Jerusalem’s Destruction and the Coming of the Son of Man: Assessing an Alleged Lukan Association

Abstract

This study of a current current in biblical research surveys and appraises an interpretative trend that associates future-oriented Son of Man sayings in Luke’s Gospel with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 ce. After contextualizing this interpretative tradition, the views of several recent advocates of this interpretative trend are surveyed and compared. Subsequently, a means of appraising this interpretative stance is proposed, which involves discussion of two sets of Lukan passages: first, four pericopes in which the destruction of Jerusalem is clearly referenced or implied (Lk. 13:31–35; 19:41–44; 21:20–24; and 23:26–31); and second, a series of passages containing future-oriented Son of Man sayings, with special reference to the key Son of Man saying in Lk. 21:27. The upshot of this survey and appraisal is that no future-oriented Son of Man saying in Luke’s Gospel plausibly relates to Jerusalem’s destruction.