you turn to Mark chapter 13. Mark chapter 13, and I trust
you have also marked Daniel chapter 9. Now in Mark 13, we'll bring
you a message, Lord willing, from verse 14 down to verse 23. The title of the message is taken
from verse 20. See verse 20? And the title of
the message is, For the elect's sake. For the elect's sake. Who are the elect? Well, it tells
us there. Whom He has chosen. God's elect are chosen of God. For the elect's sake. Or we could
read it this way. For Christ's sake. You know,
He is the elect of God. Believers are chosen in Christ
Jesus. Our Lord said, all that the Father
has given to me, they will come to me. And then in Isaiah 42.1,
the Lord Jesus Christ is called the elect of God. We read, Behold
my servant whom I uphold, my elect in whom my soul delighteth. Let's read verse 14. Mark 13
verse 14. But when you shall see, when
you shall see this abomination, this terrible destruction, this
terrible curse it brings to complete desolation, abomination of desolation
spoken of by Daniel the prophet. Remember the Lord said of Daniel,
he's greatly beloved. Standing where it ought not,
let him that readeth understand." Understand. I pray for understanding,
don't you? The Lord be pleased to give us
understanding. Then, let them that be in Judea
flee. Flee to the mountains. He's saying
here, trouble's coming. Trouble's coming. Get out of
town. Trouble's coming. Leave the city. Leave the city. wise, grace preacher of the past."
A set of these verses found here in Mark 13 and same as said in
Matthew 24. One wise, grace preacher of the
past said of these verses, the Lord purposely mingled the prophecies
concerning the destruction of Jerusalem that actually took
place in the year 70 AD and His own second coming So that there
would be nothing in the words to satisfy, nothing in his word
to satisfy the idle curiosity of some, but always to make every
believer to watch and be ready for his sudden appearing. For our Lord said, I will come
again. The Lord declared in Matthew
24, therefore as he said, be ye also ready for as such an
hour you think not, When you think not, behold He comes. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming
back. John wrote in Revelation 1 verse
7, Behold He cometh. Do you know what that means? It means He's on His way. Behold
He comes. Every eye will see Him. Every
knee will bow before him, and every tongue shall swear that
he is Lord to the glory of God the Father." Now I realize there
has been an avalanche of speculation about this chapter, about this
phrase, the abomination of desolation. standing in a place where it
ought not." There has been much written about the prophecy that's
found in Daniel chapter 9 that we read just a moment ago. Much
of this prophecy has been literally already fulfilled when the armies
of Rome marched through Jerusalem, destroyed Jerusalem, destroyed
the Jewish temple. That happened, what, 30-some
years or 40-some years after the Lord died for our sin. In
that besiege of Jerusalem, countless people were slaughtered. They
tell me two million Jews were crucified. Those who didn't flee
to the mountains as they were instructed, those who remained
in the city were either killed or carried away into slavery. So that certainly has reference
to that if you'll find Luke 21. Luke chapter 21, we can read
a little bit more about it. Luke chapter 21. So when the
Lord is telling those people in that day, when you see the
armies of Rome surround the city, you know that it's taking place
what Daniel said would happen in that vision. In Luke 21, look
at verse 20. Luke 21 verse 20. And when ye shall see Jerusalem
compassed with the armies, then know that the desolation thereof
is nigh. Then let them that are in Judea
flee to the mountains, let them which are in the midst of it
depart out, and let not them that are in the countries thereof
therein enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance,
that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with
child, to them that give suck in those days, for there shall
be great distress in the land, wrath upon this people. They
shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away
captive into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down
of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." So this has a whole lot to say
about what has already taken place some 2,000 years ago. However, these words also refer
to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the last day. The very
time in which we live right now. He shall come. And He is on His
way. In that portion of scripture
found in Daniel 9, there is a plain declaration, not only of the
just wrath of God that fell upon the Jews for their willful rejection
of the Messiah, but also great mercy, the great mercy of God
revealed in the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ,
to accomplish our salvation and to put away the sin of God's
elect, the sin of his covenant people. And he got that done. Call his name Jesus, he shall
save his people from their sin. Now I want you to turn back to
Daniel 9 for just a few moments. Daniel chapter 9, and let me
show you some things here revealed that we can see. Now there's
a lot I don't understand that's said here in Daniel 9, but there's
much that we can, by his spirit, get a hold of. In Daniel the
9th chapter, Daniel's prophecy is a true and great declaration
of the great redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ. which
He has already accomplished for us when He came, God manifest
in the flesh, and died for our sin according to the Scripture.
The just for the unjust that He might bring us unto God. He
bare our sin in His own body on the tree. I'll leave it to
others to debate and speculate about the weeks that Daniel talks
about, the 70 weeks, the 3 score and 2 weeks, and the time span
that they cover. I'll let those who want to get
into those things get into those things. I'm not interested in
that. I'm interested in Christ and the gospel of Christ. There
are more important things found here that describe unto us the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. At least eight gospel principles
are declared here plainly in Daniel the ninth chapter. Let
me give them to you. First of all, in Daniel 9 verse
26, After three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off,
but not for Himself. We are told about the coming
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah. We are told about the
Lord Jesus Christ dying for the sin of His covenant people. He
must be cut off. What does that mean? He must
die. He died the just for the unjust
that He might bring us unto God. He dies in the place and room
instead of His people. Cut off! He dies not because
He committed any sin personally, but for the sin of His people.
That's what He's saying there. For His people, for His sheep.
What do we call that? Substitution. Our substitute,
the Lord Jesus Christ, died for our sin according to the Scripture,
and doing so, as our substitute, make complete satisfaction for
the sin of those people given to Him in that covenant. He shall
be cut off. You know, those religious Jews
today, over in Jerusalem, they're still looking for the coming
of the Messiah, the first time. My friend, He's already come.
The Lord Jesus Christ has already fulfilled this prophecy that
Daniel tells us about. Christ died for our sin, the
just for the unjust. God made Him sin for us who knew
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Here's the second thing we know, found in verse 27, Daniel 9,
verse 27, He shall confirm the covenant
with many one week." The covenant with many. We're also told that
after he was cut off, after he died for our sin, cut off out
of the land of the dying, he would confirm the everlasting
covenant of grace with many. Christ confirmed it how? How
did He confirm and ratify and seal and guarantee that covenant
of grace? With His own blood. He completed it. He satisfied
it with His own blood. Hold your place there and find
Hebrews, the book of Hebrews 13, chapter 13, Hebrews 13 verse
20. He confirmed it with many, ratified
it, guaranteed it with His blood. Hebrews 13.20, Now the God of
peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting
covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will,
working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight through
Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. It was confirmed, completed with
His blood. Now look back at Daniel 9 again.
It was confirmed. The covenant was confirmed without
the shedding of blood. There is no remission. God said,
when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. We're redeemed with
the precious blood of Christ. His blood put away the sin of
His people. And then it says here, He shall
confirm the covenant with many. Many. He shed His blood for the
many. The many given to Him in that
covenant. It says over in I believe it's
Matthew 20, 28. He gave his life a ransom for
many. The Apostle Paul preaching in
the Antioch said, as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed God. That's the many. That's his elect. But for the elect's sake, Christ
confirmed this covenant of grace to his many people given to him. He bought the church with his
own blood. Something else happened. When
this happened, it says here in verse 27, "...in the midst of
the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and for
the overspreading of the abomination he shall make it desolate." You
remember when the Lord Jesus Christ died on Calvary's tree?
What happened to the veil that was in the temple? It was rent. Top to bottom. He shall cause the sacrifice
to cease." All those sacrifices before time were a type and picture
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the picture is fulfilled.
No need to have any more picture. God tore it up. The blood of bulls and goats
cannot put away sin. The Lord Jesus Christ obtained
eternal redemption for us with His own blood. The veil was rent
in two. something else our Lord confirmed
the covenant at the appointed time notice verse 27 in our text
again for one week or excuse me for he shall confirm the covenant
with many one week Our Lord confirmed the covenant
at the appointed time. That's what I'm trying to get
at. At the appointed time. In the fullness of the time,
God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
to redeem them that were under that law. In the fullness of
time, God delivered him up at the appointed time as our sacrifice
for sin. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and with
wicked hands have crucified the Lord of glory." Peter's words
on the day of Pentecost. Now, let me show you something
else. Eight things. There's the first two. Now here's
the third one. Look at Daniel 9, 24. Daniel 9, 24. Seventy weeks are determined
upon thy people and upon thy holy city, talking about the
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, talking about the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Watch this, to finish the transgression. To finish the transgression.
Our transgressions against God. Our sin against God, for we have
all trespassed God's holy law. God's law says no trespassing.
We've all violated and went right through it and offended God. But the good news of the gospel
is that the Lord Jesus Christ came to finish to finish to put
an end of our transgression. Remember what Isaiah said? He
was wounded for our transgression. bruised for our iniquities, and
with His stripes we are healed. Here's the fourth thing. Look
what it says in verse 24. To finish, not only to finish
transgression, to make, to make, and notice the marginal reference
says there, to seal up, to make an end of sins. He made an end
of sin. All the sin of His people, He
put an end to it. How did He do that? He appeared
once in the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. He put away our sin. He made an end of sin. He said their sin and their iniquity
will I remember as long as they hold out. That's about what it
says. Their sin and their iniquity
because of the blood atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
said their sin and their iniquity will I remember no more. He put
an end to our sin. Fifth thing, our glorious Redeemer
in doing that put an end to transgression. Finished transgression to make
an end of sin to make reconciliation. for iniquity, to make reconciliation. Our Glorious Redeemer reconciled
us unto God. He is our atonement. He is our
satisfaction for our iniquity, our sin. Now you know what sin
does? Sin has a separating quality.
Remember that scripture in Isaiah? He says, your sin have separated
you from God. Separated from God because of
sin. Do you know what reconciliation is? It's the opposite of separation.
The Lord Jesus Christ reconciled us unto himself by his own blood. The believer in Christ Jesus
has been reconciled unto God. The Lord Jesus Christ is our
satisfaction for sin. One time our sin separated us
from God. Our sin being taken away and
separated from us Now we have reconciliation with God in Christ
Jesus. That's good news, is it not?
To wit, God was in Christ reconciling us unto himself. He is our propitiation. God set him forth to be our propitiation. Here in his love, not that we
love God, but that he loved us and that he sent his Son to be
our satisfaction. I cannot satisfy God. I cannot make satisfaction for
my sin. I'm too wicked. I'm too guilty. And you are too. How can this
sinner satisfy a holy God? Only in Christ Jesus. You see
what he's saying there? To make reconciliation through
blood atonement, through Christ putting away our sin for all
of our iniquity. Put away. Number six. You see how this preaches the
gospel to us? Talking about the Messiah coming,
talking about the covenant of grace ratified with His blood,
talking about the Lord Jesus Christ to finish our transgression,
to make an end of sin, to make reconciliation. Here's what else
we need. I not only need my sin put away, but I also need a justifying
righteousness before God. Look what he says right there,
to bring in an everlasting righteousness. The Lord Jesus Christ, as the
substitute, as my mediator, as the representative man of His
people, as the surety of that covenant, He worked out for His
people an everlasting righteousness, and then you know what He does?
In his obedient life, he's honoring the law of God, working out a
righteousness. Not that he needed one. We did! We do! His perfect obedience
unto God's holy law, in every precept of that law, is the believer's
righteousness that we enjoy before God Almighty. It's the Lord who
is our righteousness before God. The Lord Jesus Christ brought
in an everlasting righteousness. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not charge sin. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord imputeth, giveth freely by His grace righteousness before
God. Justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. No
wonder the Apostle Paul said, I count all things but loss.
dung and ruined, that I might win Christ and be found in that
righteousness." Christ. And see all your righteousness
before God? You see, this righteousness we
have is not based upon what we have done. It's based upon what
He has done. And without this righteousness,
you'll not enter into the presence of God. And this righteousness
we have is Christ Who is our righteousness? Something else. The Lord Jesus
Christ has fulfilled all prophecy. You see that in verse 24? To
seal up the vision and the prophecy. In the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ, He's fulfilled everything that was pictured of Him, all
the types of the Old Testament that all said that someone is
coming. The Lord Jesus Christ has come
and fulfilled every type and picture and shadow under the
law. He is the fulfillment of it.
To Him give all the prophets witness. They all tell us about
the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said, I didn't come
to destroy the law. I came to honor the law of God."
You remember what he said upon Calvary 3? Some of his last words
before he yielded up the ghost, he said, it is finished, it's
complete, it is done. The Lord Jesus Christ sealed
up the vision. He fulfilled every prophecy concerning
the Messiah, every type and picture in the Old Testament, The Prophecy. The Prophecy. He is the Prophet
who came to fulfill all. I told you there were eight things.
Here's number eight. Our Savior, it says in verse
24, to anoint the Most Holy. He is the Anointed One. And that
means that He is the Messiah. Our Savior is the Anointed of
God. The Christ. the Messiah, and He is anointed
in all of His offices, prophet, priest, and king. He is a prophet
to reveal God into our heart. He is that priest to redeem us
from the curse of the law being made to curse for us. And He
is that glorious King who rules and reigns over the hearts of
God's people. Now, whenever you read the Scripture,
Whether it be Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jeremiah, we're looking
for one thing. We're looking for one person.
Christ. Everything else is side issues.
This prophecy is concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Daniel's prophecy
not only declares the gospel, but it declares something else
too. Daniel's prophecy also declares a great day of judgment and wrath
upon those who refuse to bow to the Lord Jesus Christ. Do
you remember He came unto His own? His own received Him not.
His own blood country, kinsmen, said His blood be on us and our
children. And it has been all these years. This is not by accident, but
by God's divine purpose. This overspreading of desolation
are determined in purpose by God's design, God's decree. He
that believeth not on the Son, the wrath of God abides on those. Those things that happened in
Jerusalem many, many years ago. when the armies of Rome destroyed
that city in 70 A.D. only foreshadow the great and
just judgment that is yet to come on this whole world. This world is marked out for
destruction. As someone said, don't build
your hopes in the forest of this world. It is doomed to burn. Burn to the ground. Don't build
your hopes there. We live in a day much like the
Jews did in our Lord's day. They were very religious, weren't
they? The Sadducees, the Pharisees, very religious. Much religion,
but no truth, no salvation. They had many traditions. Our
Lord even acknowledged that you go about to establish a righteousness
by your own tradition. They had the tradition of men.
They had much ceremony, but no truth, no salvation, no gospel
being declared. Their day is much like our day. As destruction literally came
in that day and wiped out the city, wiped out the temple, wiped
out the people, even so in this day there is coming a great day
of God's wrath and judgment upon this world. What are we to do? Look back
at Mark 13 now. Mark chapter 13. What are we
to do? The Lord gave instruction to
those people in that day to get out of town. Mark 13, 14, then
He said, let him that readeth understandeth, then let them
that be in Judea flee to the mountains. Flee to the mountains. Just as our Lord told His people
in that day to flee to the mountains before judgment fell upon Jerusalem,
our message today is not any different. Wrath is coming, my friend. Judgment
will fall. Just as the Lord said it would
in that day. Our message is the same. Flee
to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only refuge of God's
wrath. There is no refuge in the religion
of men. Salvation is in a person, the
Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to turn and read this
with me. Find 1 John 5. I can make good on that statement. Salvation is in Christ. Flee
to the mountains. Flee to Him. 1 John. 1 John chapter 5. 1 John
chapter 5. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself. Verse 10. He that believeth not,
God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that
God gave of his Son. 1 John 5.11. And this is the
record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life
is in his Son. You see, he that believeth on
the Son hath life. He that believeth not the Son,
the wrath of God abides on him." Read on, stay in our text here,
1 John 5, 11. This is a record that God has
given to us, eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that
hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
does not have life. Stay right here in this chapter,
look at verse 20. We know the Son of God has come. His whole
world lieth in wickedness and we know the Son of God has come.
He's given us an understanding that we may know Him that is
true. And we are in Him that is true. Even in His Son, Jesus
Christ, this is the true God and eternal life. This is the
true God. This is eternal life to be found
in Christ Jesus. So, let me give you this in closing.
Flee to the mountains. That's what the Lord said there.
Let them who are in Judea, let them who are in religion, flee
to Christ. Now, run to the mountains. Not to the mountain of Merit,
not to the mountain of works, not to Mount Sinai, but rather
to the mountains of His grace, the mountains of His mercy. He
is the city of refuge. Flee from the wrath to come,
but flee to Christ. Flee to Him. Something else we
see in verse 15 and 16 in our text. Flee to the Lord Jesus
Christ right now. Let him that is on the housetop
don't come down into the house. Either enter in to take anything
out of the house, and let him that is in the field not turn
back again, for to take up his garment. Flee to the Lord Jesus
Christ right now. Now. Let there be no delay. Take nothing out of the house.
No food, no money. Why? The Lord Jesus Christ is
all and in all. In Him we stand complete. Don't
go down. Don't go and take up your garment.
Don't return from the field back to get a garment, a coat. Why? All of our righteousnesses, all
of our garments are nothing but filthy rags. Christ is the only
robe of righteousness before God Almighty. I want you to turn
and read this with me. Find Isaiah 61. Isaiah 61 verse
10. Don't go get your garment. My garment is filthy rags. Christ is our garment. Christ
is our covering. Isaiah 61 10, I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God, for He hath clothed me with the garment of salvation. He
hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom
decketh himself with ornaments, as a bride adorneth herself with
jewels. He hath clothed me, He hath covered me." Flee to Christ. See what they're saying here?
Well, you see the abomination of desolation all around you. And that's what we see. Flee
to Christ right now. Flee to Him. Here's the third
thing, verse 17 and 18. Let nothing hinder you. Let nothing
prevent you from seeking salvation in Christ. Woe to them that are
with child, and to them that give suck in those days, and
pray that your flight be not in the wintertime. Here's what
he's saying. Let nothing prevent you from
seeking salvation in Christ Jesus. Let not family influence keep
you from Christ. Turn to Matthew 10. Let not family
influence keep you from Christ, not even a precious child. Matthew 10, look at verse 36. A man's foes shall be of his
own household. He that loveth father or mother
more than me is not worthy of me. He that loveth son or daughter
more than me is not worthy of me. He that taketh not his cross,
and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Matthew 10, 39. He that findeth his life shall
lose it. He that loseth his life for my sake, he'll find it. Forsake everything, run to Christ. Let not family influence keep
you from Christ. Something else, let not any day,
time, or season. He mentions there the wintertime. Let nothing, time, day, or season
keep you from fleeing to Christ. We read Hebrews 2, Behold, now
is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation.
Come to Christ, as my pastor used to say. Come to Christ.
Don't move a muscle. The Lord Jesus Christ is not
found down here. That's why we don't stand down
here and beg folks to come forward. Salvation is not down here. Salvation
is in Christ. Come to Christ and don't move
a muscle. We're coming to Christ, it's not a physical move. We
come to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in the heart. Look to
Him. 4, excuse me, Isaiah 45, the Lord
said, look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth,
for I am God and there is no other. You remember our dear
preacher, pastor friend, Scott Richardson? Some of you remember
him? He used to say this, salvation
is in a look. In a look. Looking to him. Looking to the Lord Jesus Christ,
who is the author and finisher of our faith. What happens to
those who will not surrender, submit, and trust the Lord Jesus
Christ for all of salvation? What happened to those people
that didn't flee the city when the judgment of God fell? Certain
death. What happens to those who will
not surrender and trust and submit to the Lord Jesus Christ? Certain
judgment. Judgment. Judgment. Judgment. Well, verse 20. Except the Lord
hath shortened those days, no flesh should be saved, but for
the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened those
days. God's elect will be saved in
Christ and cannot be deceived. They will be saved by the means
he hath ordained. The preaching of the gospel.
All that come to pass in time by the wise and righteous providence
of God, all that God has decreed will come to pass in due time. All things that come to pass
for God's glory and for His elect's sake whom He hath chosen. Who are these elect? I'm going to come back and revisit
this next week, Lord willing. Who are these elect? Those whom
He has chosen. Whose are these elect? Those
who hear and believe the gospel. Who are these elect? Those sinners
saved by His grace. Be sure you understand this.
God's elect will not and cannot be deceived. It is only because
of God's electing grace and His sovereign mercy that we are not
deceived. I pray that the Lord will bless
this to your heart. We thank God for His saving mercy
and His electing grace. And we give thanks for what God,
when He begins a good work of grace in you, what begins in
grace, it will end in glory. All these things are for the
elect's sake. What God does in this time world,
and the only reason, you think with me, The only reason this
world has not yet been destroyed is for the elect's sake. When
God saves that last elect sinner, judgment will come. The Lord
will come. The Lord will come.