This book examines the eschatology of Jesus by evaluating his appropriation of sacred traditions related to Israel's restoration and addresses the way in which Jesus' future expectations impinged upon his understanding of Jewish society. It breaks new ground by considering Jesus' expectations regarding key constitutional features of the eschaton--the shape of the people of God, purity, Land and Temple. Bryan demonstrates that Jesus' anticipation of coming national judgement led him to use Israel's sacred traditions in ways that differed significantly from their use by his contemporaries.
Author(s): Steven M. Bryan
Edition: 1
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 296
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
CONTENTS......Page 9
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 11
ABBREVIATIONS AND CITATION CONVENTIONS......Page 13
NOTE ON TEXTS USED......Page 17
1.1.1 Present and future......Page 19
1.1.2 National judgement and final judgement......Page 21
1.2.1 Approach: Jesus’ use of tradition......Page 24
1.2.2 Criteria of authenticity......Page 26
Excursus: Jesus and the end of exile......Page 30
2.1.1 Jesus’ critique of the rejection of his message of eschatological fulfilment......Page 39
2.1.2 The problem of the obvious......Page 40
2.2 Factors leading to Jewish belief that restoration had arrived......Page 41
2.2.1 Miracles as signs of restoration......Page 42
Repetition of scriptural patterns within Scripture......Page 44
Repetition of patterns in Second Temple eschatology......Page 46
2.2.3 Summary......Page 51
2.3.1 An authenticating miracle?......Page 52
2.3.2 A sign of a certain sort......Page 57
2.4 The sign expected by Jesus: the sign of Jonah......Page 59
2.5 Conclusion......Page 63
3.1 Prophetic criticism in the parables......Page 64
Referential confusion as a rhetorical strategy in parables......Page 65
The use of the vineyard image in the Old Testament and Jewish tradition......Page 67
The parable of the tenants......Page 70
The parable of the workers in the vineyard......Page 74
The parable of the two sons......Page 90
The parable of the barren fig tree......Page 91
3.1.2 The parable of the great banquet......Page 94
3.2.1 ‘This generation’ as a moral and salvation-historical designation......Page 99
3.2.2 ‘This generation’ as a national designation......Page 100
3.3 Conclusion......Page 104
4.1 Elijah’s restoration......Page 106
4.1.1 The development of the Elijah tradition......Page 109
4.1.2 Elijah as forerunner of Messiah or Yahweh?......Page 116
Temporal conflict in the development of the Elijah tradition: the relationship of restoration and resurrection......Page 119
Jesus’ response and strands of restoration tradition......Page 125
4.2.1 The success of John’s restoration......Page 129
4.2.2 Jesus and the restoration of John......Page 132
The restored remnant and the participation of individuals......Page 138
The calling of the twelve......Page 140
4.2.3 The remnant and Jesus’ ministry of obduracy......Page 142
4.3 Conclusion......Page 146
On the Pharisees of Sanders and Neusner......Page 148
On the meaning of Pharisaic extensions of purity......Page 151
5.1.2 Purity, Temple, people, Land – the wider view......Page 159
5.1.3 Purity, Temple and Land......Page 164
5.1.4 Purity, election and eschatology......Page 166
5.2 Jesus and the purity code......Page 174
5.2.1 The unpardonable sin......Page 175
5.2.2 Jesus and ‘unclean’ spirits......Page 178
5.2.3 Jesus, holiness and purity......Page 182
5.2.4 Jesus, purity and Land......Page 186
The purity of the Land and anti-Samaritanism in Jewish restorationism......Page 190
Purity and love – the halakhic situation in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10.30–6)......Page 195
5.2.5 Jesus and eschatological holiness......Page 204
5.3 Conclusion......Page 205
6.1 The eschatological Temple in Jewish thought......Page 207
6.1.1 Heavenly Temple......Page 208
The messianic Temple in post-70 CE literature......Page 211
The messianic Temple in pre-70 texts: preliminary considerations......Page 213
The ‘Temple of a man’ in 4QFlorilegium......Page 215
6.1.3 Gentiles and the eschatological Temple......Page 217
6.2.1 Authenticity of the action......Page 224
6.2.2 Interpretations which focus on a single element of the action......Page 226
Jesus’ action as a cleansing......Page 227
Jesus’ action as a repudiation of the cult......Page 229
6.2.4 Election and the eschatological Temple......Page 235
6.3 Jesus and the Temple tax......Page 243
6.4 The Temple not made with hands......Page 247
6.5 Conclusion......Page 253
7.1 Summary......Page 254
7.2 Implications for the study of the historical Jesus......Page 260
Primary sources......Page 264
Secondary literature......Page 266
INDEX OF PASSAGES......Page 283
INDEX OF SUBJECTS......Page 294
