In this essay, I will use abundant citations from the bible itself to illucidate many harmful and false aspects of Christianity. I will show clearly that the alleged wrath of the Jewish god Yahweh was a fundamental aspect of Christianity. The Old Testament and New Testament together are replete with warnings and threats of “God’s wrath.” According to Christianity and its Jesus character, as presented in the biblical gospels, the wrath of the Jewish god Yahweh extended to anyone who did not believe stories or claims about Jesus spread by Christians. Anyone not believing Christian stories was bound to be condemned by the Jewish god Yahweh on the "Day of Judgement" that would come soon. The biblical Jesus explicitly taught that people should be afraid of Yahweh and punishment after death in a fiery place called Gehenna. The biblical Jesus also claimed to be the messiah, "anointed one," which was a Jewish term for an awaited king that was to reestablish an independent kingdom of Israel, free from foreign rule or oppression. The Jesus character of Matthew and Mark AND the writers of various other New Testament books all taught that Jesus as “the Son of Man” would come in the clouds SOON, even before their generation passed away, to reign as a king and judge the world, condemning unbelievers and anyone not following Christian teachings. Whether interpreted literally or metaphorically, they were wrong.
Although subsequent generations of Christian leaders tried to hide, obscure, smooth over, and reinterpret such foundational errors, we should not allow them to continue their lies and harmful teachings. These aspects of Christianity should be made explicitly clear, and all such ancient superstitions should be rejected and abandoned.
Table of Contents:
The following are passages from the Bible regarding condemnation of anyone who does not believe Christian dogma and stories about Jesus:
Mark 16.15-16: “15. And He [Jesus] said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
John 3.16-18: [The Jesus character speaking] “16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only born Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 18. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Some editions show this passage in red letters, as the words of Jesus. Others show this in black letters, interpreting it as the writer's statement instead. In Greek, it is not explicit, but the context suggests it was intended to portray Jesus' own comments until the transitional statement at the end of the section, 3.22.
John 3.36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him."
Luke 12.46: [The Jesus character talking] “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.”
1 John 5.10-12: [The Jesus character talking] “10. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Revelation 21.7-8: “7. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. 8. But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
Luke 8.12: [The Jesus character talking] “Those by the wayside are those who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”
John 8.24: [The Jesus character talking] “I said therefore to you, that you will die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
John 12.46-48: [The Jesus character talking] “…46. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness. 47. As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48. There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.…”
Matthew 12.30: "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."
Luke 11.23: "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters."
2 Thessalonians 1.6-8: “…6. After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7. and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels 8. in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”
Hebrews 2.2-3: “2. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3. how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?”
Romans 11.22-23: “22. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.”
At least 7 of the passages above are the alleged words / teachings of Jesus. Although the bible is not a reliable source of accurate historical information, and the gospels cannot be trusted to convey the actual words of a historical Jesus, the gospels do nonetheless represent what Christians believed and taught regarding their god, Jesus, etc.
The following are basic ideas presented in the Bible regarding anyone who does not believe it:
Non-believers in Jesus/Yahweh are considered automatically “WICKED,” “DARK,” “corrupted,” “vile,” “fools,” etc. (1 Corinthians 6:14; Titus 1:15; Psalm 14.1; John 3.18-20):
2 Corinthians 6.14-15: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15. What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?”
Psalm 14.1: “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”
Psalm 51.3: "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good."
John 3.18-20: "18. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19. And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. 20. Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."
According to the bible, non-believers in Jesus/Yahweh are considered "hardened by God" (Romans 9.18) or blinded by an evil spirit (2 Corinthians 4:3-4), robbed by "the devil" (Luke 8.12), and/or "children of the devil" (John 8.42-47):
2 Corinthians 4.3-4: “3. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Luke 8.12: [The Jesus character talking] “Those by the wayside are those who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”
Early Christians inherited a "good v. evil," light v. dark, us v. them, black v. white mentality from apocalyptic Judaism. Anyone who did not believe the messianic message was automatically considered a son of the devil. And Christians eventually wrote texts claiming that Jesus himself taught such ideas:
John 8.42-47: "42. Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46. ... If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47. Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
The epistle of 1 John exemplifies that same kind of us v. them thinking that condemns anyone who does not listen to the writer's claims regarding God/Jesus:
1 John 4.3-6: "3. every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time. 4. You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5. They are of the world. ... 6. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception."
The writer of Romans 9.18 claims simply that God forgives those he wants to forgive and hardens the hearts of others.
Romans 9.18: "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden."
According to the bible, God is angry/wrathful toward anyone who does not believe in stories about Jesus/Yahweh.
John 3.36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
Romans 1.18: “For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.”
1 Thessalonians 1.9-10: “9. … you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10. and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead -- Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath."
2 Thessalonians 1.6-8: “…6. After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7. and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels 8. in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”
According to the bible, non-believers in Jesus/Yahweh will be CAST by the Jewish god Yahweh into a lake of FIRE and BURNING SULFUR after death (Rev 21:8).
Revelation 21.7-8: “7. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. 8. But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
So the Bible very clearly teaches condemnation for non-believers.
Why?
No good or sensible reason is offered. It seems that the writers wished to scare people into belief by threatening them with hell/ Gehenna fire if they fail to believe and obey. In other words, Christianity was certainly a psychologically manipulative religion.
The following passages show Jesus teaching the fear of Yahweh and the fear of being punished by Yahweh after death:
Matthew 10.28: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, BE AFRAID of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell [Gehenna].” ["Be afraid," from Greek φοβεῖσθε / phobeisthe]
Luke 12.4-5: [Jesus talking] 4. “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5. I will show you whom you should fear: FEAR him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell [Gehenna]. Yes, I tell you, FEAR him.” ["Fear" from Greek φοβήθητε / phobēthēte]
New Testament promotion of fear was not restricted to the Jesus character, as you can see if you read carefully through this entire study.
Hebrews 10.31: “It is a FEARFUL thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Revelation 21.7-8: “7. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. 8. But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
Sometimes apologists try to avoid recognition or acknowledgement of the fear-based nature of their religion. I have even heard people, when presented with these passages, question, "Maybe Jesus did not mean fear, but respect and awe?"
So let us bet clear, the Greek φοβεῖσθε [phobeisthe] and φοβήθητε / phobēthēte really do mean "be afraid" or "you should be afraid." There is no problem or doubt regarding the translation into English. Further, the fear of God/Yahweh had already long been a foundational concept in Judaism.
The promotion of the fear of Yahweh was nothing new. The "Fear of Yahweh" was a prominent theme in the Hebrew scriptures. It was standard preaching for devout Jews of that time period, unless they were Sadducees or lovers of Greco-Roman culture and philosophy.
This is simply to show that fear of the Jewish god Yahweh was a key concept in the Hebrew scriptures, both in the "Mosaic law" and beyond:
Deuteronomy 6:2: "That you may fear Yahweh your God/Elohim, to keep all his statutes and his commandments."
Deuteronomy 6.13: "Fear Yahweh your God/Elohim, serve him only and take your oaths in his name."
Deuteronomy 10.12: "And now, Israel, what does Yahweh your God/Elohim ask of you but to fear Yahweh your God/Elohim, to walk in obedience to him ..."
Deuteronomy 10:20: "You are to fear Yahweh your God/Elohim and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.
Psalm 34.9: "Fear Yahweh, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing."
Psalm 67.7: "God/Elohim blesses us, that all the ends of the earth shall fear Him."
Psalm 89.7: "God/El is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints / holy ones."
Psalm 76.7: "You alone are to be feared. When You are angry, who can stand before You?"
Psalm 76.11: "Make and fulfill your vows to Yahweh your God; let all the neighboring lands bring tribute to Him who is to be feared."
Psalm 102.15: "The nations will fear the name of Yahweh, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory."
1 Kings 8.43: "... then may You [Yahweh] hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel."
1 Chronicles 16.15: "For great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods."
Proverbs 3.7: "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear Yahweh."
And yes, Hebrew יָרֵא [yare'] really means "fear."
The following passages depict Jesus teaching the fear of Yahweh and the fear of being punished by Yahweh after death:
Matthew 10.28: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, BE AFRAID of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell [Gehenna].”
Luke 12.4-5: [Jesus talking] 4. “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5. I will show you whom you should fear: FEAR him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell [Gehenna]. Yes, I tell you, FEAR him.”
The Jesus character in Matthew and Luke wants people to be afraid of the Jewish god Yahweh, because Yahweh can allegedly throw them into a fiery Gehenna AFTER death and harm their soul, even after their body is already dead.
What is this Gehenna supposed to be like after death?
It is supposed to be a place of undying, unquenchable fire and worms:
Mark 9.43-48: “43. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, where the fire never goes out. … And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into Gehenna. … 47: And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into Gehenna, 48. where ‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’”
Matthew 18.8-9: 8. “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery Gehenna.
Related passages:
Matthew 3:12: [John the Baptist talking about Jesus, the one who would come:] "His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
Matthew 13.36-42: "36. Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37. He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39. and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Notice the belief in "the evil one." During the era of apocalyptic Judaism, the Jews had developed an elaborate angelology and demonology, and they connected various characters and symbols into one identity for "the evil one": Satan, the devil, the serpent in the Garden of Eden, the chief of demons, an angel who rebelled against Yahweh and was cast out of heaven.
Notice also the black-and-white, dualistic thinking. Everyone who believes in Yahweh and Yahweh's messiah/"Christ" are the "people of the kingdom." They will be rewarded. Anyone who does not believe in Yahweh or Yahweh's messiah/"Christ" are automatically "the people of the evil one." They will be weeded out and cast into the fire at the soon-coming judgement and end of the age. These are the kinds of passages that Christians used to justify persecution and murder of non-believers or people who questioned church teachings during the Middle Ages, the Dark Ages, the Age of Faith in European history.
Matthew 13.49-50: "49. So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous, 50. and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 24.50-51: "50. The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. 51. And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 25.41: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."
From where would an apocalyptic Jew, a messianic hopeful, or the writers of this literature get such ideas as Yahweh destroying people with fire, such language as "the worm will not die, the fire is not quenched"? They were adapting ideas from Hebrew scripture, claims attributed to the Hebrew "prophet" Isaiah that one day in the future the Jewish god Yahweh would destroy all who do not follow him.
Isaiah 66: "22. As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares Yahweh, “so will your name and descendants endure. 23. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says Yahweh. 24. “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
Other examples of related imagery from Hebrew scripture:
The idea of Yahweh's wrath as a burning fire that cannot be quenched is also found in Jer 7.20. "Therefore this is what Yahweh God says: Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the produce of the land, and it will burn and not be extinguished.
Malachi 4.1-2: "1. "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says Yahweh of Hosts [armies]. "Not a root or branch will be left to them. 2. But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings ..."
Psalm 21.9: "You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger: Yahweh will swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them."
The "gnashing of teeth" concept (from Mt 13.42; 13.50; 22.23; 24.51) can be found also in Psalm 112.10, "The wicked man will see and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the desires of the wicked will perish."
From where else would a 1st century Jew derive ideas of punishment by YHWH after death? According to the Jewish historian Josephus, writing in 94 CE, in his work Antiquities of the Jews, there were 4 main sects in Jewish society during the 1st century: the Saducees, the Pharisees, the Essenes, and the Zealots. The Jesus character of the gospels shows qualities that belong to three of these groups: the Pharisees, the Essenes, and the Zealots. Further, of three of these groups -- the Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots -- Josephus said they believed in the immortality of the soul, the eternal punishment of bad men underground after death, and the rewarding of the righteous with eventual resurrection from the dead. This was the most popular Jewish view of the afterlife in the first century CE, according to Josephus.
Of the Pharisees, Josephus says:
"They also believe that souls have an immortal rigor in them, and that under the earth there will be rewards or punishments, according as they have lived virtuously or viciously in this life; and the latter are to be detained in an everlasting prison, but that the former shall have power to revive and live again; on account of which doctrines they are able greatly to persuade the body of the people; and whatsoever they do about Divine worship, prayers, and sacrifices, they perform them according to their direction; insomuch that the cities give great attestations to them on account of their entire virtuous conduct, both in the actions of their lives and their discourses also."
(Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities B 18.1.3. The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged. Translated by William Whiston. 1737. Digireads.com Publishing. Kindle Edition.)
Of the Zealots, Josephus says:
18.1.6. "But of the fourth sect of Jewish philosophy, Judas the Galilean was the author. These men agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty, and say that God is to be their only Ruler and Lord. They also do not value dying any kinds of death, nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends, nor can any such fear make them call any man lord."
(Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities B 18.1.6. The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged. Translated by William Whiston. 1737. Digireads.com Publishing. Kindle Edition.)
It may be noted that these ideas echo teachings attributed to Jesus in Matthew 10.28 and Luke 12.4-5, with the admonishment NOT to fear death, but to fear YHWH and avoid punishment after death. Other passages echoing Zealot beliefs:
Matthew 8.21-22: "21. Another of His disciples requested, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22. But Jesus told him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” [cf. Josephus: "nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends"]
Luke 9.59-60: "59. Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60. But Jesus told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. You, however, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Mark 8.35: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it." [Cf. Josephus: "They also do not value dying any kinds of death ..."] [This saying was copied and reproduced in Matthew 16.35, Luke 9:24, Luke 17.33, and John 12.25]
Mark 10.18: "Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone." [cf. Josephus: "God is to be their only Ruler and Lord ... nor can any such fear make them call any man lord"] [This story was copied and reproduced in Matthew 19:17 and Luke 18.19.]
Matthew 23.9: "And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven." [cf. Josephus: "God is to be their only Ruler and Lord ... nor can any such fear make them call any man lord"]
Matthew 10.34-37: [Jesus speaking] "34. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36. a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. 37. Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
Luke 12.49-53: 49. “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ... 51. Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Of the Essenes, Josephus said:
18.1.5. The doctrine of the Essenes is this:—That all things are best ascribed to God. They teach the immortality of souls, and esteem that the rewards of righteousness are to be earnestly striven for; and when they send what they have dedicated to God into the temple, they do not offer sacrifices{583} because they have more pure lustrations of their own; on which account they are excluded from the common court of the temple, but offer their sacrifices themselves; yet is their course of life better than that of other men; and they entirely addict themselves to husbandry. It also deserves our admiration, how much they exceed all other men that addict themselves to virtue, and this in righteousness; and indeed to such a degree, that as it hath never appeared among any other men, neither Greeks nor barbarians, no, not for a little time, so hath it endured a long while among them. This is demonstrated by that institution of theirs, which will not suffer any thing to hinder them from having all things in common; so that a rich man enjoys no more of his own wealth than he who hath nothing at all. There are about four thousand men that live in this way, and neither marry wives.
(Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities B 18.1.3. The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged. Translated by William Whiston. 1737. Digireads.com Publishing. Kindle Edition.)
Of the Sadducees, Josephus spoke differently:
18.1.4. But the doctrine of the Sadducees is this: That souls die with the bodies; nor do they regard the observation of anything besides what the law enjoins them; for they think it an instance of virtue to dispute with those teachers of philosophy whom they frequent: but this doctrine is received but by a few, yet by those still of the greatest dignity. But they are able to do almost nothing of themselves; for when they become magistrates, as they are unwillingly and by force sometimes obliged to be, they addict themselves to the notions of the Pharisees, because the multitude would not otherwise bear them.
(Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities B 18.1.2-4. The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged. Translated by William Whiston. 1737. Digireads.com Publishing. Kindle Edition.)
So to summarize this point, Josephus, a Jewish leader and historian who lived in the 7 decades after the alleged death of Jesus, wrote that the Pharisees, the Essenes, the Zealots and the Jewish population at large during that time period believed that bad people would be punished under ground after death and detained in an everlasting prison, whereas virtuous Jews would one day be brought back to life to live again at the resurrection of the dead. It is worth noting that according to Josephus, the sect of the Pharisees had persuaded most Jews of this notion. Not only that, but whenever a Saducee served in a government role, he had to adopt beliefs more in line with the Pharisees, because the vast majority of Jews "would not otherwise bear them."
Therefore, according to a Jewish historian of that very century, it would have fit within the Jewish culture of the time when the gospels portrayed Jesus as a Jewish rabbi (teacher) warning other Jews of a choice between eternal punishment after death underground versus resurrection of the virtuous.
The Bible teaches that there will one day be a Great Judgement, when God/Yahweh and/or Jesus as "the Son of Man" will pronounce judgement upon all people. He will reward those to believe and obey certain teachings, and he will punish the rest with eternal fire:
Matthew 25.31-41: “31. When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ... 41. Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”
Matthew 16.27-28: “27. For the Son of Man will come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done. 28. Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
o Note that the Jesus character of Matthew and Mark claimed that he would come SOON in glory with Yahweh’s angels and would sit in judgement. This coming in great glory was supposed to happen in that very generation (Mark 9.1;13.30; 14.61-62; Matthew 10.23; 16.28; 24.30-34). It did not happen. All such "prophetic" expectations failed miserably. The Jews did indeed rebel against Rome and try to set up an kingdom again, but they were crushed by the Roman military (66-74 CE). See my essay on Imminent Eschatology. (https://sites.google.com/site/investigatingchristianity/home/is-jesus-coming-back-soon-imminent-eschatology-in-the-new-testament)
Matthew 24.30-34: "30. Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the tribes of the land will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. ... 34. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."
o Note again that the Jesus character of Matthew and Mark claimed that he would come soon in glory with Yahweh’s angels and would sit in judgement. This coming in great glory was supposed to happen in that very generation. It did not. See my essay on Imminent Eschatology.
Matthew 10.15: “14. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”
Matthew 12.41-42: “41. The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here. 42. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.” [Also Luke 11.31]
Luke 10.14: “But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.”
Luke 13.23-30: "23. Someone asked him [Jesus], “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24. “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26. “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27. “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28. “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
o Cf. Matthew 7.13: “13. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
o John 10.9: “I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved.”
o John 14.6: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
2 Thessalonians 1.6-8: “…6. After all, it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7. and to grant relief to you who are oppressed and to us as well. This will take place when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels 8. in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”
Romans 2.5: “5. But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed."
Romans 14.10: “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”
Hebrew 6.2: “… the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”
Hebrews 9.27: “It is appointed to humans once to die, and after that: judgement.”
Hebrews 10.31: “It is a FEARFUL thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
2 Corinthians 5.10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.”
1 John 4.17: “… we may have confidence on the day of judgment.”
2 Peter 2.9: “… the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.”
2 Peter 3.7: “… the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”
Jude 1.6: “And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling--these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.”
Jude 1.14-15: "14. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15. to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Revelation 21.7-8: “7. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. 8. But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
The Judgement that Christians believed was about to come upon the earth in that generation was a key component of Christianity. It is becoming popular for some groups of Christians to leave this out, because it is embarrassing and clearly not representative of true love or a loving God. However, Christians who pretend Jesus and Christianity were/are "all about love" are lying, whether consciously or unconsciously.
It deserves to be pointed out again that the Jesus character of Matthew and Mark claimed that he would come SOON in glory with Yahweh’s angels and would sit in judgement. This coming in great glory was supposed to happen IN THAT VERY GENERATION (Mark 9.1;13.30; 14.61-62; Matthew 10.23; 16.28; 24.30-34). That same idea, that Jesus would be returning SOON, as "the Son of Man," a messianic king and judge, "the Christ"/messiah, can be found in other New Testament passages as well (1 Thess 4.15-17; 1 Corinthians 1.7-8; 7.26, 29; 15.51-52; Romans 13.11-12; 1 Peter 4.7; Revelation 1.1-3; 3.11; 16.15; 22.6, 7, 10, 12, 20; Acts 2.14-17; 2 Peter 3). The biblical version of Jesus and those early Christians who promoted that idea were dead wrong. It did not happen. All such "prophetic" expectations failed miserably. The Jews actually did indeed rebel against Rome and try to set up an kingdom again, and it is sensible to believe that early Christians were messianic Jews involved in the rebellion effort, whether overtly or covertly, but the Jewish rebellion was crushed by the Roman military (66-74 CE). When Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 CE, the authoritative seat of early Jewish Christianity, the Jerusalem Church, was destroyed along with it, and the Gentile / Pauline version of Christianity came to dominate from that point onward. Even then, Christianity continued to promote the idea of an imminent return of the messiah/Christ/"Son of Man" in judgement, but again it did not happen. Eventually Christianity had to reinterpret all of those foundational failures. The leadership did an excellent job of hiding their failures, preventing most cult members from understand it, and most Christians never seem to realize the truth or understand what so many New Testament passages were actually saying. See also my essay on Imminent Eschatology.
John 3.36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him."
Romans 1.18: “For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.”
Romans 2.4-5: “4. Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 5. But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”
Romans 3.5: “5. But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms. 6. Certainly not! In that case, how could God judge the world?”
Romans 5.8-10: “8. But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9. Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him! 10. For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!"
Romans 9.15-23: “15. For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16. It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. 17. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18. Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. 19. One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20. But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ” 21. Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? 22. What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23. What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory…?”
1 Thessalonians 1.9-10: “9. … you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10. and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead -- Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.”
Matthew 3.7: “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?”
Revelation 14.10: “10. he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.”
Revelation 15.1: “Then I saw another great and marvelous sign in heaven: seven angels with the seven final plagues, with which the wrath of God is completed.
Revelation 15.7: “Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God.”
Revelation 16.1: “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God's wrath.’ "
John 12.31: “Now judgment is upon this world.”
Romans 2.3: “do you think you will escape God’s judgment?”
Romans 2.16: “on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.”
Romans 14.10: “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”
James 4.12: “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and DESTROY.”
Hebrews 10.31: “It is a FEARFUL thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Matthew 10.32-37: [Jesus speaking] "32. Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. 34. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36. a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. 37. Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ...
What does "a sword" represent? War, strife, division.
Luke 12.49-53: 49. “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ... 51. Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Sometimes modern Christians fail to understand that a claim to the title of messiah/Christ [Χρίστος / christos in Greek, christus in Latin; hence the title, "Christ" in English] was inherently and unavoidably a political claim. Modern Christians also frequently fail to understand that a claim to be "the Son of Man" was an allusion to the pseudepigraphon of Daniel, where the "Son of Man" was a prophetic dream figure that represented a renewed kingdom of Israel. In other words, both "messiah/Christ" and "Son of Man" were symbolic titles that -- to those with the inside scoop -- implied rebellion against the Roman Empire and an attempt to establish an independent Kingdom of Israel/Judaea.
Further, note that according to the version of Jesus presented in these passages of Matthew and Luke, those Jews who heard the revolutionary message were being called to love Jesus, the messiah, more than their families and more than their own lives. In other words, they should be willing to die for the messiah/king in the expected strife to come. That, too, sounds like thinly veiled revolutionary language.
Not everyone realizes that the Jesus presented in Mark and Matthew claimed that he, the "Son of Man," would come in the clouds of heaven to judge the world, AND that it would actually happen in that very generation. He said that some of the people hearing his words would still be alive when they would see the "Son of Man" coming in his kingdom.
Mark 13.30: “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ... I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.”
Matthew 24.30-34: 30. "Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the tribes of the land will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. ... 34. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."
Mark 9.1: “And he said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.’”
Mark 14.61-62: “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ/Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ ‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And YOU will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ ”
Matthew 16.27-28: “For the Son of Man will come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.” Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
Matthew 19.28: "Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.' "
Matthew 10.23: "Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes."
Matthew 25.31-41: “31. When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ... 41. Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”
Mark 1.12-15: 12. At once the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness, 13. and He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered to Him. 14. After the arrest of John, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. 15. “The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
In its original context, this was a message of urgency, conveying an expectation that the messiah / "Son of Man" / restoration of a politically independent Israel/Judaea would be occurring soon, with Yahweh's intervention in history at the end of time, in "the last days." When that did not happen, the message was continually revised in an ongoing coverup of previous "prophetic" failures.
Matthew 19.28: Jesus said to them [his disciples], “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
In the very first chapter of Mark, the earliest Christian gospel to be written, after being baptized by John the Baptist for forgiveness of sins, Jesus went into the desert, and when he came back, he immediately began preaching that the "time was fulfilled" and the "kingdom of God" was "near":
Mark 1.14-15: "14. ... Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God. 15. “The time is fulfilled,” He said, “and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the gospel!”
So Jesus preached an apocalyptic Jewish message of the end of alotted time, the wrath of YHWH, the imminent coming of God's kingdom and judgement, and the need to repent / turn away from sin and be ready for the soon-coming judgement. And he came to believe he was YHWH's chosen messiah, and would be sitting on a throne and judging the nations before that generation passed away.
It is very important to understand what it would have meant for a first century Palestinian Jew used the phrase "Son of Man" to refer to himself. It would have been a political claim to kingship, AND a claim to be fulfilling prophecy, AND a claim to be about to rule and dominate all other kingdoms under the sky/heaven.
"Son of Man" was a phrase from an alleged "prophetic" dream in the book of Daniel. For a brief explanation of the Book of Daniel in its historical context, when Israel/Judah was dominated by the Seleucid Empire in the 160s BCE, see the "Hellenistic Kingdoms" section of my research on pre-Christian Jewish "Prophesies of the Messiah."
Daniel 7.13-14: 13. “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, a coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."
The interpretation of the dream is actually provided just a few verses later:
Daniel 7.15: “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. 16. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this. So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: 17. ‘The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. 18. But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’"
Daniel 7.27: "Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him."
In the original context of Daniel 7, in the dream, 4 beasts/ animals appear, followed by a human. Each image is a symbol. Each of the 4 "beasts"/animals represented a kingdom/empire: the Babylonian empire, the Median empire, the Persian empire, and the Greek empire. The final image, the human, the "son of man," was a more noble image than the mere animals representing other nations' kingdoms. The human figure, "son of man," represented "the holy people of the Most High God."
This work was written during the 160s BCE. The 4th beast in the dream referred to the Seleucid Syrian empire of the Greeks. 7.21 and 7.25 were references to king Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his persecutions, suppression of Judaism, and attempt to force Greek customs on the Jews. These portions of Daniel were written to encourage the conservative Jewish Yahweh-worshipers not to give up hope, promising that their god Yahweh would soon intervene to free Israel from foreign oppression and reestablish an independent Israel under Yahweh's direction, governed by the Yahweh-worshipers, not Greek-sympathizers as had happened previously. The Jews did rebel against Antiochus IV and establish a kingdom. However, politics proved rather messy, as usual, and of course it was not really an eternal kingdom, and eventually Judea was dominated by foreigners again, this time the Romans.
It is noteworthy that in the original story, the "Son of Man" was a single image, like all the images were, but each single image represented a collective group or empire, and this one represented collectively "the holy people of the Most High," in other words the conservative Yahweh worshipers, NOT a single man or a real human or being coming in the sky. While Daniel contained no individual messiah, shortly after its composition many Jews interpreted the dream of a "son of man" in the clouds of heaven as referring to the same awaited messiah mentioned in other literature. In the period in which Daniel was written, the messiah and the restoration of the kingdom of Israel were associated with the end of time, the climactic culmination of world history.
So when the New Testament gospels present Jesus as claiming to be the messiah, the Christ, the "Son of Man," and when it says that contemporary people would see the "Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven" before that generation passed away, it was a clear indication that the creators of the stories intended there to be a Jewish revolution against Rome. If there was a historical Jesus claiming to be the "Son of Man" and claiming he would be coming in the clouds soon to judge the nations in that very generation, of course such an individual would be crucified.
If there was not a real historical Jesus, then the story of the messiah's resurrection was originally a parable for the resurrection of Israel. And this imagery was originally intended as a story to inspire Yahweh worshipers and converts to Yahweh worship that the end was coming soon, and that they would soon succeed in defeating Rome and reestablishing an independent Israel, controlled by Yahweh-worshipers.
So the Jesus character in the gospels is certainly claiming to be the messiah, and he is telling people they will live to see him, as the messiah, the "Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven," establish a kingdom of Yahweh, regain Israel's independence, and rule/judge the nations.
The Jesus character of Matthew 15 even tells his disciples explicitly that he was NOT sent to everyone, but was sent ONLY TO ISRAELITES (Matthew 15.24), and he calls Gentiles/ non-Jews "dogs" (15.26). He also tells his 12 Apostles NOT to take his message to everyone, but only “to the lost sheep of Israel” (Mt 10.5-6).
Matthew 15.21-28: 21. Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22. A Canaanite woman [a Gentile / non-Jew] from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23. Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24. He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25. The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27. “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28. Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment."
Matthew 10.5-6: 5. "These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel."
Elsewhere, in verses composed in later layer, Jesus is presented as espousing a "Jews first, Gentiles second" philosophy, and eventually Jesus is made into a more universal character. It's just as well, for even the "prophets" and Daniel had expected messianic rule to be international. However, the Jewishness of this character, with the kind of ethnocentrism that calls Gentiles "dogs," is noteworthy.
In that same passage from Matthew 10, Jesus told his 12 Apostles, when sending them out to spread his message and recruit others, that any town / people rejecting their message would be harshly treated on the coming “Day of Judgment” (Mt 10.14-15; cf. Mt 25.31-46; 7.21-23; 11.24).
Matthew 10.14-15: 14. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town."
Matthew 25.31-41: “31. When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ... 41. Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’”
Matthew 7.21-23: "21. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23. Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Matthew 11.24: "But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."
And when was that “day of judgement” supposed to come?
Before that contemporary generation passed away, back in the first century CE!
Go back and reread Mk 9.1; 13.30; 14.61-62; Matthew 10.23; 16.27-28; 24.30-34, so that you can see this clearly. Then, to see how much of the rest of the New Testament perpetuated such false notions about Jesus' imminent return, read 1 Thess 4.15-17; 1 Corinthians 1.7-8; 7.26, 29; 15.51-52; Romans 13.11-12; 1 Peter 4.7; Revelation 1.1-3; 3.11; 16.15; 22.6, 7, 10, 12, 20; Acts 2.14-17; 2 Peter 3. You can also read my essay on Imminent Eschatology to see all of those passages from the bible laid out before you with commentary. Some samples:
1 Corinthians 7.29-31: "29. What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30. 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; 31. those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away."
1 Peter 4.7: “The end of all things is near."
And the expectation for Jesus's imminent return in Revelation is quite striking and emphatic.
Revelation 1.1-3 – "1. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2. who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."
Notice that the very introduction of the book of Revelation explains that it was intended to reveal what would "soon" take place. In other words, the scroll of revelation was NEVER intended for some distant future, but for the writer's own generation. And the writer claims that Jesus himself was sending this message to his people: "I am coming soon"!
Revelation 3.11: “I am coming soon."
Revelation 16.15: "See, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and is clothed, not going around naked and exposed to shame."
Revelation 22.6, 7, 10, 12, 20:
22.6. The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must SOON take place."
22.7: "Behold, I am coming SOON! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."
22.10: "Then he told me, 'Do NOT seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is NEAR.' "
22.12. "Behold, I am coming SOON! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done."
22.20. "He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."
It is quite clear, then, that the writer of Revelation claimed that Jesus was coming back SOON and that Jesus himself was saying so. It may be possible that the original writer was using the Jesus character as a kind of symbolic code for some kind of planned revolt against Rome, which the writer expected to happen soon. But whether that was the case or not, the author was wrong, either way.
Another aspect of the book of Revelation should become clear to readers who pay attention: The Book of Revelation was never intended to apply to the lives of people living 2,000 or more years later. Revelation 22.10 is perfectly clear in its original intent: "Do NOT seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is NEAR." It was not a book for the distant future, but for the author's own generation.
Could the words above from Matthew 15 and Matthew 10 represent the words of a historical Jesus, before Christianity evolved to be much more inclusive and accommodating of Gentiles, and in fact dominated by Gentiles after the spread of the religion and the destruction of Jerusalem, the center of Jewish Christianity? Did the historical Jesus consider Gentiles "dogs"? Was the historical Jesus a delusional and manipulative aspirant to the throne of Israel, thinking Yahweh would soon intervene in Jewish history to destroy the Romans and reestablish an independent Israel with Jesus as its head/king/judge? Was he really calling on his fellow Jews to love the aspiring messiah/king more than their own families or their own lives, to be willing to die for the cause (Matthew 10.32-37; Luke 12.49-53, quoted above)? Did he really think people living at that time would soon see him as "the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven"?
Or did the author of Matthew simply create the version of Jesus he wanted, a Jesus just as fictitious as the other Jesus characters imagined by various Christian writers/ groups?
Or was such language originally symbolic code / parables meant to inspire revolutionary sentiment in those who understood what the symbols meant -- a coming revolt against Rome?
None of the options are good ones.
Maybe there was a real, historical Jesus at the root of Christianity, and he was an apocalyptic Jew out to become messiah / king of Israel, as a careful reading of the gospels suggests. It would not be surprising for such an individual to be executed by the Romans for making trouble. Any claim to be a messiah would have been certainly and unavoidably political. ...
Maybe there was no real, historical Jesus, but these stories grew up over time as later Christians tried to historicize what was originally a set of symbolic codes / parables / metaphors used by underground networks of messianic Jews for revolutionary sentiment and the coming "Son of Man" figure from the pseudepigraphon of Daniel, where it originally represented a renewed kingdom of Israel, free from foreign rule or oppression.
Maybe it will never be possible to be certain what any original Jesus -- assuming there was one -- did or said, because the gospels we have are so late, so contradictory, and certainly not even close to being reliable sources of accurate historical information on the life of a historical Jesus.
What we can be certain of is this: the Jesus character of Matthew and Mark AND the writers of various other New Testament books all taught that Jesus as “the Son of Man” would come in the clouds to judge the nations SOON, before their own generation passed away, to reign as a king and judge the world. Whether interpreted literally or metaphorically, they were wrong, and the false nature of those claims ought to be exposed.
People who sincerely question or do not believe ancient stories are not inherently wicked people, blinded by evil spirit, worthy of condemnation and punishment in fire, as ancient Christianity and its bible claimed. We are hard-working, good, loving, compassionate people, seeking knowledge, wisdom, and truth. And many of us are former Christians, truth-seekers who have seen too many problems and lies to continue believing.
Christianity has been peddling lies for too long. It is important that more people learn to see through the lies and misrepresentations, to expose the harmful teachings of Christianity, and to abandon ancient superstitions.
The exclusive and judgemental nature of ancient Christianity, its basis in fear, its use of psychologically manipulative threats to scare susceptible people into its cult, its false promises taking advantage of people's fears of death, and its foundational falsehoods regarding Jesus's claims to kingship and the timing of Jesus' alleged return to rule and judge the world are NOT the only problems with the Christian religion.
Please take time to explore other studies, so that you and others can see clearly:
The Bible is not a reliable source of accurate historical information.
Foundational biblical stories regarding the creation of the world, Adam and Eve, the Flood of Noah, the creation of languages at the Tower of Babel, the stories of the Hebrew patriarchs, and the stories of Moses and the Exodus are myths, not actual history, and both their details and their setting in history cannot not even possibly true. Scholars have known this for some time, but too much of our population remains unaware of the truth about the bible's false claims.
There are major problems with biblical cosmology. The writers of the bible thought that the land/earth was stationary, that the sun went around the earth, that the sky/heaven was above the earth, that Yahweh made the sky as a solid dome / vault / "firmament" over the stationary earth, that rain came through holes/windows in the vault/ firmament, that stars were fastened to the rotating firmament and could sometimes fall to the earth, etc. Such ideas were common in the ancient world, before humans became better at scientific explorations and observations. Eventually, humans learned that we live on a planet that was both spinning and revolving around the sun, that the sky was not a vault/dome/firmament, that the sun itself is a star, that stars are not fastening to a sky dome and stars cannot fall to the earth, that stars are quite far from earth, etc. When Galileo began explaining how the earth went around the sun, he was arrested by the Church and forced to recant, because his teachings were contrary to the holy Christian bible. Rather than facing the fact that the bible is a fallible set of books created entirely by humans, too many modern Christians defend the bible as "the word of God" or genuinely divinely inspired. This lack of education needs to end.
Christians claimed Jesus was the messiah. However, IF you were to study thoroughly and carefully the Jewish/Hebrew writings and "prophecies" of the awaited messiah, in their historical context, you could see clearly that the original messianic "prophecies" were NOT fulfilled by Jesus. Moreover, the expectations of the Jewish/Hebrew prophets failed miserably, historically speaking. And not only did they fail in the past, but no one can ever fulfill them as originally intended, because the timeline for expected fulfillment is long past and the things that were supposed to happen cannot happen anymore.
The Christian stories of Jesus' birth are fictitious, late, contradictory, unreliable, mythical rather than accurately historical in nature, and contain demonstrable historical errors.
The Christian stories of Jesus' resurrection from the dead are contradictory, unreliable, often mythical rather than accurately historical in nature, contain demonstrable historical errors, and contain many illogical and unreasonable elements that make no sense in a modern, scientifically literate culture.
Even Christian accounts of when Jesus was crucified contradict one another.
The story of Jesus dying for 3 days and coming back to life follows a well-known symbolic pattern from ancient mythology going back over 2500 years before Christianity. This is a clue that it is more mythical / symbolic than historically accurate or true.
Many aspects of the Christian religion and its Jesus stories bear a striking resemblance to claims made by Roman imperial cult regarding their founding father Aeneas, their first king Romulus, their famous conqueror Julius Caesar, and the first emperor Augustus. The development of Christian myths regarding Jesus almost seem designed to rival Roman myths regarding their own famous legends and rulers.
Yahweh, the Primitive Storm God. Oftentimes, modern Christians are unaware just how primitive many stories of the ancient Jewish god Yahweh were. Yahweh is not a real god, but was a product of the ancient Hebrew / Jewish imagination.
If you study enough, you can see quite clearly that Judaism and Christianity were fully human inventions, not true or divine revelations from any real god. It is important for increasing numbers of humans to realize this; to embrace critical thinking, science, and academic history and archaeology rather than ancient superstitions; and to overcome the many sources of division (like religion, racism, and aggressive nationalism) that plague our species and prevent us from cooperating toward a greater good.