
Prayer Focus:
- Thank God for the hope of resurrection and reunion.
- Ask Him to replace fear of the future with confidence in His promise.
- Pray by name for someone grieving, that God would comfort them with this hope.
Day 4 – “Be Ready: Living as the Bride”
Primary Texts: Matthew 24:36–44; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
Optional Parallel: Matthew 25:1–13 (Parable of the Ten Virgins)
Read:
- Matthew 24:36–44
- 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
- (Optional) Matthew 25:1–13
Focus:
In the ancient wedding pattern, the bride does not know the exact time—her job is to be ready.
Pastor Jonathan stressed:
- We don’t know the when—only the Father does.
- Our calling is readiness, not date-setting.
- Readiness includes holy living and active evangelism.
Key Ideas:
- We are people of the day, not the night (1 Thess. 5:5).
- Spiritual alertness means:
- Turning from habitual sin
- Walking in sobriety and self-control
- Sharing the gospel urgently, because the time is unknown
Reflect / Journal Questions:
- If Jesus called His bride tonight, would you feel spiritually ready or unprepared? Why?
- What are 1–2 specific areas where you’ve been spiritually asleep or distracted?
- Who in your immediate circle (family, friends, co-workers) are you most burdened for when you think about the rapture and coming judgment?
- What is one concrete action you can take this week to:
- Grow in holiness, and
- Share the gospel more intentionally?
Prayer Focus:
- Ask the Holy Spirit to wake you up in any area of spiritual laziness or compromise.
- Pray for boldness and compassion to share Christ.
- Ask God to use you as a ready bride helping others get ready.
Day 5 – “Rescued from Wrath, Prepared for Reign”
Primary Texts: 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10; Revelation 3:10
Supporting Texts: 2 Corinthians 5:9–10; Revelation 19:11–16; Revelation 20:4–6
Read:
- 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10
- Revelation 3:10
- 2 Corinthians 5:9–10
- (Optional) Revelation 19:11–16; 20:4–6
Focus:
Pastor Jonathan taught that:
- Jesus rescues His bride from the wrath to come (pre-tribulation rapture)
- The church is kept from the hour of testing coming on the whole world
- After the rapture, believers stand before the judgment seat of Christ (for rewards and roles, not for salvation)
- Then we return with Him to reign in His millennial kingdom
Key Ideas:
- You are not just saved from hell; you are saved from wrath and saved for rule.
- How you live now affects your reward and responsibility in Christ’s kingdom.
Reflect / Journal Questions:
- How does knowing that Jesus will keep you from the hour of testing (Rev. 3:10) affect your view of God’s character?
- When you think of the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10), what comes up—fear, motivation, gratitude?
- If Jesus examined your life today, where would you most desire to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant”?
- What changes can you make in the coming weeks to live with a more eternal, kingdom-focused mindset (time, money, relationships, service)?
Prayer Focus:
- Thank God that in Christ you are rescued from wrath and secure as His bride.
- Ask Him to help you live in a way that pleases Him and prepares you for your role in His kingdom.
- Surrender your plans and ambitions to His purposes, asking Him to align your life with His coming rule.