The Identity of the Son of Man in Daniel 7
Daniel 7 begins with a vision of several beasts. then we reach the following section:
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
(
Daniel 7:9-12 KJV)
So this is a judgment scene, an eschatological vision of the divine Judgment against Israel's enemies by God.
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
(
Daniel 7:13-14 KJV)
Next, he sees a man coming in the clouds of heaven, and being brought near the Ancient of Days. He receives the dominion, glory, and an everlasting universal kingdom.
I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
(
Daniel 7:15-16 KJV)
So now we get to see the interpretation of the vision, not only of the beasts, but of the 'son of man' figure.
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.
(
Daniel 7:17-18 KJV)
The four beasts are identified as four kings, a metonymy for four kingdoms. The son of man figure is identified as 'the saints of the Most High'. Just as in the vision the son of man receives the kingdom for ever, in the interpretation the saints of God take the kingdom and possess it for ever.
Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 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 to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
(
Daniel 7:19-22 KJV)
Again, Daniel identifies, second time, the son of man figure in verse 13-14 with the the saints of the Most high. Judgment is given to the people of God, and they possess the kingdom.
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
(
Daniel 7:23-27 KJV)
Again, the divinely provided interpretation is given that the son of man figure is a representation of the 'people of the saints of the Most high', ie the people of God. The dominion, the kingdom, and the 'greatness' (the glory) of the kingdom is given to them, as it was to the son of man figure in verses 13-14.
The conclusion then is that in
Daniel 7, the 'one like unto the son of man' is a symbol of the saints of God. His appearance represents the eschatological victory of God's people over their enemies, including the fourth beast and the little horn. There is no hint here of any personal, individual son of man character, let alone a divinely pre-existing heavenly being known as 'the son of man'.
What is interesting, is that while Jesus makes numerous references to himself as 'the son of man' in the sense of 'me, a man', He does make a few references to himself as 'the son of man' in a manner that directly invokes
Daniel 7 (
Matthew 10:23, 13:41, 16:27-28, 19:28, 24:27,30,37,39,44, 25:13, 31, 26:64;
Mark 8:38, 13:26, 14:62;
Luke 9:26, 12:8(?),40, 17:22,24,40(?), 21:27,36, 22:69;
John 1:51(?), 3:13(?), 5:27(?).
note: the references in John's gospel are difficult: they seem to refer to an eschatological judgment role of the 'son of man' but there are obvious introductions of ideas not present in Daniel).
This seems to indicate several things:
First, Jesus referred to Himself as 'son of man' as an idiomatic expression meaning 'me or I, a man'. However, He used the third person to speak of Himself this way. Which leads to the next point,
Second, He introduces the ideas in
Daniel 7 pertaining to the one like unto the son of man and applies them to Himself, thus indicating He claimed to be involved in fulfilling the same role the son of man figure does in Daniel. that is, He saw Himself as coming in judgment, with the clouds of heaven, to be situated 'at the right hand of power' near the Ancient of Days, to defeat all enemies, to receive an everlasting kingdom and dominion, etc.
Third, in the synoptics we are limited to a son of man motif that is restricted to an eschatological, post resurrection and post ascension victory. But in John we have an added concept of 'pre-existence in heaven'. In John, Christ speaks of the son of man having descended from heaven, and re-ascending to heaven 'where He was before'. This clearly indicates a development of thought or at least of emphasis. The Synoptics were concerned with presenting Jesus as the son of man who is coming in eschatological judgment and glory. John is concerned with presenting Jesus as the son of man who had some kind of divine origin, who descended to earth and ascended back to heaven, who gives eternal life. It is generally recognised that John's gospel was written toward the latter end of the of the first century, and represents a fuller development of Christology and of Christ's doctrines than the Synoptics. So John is interested in emphasising those sayings of Christ which just so happen to directly oppose and refute the Enochian and other Jewish mystical speculations concerning heavenly intercessors/mediators/persons, which also just so happen to develop toward the latter end of the first century.
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