13:20
Jesus has just told the disciples to pray to the Lord to mitigate the intensity of the tribulation. Now He says that the Lord has cut short those days. Then Jesus says it is for the sake of the elect that He has shortened them. There are those who believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, so that the elect do not go through the tribulation. This is actually a relatively new idea (under two hundred years), and is, in my opinion, deeply unbiblical. This verse would certainly seem to imply that the elect will still be around during the tribulation. We should also note that in God’s economy the sovereignty of God and the significance of our prayers and actions are not in conflict.
13:21
When times are desperate the natural tendency is to look for any possible way out. In such circumstances people are prone to be taken in by false prophets or evil leaders. Jesus here warns against false prophets claiming to either be the Messiah, or to know who the Messiah is. In difficult time we should be especially on our guard against false teachings.
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