Son of Man

In the book of Daniel, let us look at chapter seven, verses 13 and 14. .In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men 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.. 

In the passage, the one mentioned is said to be like a man, that is, in the appearance of a mere man. The rest of the passage teaches that this one like a son of man is a divine being. He comes to the Ancient of Days (whom is the Father) and the one like a son of man is given authority, glory, and sovereign power, and the world worshipped Him. He has a kingdom which is eternal and will last forever. What mere man could fulfill such a prophecy?

Now we will move ahead over 500 years later up to the life of Jesus here on earth. Jesus Christ was born to the virgin Mary, just as the angel had said to her, and as prophets from old have spoken would come. His public ministry on earth began around the age of 30. He refers to Himself as the son of man around 80 times. Below I will post 18 of those many passages. There are many parallels in the gospels of Jesus. sayings, which is why I posted mostly from the book of Matthew. You can read the gospels yourselves for a bigger picture and more comprehensive study.

• For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done (Matthew 16:27).
• As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. (Matthew 17:9).
• We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death (Matthew 20:18).
• Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave. just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:26-28).
• At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30).
• When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory (Matthew 25:31).
• As you know, the Passover is two days away.and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified (Matthew 26:2).
• "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:64).
• Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. (Luke 18:31).
• For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost (Luke 19:10).
• The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again (Luke 24:7).
• No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven,the Son of Man (John 3:13).
• And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man (John 5:27).
• Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval (John 6:27).

Jesus Christ fulfills the scripture of Daniel, which again says, .In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men 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. (Daniel 7:13-14). The passage before this one says, .As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:9-10).

Another passage written years later by the Apostle John as found in the book of Revelation says this: .I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Revelation 1:12-18).

Daniel 7:9-10 speaks of the Ancient of Days which is the Father. Thousands are standing before Him on the Day of Judgment as the court session is about to begin. Daniel 7:13-14 speaks of Jesus, the one like a son of man, entering into the presence of the Father. Judgment is about to be pronounced on all people. Those who know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will enter His everlasting kingdom which will never pass away, while those who rejected Jesus as their Lord and Savior, will be condemned to the Lake of Fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Revelation 1:12-18 speaks of the one like a son of man whose appearance is described as the Ancient of Days (i.e. the Father). His head and hair were white like wool, His eyes blazing with fire, etc. Because Jesus is equal to the Father, wouldn.t He appear just as glorious as the Father? Jesus said, .I and the Father are one. (John 10:30).

Jesus Himself gave three of His disciples a taste of His true glory on a mountain which fits the description of the Ancient of Days in Daniel and the Son of Man in Revelation. .After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. (Matthew 17:1-3). Mark says it this way, .After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. (Mark 9:2-4).

As you have read in this article, the one coming like a son of man spoken by the Prophet Daniel is fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The vision from God given to Daniel clearly shows the one like a son of man to be a divine being. Prophet Isaiah speaks of the suffering servant which also refers to Jesus Christ who suffered on the cross for the sins of all people. Jesus Christ came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). Daniel spoke using a simile (i.e. like a son of man) while Jesus spoke using a metaphor (i.e. I am the Son of Man). The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14). The Christ, or the Son of God, or the Word came to earth in the appearance of a man. Jesus Christ loves all people and He died for us as an act of love. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13). But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).

There is so much more that can be said about Jesus Christ; so much more evidence to prove the divinity of Jesus Christ. The purpose of this article was to show how Jesus Christ is the Son of Man that Prophet Daniel spoke of in his vision. There is also the animal sacrifices which pointed to Jesus ultimate and final sacrifice, the rituals and other features of the Temple which pointed to Jesus, the suffering servant of Isaiah, the promises God gave to Abraham, the promises God gave to King David, the promises God gave to Israel, among many other things which Jesus Christ fulfilled in His first coming, and the many things which Jesus Christ will fulfill at His second coming. The whole Bible centers on Jesus Christ, the Almighty. Those who have eyes let them perceive; those who have ears let them comprehend. Search the scriptures and cry out to God in prayer, and if you are sincere, He will reveal Himself to you and give you an understanding of what you have seen and heard. May God guide you to the true path, the straight way, and draw you into an intimate relationship. You can know God personally and know that you will spend eternity with God and your brothers and sisters in Christ, for all eternity.

A simple prayer is all it takes to receive a new life in Jesus Christ. There are no magic words, but just a true confession with the mouth and a belief in the heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and that He died on the cross for your sins. Here is a sample prayer which you can pray if you are ready to enter an eternal relationship with God:

If you prayed that prayer right there, you have received God's free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ. You are a new creature. Your sins have been forgiven. You have received the Holy Spirit and God dwells in your heart, literally. Welcome to the family of God. God.s children are not born of flesh, but born of His Spirit. Because of your prayer, God has heard you and you have been born again. Eternal life is yours, now and forevermore. Praise be to the Lord!

Written by Aaron Shannon.