In order to understand the meaning of Matthew 24:22, we need to study each of the central words, “the great tribulation” and “the chosen ones” in their contexts. Then we need to study the action of “cutting short” and make a synthesis of what we have found.
TO WHOM DOES JESUS REFER WHEN HE USES THE EXPRESSION “HIS CHOSEN ONES”?
Jesus uses the expression “the chosen ones” three times in his great prophecy. I quote Matthew 24:22 (above), 24:24 (middle), and 34:31 (below):
22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones (eklektos) those days will be cut short.
24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones (eklektos).
31 And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones (eklektos) together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity.
It is logical to conclude that all three words refer to the same group. But who are they?
THE USE OF THE WORD “CHOSEN” IN THE HEBREW AND GREEK SCRIPTURES
Jesus spoke Hebrew, and the word he evidently used was bāhīr, which means “chosen.” This word occurs 13 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is applied to king Saul in 2 Samuel 21:6, to king David in Psalm 89:3, to Moses in Psalm 106:23, and as a prophecy of Jesus in Isaiah 42:3. In most cases, is bāhīr applied to his people, Israel, as in Isaiah 45:4. We see that the word can refer to different persons, and the correct reference we can only find by the help of the context.
The Greek word eklektos (“chosen”) is used 22 times in the Christian Greek Scriptures.
In the first century, when the Christian Greek Scriptures were written, only people who would reign with Jesus Christ in the heavenly kingdom were gathered. The word eklektos with reference to the group of anointed Christians is used seven times (Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1; 2:9; Revelation 17:14)
The word can also be used in the general sense “to choose.” In the illustration in Luke 18:7, “God’s chosen ones” refer to any servant of God — at this time no one was yet anointed with God’s spirit. In Romans 16:13, the word eklektos is applied to one person named Rufus, and in 2 John 1:11, it is applied to “the chosen lady,” which is likely a reference to a congregation. Paul also speaks about “the chosen angels” in 1. Timothy 5:21.
Because the word “chosen” can refer to so many different persons, we must always carefully consider the context when we look for the reference of a particular occurrence.
In connection with the three occurrences of eklektos in Matthew chapter 24, it is clear that they cannot refer to anointed Christians. If this is claimed, it would be an anachronism because, when Jesus uttered these words, no person in Judea, except Jesus, had been anointed with holy spirit, and the word “Christian” was not yet coined.
This means that the three occurrences of eklektos in Matthew 24 must refer to persons chosen by God, and the context must indicate who these are.
THE TWO GROUPS THAT ARE CHOSEN BY GOD
We learn from Matthew 24:31 that “the chosen ones” will be present when Jesus comes as judge, because then “the chosen ones” will get their reward. This leads to Revelation chapter 7, where two groups of God’s faithful servants are presented. I quote verses 4-9:
4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5 Out of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed; out of the tribe of Reuʹben twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand; 6 out of the tribe of Ashʹer twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Naphʹta·li twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Ma·nasʹseh twelve thousand; 7 out of the tribe of Simʹe·on twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Leʹvi twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Isʹsa·char twelve thousand; 8 out of the tribe of Zebʹu·lun twelve thousand; out of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand;
9 After these things I saw, and, look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands…
So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one that knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation (thlipsis megas), and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
The first group is called “the sons of Israel.” However, this is not a reference to the nation of Israel, as Levi and Joseph are included. They were sons of Jacob (Israel), but they were not counted among the 12 tribes. On the other hand, Dan was one of the tribes, but his name is not found in verses 4-8. This means that these 144,000 refer to anointed Christians who are a part of spiritual Israel and not members of fleshly Israel.
Neither of these groups is directly said to be chosen by God. But because both groups will get everlasting life, both groups are chosen by God.
THE “CHOSEN ONES” IN MATTHEW 24 DO NOT INCLUDE THE ANOINTED CHRISTIANS
When both groups that at mentioned in Revelation chapter 7 are chosen by God, how can we say that the “chosen ones” in Matthew 24 do not refer to the anointed Christians? The reason is that the anointed Christians will not be on the earth when the angel “gather the chosen ones” (Matthew 24:31). And the anointed ones will not survive the great tribulation. Let us see.
The resurrection of anointed Christians is mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11:
9 And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the witness work that they used to have. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying: “Until when, Sovereign Lord holy and true, are you refraining from judging and avenging our blood upon those who dwell on the earth?” 11 And a white robe was given to each of them; and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the number was filled also of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed as they also had been.
The blood of sacrifices, which represents the life of each creature, runs down beneath the altar. The persons referred to had sacrificed their lives, and receiving a white robe indicates that they had received their resurrection. After their resurrection, they had to wait some time until God would avenge their blood.
The number that had to be filled is not 144,000, but the number of servants God wanted to sacrifice their lives in faithfulness to him. This relates to the issue raised by the Devil that humans would not serve God out of love but only if they had advantages by serving him. In our context, verses 9-11 show that the heavenly resurrection will occur a time before the great tribulation, while this old system of things still stands.
That the resurrection of the members of the 144,000 anointed servants of God will occur before the great tribulation can also be seen by Romans 16:20 (above) and Revelation 17:14 (below):
20 For his part, the God who gives peace will crush Satan under YOUR feet shortly. May the undeserved kindness of our Lord Jesus be with YOU.
14 These will battle with the Lamb, but, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb will conquer them. Also, those called and chosen (eklektos) and faithful with him [will do so].”
When Jesus comes and judges Satan and his seed, the anointed Christians would be a part of the army of Jesus. They will crush Satan under their feet, as Romans 16:20 says. And they will be a part of the army of Jesus, as Revelation 17:14 says. Because of this, the anointed Christians cannot be a part of “the chosen ones” whom the angels will gather in connection with the great tribulation.
THE “CHOSEN ONES” REFER TO PEOPLE WHO WILL SURVIVE THE GREAT TRIBULATION
One way to know that events or groups that are mentioned different places in the Bible are identical, is to find marks of the same identification in the events or in the groups. Two groups with the same identification are found in Revelation 7:9, 14 and Matthew 24:21, 22:
9 After these things I saw, and, look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands…14 So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one that knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation (thlipsis megas), and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
21 for then there will be great tribulation (thlipsis megas), such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.
There are three parallels between Revelation 7:9, 14 and Matthew 24:21, 22. The words “great tribulation” must refer to the same situation, to what is happening when Jesus comes as the judge.
According to Acts 7:10, God delivered Jacob “out of all his tribulations,” which means that he survived his tribulations. In a similar way, the great crowd will “come out of the great tribulation” and survive it. This parallels the words “be saved” in Mathew 24:22, which means that some people will survive the mentioned great tribulation.
Those who are saved are called “flesh,” which means that human beings will be saved from the great tribulation, and in a similar way, the great crowd is human beings who will survive the great tribulation here on earth.
The first part of the great prophecy of Jesus (Matthew 24:3-22) contains types that got a miniature fulfillment in the first century until the tribulation in 70 CE when Jerusalem was destroyed. How can we describe the type and antitype of Matthew 24:21, 22 and Revelation 7:9, 14?
In the year 70 CE, the Roman army under General Titus surrounded Jerusalem for 142 days. There was a terrible situation in the city with famine and death. According to Josefus, 1,1 million Jews died and 97,000 survived and became prisoners. Let us look one more time at Matthew 22:21, 22:
21 for then there will be great tribulation (thlipsis megas), such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.
Jesus said that because God cut short the tribulation — it lasted only 142 days — flesh would be saved. This “flesh” was the 97,000 who survived, and who would not have been saved alive if the tribulation had been longer. These group of 97,000 is the prophetic type, and the great crowd who will be saved through the great tribulation is the antitype.
Please note that the “flesh” that was saved is expressed in a different way. Jesus said that the tribulation would be cut short on account of the chosen ones (for the sake of ) the chosen ones. Those who were saved because the tribulation was cut short were the 97,000 “flesh” who survived. This means that these 97,000 survivors were “the chosen ones.”
But how could these people, most of whom were worshippers of Jehovah — they had come to the city to worship Jehovah — but they were not Christians, be said to be “the chosen ones”? We may illustrate the situation with Isaiah 45:1:
1 This is what Jehovah has said to his anointed one, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have taken hold of, to subdue before him nations, so that I may ungird even the hips of kings; to open before him the two-leaved doors, so that even the gates will not be shut:
The Persian king Cyrus worshipped the Babylonian god Marduk as well as other gods, and he was not a servant of Jehovah. But in this situation, as the king who would conquer the Babylonian king Nabonid and free the Jews from their Babylonian captivity, Isaiah says that he was Jehovah’s anointed one. He was “anointed” or chosen to do this one action.
In a similar way, the 97,000 who survived the destruction of Jerusalem were not anointed Christians. But they were the ones whom Jehovah had chosen to be saved from the tribulation. This does not imply some kind of predestination. But it implies that Jehovah had decided that a small group of humans, “the flesh,” would survive the destruction of the city. Because of this, they can rightly be called “the chosen ones.”
“ON ACCOUNT OF THE CHOSEN ONES THOSE DAYS WILL BE CUT SHORT”
I will now look at the whole situation in the first century, which is a type, and the whole situation in the 20th and 21st centuries, which is the antitype. I start by quoting Matthew 24:15-22:
15 “Therefore, when YOU catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, (let the reader use discernment,) 16 then let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains. 17 Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house; 18 and let the man in the field not return to the house to pick up his outer garment. 19 Woe to the pregnant women and those suckling a baby in those days! 20 Keep praying that YOUR flight may not occur in wintertime, nor on the sabbath day; 21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.
Josefus gave a detailed account of the situation before and during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, and based on his writings, we see the following fulfillment of the words of Jesus:
In the year 66, the Roman armies, under the leadership of General Cestius Gallus, surrounded Jerusalem and conquered part of it, including part of the temple area. Jerusalem was now surrounded by armies, as Jesus had prophesied. Without any known reason, the Roman armies retreated.
A comparison of Matthew 24:15 with Luke 21:20, 21, shows that the abomination that causes desolation refers to the Roman armies. Those who exercised discernment regarding the abomination that causes desolation and paid attention to Jesus’ words began to flee to the mountains when the Roman armies retreated.
In the year 70, the Roman armies, under the leadership of General Titus, returned and surrounded Jerusalem. The siege lasted 142 days, and as already mentioned, 1,1 million people were killed and 97,000 were taken captive. Among these were people who had not fled to the mountains after the Roman armies’ retreat in 66 CE.
The abomination that causes desolation was the Roman armies (a political entity) that caused desolation to Jerusalem (a religious entity). In the fulfillment during the presence of Jesus, the abomination that causes desolation is the League of Nations/the United Nations (a political entity). The abomination is portrayed in Revelation chapter 17 as a scarlet-colored wild beast that will cause desolation to the harlot Babylon the Great (a religious entity).[1]
What is the parallel in our time to the Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem in 66 CE and then retreating, as a signal for the people to flee to the mountains? The answer was given in The Watchtower of September 15, 1953, page 564 (above) and The Watchtower of July 15, 1954, pages 445[2] (below):
27 Therefore 1945, the year of the United Nation’s emergence, marks particularly the time when those who read Daniel’s prophecy and Jesus’ warning with discernment could see armies encamping to surround Jerusalem’s modern counterpart in order eventually to make her desolate and naked as a spiritual prostitute…
8 Hence since 1945 Jesus’ warning to “begin fleeing to the mountains” “when you catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation” takes on added force and increasing urgency. It is from that time that the disgusting wild beast has been visible in a complete way. When it was present as the League of Nations it did not manifest animosity to any extent toward Christendom’s religions, for it did not have in its ranks member nations in good standing that made religion the target of their hate. The antitypical Jerusalem, Christendom, was not surrounded by enemy forces; but since the reappearance of the wild beast in 1945 it embraces nations of militant, crusading, aggressive political elements whose radical horns of power are threateningly aimed at Christendom and its religions…
9 Flee where? To the mountains. Literal ones? No, that would bring no safety at Armageddon. (Amos 9:2, 3) The mountains must be outside the realm of Christendom, just as the literal ones to which Christians fled A.D. 66 were outside Jerusalem and Judah. The mountains to which lovers of righteousness now flee in obedience to Christ’s command are the New World theocratic system of things Jehovah has created. (Isa. 65:17) This new system of things is entirely separate from this old world that rapidly approaches the end of its days, and to the symbolical mountains peoples of all nations go to learn true worship: “And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow unto it. And many peoples shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” (Isa. 2:2, 3, Da) There only is safety found.9
These explanations are very fine. The mountains represent the people of God, and the signal to flee came when the United Nations emerged from the depths of the abyss in 1945. The antitypical “Roman armies” — The United Nations — will return in the great tribulation when the harlot Babylon the Great will be destroyed. I will again quote Matthew 24:21, 22, where the great tribulation is mentioned.
21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.
The explanation of the Watchtower is that “the armies surrounded Jerusalem” when the United Nations was formed in 1945, and “Jerusalem” (Babylon the great) will be destroyed in the great tribulation. But the present members of the Governing Body have another take on this. I quote the book, God’s Kingdom Rules! (2014), page 225 (above) and The Watchtower of July 15, 2015, page 16 (below):
7 Cutting short the days. Our King revealed what will occur at this point during the great tribulation. Jesus stated: “On account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.” (Read Matthew 24:21, 22.) Jesus’ words were fulfilled on a small scale in 66 C.E. when Jehovah “cut short” the Roman army’s attack on Jerusalem. (Mark 13:20) That action allowed Christians in Jerusalem and Judea to be saved. What will then happen on a global scale during the coming great tribulation? Jehovah, by means of our King, will “cut short” the United Nations’ attack on religion so that the true religion will not be destroyed with the false. Thus, while all false religious organizations will be torn down, the one true religion will survive. (Ps. 96:5) Let us now consider what events will occur after this part of the great tribulation has passed.
6 How will God’s people fare at that time? Jesus explains: “In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.” (Matt. 24:22) As we considered, in 66 C.E. the tribulation was “cut short.” This allowed “the chosen ones,” anointed Christians, to flee the city and its environs. Likewise, the initial part of the future great tribulation will be “cut short” because of “the chosen ones.” The political “ten horns” will not be allowed to annihilate God’s people. Rather, there will be a brief respite.
Table 1.1 The view of the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the 20th century
| TYPE | Surrounding Jerusalem in the year 66. | Destroying Jerusalem in the year 70. |
| ANTITYPE | The United Nations was created in the year 1945. | Babylon will be destroyed in the great tribulation. |
Table 1:2 The view of the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the 21st century
| TYPE | Surrounding Jerusalem in the year 66. | Destroying Jerusalem in the year 70. |
| ANTITYPE | The initial part of the great tribulation will be cut short | Babylon the Great will be destroyed in the second part of the great tribulation. |
There are several errors in the reasoning of the present members of the Governing Body.
Jesus describes two phases of the situation in Judea and Jerusalem: The first phase was that Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem in 66 CE. And when they left, this was the signal to flee to the mountains. This was not the great tribulation because people were not killed, and Jerusalem was not destroyed. The second phase came in 70 CE when the Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem. This was the miniature fulfillment of the great tribulation.
The primary error of the explanation of the present members of the Governing Body is that it confuses literal and figurative meanings. Take, for example, the words in Matthew 24:15 when the abomination that causes desolation is seen: “(let the reader use discernment,) 16 then let those in Ju·deʹa begin fleeing to the mountains.” Jesus admonishes his followers to identify the abomination and flee to the mountains literally.
There was no immediate danger in the year 66, nor was there any tribulation. But those who used discernment should literally flee, so they would later avoid destruction. The members of the Governing Body apply the fleeing literally as an action during the great tribulation. But they take “Judea” and “the mountains” figuratively. This is inconsistent indeed. Moreover, I must again stress that the flight in 66 CE had nothing to do with a great tribulation. But the flight should happen before the great tribulation to avoid destruction from the coming tribulation.
One reason for the inconsistent interpretation that the great tribulation has two phases is that they believe “the chosen ones” are anointed Christians, which is incorrect.
THE FOCUS OF HUMANS SAVED THROUGH THE GREAT TRIBULATION IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 24
The members of the Governing Body claim that the salvation of the anointed Christians with the heavenly hope is the focus of Jesus. But the focus is on those who will survive the great tribulation and live forever in the paradise earth.
In my article on the generation that will not pass away I showed that the pronoun “you” in the clause, “when you see this, you will know,” (Mathew 24:33) referred to the disciples of Jesus who posed the question, and in our time it refers to any Christian with a heavenly or an earthly hope who understand the events that constitute the sign. But as mentioned, the focus is on the earthly hope, as we see in Matthew 24:21, 22 (above), Matthew 24:31 (top middle), Mattthew 24:37-41 (bottom middle) and Matthew 25:34 (below):
21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.
31 And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet sound, and they will gather his chosen ones together from the four winds, from one extremity of the heavens to their other extremity.
37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned; 41 two women will be grinding at the hand mill: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned.
34 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, YOU who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for YOU from the founding of the world.[3]
Table 1:3 Words referring to those who will survive the great tribulation and continue to live on the earth
| 24:21 | Flesh would be saved. |
| 24:22 | Cut short on account of the chosen ones |
| 24:31 | They will gather his chosen ones from the four winds. |
| 24:39 | so [surviving the earthly catastrophe] the presence of the Son of man will be. |
| 24:40 | One will be taken along. |
| 24:41 | One will be taken along. |
| 25:34 | Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. |
The great tribulation is mentioned two places in the Christian Greek Scriptures, in Revelation 7:14 and Matthew 24:21. The context of Revelation 7:14 shows that a great crowd without numbers will survive the great tribulation and continue to live on the earth. The seven quotations from Matthew chapter 24 express exactly the same idea.
CONCLUSION
The understanding of Matthew 24:22 is simple: In 70 CE, Jehovah God looked after the situation, so the tribulation only lasted 142 days (was cut short). The result was that “some flesh” (97,000 humans) survived the tribulation. These were “the chosen ones” for whose sake the tribulation was cut short.
In connection with the future great tribulation, Jehovah God will again look after the situation, so the tribulation will not last long (will be cut short). This will result in that “some flesh,” the unnumbered great crowd mentioned in Revelation 7, will survive the tribulation. These are “the chosen ones” for whose sake the tribulation will be cut short.
[1]. For a detailed discussion, see my article, “The Sign 4: The Abomination that Causes Desolation Matthew 24:15.”
[2]. These articles are worth studying because they include many interesting details. In the 21st century, deep Bible studies with many details have almost never occurred in The Watchtower.
[3]. The heavenly kingdom was prepared before the founding of the world (Ephesians 1:4). The earthly kingdom was prepared from the founding of the world.
