ACC ~ Matthew 24 v22

NO ONE WOULD BE SAVED

CHRYSOSTOM: This is a tribulation such as never has been before nor will be. He adds, “And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” By this he is indicating that they are deserving of a more grievous punishment than any that had previously been experienced. He is speaking now of the days of the war and of the siege. If the war of the Romans against Jerusalem had continued, all the Jews would have perished. By “no human being” in this case he means the Jews. And this doubtless applies to Jews at home and abroad. For the Romans were fighting not only against those in Judea but also against those Jews that were dispersed everywhere. They too were outlawed and banished, because of the Romans’ hatred against the Jews of Judea. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 76.1. [1]

[1] PG 58:695; NPNF 1 10:457.

THE SHORTENING OF DAYS

ORIGEN: “Those days” refers to the commandments and truths which were placed in Scripture for the illumination of rational souls. Accordingly, every doctrine that comes from “false knowledge” [1] and is joined to the words of Scripture is to be understood as corresponding to additions beyond the natural length of days in Scripture. The good God, however, shortens the addition of these days through whom he chooses. Whenever you see then by the advent of the Word of truth in your mind that the “arrogant who fight against the knowledge of God” [2] are cut off, understand that the days of tribulation are shortened. The extra length is abbreviated which the abomination of desolation always adds in opposition to the natural number of the days of the Lord which are in Scripture. “Those days” will be shortened “for the sake of the elect,” so that they will suffer nothing from the desolation of abomination nor from what was added to the true and natural days of Scripture. This assumes that the addition of days has been shortened and that the only remaining light is that of the word of truth. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 45. [3]

[1] 1 Tim 6:20.

[2] 2 Cor 10:5.

[3] GCS 38.2:93.

BELIEVERS IN THEIR MIDST

CHRYSOSTOM: But who in this case does he mean by the elect? He means the believers that were hidden away in the midst of them. In order that Jews may not say that it was because of the gospel and the worship of Christ that these ills took place, he showed that so far from the believers being the cause, if it had not been for them, all Jews would have perished utterly. For if God had permitted the war to be protracted, not so much as a remnant of the Jews would have remained. But lest those of them who had become believers should perish together with the unbelieving Jews, he quickly put down the fighting and allowed an end to the war. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 76.2. [1]

[1] PG 58:695-6; NPNF 1 10:457.