Daniel 7:13

13. The Son of man Rather, “a son of man” (R.V.). There has been much discussion whether this refers to the coming of a personal Messiah or is merely a personification of the “saints of the Most High” (Daniel 7:18; Daniel 7:22; Daniel 7:27). It is agreed that it must refer either to the Messianic King or to the Messianic kingdom personified. Kuenen argues that the personal application, “although capable of being reconciled with the author’s own words,” yet is not necessitated or “recommended” by them. It was the Israelitish nation which was to be crowned with everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:14). The Israelite appears in the vision in human form, in contrast with the brutish heathen kings previously seen, and the prophecy only means that the human kingdom of God shall supersede the kingdom of the beasts ( Prophecy and Prophets in Israel, pp. 223, 224, 529, 531). This view is substantially adopted even by evangelical and conservative scholars such as Konig and Stanton. Behrmann, however, shows that a personal Messiah was understood here by all expositors down to Aben Ezra, and urges the point that if the little horn is an individual, the one “like a Son of man” must be an individual also. (Compare Briggs, Messianic Prophecy.) Various Jewish rabbis, though the view was not universal, spoke in the same way of the Messiah as a person previous to the coming of Christ. (See Hebraica, 4:179.) Notwithstanding the objections of Lietzmann, Konig, and Wellhausen, the passages in the Book of Enoch which speak of the personal Messiah in Danielic phraseology seem certainly early and certainly Jewish; though later Jewish rabbis (through antipathy to the Christian interpretation) actually sought to make this passage (and Daniel 7:8; Daniel 11:37) a polemic against Christianity! Even the LXX. translated the “branch” (Psalms 80:15, Hebrews) as “Son of man,” and the Targum gives as a synonym for this term “the King Messiah” (Eb. Nestle). Even if some of these passages in the Book of Enoch, etc., be late, yet the interpretation must have been early, for it certainly would not have been originated by the rabbis after the Christian argument for Christ’s Messiahship had been promulgated. “Son of man” in Aramaic does not necessarily mean simply “man” or “a man,” as has been proved by Professor Dalman ( Die Worte Jesu, 1898). The Gospel writers do not use this term as a synonym for man which proves that Jesus himself in his original speech also made this distinction. It was felt then, as we feel now, that, while we are “children of men,” there could be but one such Son of man (Gess, Die Inspiration, p. 357). It is certain, as Professor Dalman shows, that, although some of the hearers of Christ may have misunderstood the reference, Jesus himself did mean by his use of the term “Son of man” to claim that he was destined to be the ruler of the world, and that in him the vision of Daniel was being fulfilled. Although “Son of man” was not universally considered a Messianic title otherwise Jesus could not have been using this term freely while at the same time wishing to postpone the public announcement of his Messiahship (Matthew 16:13; Matthew 16:16) yet when he did plainly declare that he himself was the Son of man of whom Daniel spoke he was at once condemned to death as a pretender to Messianic honors. It was entirely in accordance with the method of our Lord that he should select for himself a title which to the ordinary hearer might only emphasize his humanity the evangelists never report any hearer or disciple using this title in addressing our Lord, which shows that it was not a recognized title of honor but which when explained to his select few in the last days of his life, and later upon the witness stand, would open out with a new deep meaning (Matthew 24:23-30; Matthew 26:64-65). As a man of vision has said, Jesus, by his emphasis and underscoring of this prophetic name, not only dignified our humanity, as he thus completely identified himself with the race, but “he stepped up at once to David’s vacant throne, and gathering up the scattered lights of prophecy he drew them as a rainbow about himself. He is the Son of man among men, but separated by infinite distances from all other sons of men” (R.W. Dale, Expositor, November, 1896). Professor Schmidt, of Cornell University, has just made the suggestion that Michael, the guardian angel of Israel, was meant by this “one like a son of man.” Dr. Terry had formerly suggested that this Son of man was identical with the Messianic Prince of Daniel 9:25-26, who was presented also again in Daniel 10:21; Daniel 12:1 (on which see notes), under the symbolical name of Michael. It rather seems to the present writer that this “one like unto a son of man” is to be explained by Ezekiel’s reference to “the likeness as the appearance of a man” which he saw on Jehovah’s throne. (See notes on Ezekiel 1:26-28.) While the kings of the beast kingdoms came up from the sea, this King of saints comes like Jehovah in the storm and in the clouds (Ezekiel 1:28; Isaiah 19:1; Psalms 18:9-11). Rabbi Joshua ben Levi explains, “If they be worthy, he [the Messiah] will come with the clouds of heaven; if not, he will come lowly, and riding upon an ass” ( Sanhedrim, fol. 98, Colossians 1:0). Saadia interprets, “He comes in humility, riding upon an ass (Zechariah 9:9), yet with the clouds of heaven, that is, with the angels of the heavenly hosts, which is the great glory which the Creator will give the Messiah.” (See Hebraica, 4:179, etc.)