Hezekiah prayed, and the LORD changed the number of the
days of his life, adding 15 years to Hezekiah's life.
II Kings 20:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick
unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came
to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set
thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
2a Then he turned his face to the wall,
and prayed unto the LORD,
6a And I will add unto thy days fifteen
years;
At other times, for other reasons, the LORD changed it,
and shortened the days of someone's life:
Psalms 89:45a The
days of his youth hast thou shortened:
Proverbs 10:27b
but the years of the wicked shall
be shortened.
Psalms 102:23 He
weakened my strength in the way;
he shortened my days.
But haven't we often heard that when the LORD gives a time
frame, that's it, it doesn't change!
However, as just seen, the LORD reserves to himself,
the right to change time frames, as he sees fit:
Daniel 2:21a And he
changeth the times and the seasons:
The LORD had Jonah tell Nineveh that they had forty
days until they would be overthrown:
Jonah
3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s
journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and
Nineveh shall be overthrown.
So why was the forty days not absolutely adhered to?
Because they repented, and the LORD changed it, and
they were not overthrown.
So what about these absolute references to time?
Daniel 7:25 And he shall speak great
words against the most High, and shall wear out the
saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:
and they shall be given into his hand until a time
and times and the dividing of time.
Daniel 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in
linen, which was upon the waters of the river,
when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto
heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it
shall be for a time, times, and an half;
and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power
of the holy people, all these things shall be
finished.
Revelation 11:2 But the court which is without
the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is
given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they
tread under foot forty and two months.
Revelation 11:3 And I will give power
unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a
thousand two hundred and threescore days,
clothed in sackcloth.
Revelation 12:6 And the woman fled into the
wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that
they should feed her there a thousand two hundred
and threescore days.
Revelation 12:14 And to the woman were given
two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the
wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a
time, and times, and half a time, from the face of
the serpent.
Revelation 13:5 And there was given unto him a
mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power
was given unto him to continue forty and two
months.
Even though the 3½ years is mentioned seven times, in
different ways, in those scriptures above, can the LORD
possibly change that time frame?
Matthew 24:22 And except those days should
be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but
for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Apparently, to many of us, the answer is a giant, no.
To many of us, the 3½ years is written in stone, and
not even the LORD, himself, can change it!
Therefore, to many of us, since it is "impossible" for
the LORD to shorten the days of the 3½ years, then the
phrase, those days should be shortened, must mean
something different than the obvious.
In February 2010, scientists said that the earthquake
in Chile, shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds.
Then in March 2011, scientists said that the earthquake
in Japan, shortened the day by 1.8 microseconds.
Giving an enormous shortening of a total of around 3
microseconds.
Somehow, a few millionths of a second, is going to have
such an impact on the lives of people on the earth,
because those extra few millionths of a second would have
led to countless deaths?
No, that probably is not what is referred to in Mathew
24:22.
So, what if, the LORD actually shortens the the days of
3½ years, similar to changing the 40 days warning to
Nineveh?
Nineveh repented, and the LORD changed it.
What if the children of Israel, in the tribulation,
repent before the 3½ years are completed?
And they call on the LORD, saying, "Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the LORD"?
Deuteronomy 4:30 When thou art in tribulation,
and all these things are come upon thee, even in
the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and
shalt be obedient unto his voice;
31 (For the LORD thy God is a
merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy
thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he
sware unto them.
However, to many of us, the shortening of the 3½ years
must be impossible.
Otherwise we may have to change some of our nice
charts, timelines, and PowerPoint presentations.
.