The Son of Man

The figure of the Son of Man in the Book of Daniel is the source of Christ’s self-designation - The Son of Man. The term “Son of Man” is the self-designation heard most often on the lips of Jesus in the gospel accounts. It is from the vision of Daniel of the “one like a Son of Man” who received “the dominion and kingdom.” All the tribes of the Earth will mourn when “they see the Son of man coming on the clouds of Heaven.”

Each occurrence of this phrase in the New Testament reads “the Son of Man,” at least in the Greek original, and the definite article or “the” retains its demonstrative force (“this; “that son of man”).

Translated idiomatically, Jesus claimed to be “that Son of Man.” He was not referring to humanity in general or to his human nature, but to a specific figure known from the Hebrew Scriptures, namely, ‘the Son of Man’ of the seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel.

[Clouds - Photo by Jason Mavrommatis (Greece) on Unsplash]

The prophet Daniel saw a malevolent figure he called “the Little Horn” who had “a mouth speaking great things.” In the vision, this king persecuted the people of God until…:

• “I continued looking in the visions of the night, when, behold, with the clouds of the heavens, one like a son of man was coming. And to the Ancient of Days, he approached, and before him, they brought him near. And to him were given dominion and dignity and kingship, that all peoples, races and tongues should pay homage to him. His dominion was an everlasting dominion, which should not pass away, and his kingdom is that which should not be destroyed. <…> I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them, until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom”- (Daniel 7:13-14, 20-21).

Key features of this vision are found in the references to “the Son of Man” by Jesus as well as in related passages elsewhere in the New Testament, including:

• The coming of Christ “on the clouds.”

• The approach of the Son of Man to “the Ancient of Days” to receive judgment for his people.

• The receipt of dominion over “peoples, races, and tongues” by the Son of Man.

• The judgment of the nations of the Earth.

• The everlasting nature of the kingdom.

According to his own declaration, Jesus is “the Son of Man who sows the seed” of the Gospel. This process will conclude only when…:

• “The Son of Man will send his angels to gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those who do iniquity” – (Matthew 13:41).

The ‘Son of Man’ was destined to suffer for his people, though death would not have the final word. His God and Father resurrected and exalted him, and this same ‘Son of Man’ now reigns over the nations and peoples of the Earth, and he will judge all men in the future:

• “Jesus said to them, The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and the third day, he will be raised up” - (Matthew 17:22, 23).

• “Truly, I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on the throne of his glory, you also will sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” - (Matthew 19:28).

This judgment will include punitive sentences on the members of Israel who condemned Christ to death, and this understanding is confirmed by the response of Jesus to the High Priest during his trial:

• “I am he. And you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven” – (Matthew 26:64).

In his testimony, Jesus combined the phrase from the Book of Daniel with a clause found in the Psalms, leaving no doubt that he, ‘the Son of Man’, is the Davidic Messiah appointed by God to reign over all things:

• “Yahweh declared to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your foes your footstool” - (Psalm 110:1. See also Mark 14:62, Matthew 26:64, Luke 22:69).

Jesus is ‘the Son of Man’ who will judge every nation upon his return. The righteous will be separated from the wicked and receive “everlasting life,” but the wicked will be sentenced “to everlasting punishment”:

• “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then will he sit on the throne of his glory, and before him will be gathered all the nations. And he will separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left” – (Matthew 25:31-33).

• “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then will he render to every man according to his deeds” – (Matthew 16:27).

• “For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” – (Mark 8:38).

Moreover, ‘the Son of Man’ is the son of David who will reign over Israel and the nations, and his kingdom will endure forever:

• “And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and you will call his name Jesus. He will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there shall be no end” – (Luke 1:31-33).

COMING ON THE CLOUDS

The language from Daniel is prominent in passages describing the future arrival of Jesus Christ. He is the glorious figure who will appear “on the clouds of heaven”:

• “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then will all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” – (Matthew 24:30).

• “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and such men as pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will smite themselves for him. Yea! Amen” – (Revelation 1:7).

The description of the arrival of ‘the Son of Man’ on clouds appears in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, where he describes the saints who will meet Jesus when he arrives:

• “Then we who are alive, who are left, will together with them be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” – (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

In the vision of the prophet Daniel, ‘the Son of Man’ approached “the Ancient of Days” and received the Kingdom on behalf of the saints, as well as the authority to reign over all peoples, nations, and tongues.

The enthronement of ‘the Son of Man’ occurred after the Little Horn waged “war against the saints and prevailed over them.” Likewise, the receipt of dominion by Jesus came only after his Death and Resurrection – (Matthew 20:28, 28:18-20).

Whenever Jesus referred to himself as ‘that Son of Man’, he intended that his audience would identify him with the figure from the Book of Daniel. He used this term to describe his future return and refer to his suffering and death for others:

• “For the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many” – (Mark 10:45).

Jesus of Nazareth is “that Son of Man.” If we wish to understand his ministry and nature, both aspects are necessary when applying this term to Christ: his sacrificial death for his people, and his future return “on the clouds” to gather his elect and judge the nations.

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SEE ALSO:

• The Messiah Arrives - (The Kingdom of God arrived on the Earth in the ministry of Jesus, beginning with his baptism in the Jordan River – Mark 1:1-3)

• The Forerunner - (John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah, the Herald of the Good News of the Kingdom of God – Mark 1:4-8)

• Rend the Heavens Asunder! - (The Spirit of God and the voice from Heaven confirmed the calling and identity of Jesus – Son, Messiah, and the Servant of the Lord)

• Le Fils de l'Homme - (Celui qui ressemble au Fils de l'Homme dans Daniel est la source de l'auto-désignation du Christ comme Fils de l'Homme et de son autorité royale)