This post, much like my last one, represents some brief notes that I made on the topic of the title “son of man” as it appears in the Old Testament and in later Second Temple Jewish writings preceding the coming of Christ. As the title is frequently applied to Christ in the New Testament, it is interesting to look at where it came from and why Christ and early Christians employed it. These notes are certainly not comprehensive and don’t even discuss some of the most interesting evidence, but, for whatever their worth, I thought I’d post them here.
The title “Son of Man,” a title that Jesus often uses to address himself in the Gospels, has an extensive history of use in both the Hebrew Bible and Second Temple Jewish literature. “Son of man” is a common Semitic expression that appears to be used to refer to refer to any human being. In Ezekiel, the prophet is repeatedly referred to as “son of man.” In Psalm 80:17, it seems to have a somewhat more specific use: ”Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, On the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.” The person referred to seems to be not just any human being, but a specific one that has been chosen by God to stand at his right hand.
In later Jewish texts, the title “son of man” begins to increasingly be used to identify divine figures that have the appearance of humans. We see this use most famously in the Book of Daniel. Dan 7 describes “one like a son of man” riding on the clouds, coming to meet the Ancient of Days. The identity of this “son of man” figure is one of the biggest questions in biblical studies. The images presented by Daniel are very similar to the Ugaritic myths of Baal, the victorious rider of the clouds, and El, the “father of days.” However, it is certainly a stretch to say that Daniel is referring to Baal here, but is most likely identifying a divine figure of Jewish tradition. Many scholars, including Collins and Nickelsburg, conclude that figure portrayed must be an angelic deliverer, whom they identify as the archangel Michael (note: I don’t agree with this conclusion). (See Mark 14:62 and Acts 7:54–57 in conjunction with Psalm 80:17 and Daniel 7; also Dan. 3:25 has an interesting OT reference to “the Son of God”)
The next major instance of the “son of man” motif is in the Book of Similitudes of 1 Enoch. He is apparently a divine figure located in heaven who predates the Creation, but whose main functions are eschatological. He appears to have both human an angelic characteristics and is debatedly associated with the figure of Enoch in 1 Enoch 71. Besides “son of man,” this figure is also called “righteous one,” “chosen one,” and “Messiah.”
Other Jewish works, such as 2 Esdras, 2 Baruch, and Wisdom of Solomon, seem to provide evidence that the “son of man” figure was to be a messianic savior and judge who would be persecuted but also victorious.
It is difficult to know how ancient the reference to “son of man” as divine being is. There is a possibility that this usage came about anciently based on an anthropomorphic view of deity. For Latter-day Saints, the Son of Man title for Christ makes sense due to the reference in Moses 6:57 to “Man of Holiness” as a name for God. Jesus Christ was the Son of “The Man.” Interestingly, the Greek term “ho anthropos” (the man) is used in some Jewish texts to refer to Adam, but also to God — the archetypical Man.
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The references in the New Testament do appear to point quite decidely to Christ particularly as references to Daniel’s visions. Caiaphas took the reference to mean Christ was blaspheming. This confirms that some references certainly pointed to a Dvine being as in this case the one who came on the clouds of heaven.
u know who is the 3 elements of god or the human figure of the 3 sons of god ,,,that 3 is came from heavenly,earthly and in the intergalactic conqueror..that 3 is already born in our world he waits the proper judgement time..