The Meaning of Matthew 24:22 Explained

Matthew 24:22

KJV: And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

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

Darby: and if those days had not been cut short, no flesh had been saved; but on account of the elect those days shall be cut short.

ASV: And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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 does Matthew 24:22 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Unless God ends (Gr. ekolobothesan, "to terminate or cut off") the Tribulation, no living thing will remain alive.
"This does not mean that the period will be less than three-and-a-half years, but that it will be definitely terminated suddenly by the second coming of Christ." [1]
The antecedent of "those days" is the days Jesus just described in Matthew 24:15-21 : the days of the Tribulation. Jesus will shorten them a little out of compassion. Later revelation of this period in the Book of Revelation helps us appreciate the truth of Jesus" statement here (cf. Revelation 6-18). Not just people but all forms of life (Gr. pasa sarx, lit. "all flesh") will experience drastic cutbacks during the Great Tribulation (cf. Revelation 6:7-8; Revelation 16:13-21). Antichrist will target the Jews and then Jews who believe in Jesus particularly ( Revelation 12:13-17), but great multitudes of people will perish because of the distress that he brings. The "elect" are believers (cf. Matthew 20:16; Matthew 22:14; Matthew 24:22; Matthew 24:24; Matthew 24:31).
Many interpreters, however, take this verse as describing the present age rather than a future tribulation. [2] This is the typical amillenarian and postmillenarian interpretation, though some premillenarians, such as Carson, also hold it. Weighing the distress of the present age against that of the Tribulation, I must conclude that Matthew 24:22 and this whole passage describes the future Tribulation, not the present age.
"This entire paragraph [3] relates only to Jews, for no Christian believer would worry about breaking a Sabbath law." [4]

Context Summary

Matthew 24:15-28 - Beware Of False Christs
The abomination of desolation is explained in Luke 21:20, and probably refers to the Roman ensigns as the symbols of pagan and therefore unclean power. So urgent would be their need of flight that the outside steps of the houses must be used. None might try to save his property. Ever, the winter's cold must be faced, if life were to be saved; and the flight must be farther than could be covered on a Sabbath day, that is, according to Jewish law, less than a mile.
It is a matter of literal fact that there was compressed into the period of the Jewish War an amount of suffering perhaps unparalleled. Josephus' history of the period abounds in references to these false Christs who professed themselves to be the Messiah.
Notice that, though the elect may be powerfully tempted, they will repudiate and resist the attack and still remain loyal to their Lord. What a searching word is this!-"whom He did predestinate"¦ them He also glorified," Romans 8:30. They may be tempted, tried, almost deceived, but angels will bear them up in their hands and God will keep their feet. See Psalms 91:12; 1 Samuel 2:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 24

1  Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple;
3  what and how great calamities shall be before it;
29  the signs of his coming to judgment
36  And because that day and hour are unknown,
42  we ought to watch like good servants, expecting our Master's coming

Greek Commentary for Matthew 24:22

Had been shortened [εκολοβωτησαν]
From κολοβος — kolobos lopped, mutilated, as the hands, the feet. It is a second-class condition, determined as unfulfilled. It is a prophetic figure, the future regarded as past. [source]
For the elect‘s sake [δια τους εκλεκτους]
See note on Matthew 22:14 for another use of this phrase by Jesus and also Matthew 24:31. The siege was shortened by various historical events like the stopping of the strengthening of the walls by Herod Agrippa by orders from the Emperor, the sudden arrival of Titus, the neglect of the Jews to prepare for a long siege. “Titus himself confessed that God was against the Jews, since otherwise neither his armies nor his engines would have availed against their defences” (Vincent). [source]
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 strifes, 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 defences. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 24:22

Mark 13:20 Shortened []
See on Matthew 24:22. [source]
Romans 3:20 Flesh [σάρξ]
Equivalent to man. It is often used in the sense of a living creature - man or beast. Compare 1 Peter 1:24; Matthew 24:22; Luke 3:6. Generally with a suggestion of weakness, frailty, mortality; Septuagint, Jeremiah 17:5; Psalm 78:39; Ephesians 6:12. The word here has no doctrinal bearing. [source]
Romans 9:28 Finish - cut short [συντελῶν - συντέμνων]
The preposition σύν togethersignifies summarily; bringing to an end at the same time. Compare the peculiar word ἐκολοβώθησαν shouldbe shortened, in Matthew 24:22, and see note. Omit in righteousness. [source]
Colossians 3:12 As God‘s elect [ως εκλεκτοι του τεου]
Same phrase in Romans 8:33; Titus 1:1. In the Gospels a distinction exists between κλητος — klētos and εκλεκτος — eklektos (Matthew 24:22, Matthew 24:24, Matthew 24:31), but no distinction appears in Paul‘s writings. Here further described as “holy and beloved” The items in the new clothing for the new man in Christ Paul now gives in contrast with what was put off (Colossians 3:8). The garments include a heart of compassion (σπλαγχνα οικτιρμου — splagchna oiktirmou the nobler viscera as the seat of emotion as in Luke 1:78; Philemon 1:8), kindness (χρηστοτητα — chrēstotēta as in Galatians 5:22), humility (ταπεινοπροσυνην — tapeinophrosunēn in the good sense as in Philemon 2:3), meekness (πραυτητα — prautēta in Galatians 5:23 and in Ephesians 4:2 also with ταπεινοπροσυνη — tapeinophrosunē), long-suffering (μακροτυμιαν — makrothumian in Galatians 5:22; Colossians 1:11; James 5:10). [source]
1 Peter 1:1 An apostle of Jesus Christ [αποστολος Ιησου Χριστου]
This is his official title, but in 2 Peter 1:1 δουλος — doulos is added, which occurs alone in James 1:1. In 2 John and 3 John we have only ο πρεσβυτερος — ho presbuteros (the elder), as Peter terms himself συνπρεσβυτερος — sunpresbuteros in 1 Peter 5:1. Paul‘s usage varies greatly: only the names in 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians, the title αποστολος — apostolos added and defended in Galatians and Romans as also in 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians and Colossians and Ephesians and 2 Timothy with “by the will of God” added, and in 1 Timothy with the addition of “according to the command of God.” In Philippians Paul has only “δουλος — doulos (slave) Χριστου Ιησου — Christou Iēsou like James and Jude. In Romans and Titus Paul has both δουλος — doulos and αποστολος — apostolos like 2 Peter, while in Philemon he uses only δεσμιος — desmios (prisoner) Ιησου Χριστου — Iēsou Christou the elect Without article (with the article in Matthew 24:22, Matthew 24:24, Matthew 24:31) and dative case, “to elect persons” (viewed as a group). Bigg takes εκλεκτοις — eklektois (old, but rare verbal adjective from εκλεγω — eklegō to pick out, to select) as an adjective describing the next word, “to elect sojourners.” That is possible and is like γενος εκλεκτον — genos eklekton in 1 Peter 2:9. See the distinction between κλητοι — klētoi (called) and εκλεκτοι — eklektoi (chosen) in Matthew 22:14.Who are sojourners (παρεπιδημοις — parepidēmois). Late double compound adjective (παρα επιδημουντες — paraδιασπορας — epidēmountes Acts 2:10, to sojourn by the side of natives), strangers sojourning for a while in a particular place. So in Polybius, papyri, in lxx only twice (Genesis 23:4 or Psalm 38:13), in N.T. only here, 1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13. The picture in the metaphor here is that heaven is our native country and we are only temporary sojourners here on earth.Of the Dispersion See John 7:35 for literal sense of the word for scattered (from diaspeirō to scatter abroad, Acts 8:1) Jews outside of Palestine, and James 1:1 for the sense here to Jewish Christians, including Gentile Christians (only N T. examples). Note absence of the article, though a definite conception (of the Dispersion). The Christian is a pilgrim on his way to the homeland. These five Roman provinces include what we call Asia Minor north and west of the Taurus mountain range (Hort). Hort suggests that the order here suggests that Silvanus (bearer of the Epistle) was to land in Pontus from the Euxine Sea, proceed through Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, to Bithynia, where he would re-embark for Rome. This, he holds, explains the separation of Pontus and Bithynia, though the same province. Only Galatia and Asia are mentioned elsewhere in the N.T. as having Christian converts, but the N.T. by no means gives a full account of the spread of the Gospel, as can be judged from Colossians 1:6, Colossians 1:23. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 24:22 mean?

And if not had been shortened the days those not - there would have been saved any flesh because of however the elect will be shortened
καὶ εἰ μὴ ἐκολοβώθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι ἐκεῖναι οὐκ ἂν ἐσώθη πᾶσα σάρξ διὰ δὲ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς κολοβωθήσονται

ἐκολοβώθησαν  had  been  shortened 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: κολοβόω  
Sense: to mutilate.
ἡμέραι  days 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
ἐκεῖναι  those 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Feminine Plural
Root: ἐκεῖνος  
Sense: he, she it, etc.
ἂν  - 
Parse: Particle
Root: ἄν  
Sense: has no exact English equivalent, see definitions under AV.
ἐσώθη  there  would  have  been  saved 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐκσῴζω 
Sense: to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.
πᾶσα  any 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
σάρξ  flesh 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: σάρξ  
Sense: flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood) of both man and beasts.
διὰ  because  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἐκλεκτοὺς  elect 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἐκλεκτός  
Sense: picked out, chosen.
κολοβωθήσονται  will  be  shortened 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: κολοβόω  
Sense: to mutilate.