Challenging the Temple
Challenging the Temple
I treat here only briefly Jesus’ overturning tables in the Temple, because I will revisit it in connection with Jesus’ passion. But as a prophetic sign it coheres well with Jesus’ prophecies of the Temple’s impending destruction, inviting some discussion at this point.
Of all Jesus’ actions, his challenge by overturning tables in the Temple came closest to appearing as a revolutionary challenge to the political order. Nevertheless, this action was plainly a prophetic declaration rather than the challenge of a revolutionary leader seeking a following.102 Revolutionary messianic figures typically drew followings in the wilderness, attempting to build support (preferably armed support) before striking; Jesus, by contrast, acted under the nose of the Roman authorities and calculated his martyrdom. His act in the Temple was undoubtedly more symbolic than efficacious. Jesus acted against only a small area in the crowded outer court (the entire area of which was 300 meters by 450 meters).103 Further, he neither “recleansed” the Temple daily, although the sellers had undoubtedly set up their tables again, nor continued his disruption long enough to permit the intervention of the Temple’s Levite police or, had a riot begun, the Romans.104
Rather than inciting revolution, Jesus’ action fits the conception of a kingdom established by God’s direct intervention (a view attested in some apocalyptic sources and the Qumran documents); like some of his contemporaries, Jesus undoubtedly expected a kingdom “in which a temple, whether new or cleansed, would be useful.”105 Some of his contemporaries apparently expected God rather than mortals to supply the eschatological sanctuary.106 We would add that Jesus probably differed from most of these contemporaries in expecting a future temple that would at least include a spiritual temple (as in other Qumran texts) founded on himself.107