Shortening of Days

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Omegatime

Well-known member
Apr 29, 2023
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#1
Matthew 24: 22 And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

Who are the elect and how are the days shorten??
 

seekingthemindofChrist

Casting down imaginations
Jul 10, 2023
1,178
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#2
Matthew 24:21-22

"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."

In context, "those days" are the days when there "shall be great tribulation", and the duration of the tribulation is a short period of time or 3 1/2 years.

Daniel 7:25

"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."

Daniel 12:7

"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."

Revelation 12:7-14

"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent."

"A time (1 year), and times (2 years), and the dividing of time (1/2 a year)," and "a time (1 year), times (2 years), and an half (1/2 a year)," and "a time (1 year), and times (2 years), and half a time (1/2 a year)" are all timeframes of 3 1/2 years which is the actual duration of the coming great tribulation.

Elsewhere in the book of Revelation, it is denoted as being "a thousand two hundred and threescore days" (Revelation 12:6) or 1260 days, and as lasting "forty and two months" (Revelation 13:5), and both of these time periods are 3 1/2 years as well.

The elect are Christians.
 

oyster67

Senior Member
May 24, 2014
11,887
8,705
113
#3
Matthew 24: 22 And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

Who are the elect and how are the days shorten??
Previous verse shows us that this is the Great Tribulation, so we can presume that the Jews will be delivered by the Second Coming of the Lord.
 

TheDivineWatermark

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2018
10,478
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#4
Matthew 24: 22 And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

Who are the elect and how are the days shorten??
Consider:

Matthew 24:29-31 ("GREAT" trumpet) corresponds with same spoken of in Isaiah 27:9,12-13 ("GREAT" trumpet)...

...note WHO, and TO WHERE, and BY WHOM they are/shall be gathered, and IN WHAT MANNER--"ye shall be gathered ONE BY ONE [not "AS ONE," as WE will be!], O ye children of Israel"... and it says "to worship the Lord in the holy mount, AT JERUSALEM"... (which, in every way, is wholly distinct from that of "our Rapture [IN THE AIR]" 1Th4:17/3:13 and 2Th2:1, etc etc);

--note that Isaiah 27:9 corresponds with Romans 11:26-27 (speaking of Israel's "FUTURE"), and both of which passages corresponding also to Daniel 9:24's [time-prophecy] about Israel (Israel's "FUTURE")--they will indeed be "believers" at that [future] point/time-frame (i.e. IN the Trib yrs);

--thus, the "elect" of THIS MATT24 passage is the believing remnant of ISRAEL (future TRIB yrs);




I believe the word "shortened" could best be defined as "CURTAILED" (it's still the full prophesied amount of 7 yrs / 2520 days--but if THOSE weren't CURTAILED [stopped] and allowed to go on further, they are so bad that NO ONE WOULD SURVIVE... which of course prophecy itself will not allow! ;) )




The "7 years" (aka Rev1:1 / 1:19c / 4:1's "IN QUICKNESS [NOUN]" starting at SEAL #1) spans precisely "2520 days" (not a single "CHANGE" has effected the prophesied amount / duration of it!)
 

jb

Senior Member
Feb 27, 2010
4,940
591
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#5
Matthew chapter 24 is written to/about the Church, the Body of Christ, and not the Jews!

Here is a blog that I did on this subject...
 

Omegatime

Well-known member
Apr 29, 2023
935
341
63
Pennsylvania
#6
IMO the elect are christians ( jews and gentiles ), I believe it is saying no christian would have survived to be taken in the rapture if the days were not shortened. We know from scriptures some will live thru the entire tribulation so it must be taking about the righteous Looking at other versions:


Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.


If that time weren’t shortened, nobody would be rescued. But for the sake of the ones whom God chose, that time will be cut short.


Indeed, if the length of this time had not been limited, no one would survive; but for the sake of those who have been chosen, its length will be limited.


If God doesn't make the time shorter, no one will be left alive. But because of God's chosen ones, he will make the time shorter.


Indeed the Lord God your merciful judge will cut this time of trial short, and this will be done for the benefit of the elect that some might indeed be saved—for no one could survive the depravity for very long.
 

TheDivineWatermark

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2018
10,478
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#7
IMO the elect are christians ( jews and gentiles ), I believe it is saying no christian would have survived to be taken in the rapture if the days were not shortened. We know from scriptures some will live thru the entire tribulation so it must be taking about the righteous Looking at other versions:
Consider:

--nowhere in Jesus' Olivet Discourse is Jesus covering the Subject of "our Rapture [IN THE AIR]," but rather of His Second Coming TO THE EARTH (FOR the earthly MK age) and that which precedes and leads up to THAT (so, speaking of the 7-yr Trib... all of which FOLLOWS "our Rapture");


--at the END of the Trib yrs (at His Second Coming to the earth Rev19), only "believers" (in their mortal bodies) will be permitted ENTRANCE INTO the MK age;
but if all "believers" are changed/glorified at that point (and "raptured"), and all unbelievers are sent away from His presence [die] (i.e. NOT permitted entrance into the MK age)... who is left (meaning, what "mortals" who will "fill" the earth, and by the end of the MK age it can be said of them that "the number of whom is as the sand of the sea" [i.e. LOTSA PPL!]), i.e. able to reproduce / bear children...?? [note: the ones BORN to the "believers" (in mortal bodies) who ENTER the MK age are not BORN "automatically righteous"]; and recall that "death" will still be in existence in the MK age, only will be much more rare and reserved only for the rebellious [/unsaved] of the MK age





Indeed, if the length of this time had not been limited, no one would survive; but for the sake of those who have been chosen, its length will be limited.
I agree that "LIMITED" is an appropriate word (but it is "limited" to the already-prophesied duration of time;

IOW, Dan9:27's "FOR ONE WEEK [7 yrs]" agrees precisely with what Rev1:1 / 1:19c / 4:1's "IN QUICKNESS [NOUN]" time-period shows [as its duration, STILL!], which STARTS at Seal #1 [the INITIAL "birth PANG"] and ends with His Second Coming to the earth Rev19 [2520 days total]).


If the days were not LIMITED (to the 7 prophesied yrs), no mortals would survive to enter the MK age (and bear children, etc)