<p>18:7- see on 2 Pet. 3:9.<br />The many connections between Revelation and the Gospels need to be followed up; the incidents in Christ's earthly experience seem to be woven by him into the fabric of the visions he gives John. The theme of persecution is especially common. The widow crying to God because of persecution represents the prayers of the &quot;elect&quot; or &quot;chosen&quot; remnant of the last days (Lk. 18:7 cp. Mk. 13:20). They will be asking for vengeance against the beast which is persecuting them, and thus this parable is the basis for the souls under the altar crying out for vengeance (Rev. 6:9). Christ's return is therefore the day of vengeance (Lk. 21:22; Is. 34:8; 61:2; 63:4) of his persecuted latter day ecclesia. Despite the power of prayer in bringing about the Lord's return in vengeance, Lk. 18:9-14 continues in this same context to warn that despite this: <br />- Perhaps the Lord won't find such faith in prayer when he returns <br />- Many will pray but be so sure of their own righteousness that their prayers are hindered <br />- The disciples will tend to despise the little ones in the ecclesia. <br />All these are latter day problems: abuse of &quot;the little ones&quot;, self-righteousness and lack of real faith in prayer.</p><p><i>Will He be slow to help them?</i>- God <i>will</i> shorten the period of time of trouble before His return (2 Pet. 3:9); and we read that He <i>will</i> also lengthen the period of grace (Lk. 13:6-9)&hellip; <i>if</i> His people ask Him. What He &lsquo;will&rsquo; do perhaps should be read as what He <i>can</i> do. And this is why so much prophecy is conditional. Significantly, no other religion that I know contains this feature- of a God so passionate and so real that He will change His stated will and intention for the sake of His people&rsquo;s prayers.</p><p>The AV &quot;though he bear long with them&quot; is accurate. 2 Pet. 3:9 uses the same word in teaching that &quot;The Lord... is longsuffering to us-ward&quot; (AV) of the last days. This longsuffering of Jesus spoken of by Peter alludes to this parable of the persistent widow, whose continued requests should match our prayers for the second coming (the vengeance of our adversaries which she requested will only come then). &quot;Though he bear long&quot; (s.w. 'longsuffering') with us, &quot;God shall avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him&quot; (Lk. 18:7 AV). The &quot;us&quot; whom Peter refers to as experiencing the Lord's longsuffering ('bearing long') are therefore to be equated with &quot;the elect&quot; in their fervent prayers for the second coming. The days being shortened for the elect's sake therefore refers to the hastening of the second coming on account of the elect's prayers (Mt. 24:22). In view of the later references to Mt. 24, it is not unreasonable to think that Peter is consciously alluding to Mt. 24:22 concerning the shortening of the days for the sake of the elect's prayers, through his allusion to the parable of the persistent widow of Lk. 18:7.</p>