What did Jesus mean by "those days should be shortened...?"

[iamlamad]

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.

 

What did Jesus mean?  First, what are "those days?"

 

²¹ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

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.

Many people imagine that Jesus put a TITLE on the last half of the week, titling it "The Great Tribulation." No, there is no such title for the last half of the week. In Jesus' own words, there will be "those days" of "great tribulation." 

What will cause "those days" of GT?

John tells us: there will be an image erected, as Nebuchadnezzar did, and the Beast will force all to worship this image or be put to death. 

Next, there will be a mark established, and all must receive this mark, or be put to death.  All will know, (whether they believe it or not) that to take the mark will doom them to the lake of fire. NO ONE will be able to buy or sell without the mark. Drinkable or safe water will become very hard to find. The only safe water will be in stores. But without the mark, no safe water to drink. Therefore, hunger and thirst will become intolerable and people may take the mark just to get a drink of water. 

In other words, GREAT PRESSURE will be put on people to take this mark. 

How long will "those days" of GT last?

First, when will "those days" begin? If we follow along with John's narrative in Revelation, we see the warning not to take the mark is in Rev. 14. And in chapter 15, we see the beheaded people begin to show up in heaven. Therefore the days of great tribulation will begin sometime between chapters 14 and 15. However, this is not to say hard times won't come before. The Beast will begin his attack on believers shortly after the midpoint. As John shows us, the False Prophet or second beast does not show up at the midpoint, but some unknown time later. It is the False prophet that convinces the people to erect this image to the Beast. So the image itself will come some unknown time after the midpoint of the week.  It is also this False Prophet that creates this mark without which no one can buy or sell. 

How long into the second half of the week will the image and mark be created? No one knows. John did not tell us.

HOW will God "shorten" "those days" of "great tribulation?"  When the murdering of the saints gets to a peak, God will begin pouring out the vials of His wrath, which will "shorten" those days of GT. In other words, after a few of these vials, there will be no one in the Beast's armies hunting down believers or beheading them. These vials of wrath will bring the Beast's operations to a HALT. Thus, the days of GT that could be, will not be. The beast will still have his 42 months of authority, but will be rendered helpless by the vials of wrath and associated plagues. 

Therefore, no one really knows how many days will be included in "those days." It is an unknown. All we can know is, the Beast, the False Prophet, and their armies will be rendered almost helpless as it relates to hunting down believers and beheading them. 

It will be the number of days that gets shortened. The 70th week will not be shortened, or will the Beast's 42 months get shortened. 

Edited January 13, 2018 by iamlamad

[Daniel 11:36]

Agreed

[Sister]

9 hours ago, iamlamad said:

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.

 

What did Jesus mean?  First, what are "those days?"

 

²¹ For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

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.

Many people imagine that Jesus put a TITLE on the last half of the week, titling it "The Great Tribulation." No, there is no such title for the last half of the week. In Jesus' own words, there will be "those days" of "great tribulation." 

What will cause "those days" of GT?

John tells us: there will be an image erected, as Nebuchadnezzar did, and the Beast will force all to worship this image or be put to death. 

Next, there will be a mark established, and all must receive this mark, or be put to death.  All will know, (whether they believe it or not) that to take the mark will doom them to the lake of fire. NO ONE will be able to buy or sell without the mark. Drinkable or safe water will become very hard to find. The only safe water will be in stores. But without the mark, no safe water to drink. Therefore, hunger and thirst will become intolerable and people may take the mark just to get a drink of water. 

In other words, GREAT PRESSURE will be put on people to take this mark. 

How long will "those days" of GT last?

First, when will "those days" begin? If we follow along with John's narrative in Revelation, we see the warning not to take the mark is in Rev. 14. And in chapter 15, we see the beheaded people begin to show up in heaven. Therefore the days of great tribulation will begin sometime between chapters 14 and 15. However, this is not to say hard times won't come before. The Beast will begin his attack on believers shortly after the midpoint. As John shows us, the False Prophet or second beast does not show up at the midpoint, but some unknown time later. It is the False prophet that convinces the people to erect this image to the Beast. So the image itself will come some unknown time after the midpoint of the week.  It is also this False Prophet that creates this mark without which no one can buy or sell. 

How long into the second half of the week will the image and mark be created? No one knows. John did not tell us.

HOW will God "shorten" "those days" of "great tribulation?"  When the murdering of the saints gets to a peak, God will begin pouring out the vials of His wrath, which will "shorten" those days of GT. In other words, after a few of these vials, there will be no one in the Beast's armies hunting down believers or beheading them. These vials of wrath will bring the Beast's operations to a HALT. Thus, the days of GT that could be, will not be. The beast will still have his 42 months of authority, but will be rendered helpless by the vials of wrath and associated plagues. 

Therefore, no one really knows how many days will be included in "those days." It is an unknown. All we can know is, the Beast, the False Prophet, and their armies will be rendered almost helpless as it relates to hunting down believers and beheading them. 

It will be the number of days that gets shortened. The 70th week will not be shortened, or will the Beast's 42 months get shortened. 

Iamlamad

Revelation 16:12   And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

 

Revelation 9:13   And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

Revelation 9:14   Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

Revelation 9:15   And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

Revelation 9:16   And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

Revelation 9:17   And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

Revelation 9:18   By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

 

Two wars.  When the Mede's stand up to the king of the North at the end of the 3 1/2 yrs, they will pour into Israel.  All the armies of the earth will come in also to battle.  They will all pour in like a flood.  This war is kingdom against kingdom, nation against nation.  Man against man.  It's this war that will be cut short or else no flesh will be saved.  Not only will the Mede's pour into Israel, but whilst all the worlds armies are sent to Israel, the Mede's will take all the strongholds of Babylon.  In every nation they will bring down Babylon's strongholds, and terrorise all the households of the nations.  They will be cruel and fierce....Again, this is the war that is cut short by Christ's "appearing".  If Christ doesn't stop THIS WAR, no flesh will be saved. 

This war has to be stopped, because a third of man get killed in this particular war.

Then all those armies will all gather at Megiddo to war the Lamb and fight him together as "one army".

 

[frienduff thaylorde]

1 hour ago, Sister said:

Iamlamad

Revelation 16:12   And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

 

Revelation 9:13   And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

Revelation 9:14   Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

Revelation 9:15   And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

Revelation 9:16   And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

Revelation 9:17   And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

Revelation 9:18   By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

 

Two wars.  When the Mede's stand up to the king of the North at the end of the 3 1/2 yrs, they will pour into Israel.  All the armies of the earth will come in also to battle.  They will all pour in like a flood.  This war is kingdom against kingdom, nation against nation.  Man against man.  It's this war that will be cut short or else no flesh will be saved.  Not only will the Mede's pour into Israel, but whilst all the worlds armies are sent to Israel, the Mede's will take all the strongholds of Babylon.  In every nation they will bring down Babylon's strongholds, and terrorise all the households of the nations.  They will be cruel and fierce....Again, this is the war that is cut short by Christ's "appearing".  If Christ doesn't stop THIS WAR, no flesh will be saved. 

This war has to be stopped, because a third of man get killed in this particular war.

Then all those armies will all gather at Megiddo to war the Lamb and fight him together as "one army".

 

THE ONLY TRUMPET I can sound is BE PREPARED TO EVEN DIE FOR THE LORD to have to suffer betrayal at the hands of many and even get killed.

Their is a monster tribulation coming and all inclusive mindset is getting the world ready to worship the dark one and we get betrayed.

Do not expect to be raptured out .  NO be prepared to instead endure an all out hell bent persecution to rid us all from the land.

 SISTER.............their is a MONSTER DELUSOIN building as I write this .....................sister,,,,,,,,,,its a MONSTER and it goes under the name UNITY all inclusive love ,

etc.   unity with the world with rome with all relgions , ITS LEADING them to the beast , itsworship .     OH dear sister help me warn the peoples.

NOT TO Fear it , but rather to be faithful In CHRIST even unto death .  

OH dear its infected many jews too , who know not Christ and many who claim to be messianic are under its influence as is many of our churches too.

Sis, its a monster cloaked with words like hugs , love unity peace.   BUT ITS DEATH and at its end its TEETH will be seen against its enemies,   US SISTER lambs of GOD

that is who its true enemy is . 

[simplejeff]

26 minutes ago, Giller said:

First of all end time prophecy wise, what is called the church is messing up the word of God, in more ways than one, too many interpretations, not enough knowing about the why's and how come's of end time prophecy.

We really need to understand the way of the cross more, and as we humble ourselves before God, the understanding will flow into other areas, such as end time prophecy, the thing is, is that there are too many private interpretations and not enough humility and humbleness.

As noted frequently,  since the "church" is messing up,  (YHWH created all things simple, man came up with many devices), there are as Jesus Says many false teachers tickling the ears of multitudes,  

and the way of the cross is necessary,   and is taught in only a few places (worthy christian library for one is fairly good to learn the way of the cross - to follow Jesus;  but obviously the forum is not, nor the chat,) , 

so knowledge of God and understanding of His Word is relatively rare, and people don't even know where to nor how to learn from God,  ....  most having already fallen/ been tricked by as you posted "privated interpretations"/ false doctrines and teachings and traditions ......

Where are the humble who choose to seek God's Kingdom to turn ?

 

[Sister]

2 hours ago, Giller said:

I will just mention something.

First of all end time prophecy wise, what is called the church is messing up the word of God, in more ways than one, too many interpretations, not enough knowing about the why's and how come's of end time prophecy.

We really need to understand the way of the cross more, and as we humble ourselves before God, the understanding will flow into other areas, such as end time prophecy, the thing is, is that there are too many private interpretations and not enough humility and humbleness.

Why will God shortened the days?

Mat 24:21-22
(21)  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
(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.

Mat 24:29-30
(29)  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
(30)  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
 

No flesh being saved, is not referring to salvation in this case, but rather to no flesh being saved in the sense of remaining, and if God would not shortened the days of the tribulation period, there would no flesh remain alive during Christ's millennial reign.

And it is for the elect's sake that he will shorten these days.

And the ones that are not destroyed, shall get saved, and become believers, but all the wicked God shall destroy (2 Thess 1:7-10).

God wants people to serve him, love him, and worship him, and he will have his people during the millennial reign, who do so.

God always has his people.

We tend to not really read carefully his word, nor see his heart in the matter, too many just want the acclaim, prestige, be the know it all person, and not understand God 's heart.

Amen Giller

[Sister]

3 hours ago, frienduff thaylorde said:

THE ONLY TRUMPET I can sound is BE PREPARED TO EVEN DIE FOR THE LORD to have to suffer betrayal at the hands of many and even get killed.

Their is a monster tribulation coming and all inclusive mindset is getting the world ready to worship the dark one and we get betrayed.

Do not expect to be raptured out .  NO be prepared to instead endure an all out hell bent persecution to rid us all from the land.

 SISTER.............their is a MONSTER DELUSOIN building as I write this .....................sister,,,,,,,,,,its a MONSTER and it goes under the name UNITY all inclusive love ,

etc.   unity with the world with rome with all relgions , ITS LEADING them to the beast , itsworship .     OH dear sister help me warn the peoples.

NOT TO Fear it , but rather to be faithful In CHRIST even unto death .  

OH dear its infected many jews too , who know not Christ and many who claim to be messianic are under its influence as is many of our churches too.

Sis, its a monster cloaked with words like hugs , love unity peace.   BUT ITS DEATH and at its end its TEETH will be seen against its enemies,   US SISTER lambs of GOD

that is who its true enemy is . 

frienduff thaylorde

So true. 

  John 16:33   These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

It's coming and we must know the sign of the times.  Today is the day of salvation, not tomorrow.  This thread is to show how close we are to the start of the tribulation.  It will all start in Jerusalem.  Something big there will start.  I have explained what I think it will be.  No good proclaiming after it's started, but before as a testimony that God has warned us all of all the evils he will bring on the ungodly, and those who loved a lie, and loved not the truth.  It will be worse for them than for the saints who will be persecuted for righteousness sake.  To fall under the wrath and anger of God will not be pleasant, but a dreadful experience.

The tribulation will not be pretty, but we know our Lord is not far away.  That is the good news.

Strengthen the things that are weak.  Feed on the bread that gives life. 

 

 

[iamlamad]

11 hours ago, Sister said:

Iamlamad

Revelation 16:12   And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

 

Revelation 9:13   And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

Revelation 9:14   Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

Revelation 9:15   And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

Revelation 9:16   And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

Revelation 9:17   And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

Revelation 9:18   By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

 

Two wars.  When the Mede's stand up to the king of the North at the end of the 3 1/2 yrs, they will pour into Israel.  All the armies of the earth will come in also to battle.  They will all pour in like a flood.  This war is kingdom against kingdom, nation against nation.  Man against man.  It's this war that will be cut short or else no flesh will be saved.  Not only will the Mede's pour into Israel, but whilst all the worlds armies are sent to Israel, the Mede's will take all the strongholds of Babylon.  In every nation they will bring down Babylon's strongholds, and terrorise all the households of the nations.  They will be cruel and fierce....Again, this is the war that is cut short by Christ's "appearing".  If Christ doesn't stop THIS WAR, no flesh will be saved. 

This war has to be stopped, because a third of man get killed in this particular war.

Then all those armies will all gather at Megiddo to war the Lamb and fight him together as "one army".

 

Readers, this is only human reasoning. Rev. 13 tells us what will cause those days of great tribulation, meaning, great pressure being put upon people. You are mistaken. The "war" as you call it, at the 6th trumpet will be an angelic war. And it will come before the days of great tribulation Jesus spoke of.  You are trying to mix Rev. 16, the vials, with Rev. 9, the trumpets. The trumpet judgments will be FINISHED by the time God begins pouring out the vials of His wrath.

[iamlamad]

10 hours ago, frienduff thaylorde said:

THE ONLY TRUMPET I can sound is BE PREPARED TO EVEN DIE FOR THE LORD to have to suffer betrayal at the hands of many and even get killed.

Their is a monster tribulation coming and all inclusive mindset is getting the world ready to worship the dark one and we get betrayed.

Do not expect to be raptured out .  NO be prepared to instead endure an all out hell bent persecution to rid us all from the land.

 SISTER.............their is a MONSTER DELUSOIN building as I write this .....................sister,,,,,,,,,,its a MONSTER and it goes under the name UNITY all inclusive love ,

etc.   unity with the world with rome with all relgions , ITS LEADING them to the beast , itsworship .     OH dear sister help me warn the peoples.

NOT TO Fear it , but rather to be faithful In CHRIST even unto death .  

OH dear its infected many jews too , who know not Christ and many who claim to be messianic are under its influence as is many of our churches too.

Sis, its a monster cloaked with words like hugs , love unity peace.   BUT ITS DEATH and at its end its TEETH will be seen against its enemies,   US SISTER lambs of GOD

that is who its true enemy is . 

If you wish to remain behind and lose your head, that is between you and God. But please, don't try to convince others to follow you! God has made a way of escape: while those living in the darkness of sin get "sudden destruction," those living in the light of the gospel will get raptured and get to "live together with Him:" and "so shall we ever be with the Lord." 

A true believer in Christ has no need to worry. We are in God's hands. He is not going to set any appointments for us with His wrath. Rather, we will be raptured out. BELIEVE IT! It is truth.

[iamlamad]

8 hours ago, simplejeff said:

As noted frequently,  since the "church" is messing up,  (YHWH created all things simple, man came up with many devices), there are as Jesus Says many false teachers tickling the ears of multitudes,  

and the way of the cross is necessary,   and is taught in only a few places (worthy christian library for one is fairly good to learn the way of the cross - to follow Jesus;  but obviously the forum is not, nor the chat,) , 

so knowledge of God and understanding of His Word is relatively rare, and people don't even know where to nor how to learn from God,  ....  most having already fallen/ been tricked by as you posted "privated interpretations"/ false doctrines and teachings and traditions ......

Where are the humble who choose to seek God's Kingdom to turn ?

 

I am right here. I have not gone away.