Jesus As Apocalyptic Prophet in the Gospel of Matthew

The topic addressed in Jesus as Apocalyptic Prophet in the Gospel of Matthew is extremely controversial. One position in Historical Jesus studies, arguably the dominant scholarly position, is that Jesus of Nazareth is best described as an “Apocalyptic Prophet.” Those who promote this position believe that when Jesus proclaimed the “Kingdom of God at hand,” he was expecting an imminent, universal final judgment followed by the arrival of the eschatological Kingdom of God – an eternal, idyllic existence which could be entered only by the righteous. On this view, a central part of Jesus’ message surrounded preparing oneself for this imminent final judgment.

In this tract, I present an eschatological reading of the Gospel of Matthew. Other topics addressed include: (1) defining the term “apocalyptic,” (2) the expectations of the early Church as demonstrated by various New Testament documents, (3) a reading list of scholars who have come to similar conclusions, and (4) potential implications for the life of faith.

This is a very personal subject for me. At one point in my life, it was the topic that drove me out of seminary. Although “Jesus as Apocalyptic Prophet” is a well-known position among scholars, it seems to be virtually unknown to the lay Christian. Whatever one concludes about the historical Jesus, I believe the search for truth entails engaging with this view.