Who is the mysterious Son of Man in Daniel 7?
He comes with the clouds of heaven.
His is the eternal kingdom of all creation.
All the people serve him as they serve God.
Who is he?
Let’s find out.
Contents
What does the Son of Man mean?
The term Son of Man is a synonym for man. It means someone whose nature is human. For example, in the book of Ezekiel, God refers to Ezekiel dozens of times as “the son of man.” In this context, it simply means human.
But the Son of Man does not mean only a human being. It is also used as a divine title originating from Daniel 7.
The Son of Man in Daniel 7
In several instances, the Old Testament refers to a divine figure who looks like a human being.
One of the instances is the Son of God in Daniel 3, and another is someone in the likeness of man on a throne in heaven in Ezekiel 1. However, the best example is found in Daniel 7, where this figure is called the Son of Man.
Let’s read the key verses of Daniel’s night vision.
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14, 27
9 “I watched until thrones were placed,
and one who was ancient of days sat.
His clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool.
His throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came out from before him.
Thousands of thousands ministered to him.
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The judgment was set.
The books were opened.
13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 Dominion was given him, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away, and his kingdom one that which will not be destroyed.
27 The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’
In Daniel 7:9-10, Daniel sees a vision where God the Father is depicted as the Ancient of Days sitting on a throne.
There is not just one throne placed but “thrones,” plural. One of the thrones is for the Ancient of Days, who sits down on His throne.
Verse 13 says, “There came with the clouds of the sky one like a Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.” Jesus cites this verse in Matt 26:64 during the high priest’s interrogation that led to His crucifixion. The high priest understood the quotation to mean Jesus claimed to be the divine Son of Man from Daniel 7.
In other words, the Jews in Jesus’ time knew that the Son of Man was divine.
Three things indicate that the Son of Man is divine.
- He comes with the clouds of the sky. In the Old Testament, “riding on the clouds” is something that only God does (Psalm 104:3, Isaiah 19:1, Nahum 1:3, Psalm 68:4). It is a divine function.
- All the nations serve Him as they serve God.
- He is given an everlasting kingdom, suggesting He is an eternal King.
How is the Son of Man served the same way as the Most High if the Son of Man is not divine?
The Son of Man and the Ancient of Days are distinct figures. The Ancient of Days is clearly a divine figure. According to verse 14, the Son of Man is also divine because He will have an everlasting kingdom and dominion. All the peoples, nations, and languages will serve Him.
According to 7:27, the everlasting kingdom and dominion are given to the Most High, but in 7:14, they are given to the Son of Man. The Son of Man is the Most High yet distinct from the Ancient of Days.
The term Most High in Aramaic is “elyonin”, and it is plural, meaning that the literal translation is “the Most Highs.” You can also see the same in verse 22. See interlinear.
This makes sense since in verse 9, thrones (plural) were placed, and two divine figures, the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man, possess the everlasting kingdom. In the passage, only the Son of Man has the kingdom, but you can’t argue that the Ancient of Days also doesn’t rule since He sits on a throne. He is clearly a divine King.
In verse 26, Daniel uses singular and plural forms when discussing “the Most High.” In “And he shall speak great words against the Most High,” he uses the singular form, and in “and shall wear out the saints of the Most High,” he uses the plural form.
Daniel could have used the singular form in both of these times, but he chose to use both singular and plural. This is compelling evidence that Daniel was aware of God’s multi-personal nature.
Daniel 7, among many other allusions to multiple divine persons in the Old Testament, led the 2nd Temple Jewish scholars to discuss the idea of two powers in heaven. Alan Segal’s book Two Powers in Heaven is a good source for this.
You’ll find another excellent example of the two powers in heaven in Genesis 19:24, where “two Yahwehs” destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jesus applied the Son of Man of Daniel 7 to Himself
Jesus often applied the Son of Man from Daniel 7 to Himself. For example, in Matthew 26:64, He uses the term specifically to testify that He is the Christ (meaning the Messiah), the Son of God.
Read more: Is Jesus God? Conclusive proof for deity of Jesus.
Matthew 26:63-65
But Jesus stayed silent. The high priest answered him, “I adjure you by the living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Jesus said to him, “You have said so. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky.”
Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy.
The high priest demands Jesus to answer if He is the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus answers, “You have said so,” which effectively means “yes.”
Jesus’ answer includes the scene from Daniel 7:9, where the divine Son of Man comes with the clouds of the sky, and the first verse of Psalm 110, where God invites David’s Lord to sit on His right hand.
Daniel 7 and Psalm 110 are key Messianic passages that depict the Messiah as divine and human. Thus, in His answer, Jesus says, “I am the divine Son of Man from Daniel 7!” The high priest’s reaction proves it since he accused Jesus of blasphemy.
Read more: Psalm 110 meaning and verse-by-verse commentary.
In Mark 2:10, Jesus tells the scribes that the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins, an act only God can do.
Mark 2:5-12
5 Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
6 But there were some of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.”
12 He arose, and immediately took up the mat and went out in front of them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
In Matthew 16:27, Jesus says that the Son of Man will come and reward everyone according to their works. In the Old Testament, Yahweh repays each man according to his works: Psalm 62:12, Jeremiah 32:19, Jeremiah 17:10, Ezekiel 18:30, Proverbs 24:12.
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.
In Luke 19:10, Jesus says that the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. In the Old Testament, Yahweh will come to live among Israelites and save them.
In Matthew 20:28, Jesus uses the term to highlight His humility. He came on earth to do the will of the Father, which included dying on the cross for the salvation of the world.
Matthew 20:28
even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Who is the Son of Man in Daniel 7?
In the light of the New Testament, it is clear that Jesus is the Son of Man in Daniel 7.
The night vision in Daniel 7 conveys several key theological elements:
- The Son of Man is divine.
- The Son of Man is God, but He also seems to be a man.
- The Son of Man is distinguished from the Ancient of Days.
Therefore, when we see Jesus applying the term to Himself, He communicates a perfect continuum with the Old Testament. He is God but not the Father. He is the God-man who came to serve and the everlasting King of Kings whom you should serve.