Many prophetically attuned believers pay attention to the nearness of Christ’s call to the Church. Vast billions of people on earth, however, go down that broad way of this brief life without a thought of their swiftly approaching destiny.

Sadly, we know that most Christians–even though they might be born-again believers—pay no attention to the lateness of the hour as the end of the Age of Grace draws near. Much of this disregard (even though the Bible consists of more than 27 percent prophecy) is the fault of the people in the pews, who genuinely call Jesus Christ their Lord, but have little interest in personal Bible study. At least an equal share of blame for not paying attention to the prophetic signs of the times must be placed with the pastors whose flocks receive little or no teaching about biblical prophecy, for which the stage is being set in every direction we look.

American Christians are caught up in not paying attention to the prophetic signals that burst in lightning-strike fashion from each news cycle, in reports from this nation and around the world. While these believers see the wars and rumors of wars, the economic strains and stresses that portend economic collapse and threaten to fracture their family well-being, or the absolute evil being perpetrated in the adulteration of a culture that murders millions of babies in the womb and subjects the youngest children to the most heinous sexual perversions imaginable, they only shake their heads and wonder aloud something like, “What’s the world coming to?”

If they would just get into their Bibles—and if their pastors would get into God’s prophetic Word—the Holy Spirit would open their spiritual eyes to what this world is coming to.

And what this world is heading toward—is soon coming to—is God’s judgment and wrath.

I am of the conviction that God’s judgment and wrath can’t be too far distant. This is obvious to the Christian who’s familiar with God’s warning and alert to the flashing signals that can’t be missed. It is imperative that we make our fellow believers aware that they should be paying attention. We must hold up God’s prophetic Word to pastors in Bible-believing churches and remind them that they are responsible for teaching and preaching Bible prophecy. They must do so today, without delay, because time is fleeting in this Church Age (Age of Grace).

We have in the book of Hebrews an exhortation, I believe, that transcends merely urging believers to gather in physical meeting places–church sanctuaries, et cetera. Of course, this is indeed an important part of the exhortation. But just as importantly, it means we are to come together as Christ’s Body in understanding the times, especially as we see the time of Tribulation approaching: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

The words “the day approaching” in this passage is a warning of the day when Christ will call the Church into the clouds of Glory, and the time of Daniel’s seventieth week—the Tribulation era—will begin.

We must come together and speak of the coming judgment as a Church Body, especially as we see the stage being set for prophetic fulfillment.

We must, therefore, make sure our brothers and sisters are on the same page. Of course, we know from the apathy and because of the many different views of Bible prophecy that this cannot and will not be achieved in total, but we must do what we can to try to make it happen.

Like you, I want to hear the words of our Lord when we see Him face to face in that moment of Rapture. And I want every Christian to hear those words also. There will be no greater reward than to hear them as we look into the all-knowing eyes of our Savior, Lord, and God: “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25: 23).

Terry James is an author, general editor, and co-author of numerous books on Bible prophecy.