The End: What and When?

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

“…If, as Walton affirms, the Son of Man’s exaltation to the right hand of God implies sharing in God’s reign, how else is one to read these words from the concluding paragraph of his discussion of Lk. 21:5–36 (2021: 392)?In sum, this passage shows Jesus speaking of the coming fall of Jerusalem in 70 ce using ‘apocalyptic’ language to invest these earthly events with significance in relation to God’s reign. God’s reign will be seen in the fall of the city (v. 31), just as it was in the city’s earlier capture by the Babylonians in 587 bce (e.g.…”

“…21:5–36, however, he clearly contends that this passage in its entirety references the destruction of the temple. Like others who adopt this interpretative line, Walton (2021: 390, 392) holds that the imagery of ‘cosmic catastrophe’ in Lk. 21:25–28 is metaphorical description of mundane events and therefore not to be taken literally.…”

“…In a 2021 essay collection on Eschatology in Antiquity , Walton’s chapter on eschatology in Luke–Acts focuses on four key concerns: ‘the kingdom of God and its relation to the End (i.e. the end of the present space-time universe, accompanied by the return of Jesus to earth); the “coming” of the son of man; the work of the Spirit in the early church; and the timing of the End’ (Walton 2021: 383; cf. 385–91).…”

“…In Daniel 7 one like a son of man undoubtedly comes with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days, but nothing in Daniel 7 requires that the Ancient of Days is enthroned in heaven rather than on earth. According to Walton (2021: 387, emphasis original), however:Thus for Jesus to speak of himself as ‘the son of man coming with a cloud with power and great glory’ (Luke 21:27) is pointing to Jesus’ vindication by coming ( ἐρχόμενον ) – better, from an earthly perspective, ‘going’ – to God . Whatever this is referring to, it is not Jesus’ return to earth from heaven, travelling on a cloud – that would be to fail to recognise the direction of travel in Daniel 7, as well as taking the metaphor flat-footedly literally.…”

“…21:20-28, representatives of this alternative interpretation of future-oriented Son of Man sayings include G. B. Caird (1963;see also 1965), A. R. C. Leaney (1966), and, more recently, Angel (2006: 135-39), Steve Smith (2017: 81-118), Ryan Juza (2020: 92-128), and Steve Walton (2021). Although these interpreters differ on individual points of exegesis regarding Luke's temple discourse, they agree that Lk.…”