What does this mean? That the Most Holy One of Israel... will NOT act... until He has NO other choice. Unfortunately, that day WILL come. But it will be man who chooses it, not God.
So, men control God by their behavior? I don't think so!
God is not forced into action by the deeds of men.
Men are, by his perfect standard, corrupt and worthy of death. He has pre-emptive summary execution written all over him.
The children who made fun of Elisha were torn to shreds by a she bear which God sent to execute judgement. Was it more than Jehovah could "bear"?
I think not.
Men act according to their nature. Their human nature, that is. This human nature, since Adam, is de facto unworthy of life. It is only by God's special grace (undeserved kindness) they exist at all. {On another thread I raised the issue of how God justified UNDESERVED kindness toward man since there is no just basis. That went more or less unanswered.}
The topic of this particular thread is WHAT HAPPENED WHEN JESUS DIDN'T COME BACK QUICKLY.
I've stated that the high expectation of sudden reversal of status (faithful rewarded and wicked punished) held by Messianic Jews deteriorated into self-action (rebellion against Rome which brought swift destruction) and consequences. The Christianized Jews were divided into two camps more or less. One camp declared Jesus a new kind of Messiah (suffering and dying and resurrected). The other camp declared Jesus more than an ethnic liberator, but, a demi-god.
Either way, the core subject here is MAN'S REACTION to his own expectations and how humans keep justifying failed expectations by changing their premise.
God's mercy is just another way of saying "WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN DIDN'T HAPPEN."
That makes your response fit in to the category of a kind of excuse or rationalization men come up with to explain the so-called delay.
"Oh, God is showing mercy that is why Jesus hasn't returned yet."
or
"Oh, Jehovah is holding back on Armageddon so that every one who can be saved has a chance."
None of this makes a bit of sense because the delay itself allows more time for more humans to be born THUS NEEDING MORE TIME FOR THEIR OWN CHANCE.
See? What is needed is an addendum to the prophecy declaring no more children will be born to humanity after a certain point. The ones already alive are allowed to reach an age of maturity and choice. THEN, the end comes.
But, that is too far-sighted, logical and plain spoken to have been set down in scripture.
