The phrase “one like a son of man” in Daniel 7:13 refers to a heavenly figure who approaches the Ancient of Days (God) and is given authority, glory, and sovereign power over all peoples and nations. This has been a much discussed and debated passage over the centuries as to the identity of this “son of man” figure. Here is the full verse:
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.” (Daniel 7:13 ESV)
There are several key things to note about this verse and the context:
- It occurs in a vision that Daniel has of four beasts representing kingdoms, and then the heavenly court scene where the Ancient of Days (God) is seated and books are opened.
- The “one like a son of man” is contrasted with the beastly kingdoms and thus represents a human/heavenly figure rather than an earthly kingdom.
- The designation “son of man” emphasizes the human nature of the figure, as “son of man” is used in the Old Testament to refer to human beings in contrast to God.
- Yet this is also a heavenly figure who “comes with the clouds of heaven”, indicating some divine/heavenly qualities as well.
- He approaches God’s throne and is given authority, glory and sovereign power – indicating his exalted status and ruling authority.
So there is clearly a paradox – the “one like a son of man” has human qualities but also heavenly/divine qualities. This has led to much debate over the centuries as to the identity of this figure.
Here are some of the main options that have been proposed:
A Heavenly Messianic Figure
The Similitudes of Enoch (1 Enoch 37-71) portray a Son of Man figure that is pre-existent, heavenly, will be sent by God, and will function in roles like judgment and defeating enemies, though this work likely dates to the turn of the era between BC and AD. Other Jewish writings like 4 Ezra 13 also seem to pick up on Daniel’s language to describe a heavenly messianic figure. Passages like this indicate some Jewish interpreters understood Daniel’s language as pointing to a heavenly messianic deliverer.
A Symbol Representing the Saints or Israel
Because of the human qualities of the “son of man” figure, some see this as representing the saints or people of Israel. Just as the four beasts represent kingdoms, this human-like figure would represent the people of God who receive the kingdom from the Ancient of Days. However, the exalted heavenly qualities of the figure argue against this symbolic interpretation.
A Heavenly Being such as Michael or Gabriel
Some see the “one like a son of man” as simply representing an angelic being like the angel Michael who is also called a “prince” in Daniel 10. However, Michael and other angelic beings are not described with the same exalted authority and sovereign power over all peoples that is attributed to the “son of man” figure in Daniel 7.
A Divine Heavenly Figure
Because of the exalted authority and divine qualities attributed to the Son of Man figure, some interpreters in ancient Judaism identified the figure as a divine being second only to God. This underscores the heavenly nature of the figure in contrast to the earthly realms represented by the four beasts.
The Messiah – Jesus
Many interpreters throughout history have seen this passage as a prophecy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Jesus identified himself as the Son of Man in passages like Mark 14:62 drawing a parallel to Daniel 7:13 and the authority it described. There are good reasons to connect Daniel’s vision with Jesus:
- Jesus frequently used the term Son of Man to refer to himself (over 80 times in the Gospels).
- Jesus linked the Son of Man title to authority, suffering, humiliation, and future glory – paralleling the trajectory of the figure in Daniel 7.
- The Son of Man coming on the clouds indicates divine glory and points to Jesus’ future coming.
- In Mark 14:62, Jesus connects his identity to the heavenly, exalted Son of Man who will be seated at God’s right hand – an obvious link to Daniel 7:13-14.
- Jesus as Messiah fits the human-divine paradox of the figure – Jesus as the God-Man.
So in summary, while there has been debate over the identity of the Son of Man figure in Daniel 7, there are good exegetical reasons to see it as a prophecy of Jesus Christ – the divine Messiah who took on human nature.
Key Points of Discussion
Here are some key points people have debated over and perspectives to consider on the Son of Man figure in Daniel 7:
- Heavenly vs. Earthly – Is the figure heavenly or symbolic/representative of earthly realities like Israel or the saints? The text and context indicate a heavenly figure.
- Human vs. Divine – Is the figure human or divine? The paradoxical description suggests both human and divine qualities.
- Individual vs. Collective – Does this represent an individual figure or a collective group (like Israel or the saints)? The activities and authority imply an individual figure.
- Angelic vs. Messianic – Is this merely an angel like Michael or a messianic deliverer? The authority given to the figure points to messianic over merely angelic.
- Pre-existence – Does the figure have some pre-existence or heavenly origin prior to approaching God’s throne? The text may imply this but does not explicitly state it like some Second Temple Jewish literature does.
- Role – What roles or activities are attributed to the Son of Man figure? These include approaching God’s throne, receiving universal authority, glory, and sovereign power over peoples and nations.
- Identity in Jesus – How and why did Jesus take up this title and link it to himself? What light does the Old Testament context shed on Jesus’ use of it?
The Broader Biblical Context
When seeking to understand the Son of Man figure in Daniel 7:13-14, it is important to consider the broader biblical context and progression of revelation surrounding this figure:
- The prophecy in Daniel 7 stands in unqualified form, without clear identity except for the descriptive traits given.
- In the intertestamental period, writings like 1 Enoch expand on Daniel’s language in reference to a heavenly messianic figure.
- Jesus takes up the term Son of Man in unparalleled frequency and links it to himself and his ministry.
- Passages like Mark 14:62 and the trial scene before the Sanhedrin connect Jesus’ identity to Daniel 7 more explicitly.
- The Son of Man sayings in the Gospels therefore give greater clarity to the original prophecy in Daniel.
- The rest of the New Testament affirms Jesus as the divine Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.
- So in summary, progressive revelation builds from Daniel to the New Testament, where the Son of Man finds full identity in Jesus Christ.
Thus, Daniel provides an initial messianic prophecy that is then given greater clarity through intertestamental development and its supreme fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ.
The Identity of the Son of Man in Daniel 7
Though interpretations have varied through history, there are compelling reasons to see the Son of Man figure in Daniel 7 as the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Here is a summary case:
- The qualities of the figure in Daniel 7 point to a divine, heavenly, exalted individual rather than just symbolic representation.
- The authority, glory, and dominion given to the figure are mesianic and point to rule over all peoples.
- Jesus directly linked his identity to the Daniel 7 Son of Man in passages like Mark 14:62.
- Jesus uniquely took up and applied the term Son of Man to himself in the Gospels.
- The Son of Man title captures Jesus’ messianic identity from humiliation to future exaltation.
- Both early Jews and the New Testament authors interpreted Daniel’s prophecy as messianic and referring to the Messiah.
- The divine-human paradox of the Son of Man fits the incarnation of Jesus.
- As the Davidic Messiah, Jesus is the ideal fulfillment and anti-type of the kingdom prophecies of Daniel.
- In light of progressive revelation, the Son of Man in Daniel finds full identity and clarity in Jesus Christ.
For these important reasons, the Son of Man figure in Daniel 7 likely refers to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The prophecy of Daniel finds definitive fulfillment in the person of Jesus.
The Significance of the Identity
Seeing the Son of Man in Daniel 7 as a prophecy of Jesus Christ has profound significance:
- It demonstrates that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah that the Old Testament anticipated.
- It shows strong continuity between the Testaments, with Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
- It provides greater understanding of who Jesus claimed to be based on the Daniel 7 background.
- It reinforces Jesus’ deity and heavenly pre-existence as portrayed in Daniel.
- It anchors Jesus’ teachings about the Son of Man in biblical prophecy.
- It establishes Jesus’ reign over all peoples and nations – a universal, global kingdom.
- It underscores the bodily Second Coming of Christ to receive His kingdom.
- It highlights the exalted glory that Christ received and will return in.
- It reveals the ancient roots and divine foresight in Jesus’ identity as the Son of Man.
In all these ways, recognizing Jesus as the fulfillment of the Daniel 7 Son of Man highlights Christ’s unique identity and the way the Old Testament points forward to Him.
Implications of the Identity
The Daniel 7 Son of Man prophecy pointing to Jesus Christ has several implications:
- It demonstrates Jesus is the Messiah that the Old Testament anticipated.
- It affirms the deity and humanity of Christ – the God-Man.
- It underscores the global and universal reign of the Messiah.
- It reinforces the bodily return of Jesus to judge and receive His people.
- It highlights continuity between the Testaments with Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy.
- It shows that Jesus’ favorite self-designation has deep biblical roots.
- It reveals Jesus knew He was the fulfillment of Daniel’s vision about the Son of Man.
- It provides greater background for who Jesus was claiming to be in the Gospels.
- It establishes Jesus’ supreme authority over all powers by virtue of the Son of Man prophecy.
- It encourages believers today with the promise of Jesus’ future return and kingdom.
These implications from Daniel 7 give greater insight into Jesus’ identity, His teachings, and the gospel message as revealed across the arc of Scripture’s redemptive story.
Objections
There are some potential objections that people raise to seeing Daniel’s Son of Man as referring to Jesus:
- It’s an anachronistic reading back into Daniel – Some argue that identifying the Son of Man as Jesus is reading a later interpretation (from the Gospels/Jesus) back into the text of Daniel. However, prophecies can have meanings that become clearer in hindsight based on progressive revelation and fulfillment. The text itself has hints of a divine/human messianic figure that find unique fulfillment in Jesus.
- Son of Man doesn’t necessarily mean Messiah – The title Son of Man by itself does not necessarily denote “Messiah”. However, in Daniel it is applied to a figure with messianic traits who receives an everlasting kingdom over all peoples. This suggests a messianic identity.
- Could refer to another future figure – Some argue Daniel’s prophecy will be fulfilled in some other eschatological figure or event still future. But Jesus and the NT authors applied Daniel’s vision to Jesus in a way that suggests its fulfillment has arrived in Him.
- The Son of Man figure seems symbolic – Critics claim the Son of Man in Daniel seems to symbolize the saints or Israel, based on the human-like description. But the broader context points to an individual figure and messianic identity.
- Daniel didn’t intend it as messianic – Some argue Daniel 7 itself may not have intended the Son of Man as a messianic prophecy. But inspired authors can prophesy messianic truths even if they did not fully grasp the implications of what God revealed to them.
In the end, these objections have reasonable responses. The collective evidence points strongly to Jesus as the epitome of the Son of Man prophecy in Daniel 7.
Conclusion
The phrase “one like a son of man” in Daniel 7:13 is a significant messianic prophecy that likely refers to Jesus Christ. The paradoxical description of the figure, the divine authority attributed to him, and his role in receiving an eternal kingdom all point to the Messiah. Jesus uniquely applied Daniel’s language about the Son of Man figure to himself and His identity. In light of progressive revelation, the prophecy finds definitive fulfillment in Jesus as the divine Messianic King who receives total authority over all peoples and nations. This Son of Man prophecy provides profound insight into who Jesus claimed to be and His identity as the one true Savior and Lord over all.