Gospel of Matthew Chapter 24 Vs. 22

 The Abomination of Desolation

Matthew 24:22 “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

These elect had been praying for Jerusalem and her people, and God heard their prayers and answered. God will not allow total annihilation; He will always save a remnant.

Notice that, though the elect may be powerfully tempted, they will repudiate and resist the attack and still remain loyal to their Lord.

the elect’s sake... Jews, not the Church because:

1. Jesus is answering a Jewish question (Mat. 24:3; 25:31-46; Acts 1:6)

2. False Messiahs primarily concern Israel (Mat. 24:5, 24:23-26)

3. Anti-semitism proves it (Mat. 24:9)

4. The travail of Israel (see, Mat. 24:8)

5. The abomination of desolation concerns Israel only (see, Mat. 24:15)

6. The Jewish temple (see, Mat. 24:15)

7. Flight of Israel (see, Mat. 24:16)

8. The sabbath is Jewish (see, Mat. 24:20)

9. The great tribulation (note, Mat. 24:21)

10. Jews are the only people to be gathered (see, Mat. 24:31)

11. The coming of Christ is to deliver Israel (Mat. 24:29-31; 25:31-46; Zec. 14:1-21)

12. Judgment of the nations is based on treatment of Israel (Mat. 25:31-46)

13. The eagles eating carcasses was predicted to be at the time of Israel’s deliverance (Mat. 24:28; Eze. 39:17-22; Luke 17:34-37; Rev. 19:17-21)

14. The church will be raptured before the above events.

Those days shall... If the afflictions of this time were to continue, “no life would have been saved,” i.e., no one would survive. But “for the sake of the elect” (so that redeemed people do not suffer more than they can bear), the time is “cut short”, i.e., held short of total destruction. Both (Dan. 7:25 and Rev. 12:14), suggest that the actual length of time the Beast will be permitted to terrorize the world is fixed at 3-1/2 years.

shall be shortened... Curtailed. The persecution itself will be cut short, not the 1260 days themselves (Rev. 11:1-3; 12:6, 12:14; 13:5; Dan. 12:7).

Should be shortened (ἐκολοβώθησαν)

Rev., had been shortened. A very picturesque word. The verb is, literally, to dock, to cut off, leaving a stump, as a limb. Wyc., abridged. As a fact, various causes did combine to shorten the siege. Herod Agrippa was stopped in his work of strengthening the walls by orders from the emperor; the Jews, absorbed in their party strife's, had totally neglected preparations to stand a siege; the magazines of corn and provisions were burnt before the arrival of Titus. Titus arrived suddenly, and the Jews voluntarily abandoned parts of the fortification. Titus himself confessed that God was against the Jews, since otherwise neither his armies nor his engines would have availed against their defenses.

There was an encouraging note, however, for the Lord declared that those days would be cut short (Mat. 24:22). This meant there will be a termination of this period of time, not that the days will be fewer than 24 hours. If it were to go on indefinitely, no one would survive. But the period will come to an end for the sake of the elect, those who will be redeemed in the Tribulation and who will enter the kingdom. The elect of this Church Age will have already been raptured before the Tribulation.