Introduction

Summary

The aims of this study

The apocalyptic-eschatological sections of the gospel of Matthew continue to fascinate the specialist New Testament scholar and general reader alike. Throughout the gospel the Matthean Jesus prophesies the arrival of the Son of Man who would sit on his throne of glory and preside over the final judgement. The fate of the wicked in particular is recounted in the most graphic terms. They will weep and gnash their teeth as they burn forever in the unceasing fires of Gehenna. While this sort of ‘hell-fire and brimstone’ material appeals to some Christians, for others it is a source of acute embarrassment which should be either ignored or downplayed considerably. Yet this sort of approach is clearly unsatisfactory since it avoids rather than confronts the problem. A better policy is to acknowledge that this apocalyptic-eschatological material is an important component of Matthew's gospel, and then try to understand why this is the case.

Before specifying the primary aims of this study, a few brief comments on the term ‘apocalyptic eschatology’ are in order. Since many scholars equate ‘apocalyptic’ or apocalyptic eschatology merely with speculation about the final judgement, it might be thought that such a study need involve little more than an assessment of the gospel's judgemental material. This view would be very much mistaken, however, for an identification of apocalyptic eschatology merely with the notion of judgement is simplistic at best and inaccurate at worst.