The Christian Delusion: Chapter Twelve--At Best Jesus Was A Failed Apocalyptic Prophet

In chapter 12 of The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails, the editor, John Loftus, returns to write a chapter entitled, "At Best Jesus Was a Failed Apocalyptic Prophet." Loftus maintains that even if one assumes that the canonical gospels are historically reliable, the portrait presented of Jesus is one of a failed prophet. He predicted the end of the age within the generation of his initial followers and it did not happen, thus proving that he was not from God (much less God himself).

Deuteronomy 18:21-22 states: You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken(NIV).

Loftus shows that while the historical Jesus scholarship has come to a number of different conclusions, the dominant view that is held today is that Jesus was an apocalyptic prophet. This view first popularized by Albert Schweitzer in 1906 (The Quest of the Historical Jesus)has been defended in the current day by such eminent NT scholars as E. P. Sanders (The Historical Figure of Jesus), Dale Allison (Jesus of Nazareth: Millenarian Prophet), Bart Ehrman (Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium), and Paula Fredriksen (From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of the New Testament Images of Jesus).

Apocalypticism (i.e., the idea that God would visit the earth, destroy his enemies, raise the saints, and establish his kingdom) was prevalent in the Jewish culture into which Jesus was born. Loftus writes:

We see Jewish apocalypticism everywhere stemming from such texts as Isaiah 24-27, Daniel, Zechariah 9-14, parts of I Enoch, Sibylline Oracles, the Testament of Moses, 4th Ezra, 2nd Baruch and the Apocalypse of Abraham. The Dead Sea Scrolls themselves show apocalyptic elements in them, especially the War Scroll, where there is a war between the “children of the light” and the “children of darkness” in which God intervenes in the seventh battle and the Sons of Light are given their victory. So in this contextual milieu it’s not difficult at all to think Jesus believed and taught what others did in his day. In fact, this is what we would expect to find (pp. 318-19).

The synoptic gospels open up with the ministry of an apocalyptic prophet, John the Baptist, who was preaching that judgment was at hand, the wrath of God was about to be unleashed, and the Kingdom age was at hand (Mark 1:15; Matt. 3:1-12; Luke 3:16-17). Jesus identified with the message of this prophet by being baptized by him. Then Jesus began preaching the same message of John (Matt. 4:17).

Jesus' use of the title "Son of Man" is a clear apocalyptic reference from Daniel chapter 7. It is his favorite way to refer to himself throughout the Synoptic gospels. He tells the Sanhedrin at his trial: You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:62). In the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24; Mark 13), Jesus foretold the end of the age and told his disciples that they would be alive to see it happen: I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened (Matt. 24:34; Mark 13:30; cf. Matt. 10:23; 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27).

When we come to the writings of Paul, it is obvious that he believed he would live to see Jesus return, raise the believers, destroy the wicked and establish a kingdom (1 Thess. 4:15-5:4; 1 Cor. 15:51-52). As a matter of fact, he told the Corinthians that the time was so short, it would be better for them not to marry or give their daughters in marriage. He wrote:

What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away (7:29-31).

But Paul died, the Corinthians and the Thessalonians died, and all the believers since that time have died. Was Jesus then wrong? The NT scholar James Dunn thinks so: Jesus had entertained hopes which were not fulfilled. There were "final" elements in his expectation which were not realized. Putting it bluntly, Jesus was proved wrong by the course of events (Jesus Remembered, p. 479 cited by Loftus, p. 325).

Why didn't Christianity cease to exist then, since their founder's prophecies failed to occur? Because the early Christians did what other cults with failed prophets have done, they reinterpreted their prophet's words (see Leon Festinger, When Prophecies Fail).E. P. Sanders writes:

…his followers preached that he would return immediately—that is, they simply interpreted "the Son of Man" as referring to Jesus himself. Then, when people started dying, they said that some would still be alive. When almost the entire first generation was dead, they maintained that one disciple would still be alive [John 21:23]. Then he died, and it became necessary to claim that Jesus had not actually promised even this one disciple that he would live to see that great day (Historical Figure of Jesus, p. 180 cited by Loftus, p. 332).

Later books in the NT reveal the dilemma faced by the followers of Jesus. Loftus states:

By the time the pseudonymous 2nd letter to the Thessalonians was written at the end of the first century to reassure Christians that Jesus would indeed return, unlike some who thought he had already done so (2:1-2), and unlike others who quit their jobs to wait for it to happen (3:6-15), additional signs must take place first. A rebellion must take place and “the man of sin” revealed who will “exalt himself over everything that is God” (2:3-12). And although the power of this “man of sin” (or anti-Christ) is already at work in the world, he is being held back until the “proper time” when he will be revealed and later destroyed when Jesus returns in glory.

By the time the even later second-century pseudonymous epistle of 2 Peter was written scoffers were mocking the Christian claim that Jesus would return. These things were an embarrassment to the church of that day. The answer given was that with the Lord, “a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness…the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Pet. 3:3–10). . . . This is just what apocalyptic movements do with the prophetic texts when their prophecies fail. They use what has been aptly described as “secondary exegesis” (ala Dale Allison) to reinterpret them, and this is exactly what we see in the New Testament (pp. 332-33).

This reinterpretation of the prophecies of Jesus has continued throughout Church History. Today, there are a multitude of various eschatological positions held by Christians. As Loftus points out:

One way to observe whether a theory is in crisis is to note how many versions of that theory there are. When it comes to Christian eschatological theories there are Historicist, Preterist, Futurist and Idealist versions of it. Specific millennial theories include premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism. Then there is dispensational premillennialism with pre-mid-and post-tribulational rapture theories, even though there is no room in the New Testament for the idea of a rapture separated from the final eschaton. There also are partial and full preterist views. There are so many questions and disputes between Christians over this issue that the evidence seems clear: attempts to harmonize the statements in the New Testament are a failure. Christians misunderstand what is going on in the New Testament writings themselves. The authors were reinterpreting these prophecies just like every failed doomsday cult has done in order to survive as a community (pp. 333-34).

So, what is one to conclude from this evidence? I think one has to conclude that Jesus predicted the end of the age along with all of its apocalyptic grandeur to occur within the first generation of his hearers and it did not happen. Thus, Jesus was a failed apocalyptic prophet in a long line of failed prophets who have predicted the end of the world.

The Modification of the Jewish Belief in the Resurrection by the early Christians

N. T. Wright, in The Resurrection of the Son of God, is well known for making the argument that Jesus must have been raised from the dead bodily because nothing short of a literal resurrection could explain how the disciples came to believe it, in spite of the Jewish theology of that time. He argues that in Second Temple Judaism the concept of the resurrection was that it would happen at the "last day," (Greek is eschaton) and would usher in the "new age" (i.e., the kingdom). On that last day, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and other saints would be raised and the kingdom of God would begin. Since that obviously didn't happen when Jesus was said to be raised from the dead, no Jew would have believed that Jesus was really raised from the dead unless they were eyewitnesses of it. Thus, according to Wright, Jesus must have been raised from the dead literally and bodily or the Jewish disciples would have never believed it because it ran counter to their expectations about the timing of the resurrection.

Wright is correct that Second Temple Judaism believed that the resurrection would occur at the last day at the inauguration of the Kingdom. They also believed that it would be the Messiah who would usher in that kingdom. The disciples of Jesus were of the same mind. Note that in the Gospels they are continually asking him when he is going to bring in the kingdom and what positions they will have in that kingdom. When he was executed by the Romans, their whole belief system was exploded. They had to re-think everything. They came up with a new twist on the Jewish beliefs. Using certain OT passages, they came to believe that the Messiah had to die first before the Kingdom could come. He died as a martyr. Second temple Judaism believed that the martyrs would be vindicated by being resurrected (see Daniel 12 and 2 Macabbees).

The Christian theology that evolved said that Jesus was the first-fruits of that resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20-23). The eschaton, therefore, had begun. The Christians believed that within their lifetimes, Jesus would return, they would be changed or raised (1 Cor.15:51-52) and the kingdom would be realized. Thus, when you read the NT, you find that the writers believed that the last days (eschaton) had begun. This is how they reconciled the Jewish belief in the timing of the resurrection with their belief that Jesus had been raised.

In Matthew 24:34 (I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened), Jesus tells his followers that the kingdom will come in their generation.

In Acts 1:5 (So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" ), the disciples ask Jesus before he ascends to heaven when he is going to establish the Kingdom.

In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, Peter explains that the "speaking in tongues" that have just occurred are proof that the last days (eschaton) have begun. He says: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:" 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams...'(2:14-17).

In Galatians 4:4 (But when the time had fully come (lit. "the fullness of time") God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law. ), Paul states that birth of Jesus came at the end of the age.

In 1 Thess. 4:15-17, Paul indicates his belief that he will still be alive when Jesus returns. He says: According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

The author of Hebrews states that the the last days began with the incarnation. He says: In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days (eschaton) he has spoken to us by his Son... (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Interestingly enough, since Jesus didn't return in the lifetimes of the first generation of believers, some began to doubt the truth of what they had believed. The author of 2 Peter attempts to squash the doubt.

2 Pet. 3:3-4, 8-10: First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." . . . But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Since Jesus still has not returned, Christians have had to re-think their eschatology (doctrine of last things) and have come up with several alternative explanations on when Jesus will return and when the kingdom will be established. They have also debated the nature of that kingdom. Conservative Christians today have a variety of beliefs on these matters, all insisting, of course, that their particular view is the correct one. Just to list some of the views held by conservative Christians today:

Premillennialism is the view that Jesus will return and reign on the earth for 1000 years before eternity begins. Within this view, there are at least 3 variations: 1) Pretribulational rapture says that Jesus will snatch up all believers before a 7 year tribulation period begins on the earth. After the 7 year tribulation, Jesus and his followers will return together to establish the 1000 year kingdom. 2) Midtribulational rapture says the same things as the pretribulational view except that the rapture will happen at the mid-point (3.5 years) of the tribulation. 3) Posttribulational rapture says the same things as the above views except that the rapture will happen at the end of the 7 year tribulation.

Postmillennialism is the view that the church will bring in the kingdom (not necessarily a literal 1000 year kingdom) itself and then Jesus will return. Again there are many variations within this view.

Amillennialism is the view that there will be no literal, physical kingdom on earth but that it is a spiritual kingdom and has already begun. This view, sometimes called Preterism, is becoming more popular among conservatives.

So, Christian theology, and especially eschatology, is continuing to evolve. Just as the original disciples had to re-think their theology in light of Jesus death, Christians through history and even today have had to re-think their eschatology in light of the fact that Jesus still has not returned.