For The Elect's Sake

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 STUDY NOTES MATTHEW 24:22 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES FOR THE ELECT’S SAKE Mat 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. This is one of those verses that must be studied word by word (nothing new for us) If not, there will be many unanswered questions, such as: Except what? What days? “Shortened” is mentioned twice, what is the meaning? “No flesh,” really? Does the word “saved” refer to spiritual salvation? Who are the “elect?” You can probably guess that there are various interpretations among Bible scholars As always, our study must come from scripture and not books written about the Bible And except those days should be shortened, “And except” clearly links verse 22 with verse 21, Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. What is the meaning of “those days,” what days? It is important that we get the right answer Jesus used the same phrase in, Mat 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! The same phrase is also found in, Mat 24:29 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: No question about it, in all three verses, “those days” refer to the days of the Great Tribulation The days that Jesus described in verse 21 as a unique period-of time There will be only one time-period known as the “Great Tribulation” Jesus told us that the Great Tribulation would begin at the time of the Abomination of Desolation, Mat 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Jesus said, “For then shall be great tribulation” (vs. 21) Jesus now tells us when the Great Tribulation will end for God’s people It is important to understand “should be shortened,” to understand what exactly is shortened It cannot be the length or the time-period of the 70th week of Daniel, a 7-year period-of time If the 70th week of Daniel is shortened there would be a contradiction of scripture Too often we are given an exact time-period related to the 70th week of Daniel A prophecy of Daniel explains exactly what we are reading in Matthew 24, Dan 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; The “same horn” takes us back to what Daniel had seen in his vision, Dan 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. Dan 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things The “little horn” is the Antichrist who makes war with the “saints,” Dan 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. We must understand that the persecution of the saints is only one thing that Antichrist will do There are many other things that he will do within the time frame given The Antichrist will “speak great words against the most High” (God Himself) The Antichrist will “think to change times and laws (God’s laws) 1 Look at “and they shall be given into His hand” “And they shall be given” is one word in the original, so what does “they” refer too? Actually “they” is not found within the meaning of the original word The original reads “to give or to be given over too,” It does not refer to the saints but to the authority given over to the hand of the Antichrist The time frame is “a time and times and the dividing of time” (3 ½ years) So, Dan. 7:25 does not teach that the Antichrist will “wear out the saints” for 3 ½ years The same time frame is identified in, Rev 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. (42 months) The same time-period is given in, Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (1260 days) And then again in, Rev 12:14 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. (Same description as found in Daniel 7:25) And we find the same time-period once again in, Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. The time-period given by Daniel must be 42 months or 1260 days, all of which are the same It is within that time period that Antichrist persecutes the “saints,” Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. We must understand that the persecution of saints is only one of many events in the time-period And we must understand that “shortened” cannot refer to the exact time often stated in scripture So, what is it that is going to be “shortened?” We will find the answer as we study the rest of the verse and compare it with other verses The word translated “shortened” means to cut short, cut off, or to amputate That which is shortened is not the 70th week of Daniel, the future seven years will not be cut short To cut short the 7-year period-of time would contradict scripture and Daniel’s prophecy It is the days of the “Great Tribulation” that shall “be shortened,” but why and for who? The time-period has been determined by Divine decree God gave the prophecy related to it Therefore, the Great Tribulation can only be “shortened” by “Divine Intervention” Which means that something specific is going to take place, some specific event will occur Which we will look at later Jesus explains “why” there must be a Divine Intervention--there should no flesh be saved: “No flesh” indicates that the Great Tribulation involves more than the Jews in Jerusalem The effort of the Antichrist is to destroy all Jews and Christians throughout the world Look at how some of the different translations interpret “no flesh:” No one; no human being; not a single person; no living thing; not a mortal; not a soul The previous warnings and instructions of Jesus have revealed the truth of those days Showing how severe those days of persecution will be (Matthew 24:15-21) The affliction will be so severe that it could destroy all mankind The reference to “all mankind” goes beyond the thought that only the Jews are being persecuted But also, he will attempt to eliminate the followers of Christ, which will affect all people Something must bring the effort of the Antichrist to an end or all flesh will perish “Saved” does not refer to the experience of spiritual salvation It is not the receiving of spiritual life, it is the “saving of flesh” The saving of the “flesh” is physical salvation or physical survival The “flesh” will be saved from the experience of death There will be those who will survive physically because God cuts short the Great Tribulation 2 Jesus now tells us “who” is being protected by the Great Tribulation being “cut short” but for the elect's sake, the great tribulation will be cut short “for the elect’s sake” But who are they? Who are the “elect?” Does “the elect” refer only to the Jewish nation? Jesus refers to the “elect” two more times in Matthew 24, Mat 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Jesus actually-says, it is not possible to deceive the “very elect” Which is not likely referring to the Jewish nation which have been deceived many times And they will be greatly deceived again in the future by the Antichrist, Dan 9:27 And he (Antichrist) shall confirm the covenant (of death) with many (Israel) for one week: (7 years) and in the midst of the week (the time of deception) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. It will be the saved Jew and Gentile who will not be deceived by the Antichrist The term “elect” refers to those who are saved, they are Christians, they are God’s people Jesus uses the word “elect” again in, Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. When we study this verse, we will find that once again the “elect” cannot be limited to the Jews The “elect” gathered will be a great multitude from every nation, Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; In the N.T. the word “elect” literally means the “called out ones” or “chosen ones” The word translated “elect” is found 23 times in the N.T. Seven times it is translated “chosen,” and sixteen times it is translated “elect” In the N.T. the word “elect” has reference to the “chosen people of God” In the O.T. God chose Israel to be a witness to other nations, Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. In the N.T. the term “elect” is not limited to the Jews The word “elect” is another name for the people of God, Paul identifies them in, Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; The “elect” are described as “holy,” which means set apart through Christ for God’s purpose They are also identified as “beloved,” they are those whom God loves through His Son The characteristics of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering are of the Christian Peter identifies the “elect,” 1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. God planned a long time ago for people to be holy and God knew that there was only one way God’s Son must go to the cross in-order for sinful man to become holy God Himself elected the plan of salvation for the lost and the plan of holiness for the saved Peter assures us that God has an eternal plan with an eternal purpose Peter explains what God’s plan of election includes: Foreknowledge of God; Sanctification of the Spirit; Obedience to the blood of Jesus Christ Those who are saved are known as Christians and referred to as the “elect” In the N.T. “elect” refers to believers in Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, 1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen (elect) generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: The word “chosen” is the same word Jesus used, the word “elect” 3 The word translated “elect” is found one time in Revelation, Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen,(elect) and faithful. Those who are with the Lord of Lords and King of Kings are the called, elect, and faithful Again, identifying those who are saved, not Jews in general or Gentiles in general But Jews and Gentiles who are saved, those who are saved will come from every nation They are the overcomers, they overcome Satan and his forces through Christ in them Let’s look at one other reference, Jesus was speaking to His disciples when He said, Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Jesus said to His disciples, “Don’t quit praying” Which does include prayer in general, but the main point is pray until Jesus comes Regardless of how difficult it gets before Jesus returns, keep praying Jesus encourages His followers to be patient and pray, Luk 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? Why will the “elect” cry day and night unto the Lord? Because of their persecution God will be listening to the prayers of His people, God does care about His people And His people are the “elect,” and God will answer their prayers God will do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, Luk 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them (the elect) speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? “Speedily” is not the idea of occurring soon in time or immediately It is not soon according-to the clock of man, but in the time frame of prophecy It will be according-to God’s timetable of prophetic events When it does occur, it will be quickly or suddenly Nothing can hold it back or keep it from occurring “When the Son of Man cometh” refers to the time of the Second Coming The context is the second coming and Jesus had a question, shall he find faith on the earth? The question is not, “Will there be Christians on the earth when Christ returns?” The question is, “Will there be faith among the elect when Jesus returns to the earth? The question indicates that “Faith” will not be the normal characteristic of the day The purpose of the question is for self-examination, for personal evaluation Each Christian has-to answer the question personally and now is the time for your answer The time of persecution, apostasy, and unbelief will come, Jesus said “To pray and not to faint” Christians must be over-comers, to be victorious we must keep the faith The faith that perseveres comes through persistent prayer Pray continually, don’t faint, don’t quit, don’t give up the faith According to Jesus in Matthew 24:22 the prayers of the elect will be answered--The day of severe persecution will be cut off because of God’s people God will bring the Great Tribulation to an end for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened. “Those days” are the days of Great Tribulation and not the days of the 7-year period According-to what Jesus has said it will be necessary to shorten the Great Tribulation It is not the hand of God that brings about the Great Tribulation, it is the hand of Satan It is the hand of God that will bring an end to the Great Tribulation or Satan’s day Only God will be able to shorten that day, only by the hand of God can it be shortened But how will God do it? What will God do to terminate the Great Tribulation? He will gather His elect, Mat 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Matthew 24:31 refers to the time of the rapture, the removal of the church from the earth All true believers, Jew and Gentile, will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, 1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 4 Which will be a great multitude from every nation, Rev 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; Two questions are asked, who are they and from where have they come? Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? The two questions are answered in the next verse but in reverse order, Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They came “out of great tribulation,” which is a unique time-period according to Jesus, Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Scripture identifies only one time-period known as the Great Tribulation Who are the ones who come out of the Great Tribulation? Those who are “washed in the blood of the Lamb,” they are the “elect,” the redeemed There is only one way of redemption, 1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: The church will enter-into the Great Tribulation, but will be rescued from the Great Tribulation There is a song that gives us a good description of that time, listen to it 5