Daniel 7:13

Daniel again saw something happening in heaven (cf. Revelation 5:1-10). One like "a son of man" was brought before the Ancient of Days. The angelic attendants in heaven’s court probably ushered Him forward. This description glorifies the Ancient of Days, who then proceeded to give this Person authority to rule on earth (cf. Psalms 2:6; Psalms 110:1-2). The One like the son of man has similarities with human beings, as the title "son of man" implies. However, He comes with clouds of heaven, which elsewhere in Scripture describes how God has come to earth (cf. Exodus 13:21-22; Exodus 19:9; Exodus 19:16; 1 Kings 8:10-11; Psalms 18:10; Isaiah 19:1; Jeremiah 4:13; Ezekiel 10:4; et al.). Thus, this One like a son of man appears to be a God-man (cf. Philippians 2:6-7). [Note: See the commentaries for refutations of the views that this "son of man" was an angel, or the Israelites, or just a normal man.] The fact that this refers to the Son of God, Jesus Christ, becomes clear later in the Gospels where Jesus used the title "Son of Man" more frequently of Himself than any other (cf. Mark 8:31; John 1:51; et al.). Other passages also describe Jesus Christ as coming in the clouds in the future (cf. Matthew 24:30; Matthew 26:64; Mark 13:26; Acts 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 1:7).

Because Jesus commonly used the title "Son of Man" to describe Himself, this is the most frequently quoted verse from Daniel in the New Testament. It is very significant that Jesus used this title above all others when describing Himself, some 31 times in Matthew alone.

"Although Messiah had already been named as God’s ’Son’ in previous prophetic utterances (cf. [2 Samuel 7:14;] Psalms 2:7; Psalms 2:12; Proverbs 30:4), He is now given a name that emphasizes His true and total identification with mankind." [Note: Whitcomb, p. 99.]

Jesus’ contemporaries used the title "Messiah" to describe a merely human leader who they believed would provide military liberation from their Roman oppressors. This limited understanding of Messiah’s role made that title undesirable from Jesus’ viewpoint, so He did not normally refer to himself as the Messiah. The title "Son of Man" should have taken Jesus’ hearers back to Daniel 7:13, where clearly a God-man is in view. Many of Jesus’ contemporaries were willing to trust Him as their Messiah, but few were willing to acknowledge Him as the divine Son of Man (cf. Matthew 16:16; John 6:69). Jesus wanted them to believe that He was God-as well as man-and so preferred the title "Son of Man." This title was also the one by which God normally referred to the prophet Ezekiel. But Ezekiel was obviously not the Son of Man predicted here. This title, when used of Ezekiel, stressed his humanity in contrast to more glorious beings, especially God.

"It is no exaggeration to say that no other concept in the Old Testament, not even the Servant of the Lord, has elicited a more prolific literature. Of all the figures used in the Old Testament to designate the coming deliverer; king, priest, branch, servant, seed-none is more profound than ’Son of man’. Here there is a vision of man as he was intended to be, perfectly embodying all his potential in obedience to his Creator." [Note: Baldwin, p. 154.]

"Thus the coming Messiah would not only be the true David, but He would also be the true Son of man, combining in His person the high calling of humanity and the position reserved alone for God." [Note: Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Toward an Old Testament Theology, p. 246.]