Your Redemption Is Drawing Nigh — Chuck Smith

This morning we'd like to draw your attention to Mark's gospel and you're gonna be in chapters 13 and 14 for a few weeks now and. So you ought to have them pretty well down. By the time we move on to the end of the book of Mark, but we'd like to look this morning at verses beginning with verse 32.

Jesus' Teaching on His Return and the Need to Watch

Where Jesus is talking to his disciples about his coming again. And the establishing of his kingdom here on earth. But of that day in that hour knoweth no man. No not the angels which are in heaven neither the Son but the Father.

Take heed watch and pray. For you know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey. Who left his house and gave authority to his servants and to every man his work. And he commanded the porter to watch.

Watch ye therefore. For you know not when the master of the house is coming at evening or at midnight. Or when the rooster is crowing or in the morning. Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And so what I say unto you I say unto all watch.

The End of the Age and the Coming Millennial Kingdom

Now the Bible does not teach that the end of the world is near. The world is going to go on for at least another thousand years that thousand years Known as the Millennium. It's going to be far different from the present time.

Actually the world does and mean the Bible does teach that this age is coming to an end. This is the age of man. Man's rule over the world that's coming to an end. I believe very soon. This is the age of the church where the Holy Spirit is drawing out from among the Gentile nations the bride for Jesus Christ.

But this age is rapidly coming to an end. In fact Jesus in speaking about it in Luke's gospel Said Jerusalem will be trodden under the foot of the Gentiles. Until the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was trodden under the foot of the Gentiles until 1967 when again it came under the control of the new Israeli government. We are seeing prophecy fulfilled before our very eyes. The very fact that the nation of Israel does exist is one of the chief signs that we are in the last days.

So many of the last days prophecies center around the nation of Israel and It's being again established as a nation in the last days. It's interesting how that the world's attention is focused on different things just a short time ago.

The world's focus was on underwater earthquakes that created tsunamis that destroyed so many people and then the world's attention was focused on Katrina and the tremendous damage that it Created down in the southern part of our nation.

Our attention has been focused upon airplanes flying into twin towers and the destruction that it brought and Different things Become center stage for a time but God has an interesting way of Redirecting our focus back upon the nation of Israel.

Because this is where the end of this age will happen and the beginning of the New Age the kingdom of God and of course the prophets tell us that Jesus will come he will set his foot upon the Mount of Olives and he will establish God's kingdom upon the earth and he will reign for 1 ,000 years.

It will be a time of peace a time of righteousness a time when there will be no wars. They will beat their swords into plowshares their spears into pruning hooks. They will study wars no more. There will be no Infant dying there will be no infirmities, it will be a time of glorious peace under the reign of Jesus Christ as he comes to establish God's kingdom upon the earth.

It is that for which we pray when we pray Thy kingdom come Thy will be done in earth. As it is in heaven so presently We're in the church age. But that is wrapping up quite rapidly. In fact, we are told in the scriptures that this Age in which we are living the age of the church.

Israel, the Gentiles, and the Fulfillment of Prophecy

The thrust of God's Spirit is mainly Among the Gentiles as he is drawing together the church and That blindness has happened in part to the nation of Israel. Until the fullness of the Gentiles is come in.

But then all Israel will be saved for there shall arise a deliverer out of Zion so wrapping up The age of man man's rule over the earth and the anticipation for the wonderful new age when the Lord himself shall come and establish God's kingdom here the age of the Gentiles Will end with the greatest chaos and bloodshed that the world has ever known.

Jesus described it as a time of great tribulation. He said such as was not experienced from the beginning of the world till this time. No, nor ever shall be and unless those days would be shortened No flesh would remain.

But for the elects sake those days shall be shortened. The time of the Gentiles actually began way back when Nebuchadnezzar Conquered Judah and destroyed Jerusalem and took the Jews as captives unto Babylon.

That was the beginning of the times of the Gentiles. Among those that were taken captive to Babylon was Daniel the Prophet of God and the Lord revealed to Daniel that God had established a covenant with the nation of Israel.

The covenant would be divided into 77 year cycles. And that from the time that the commandment would go forth to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Messiah the Prince would be 669 seven-year cycles or 483 years.

445 BC Artaxerxes Gave the commandment to Nehemiah to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. 483 years later Jesus made His entry into Jerusalem Riding on a donkey on what we call Palm Sunday as he presented himself to the nation as their Messiah.

But as the prophecy of Daniel went on to say the Messiah would be cut off and Not receive the kingdom and we know that before the week was over that Jesus Presented himself as the Messiah. He was crucified and did not receive the kingdom the prophecy of Daniel goes on to say and the Jews will be dispersed and within 40 years of Jesus being crucified The Romans came under Titus in 70 AD Conquered and destroyed Jerusalem and the Jews were dispersed throughout the world and remained as such People without a nation until 1948 when Israel became a nation once again, and so we see how God's Word being fulfilled before our very eyes.

As Israel became a nation in 48 67 Jerusalem became a Israeli territory and so we see the prophecies being fulfilled. Just as the Lord had declared they would now 77s were determined upon the nation of Israel.

69 of them were already fulfilled. Exactly precisely from the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah was 483 years. But that leaves us one seven year cycle unfulfilled when Israel was cut off as Being a nation or as the Messiah was cut off actually It seems like God's time clock was stopped it is not yet started again but I do believe we'll be starting again very soon and Ezekiel tells us the Circumstances by which God's time clock will start moving once again.

Ezekiel's Prophecy and the Nations Gathering Against Israel

It will be in the latter years Ezekiel said when God has gathered them back into the land and they are dwelling there. That Russia will back Iran and Turkey and other Muslim nations Who will seek to destroy the nation of Israel?

Interestingly enough this week on Monday The Muslim Actually on Thursday later than that Muslim leaders Thursday Demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah meeting in an emergency summit where Iran's President said the solution was to obliterate The Jewish state.

Of course we know that he's been talking like this of late the total destruction of the nation of Israel and This is the intention and this is the plan of the leader of Iran at the present time. Now Ezekiel talks about Iran backed by Russia attempting to obliterate Israel in these last days they will amass a tremendous army to try to destroy the nation of Israel and God said at this time he will rise to the defense of Israel and He will turn back These invaders who are coming against Israel.

In fact, he even describes In how they will be destroyed God tells us that he will plead against them with pestilence with blood he will rain upon them and upon their bands and upon the many people that are with them and overflowing rain of great hailstones fire and brimstone and God said that he would thus magnify himself and Sanctify himself and will be known in the eyes of many nations and they shall know that I am the Lord.

So the Prophet went on to say Ezekiel that is that God promised to Israel that when he has brought them again from the people and gathered them out of their enemies lands and He has sanctified in them in the sight of many nations and that is when he destroys this invading army of Muslim nations backed by Russia when he destroys them and he is sanctified in the eyes of many nations then Shall they that is Israel know That I am the Lord their God Which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen, but I've gathered them into their own land.

I've left none of them anymore in the foreign lands and neither will I hide my face anymore from them so God's promise that He will again hold Israel sort of as his people and that will begin the last seven-year Cycle and of course the Bible goes on to tell us of many events that will transpire in that seven years.

The Great Tribulation and the Return of Christ

How that they will rebuild their temple and how that as they begin their worship in the temple again after three and a half years. That the leader of Europe who brokered this peace treaty will come and Declare that he is God and demand to be worshiped as God and the nation of Israel will realize They've been deceived by this man.

And then as the scripture tells us the great tribulation period which will culminate in the great bloodshed of the Battle of Armageddon which will Actually be stopped by Jesus return establishing the kingdom of God upon the earth so The Lord said that at that time.

He's going to pour out his spirit upon the house of Israel. It seems like the whole nation whole world actually is gathered together against Israel the Prophet Zechariah predicted of that time He said behold I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling Unto all of the people round about When they shall be in siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem and in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people and all that burden themselves with it will be cut in pieces and Though all of the people of the earth Be gathered together Against it.

Media Narratives and Judgments About Israel

It would appear that the world media Is Turning people against the nation of Israel. Interesting how that the media is sort of twisting things making Israel the evil one and the Hezbollah the poor innocent victims and and how they're trying to brainwash people in Rising against Israel whenever you see the little babies and being held in arms.

They are always little. You know Palestinian babies or Lebanese babies, they don't show you the Israelis and the damage that is being done by these rockets and so forth and the babies that are being killed in Israel.

But it's always to evoke our sympathy Towards the Moslem cause rather than toward Israel. Israel becomes the villain and the Hezbollah and all become the victims. Look at what happened this past week in in the little village of Qana where the Israelis Bombed this building and of course, what was it 53?

Civilians children and women were killed as the building collapsed and As it was reported to the world immediately. Everyone says oh, this is terrible. And of course Israel had to stop the bombing for a 48-hour period.

But we were so ready to rise up and judge Israel and condemn Israel for that Condemn it without really looking at the evidence. It reminds us of a few years ago when the papers were filled with what they called the Jenin massacre how they reported that the Israeli troops went into Jenin and just slaughtered murdered just Hundreds of people and again the world rose up against Israel and said, you know, you must stop this the UN sent in Investigators to investigate the report of the massacre in Jenin and what did they find?

They found that there was no massacre that these innocent civilians were not murdered that there were a few of the Militants that were killed but the report was totally spurious and Yet the world was so ready to receive it and of course the report of the UN investigators didn't make Your news media as of course the supposed massacre did.

Claims About the Qana Bombing and Hezbollah Tactics

What do we know about Kenna and the situation that happened there? Well five days before the bombing. Because this was a launching site for missiles against Israel Israel sent their planes over with dropping leaflets on the village.

Letting them know that in five days. They were going to send the military Forces and the Air Force against this city to destroy these launching sites giving the people sufficient time to leave the village however.

The Hezbollah would not allow them to leave but force them to remain. Because they use civilians as a shield. The Hezbollah consistently stores weapons in residential buildings and uses civilians as human shields.

So there was the bombing and after the bombing eight hours later the building collapsed under an explosion. My question is why did the people remain in a building that was? Damaged by a bomb supposedly for eight hours before it collapsed.

And why is it? that there were only women and children in that building and Why is it? That they didn't leave During that eight-hour period when it seemed like there was a danger of collapse. It's interesting the man that was photographed Holding the dead child who was dressed as a rescue worker.

That same man has been photographed many different times in similar scenes since 1996. It seems like he's a model and he is used by the press. Whenever they want to get out some kind of a sensational story they put a baby a dead baby in his arms and he is Pictured as he's wailing and and all in sorrow over the child in his arms.

But he's the same man since 1996 is who has been used in photos. If you go back over the photos of the past press Releases a blog site in Lebanon Declares that the Hezbollah had filled the house with crippled children then placed a rocket launcher on the roof of the house and Waited for the Israeli Air Force to come.

It was all a setup a Propaganda setup and of course it was effective. It caused the Israelis to cease bombing for 48 hours. How is it that there were no men? Why so many women and children? The United States does seem to be the only nation that really supports Israel at the present time, but You even question our support.

We've forced Israel to cede territory to the Hamas and the Hezbollah. That they have interpreted as Proving that terrorism is their path to victory and has only emboldened them to continue their terroristic tactics now.

Ezekiel's Nations and the Contemporary Middle East

What can you say about the current situation? Surely the sides are aligned as the Prophet Ezekiel said they would be 2 ,500 years ago. Russia is Allied with Iran and has provided the technical know-how for them to develop the atomic bomb.

The only Missing link in the scenario in Ezekiel is Turkey is also listed as one of the aggressive aggressor nations against Israel and Israel and Turkey have had friendly relationships and And mutual kinds of agreements.

But Turkey is listed in Ezekiel as one of the nations that will join with Iran and the other Moslem nations supported by Russia who will attack Israel in this final kind of a battle before God really works By his spirit on the nation of Israel once again.

But an interesting thing this past Monday this last week Monday Turkey signed an agreement To give 1 million dollars to the Palestinians to help create their Palestinian state. The donation came amid a push by Turkey to use international pressure to end Israel's offensive against the Gaza Strip last Sunday.

Just a week ago 20 ,000 Turks Lowly backed the Turkish government's indignant protest as they staged a massive anti-israel demonstration in Istanbul. The tide seems to be turning and according to the Bible it definitely will turn as Turkey will join in the Moslem invasion of Israel as the battle still rages today as The Israelis are seeking to Rid the southern portion of Lebanon from the Hezbollah the terrorists.

We're aware that if Israel really begins to thrash the Hezbollah there is always that threat of Syria and Iran Becoming actively involved in supporting and in backing up the Hezbollah because the Hezbollah are actually frontline Iranian troops in their battle against Israel and As soon as it begins to look bad if Israel does not Enter into the ceasefire Then it is very possible That Iran and Syria will join with the Hezbollah to try to protect them from Israel and this could be what Ezekiel describes as The hook in the jaw that will bring Russia on into the conflict.

God said he's going to put a hook in their jaw and he's going to draw them in. Because Russia has signed a pact with Iran and with Syria so What Ezekiel has described Does seem that it is at least? Either being fulfilled and we're seeing the beginning of its fulfillment or This is just another one of those Times when God is saying wake up.

This is what's going to happen. This is where it's going to happen. These are the nations that will be involved and God will give us maybe a little more time as they have opportunity to rearm and Get ready for the big major conflict as Jesus said When you see these things begin to come to pass just look up lift up your head.

The Sleeping Church and the Mission of the Gospel

For your redemption is drawing nigh. While these things are happening It would seem that as far as the church is concerned Like Jesus spoke in the parable of the ten virgins They were all slumbering and sleeping and it would seem that the church is really asleep at the present time as far as the severity of the things that are taking place and We've sort of have our head in the sand.

The church it seems Has been looking for solutions to the problems of the world Trying to feed the world and nurse the world rather than bringing Jesus Christ to the world. Our real mission is to share with the world The gospel of Jesus Christ that is what changes societies not just going in with all kinds of aid and and Programs and so forth that doesn't change societies.

Societies are changed when the hearts of the people are changed and wherever the gospel is gone to take the truth of Jesus Christ to people you find that There are changes then in the whole society the social order.

The Worsening World and Readiness for Christ's Return

I Hate to be a wet blanket but my Bible tells me that evil men and seducers are going to get worse and worse as They are deceived and are being deceived. Jesus warned because the iniquity shall abound the love of many will wax cold and Jesus questioned of whether or not he would even find faith when he returned in Luke 21 Jesus said take heed to yourselves Lest at any time your hearts are overcharged With seeking pleasure or with drunkenness or with the cares of this life and That day catches you unprepared.

For as a snare Shall it come on all of them that dwell on the face of the earth and of the whole earth. Watch thee therefore. He said pray always That you may be accounted worthy To escape all these things that shall come to pass and that you might stand before the Son of Man.

Before World War two there was a group known as the moral rearmament and their theme was every day and in every way The world is getting better and better and better. My grandmother was a part of that moral rearmament and She would sit there in the chair and we would be sitting around her because she could tell Fabulous lies and But they were exciting.

And she would say now Charles dear Every day and in every way The world is getting better and better and better. Then Hitler came along and their theme exploded. Well, I'll tell you what as I look at the world Every day and in every way The world is getting worse and worse and worse and I don't think it's going to get better until Jesus comes and Establishes the kingdom of God upon the earth and We're not far off.

Things are winding up. We're coming to the end of the age not the end of the world. But the end of the age the Lord will be returning I'm certain very soon. The stage is set all of the participants Seem to be in place.

Prayer for God's Kingdom and a Watchful Church

We're just waiting for the curtains to open on the final scene of the age of the Gentiles and Then we look forward to the glorious coming age of our Lord Jesus Christ. Father we thank you That as we look at the world and the conditions today a World in which people in fear of what's coming to pass Men's hearts feeling them for fear that Lord.

We don't need to fear. Because we've got the road map the true road map to peace and It doesn't include Lord the involvement of Armies and man, but Lord your road map. And how we long for that day when your kingdom will come.

That day when your will is done here on earth Even as it is in heaven. And Lord help us that we will not be sleeping but that we will be awake Lord as Paul the Apostle said that high time to awake out of our sleep.

Because now is our salvation nearer Than when we first believed. Help us Lord to wake from our sleep. Help us Lord to be watching Even as you told us there in mark 13 Lord. May we be watching. And may we be ready in Jesus name.

Amen. Shall we stand the pastors are down here at the front? To minister to you today who maybe you are not quite sure of where you stand in your relationship with the Lord and You know with the events that are taking place if Jesus should come for his church today Where would you be tonight?

If he came this afternoon raptured the church, would you be with the church or would you be left to face? The hell that's going to come upon earth Once the church is taken away. If you're not sure We would encourage you to come on forward as we're dismissed and let these men pray with you that you might be a part of Those that were ready it says went in and that you might be a part of those that are ready watching for our Lord to come and so Soon as we're dismissed come on down and get things right with God be ready.

You don't know the day or the hour He's coming for us our father Which are in Heaven. How though it be? Thy name thy kingdom come. Thy will be done as it is in. Give us this day our daily and forgive us our debts as we Forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil for thine Is the kingdom?