Texts in Conversation
Matthew 24 has God shorten the time of suffering for the sake of the chosen. The Apocalypse of Abraham echoes this shortened final period in the testing of Abraham’s descendants, placing their ordeal at the point when the age of evil is ending.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Matthew 24:22
New Testament
21 For then there will be great suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 Remember, I have told you ahead of time. 26 So then, if someone says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him.
Apocalypse of Abraham 29:13
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
9 But in the twelfth year of my final Age I will set up this man from your generation, whom you saw (issue) from my people; 10 this one all will follow, and such as are called by me (will) join, (even) those who change in their counsels. 11 And those whom you saw emerge from the left side of the picture — the meaning is: There shall be many from the heathen who set their hopes upon him; 12 and as for those whom you saw from your seed on the right side, some insulting and striking, others worshipping him — many of them shall be offended at him." 13 He, however, is testing those who have worshipped him of your seed, in that twelfth hour of the End with a view to shortening the Age of ungodliness.
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Notes and References
“... Cf. Matt. xxiv. 22, Ep. Barnabas iv. 3, Ap. Bar. xx. 2 (“Therefore have I now taken away Sion in
order that I may the more speedily visit the world in its season”). In the lat ter passage the fall of Jerusalem
is regarded as hastening the End. Impatient longing for the End is characteristic of the Apocalyptists; see
e. g. 4 Ezra iv. 33 ff. ...”
Box, G. H., with J. I. Landsman
The Apocalypse of Abraham
(p. PDF 51) Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1918
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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