Will the Great Tribulation be shortened? – Unless those days were shortened no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened (Matt 24:22).
Those days of tribulation
The expression “those days” is taken to be the period following the Abomination of Desolation. From a Futuristic premil perspective, this AoD occurs in the middle of a still future final 70th Week of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks. “Those days” is identified as the Great Tribulation (Matt 24:21; Rev 7:14). Some people like saying “Megas Thlipsis.”
Given that the church has always experienced “tribulation” (1 Thess 3:4; Rev 1:9), my position is that tribulation in some form also occurs throughout the 70th Week. The term “great” (megas) describes the severity of those days. It doesn’t preclude tribulation (thlipsis) existing prior to that time.
Tribulation (distress etc) is associated with God’s wrath (Rom 2:8-9) and is a byproduct of various afflicting situations. Wrath and tribulation will always occur concurrently. One will be in distress when under God’s wrath.
The prophecy charts
Most future premil prophecy charts of the 70th Week are divided into the first and second halves. Based on its unique understanding of Matt 24:22), the prewrath (PW) rapture view divides the second half into two sections – Great Tribulation, followed by the Day of the Lord. This idea is pivotal to several other assumptions needed by the PW system.
They agree that the second half lasts three-and-a-half years, but say the Great Tribulation will be shortened to less. The balance of the 70th Week is filled by God’s wrath, which actually extends further out. See their charts for what event(s) terminate the Week.
Three “shortened GT” flaws
In the book “Forsaking Israel” Larry Pettegrew discusses the non-pretrib premil views of the Olivet Discourse. In doing so he identifies three issues with the shortened GT theory. My thoughts are included in the following comments.
1) Scripture never divides the tribulation (70th Week) into three parts. In Dan 9:27 half the tribulation is said to number 1,260 days. Compare Rev 11:3, 12:6, 13:1. The woman (Israel) flees into the wilderness for 1,260 days, while the Beast is given authority for forty two months (same time). This seems pretty straightforward.
See also Tony Garland’s Jacob’s Trouble and the Great Tribulation.
2) What is the GT shortened from? “Cut short” cannot mean the GT is a shorter length than what has already been prophesied. The idea that God changes His mind creates more issues.
It is better to say that God is mercifully limiting (cutting short) those days (the Great Tribulation) to only 1,260 days. In other words, they will not go on indefinitely.
3) The reason those days are limited is given in Matt 24:22 – otherwise no flesh would be saved. The point is that after the worst time ever (Dan 12:1; Jer 30:7; Matt 24:21) something better comes along. But in the PW scheme, something worse occurs afterwards.
Some state that the rapture cuts the GT short otherwise no believers would be left alive to be raptured. But this is read into Matt 24:22 based on assumption.
Even if all believers died they would be resurrected at Christ’s return. Furthermore if the rapture is the gathering of Matt 24: 31, it cannot cut the GT short because it occurs after the tribulation (verses 29 – 31).
A better view is that those days are limited to 1,260 otherwise no one (no flesh) would survive to enter the millennium (to populate it) in a non-glorified state.
The “elect” objection
Non pretribbers assert that Matt 24:31 cannot be the gathering of national Israel because it is never referred to as “elect” in the NT. Yet in Rom 11:26-29 Paul called unbelieving Israel the elected (ekloge). See The Gathering of the Elect
Arnold Fruchtenbaum’s position is that Hos 5:15 and Matt 23:39 place a stipulation on Christ’s return.
“…for I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, `Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'” Matt 23:39
Mike Vlach “The Old in the New” compares Matt 23:37-39 with Psalm 118 (see verse 26). As Vlach notes, Jesus didn’t view Israel as blessing Him at His first coming (page 150). It is still future. If Vlach and Fruchtenbaum are correct, there will be a full meaning to the description “elect” when believing Israel is gathered at Christ’s coming.
Elsewhere Mike Vlach puts future national Israel back into focus in Matt 24 based on its dependence on the OT. I agree.
In short, I don’t think the Great Tribulation will be shortened in the manner which the prewrath view teaches and needs for its system to be viable.
Maranatha!
Further reading:
God’s Sovereignty and the Antichrist Delusion
After the Tribulation the Great Multitude
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