24:22: If those days were not shortened.
A: Jewish eschatology also knows of a shortening of the last period of
tribulation.
Midrash Song of Songs 2:7 (99A): R. Yose b. Hanina (ca. 270) said,
“Two adjurations are here (namely in Song 2:7 and 3:5): one to the Israelites
and one to the nations of the world. He adjured the Israelites not to rebel
against the yoke of the kingdoms of the world, and he adjured the kingdoms of
the world not to make the yoke heavy on Israel; for if they made the yoke heavy
on Israel, they would cause the coming of the end (of the messianic קֵץ, see § Matt 24:6 C) before its time.”—A
parallel passage with variations is found in b. Ketub. 111A. ‖ Babylonian
Talmud Baba Meṣiʿa 85B: Elijah (the prophet) used to show up in Rabbi’s
academy. One day—it was the day of the new moon—he was late and did not come.
Rabbi said to him, “What caused the lord’s delay?” He answered, “I set Abraham
upright and washed his hands and after he prayed, put him back down again;
similarly with Isaac and similarly with Jacob.” He should have set them up at
the same time! One thinks that they would be so mighty in their praying that
they would usher in the Messiah before his time.
B: ἐκολοβώθησαν, perhaps = קִצֵּר,
Aramaic קַצַּר.
Leviticus Rabbah 21 (120C): Because the high priests (of the Second
Temple) sold their office for money, their years (of office) were shortened מתקצרות (hence the large number of high priests
during the existence of the Second Temple). ‖ Psalm 89:46: “You shortened הקצרת the days of his youth.” Targum קַצַּרְתָּא. ‖ Targum Yerušalmi I Genesis 28:10: “For
Jacob the time of day was shortened אתקצרו,
in that the sun went down before its time.” (Hermann L. Strack and
Paul Billerbeck, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and
Midrash, ed. Jacob N. Cerone, 4 vols. [trans. Andrew Bowden and Joseph
Longarino; Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2022], 1:1094-95)