Thursday, August 23, 2012

Because of the Elect Those Days Will be Cut Short

Those referred to as the elect in Matthew 24:22 have an important mission, one that deals with the saving of life by means of a manipulation of time.

Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ~ Matthew 24:22

The importance of knowing the times is a subject I've highlighted recently, and the knowability of the times as something of a basis for that is established in the esoteric 24th chapter of Matthew. (Noah Knew. Do You?) It's in this same chapter that we see the time mission presented, cryptically, yes, but convincingly. It's something of a special forces op, and even though what's written here is published right out in the open, the Lord provides all the cover necessary. Those for whom this is published will receive it, otherwise, not. Pray about this as led. The mission will succeed, we are assured. A consideration of the symmetrical thematic structure inherent in the passage provides further insight.

While any discussion of time manipulation will seem to most well-grounded-in-reality folks as highly speculative or imaginative, especially where such a thing might involve the agency of men, this has been authoritatively documented in the biblical record with two examples that may be seen as establishing a precedent.

4 Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 5 “Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “ I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.
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8 Now Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord the third day?” 9 Isaiah said, “ This shall be the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten steps or go back ten steps?” 10 So Hezekiah answered, “It is easy for the shadow to decline ten steps; no, but let the shadow turn backward ten steps.” 11 Isaiah the prophet cried to the Lord, and He brought the shadow on the stairway back ten steps by which it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz. ~ 2 Kings 20:4-5, 8-11 (See also Isaiah 38:7-8)

12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “O sun, stand still at Gibeon, and O moon in the valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. 14 There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel. ~ Joshua 10:12-14

These passages have been interpreted by some as being akin to a physics sleight of hand but are better interpreted as two instances of tweaking the celestial clock, if you will, resulting in the adjustment of our timeline. Compare the motion of the celestial sphere as the heavenly lights move across the face of the sky to the motion of hands across the face of a clock. In God's economy, time must be marked by or according to this timepiece. For Joshua, the celestial clock was stopped. The sign for Hezekiah was akin to when I adjust my clocks in the Fall to revert back from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time. On earth, the action of life appears to have continued on according to what was probably perceived as a normal pace, but time, by the accounting on the celestial clock, was altered by a set increment.

God was able to do this then and will do it again, but by a much larger increment, and through the agency of the elect. It must be done because, otherwise, no flesh would be saved. For Hezekiah, it was done as a sign that his own life would be saved, and moreover that he would go up to the house of the Lord the third day. That expression is a resurrection signal. (See Resurrection on the Third Day) When the celestial clock was stopped for Joshua, it was done so that the sons of Israel could avenge themselves of their enemies, the Amorites. They were giants occupying the land of Canaan; genetic hybrids, a thorn bush, if you will. This represented the saving of their own lives from destruction. The theme is consistent as we see the adjustments of the time marked on the celestial clock being done for the purpose of saving life.

I believe both of those examples are historical but also prophetic, informing us about what is yet to come. We read in Joshua 10:14 that: “There was no day like that before it or after it”, but there is yet another appointment scheduled when the celestial clock will be reset, through the agency of the elect.

If the following collection of posts is not familiar, you're really not going to understand what this is about because I'm not going to offer much in the way of review. If you're not tracking with where I'm going here it's either because this just isn't for you, or you're not making the effort. If it's not for you, I recommend moving along, you have something better to do.


The second listed is most necessary as a segue to this post. That's where I noted what the Lord showed me about the time pivot in verse 22. The verse begins with a historical report of what had already happened, which is followed by a prophetic look forward - to the same activity and event.

Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ~ Matthew 24:22 (NASB)

And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the chosen, shall those days be shortened. ~ Matthew 24:22 (YLT)

and unless had been shortened those days not there would have been saved any flesh, but on account of the elect shall be shortened those days. ~ Matthew 24:22 (Newberry "Interlinear" - The Englishmans Greek New Testament)

Either this is some kind of flaky lunatic literature or the Author is making a point with this peculiar construction. I'm going to go out on a limb here and claim the latter. :) I also noted in “Those Days Shall be Shortened” how the generally accepted role of the elect is inverted. The Lord hooked Aaron up with that insight, a very significant insight indeed. The cutting short of those days is not for the sake of the elect as though they are the beneficiaries. They are rather the benefactors, the agents responsible for the action. That's quite a difference, isn't it? The elect are the active agents and not the passive. Another clarification I noted in that post was that the shortening is a truncation, because the Greek word koloboo means to lop off, cut off, from the root word kolazo, "to lop or prune." This is a time shift or displacement action akin to what happened for Hezekiah when, basically, the sun dial was adjusted 10 steps. The time pivot, that very striking change in tense, serves to draw our attention to the extra-dimensional aspect. Control will be exercised over time. The celestial clock will be adjusted.

Toward the end of the week I spent visiting Aaron last Summer when those insights came to us, analyzing the structure of Matthew 24 was on my list of action items. My interest was primarily in what might be concealed and revealed about verse 22. Now being able to cross that item off the list, the link I discovered after much effort points to verses 34-36.

34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. ~ Matthew 24:34-36

Consideration given to how they are linked suggests why this is so.

The season or span of days that truly threatens the extinction of flesh will be truncated to ensure that this generation (Greek: genea) will not pass away. Verse 34, declares by logical implication that this genea will pass away, but yet not until after all these things take place, which appears to include the passing away of heaven and earth. This heaven and earth will not pass away, to which habitation and environment this genea is appointed, until what is ordained for the season of this genea has been fulfilled.

When we give thought to what words of His most particularly will not pass away, we must take the promise of verse 35 as well as 34 and 22. Heaven and earth will indeed pass away, and, before they do (and with them, all flesh passes away), all these things will have taken place. In context, giving due attention to divine symmetry, “all these things” includes the successful work of time truncation attributed to the elect. That includes the purposed salvation that witnesses to the cessation of the Adversary's hijacking / conversion / extinction plan, his assault on the seed of Adam-kind and whatever else was repopulated after the great flood of Noah's day that may be considered flesh! [pausing now for a season of fist pumping, cheering, exalting the One who is worthy with praise...]

Although many still read verse 36 as a declaration no one can or will know whatever day and hour is being referenced in advance, some will, just as Noah knew in advance of the flood. What day and hour is being referenced must be associated with when heaven and earth will pass away, and with them all flesh. Beyond that, those who perceive the esoteric link to verse 22 will rightly associate that day and hour with the time truncation mission. When we read that no one knows of that day and hour we may infer how this knowledge involves more than just the element of when, including also something of the what. The Greek preposition “peri” is used here, and the more correct translation is, “But concerning that day and hour.” Both the when and what are secrets, necessarily well kept until, on the usual “need to know” basis that is appropriate for this “above top secret” information, the moment comes for the alert elect to get “the hook-up” fit for the task. There is in this the familiar manner of progressive revelation. Tap, tap. Is this thing on? Hello? OK, thank you.

That set of connected elements in Matthew 24 links to other passages of scripture, like in 2 Peter 3.

But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. ~ 2 Peter 3:13

New heavens and a new earth will follow after this heaven and earth passes away, as referenced in Matthew 24:35. A new earth in which righteousness dwells can only come after this generation (genea) and all flesh passes away. (Romans 7:18) Peter was given insight that parallels what I've been featuring from Matthew 24.

3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “ Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. ~ 2 Peter 3:3-13

Compare verse 7 to verse 35 of Matthew 24:

2 Peter 3:7: “But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire”
Matthew 24:35: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

There's the flood in verse 6, referencing the days of Noah as in Matthew 24:37. The scoffers and mockers compare to those destroyed in that flood. The distinction made between two kinds of people is a significant theme in Matthew 24 and we see it here in 2 Peter 3 as the point is made how ungodly men will be destroyed and the readers, mindful of that, are encouraged to holy conduct and godliness. What may be speaking loudly to you is how the theme of time featured in such peculiar ways in Matthew is likewise featured here.

Verse 8 explicitly calls this to our attention, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved.” It has my attention! Then, the reference to Psalm 90 locks these passages together for us with the easiest kind of scripture to scripture link we could possibly be given. “With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” OK. Think about this. A variety of interpretations are popular but I want you to see the presentation of ratios, of 1:1000 and 1000:1. I want you to see how the substitution of one span for another is presented, with the further suggestion that any and every ratio in the range may be valid, qualified as with the Lord. The life saving time truncation mission assigned to the elect will be an instance of such a substitution, so it seems, applied between the celestial clock and whatever marks time in the earth domain in the perfect ratio at the appointed moments of synchronization at the bounding points. Impossible? Unlikely? No. Guaranteed.

The aspect of time is featured again in verse 9's expression that really begs comparison to Matthew 24:22. Some will surely count it as really very late, but right in the nick of time, the Lord will intervene with his elect to preserve life.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. ~ 2 Peter 3:9

Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ~ Matthew 24:22

Verse 10 invites comparison to verse 43 of Matthew 24. There are important differences, but there are shared elements. The thief is the Lord, who steals what is his ripened crop from the harvest field with a salvation. Matthew's referencing the Barley Harvest for the theft of the Bride but Peter is referencing the last flesh to remain before the habitation is replaced. A thief works in stealth, and the ungodly are only ever going to be surprised.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. ~ 2 Peter 3:10

But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. ~ Matthew 24:43

There's one more interesting reference to time in this brief passage from 2 Peter 3 that I've been focusing on.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, ~ 2 Peter 3:11-12a

How do people hasten the coming of the day of God by being in holy conduct and godliness? Taking the meaning of the Greek word used for “hastening” in the same way it's used everywhere else we have to acknowledge that, somehow, that's just how it is. Perhaps there's something of time truncation in that, as assigned to the elect.
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