I had not seen some these arguments made before. Also, I spotted a flaw with ChatGPT, which didn't do a good job explaining the nuance in Dale Alison's views of Jesus' apocalypticism and prophecies, which are different enough from Albert Schweitzer's view that Jesus was simply mistaken altogether.
Thanks for jumping into the discussion and I appreciate your sharp eye and willingness to engage critically with different perspectives, including where tools like ChatGPT may oversimplify complex theological issues. You brought up an important distinction between
Dale Allison’s view of Jesus’ apocalyptic message and
Albert Schweitzer’s conclusion that Jesus was essentially a failed end-times prophet. Let’s unpack that with clarity and respect for nuance.
You're right
Allison doesn't go as far as Schweitzer, who famously argued that Jesus was
entirely mistaken, expecting the imminent arrival of God's kingdom in a way that never materialized. Allison, on the other hand, holds a more layered view. He acknowledges that Jesus spoke in apocalyptic terms yes, about judgment, the coming of the Kingdom, and the "Son of Man" but he resists painting Jesus as naïvely wrong. Instead, he presents Jesus as someone who
genuinely anticipated divine intervention, yet left room for ambiguity and mystery. In other words,
Allison admits tension without declaring Jesus wrong.
Now, stepping back into Scripture, it's important to understand that Jesus’ apocalyptic sayings like those in
Mark 13,
Matthew 24, or
Luke 21 are deeply
prophetic, symbolic, and often multi-layered. They often
blend near and far horizons which is a common pattern in biblical prophecy. For example, when Isaiah prophesied about Babylon or the Day of the Lord, there were immediate fulfillments and also echoes of future events. The same is true with Jesus.
Take the prophecy about the
destruction of the temple that happened in A.D. 70, exactly as Jesus said. But He also speaks of cosmic signs, angels, and the "Son of Man coming in the clouds." Critics claim this didn't happen, but they may be reading it with
modern Western literalism rather than
ancient Jewish prophetic metaphor. "Coming on the clouds" is Old Testament apocalyptic imagery, not Delta Airlines flight tracking.
Was Jesus wrong? Not at all. His prophecy about the
fall of Jerusalem came true within a generation, as He stated in
Matthew 24:34. And His broader statements about judgment, the growth of His Kingdom, and His eventual return are
still unfolding. The early Church didn’t think Jesus failed they lived in hope, knowing that “with the Lord a day is like a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8).
The
real flaw isn’t in Jesus it’s often in the expectations placed on Him, both by ancient followers and modern critics. People wanted a warrior Messiah to overthrow Rome; He came as a suffering servant to conquer sin and death. Some today want immediate, visible fulfillment; Jesus spoke of a Kingdom growing like yeast and mustard seeds
quietly, gradually, but powerfully.
So in light of that, we can affirm:
1. Jesus’ prophecies
did come true some immediately, others in process, and some still to come.
2. His apocalyptic language was rooted in Jewish tradition rich, symbolic, and spiritually profound.
3. And He was not mistaken, He was
misunderstood, then and now.
Thanks again for bringing this up. The conversation around Jesus' prophetic role is vital, not just for theology, but for our trust in Him as the
faithful and true witness (Revelation 3:14). He is no failed prophet. He is the
fulfillment of all prophecy.
Would love to keep the conversation going if you're open to diving deeper into specific passages.
Grace and peace!
