The historical Jesus, the great tribulation and the end of the exile: Restoration eschatology and the origin of the atonement

This dissertation will explore the issue of whether the historical Jesus ever spoke or acted on the basis of the ancient Jewish concept of the eschatological tribulation: i.e., the expectation that the age of salvation would be preceded by a final period of extreme suffering, affliction, and catastrophe. Many scholars agree that the concept of the tribulation, often referred to as “the Great Tribulation” or “the Messianic Woes,” was an important part of early Jewish eschatology at the time of Jesus. Many scholars also agree that Jesus himself was a Jewish eschatological prophet and thoroughly immersed in this ancient context. Yet there has been no sustained attempt to explore the topic of the eschatological tribulation with regard to the historical Jesus in his ancient Jewish context. That is the goal of this project.; In order to carry this out, this study will survey scholarly opinions regarding the historical Jesus and the tribulation (Chapter 1), study the expectation of the tribulation in the literature of late Second Temple Judaism (Chapter 2), and, finally, analyze those Jesus traditions which ostensibly refer to this particular aspect of early Jewish eschatology (Chapters 3–5). The thesis of the dissertation is that Jesus did in fact speak and act on the basis of the expectation of the eschatological tribulation. Moreover, his understanding of the tribulation was inextricably tied to the ancient Jewish hope for the End of the Exile: i.e., the ingathering of the lost tribes of Israel from among the nations. In short, Jesus taught that the tribulation had in some way begun with the death of John the Baptist as “Elijah” and that it was Jesus' mission as prophet to set in motion the “Great Tribulation” that would precede the coming of the Messiah and the restoration of Israel. In fact, he even taught that he would die in this tribulation, and that by means of his death Israel would receive the forgiveness of sins that would bring about the End of the Exile, the ingathering of the lost tribes from among the nations, and the coming of the kingdom of God.