The Lord's Shortening of Days - Mark 13:20

Mark wrote how Jesus shared with His disciples about the end of the age and said, “in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be”, and in chapter thirteen and verse twenty of his book, Mark shared how Jesus told His disciples what would happen, “except that the Lord had shortened those days” where we read:

And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved:

but for the elect's sake, whom he has chosen, he has shortened the days.

The verse reads, “And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved:” Mark began with the words, “and except that the Lord” or “and unless the One to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah” “had shortened those days” which means “abridged, docked and curtailed the days of which Jesus spoke”, “no flesh” or “not one person” “should be saved” which means “would be rescued from danger or destruction, kept safe and sound and preserved”. Mark shared how Jesus said unless the days of which He spoke were “abridged”, not one person would be preserved.

The verse goes on to say, “but for the elect's sake, whom he has chosen, he has shortened the days.” Mark continued with the words, “but for the elect's sake” which means “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding, moreover and because, since and on account of the case and preeminence of the chosen, picked out and selected ones”, “whom he has chosen” or “whom God elected, selected and picked out”, “he has shortened” or “God has abridged, docked and curtailed” “the days” which means “the days of which Jesus spoke”. Mark shared how God “abridged” the length of the “days” when all these things would occur because of His “chosen” ones.

When we consider Mark's words in this verse, we see how these times will be so terrible that no one would survive if God did not “shorten” the days of them. God loves people, and He wants to have a loving personal relationship with them through His Son Jesus. When they do, they shall escape these things and inherit everlasting life with God. Those who refuse to receive Jesus will go through these things if they are living at the time, and “except” that God makes these “times” much “shorter”, not one person will survive.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus says, “if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".