Jesus, Son of Man

Jesus, Son of Man 

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Jesus, Son of Man - Copyright 2018 Soundsong Records & Media LLP and Tan H.P. Terence (music and lyrics). All rights reserved.


Jesus, Son of Man is our first single to be released under the Soundsong Records label.


This is going to be quite a lengthy post *LOL* because I really want to delve into the reason and meaning of the song...it so exciting! Maybe you are just like me, puzzled at why Jesus sometimes refers to Himself as the son of man.

So why does Jesus call himself the son of man (e.g. Mark 2:28 and Matthew 8:20)? This is rather strange; in our minds, isn’t it glorious to be known as the Son of God, rather than the more pedestrian Son of Man? 

Also in popular and contemporary culture, Jesus is better known as the Son of God. Ask any person on the city streets who is Jesus and the likely answer if given a choice between Son of God and son of man would be the former. The Apostle John calls Jesus, God’s only Son in John 3:16 (a popular verse in contemporary media and everyday life) and other portions of the bible (e.g. Matthew 3:17 and Mark 1:11 where God speaks from heaven and identifies Jesus as His Son) attest to that as well.

So why son of man? The clue is found in what Jesus says in Matthew 5:17:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” (NIV)

And in Luke 24:44:

 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (NIV)

In other words, Jesus came to fulfil the old testament (i.e. Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms) which was written before His birth and that should be where to look.

And that’s what the early disciples such as the Bereans did (Acts 17:11) when they first encountered the gospel by way of Apostle Paul – is Jesus really the Christ? They got their answer in the affirmative by checking on scripture, and after that many became Christians. Here we have honest and fair-minded intellectuals – they were open to consider the claims, and found that the evidence confirms the hypothesis, and so they accepted it.

So where does scripture, in this case the Old Testament, written before Jesus was born, speak about the son of man? But first, a caveat, the term son of man is used in various contexts in the Old Testament and some of them are used in the most naturalistic sense of referring to a human being (e.g. in Psalm 80:17 and Ezekiel 2:1).

In other parts of the Old Testament, however, son of man is used quite differently, particularly in the book of Daniel chapter 7, verses 9-18 (KJV), where a certain unusual, or supernatural "son of man" arrives in Daniel’s vision: 

9 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.

10 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.

11 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.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 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.

14 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.

15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

16 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.

17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

Here we have a few outstanding events happening in the passage:

1.    The Ancient of Days sits in judgement with numerous beings in service to Him (ten thousands times ten thousands)

2.    A Son of Man with the clouds of heaven comes to the Ancient of Days

3.    This Son of Man is given an everlasting dominion over all peoples

Before Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection He said this:

24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27For 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 they have done.

28“Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

(Matthew 16:24-28 NIV; italics and bold, mine), and also:

30“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory 31And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

(Matthew 26:30-31), and also:

 

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

(Luke 9:23-27 NIV)

A few things could be observed here:

1.    Jesus says that He, the Son of Man, will come into the glory of His Father and His angels; and

2.    He will come on the clouds of heaven, into His kingdom, with power and great glory.

The observations above are uncanny – when Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man, He references Daniel chapter 7. This is evinced by the coming into the presence of His Father and His angels; the receipt of the kingdom, glory and power; and the coming on the clouds of heaven.

Ergo, Jesus is the Son of God and also, THE Son of Man as written in Daniel chapter 7 who will receive the everlasting kingdom over all.

Some of us would be familiar with the book of Revelation in the New Testament. It’s the last book in the Bible and it was written by John the apostle and it tells us about what is to happen in the future after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. This is what it says:

4 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings[a] and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

    who was and is and is to come!”

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

    and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

    from every tribe and language and people and nation,

10

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

    and they shall reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

    to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

    and by your will they existed and were created.”

(Revelation 5-6 ESV)

In Revelation, we observe that instead of the Son of Man in Daniel chapter 7, it is the Lamb, as though it had been slain. And He ransoms people for God with His blood and He receives the honor, blessing, power and might forever and ever. This Lamb is Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins so that we can be forgiven.

Not only that, but also by way of His blood, He made His people a kingdom and priesthood to His God and they shall reign on the earth. This is exactly what Daniel 7: 18 says, the saints will possess the everlasting kingdom. We note that this is only possible because the Lamb ransomed them by His blood.

There have been people who interpreted the Son of Man in Daniel chapter 7 as the personification of Israel as a nation/Jews and not Jesus. And that ultimately, Jews will inherit the everlasting kingdom and reign over all. This understanding is problematic. Because when Daniel wrote His book, the Jews were in exile in Babylon and the cause was their disobedience to God. It was God’s judgement on their sinfulness which caused it to happen as far as causality is concerned. See Jeremiah chapter 25 verses 1-12 (ESV):

25 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2 which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 3 “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. 4 You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the Lord persistently sent to you all his servants the prophets, 5 saying, ‘Turn now, every one of you, from his evil way and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. 6 Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ 7 Yet you have not listened to me, declares the Lord, that you might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.

8 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, 9 behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. 10 Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

The Jews in Daniel’s time were expelled from the promised land and ended up in Babylon because they refused to repent of their sinfulness. If the Son of Man is the personification of the nation of Israel, and the everlasting kingdom is given to them, it begins to defy logic. Why would God reward a sinful Israel with an everlasting kingdom which will reign over the world, when the reason for their exile in Babylon was due to their disobedience to Him? Israel is to receive the everlasting kingdom, despite their sinfulness, for which they were exiled by God?!!

The receipt of the kingdom cannot happen, unless there is an intervention done resolve the problem of their sinfulness: either Israel stops sinning or their sins are no longer counted against them. There is no evidence of the former in the Bible (all have sinned) and no evidence that that will happen in future, given mankind’s history. But the latter has happened – Jesus the Christ; the Son of God; the Son of Man; the Lamb of God which was slain so that our sins are no longer counted against us; the resurrected Messiah; and the one who has received everlasting dominion and power over all. He will come to claim what is His in His time. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

To find out more about the gospel, watch the Two Ways to Live presentation. 

Thanks for staying with me throughout this long post.

Warm regards,

Petrus