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Matthew 24:22
ESV And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
NIV "If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
NASB And if those days had not been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
CSB Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.
NLT In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
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.
NKJV And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

What does Matthew 24:22 mean?

Some believe Jesus' predictions about the horrors yet to come were fulfilled in AD 70, with the Roman siege and sacking of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15–20). However, in those events, the desolation of the temple came near the end, not at the beginning. And while the bloodshed was horrible, it was not an outlier for warfare of that era. As a result, some Bible teachers believe this to be true, while also holding that those events will be repeated on a larger scale at the end of the age.

A further problem for a complete, full, AD 70 interpretation is the transition from verse 20 to the statement Christ makes here. Taken in context, Jesus seems to be saying that the same days which involve the abomination (Matthew 24:15) and intense danger (Matthew 24:21) threaten to annihilate the entire human race. If Jesus is suddenly switching gears to speak of a different time, He gives no indication that the subject has changed.

Some scholars point to Daniel 12:1, suggesting that Jesus is speaking of Daniel's 1,260 days. This is three-and-a-half years and is often linked to the "great tribulation" Jesus mentioned (Matthew 24:21). Jesus is saying that the time of great suffering will be ended in order to spare those who belong to God and in order that some human beings should be saved. It seems best to read this as describing a period of great trouble that will come right at the end of the age before the return of Christ (Matthew 24:14) to the earth as Judge and King (Revelation 19:11–15).
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