continued:
SON OF MAN
Others are "sons of men" (
Job 25:6;
Ps 144:3,
146:3;
Isa 51:12,
56:2). God addresses Daniel (
Dan 8:17) once, Ezekiel so about 80 times, to remind him of his human lowliness and frailty, as "man lower than the angels," though privileged to enjoy visions of the cherubim and of God Himself, "lest he should be exalted through the abundance of the revelations" (
2 Cor 12:7). The divine Son appeared to him "as the appearance of a man above upon the throne" (
Ezek 1:26). As others are "sons of God," but He "the Son of God," so others are "sons of man" (
Ezek 2:1,
3) but He "the Son of man" (
Matt 16:13), being the embodied representative of humanity and the whole human race; as on the other hand He is the bodily representative of "all the fullness of the Godhead" (
Col 2:9). Ezekiel, as type of "the Son of man" whose manifestation he records, is appropriately designated "son of man." The title "the Son of man" implies at once Messiah's lowliness and His exaltation in His manifestations as THE REPRESENTATIVE MAN respectively at His first and second comings; His humiliation on the one hand (
Ps 8:4-8;
Matt 16:13,
20:18,
28) and His exaltation on the other hand, just "because He is the Son of man":
Dan 7:13-14, Hebrew not Ben °iysh or °Adam, son of a hero or of man generically viewed, but
He comes again as man to reinstate man in his original glory, never to be dispossessed of it. He is now set down on the throne of God as the Son of God. That is a throne which His saints cannot share; therefore He shall assume another throne, made "His" in order that they may sit down on it with Him (
Rev 3:21). The kingdom shall be "under the whole heaven," on earth (
Dan 7:18,
27); He shall reign with them as the Son of man, Head of the new creation, and Restorer of man's lost inheritance. Because as man He established His and the saints' title to the kingdom at the cost of His own blood, as man He shall judge and reign. It is fit that He who as the Son of man was judged by the world should judge the world.
Rev 5:9-10;
Ps 8:4-8;
Heb 2:6-8;
1 Cor 15:21-28,
45,
47. The title "the Son of man" in the New Testament Jesus alone uses, and of Himself, except Stephen in dying, "I see the Son of man standing on the right hand of God," referring not to His humiliation on earth but to His heavenly exaltation (compare
John 12:23,
34,
6:62,
3:13;
Acts 7:56); standing to assist, plead for (
Ps 109:31), and receive the dying martyr.
Stephen speaking "full of the Holy Spirit" repeats Jesus' prophecy before the council, foretelling His exaltation as the Son of man; only there it is "sitting on the right hand of power," because there majestic repose, here rising to His servant's help, is the thought. Stephen's assertion stirred their rage, that Jesus who had been crucified for claiming to be "the Son of God" stands at God's right hand as being "the Son of man." Another exception is John so calls Him in apocalyptic vision (
Rev 1:13,
14:14), corresponding to the Old Testament apocalypse (
Dan 7:13). The Son of God in eternity became the Son of man in time, whose manhood shall be glorified with His Godhead to eternity. The two titles together declare the whole truth as to His one Person, "whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? ... Thou art the Christ, the Son of God. ... Blessed art thou, Bar-Jona" (son of Jonah), etc.
As truly as thou art son of Jonah I am at once "the Son of man" and "the Son of God" (
Matt 16:18). The two are again combined in Caiaphas' question as to His being the Son of God, and His affirmative answer and further revelation, "nevertheless, besides ... ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power," etc. (
Matt 26:63-64,
24:30,
25:31-32;
Mark 14:61-62). As the Son of man He was Lord of the Sabbath, "for the Sabbath was made for man" whose Representative Head He is (
Mark 2:28). As the Son of man He suffered for sin (
Matt 17:12), and as the Son of man He hath power on earth to forgive sins (
Matt 9:6). As the Son of man He had not where to lay His head (
Matt 8:20); as the Son of man "He hath on His head a golden crown" (
Rev 14:14). Every eye shall see Him (
Rev 1:7), but only "the pure in heart shall see God" (
Matt 5:8). "The Son of God became the Son of man that you who were sons of men might be made sons of God" (Augustine, Serm. 121). Jesus is one of our race, yet above the whole race, the One Man in whom mankind finds its unity, the turning point of history at the close of the old and the beginning of the new era. His absolute relation to mankind requires an absolute relation to God. He could be the Son of man only because He is the Son of God. He alone fully realizes the ideal of man, as well as that of God, combining too in His manhood all the exquisite graces of woman with the powers of man.
(from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright © 1998, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
CHAPTER III.
THE NAMES OF MAN.
§ 1. The incongruities of human nature illustrated by the Hebrew names of man,—§ 2. Meaning and usage of the word Adam.—§ 3. The title 'Son of Man:— § 4. The visions of glorified human nature in Ezekiel and Daniel.—§ 5. The promise of a human Seed from on High made to David.—§ 6. The origin and meaning of the word Ish.—§ 7. Varions ways in which it is used.—§ 8. The apple of the eye.—§ 9. General usage of the word Enosh.—§ 10. Examination of various passages in which it occurs.—§ 11. Its probable etymology.—§ 12. Why it is not applied to the Messiah.—§ 13. Meaning and usage of the word Gever.—§ 14. Instances of its occurrence in the Poetical and Prophetical Books.—§ 15. Words cognate with Gever.—§ 16. Rephaim and Nephilim.
§ 1. IF it is strange that man, gifted though he is with great intelligence, should yet need a revelation of the nature and character of his Maker; still more surprising is it that he should have to learn from the pages of Holy Writ the story of his own origin and destiny. We know by our natural instincts neither whence we come, nor whither we are going. But the Book which unfolds to us the manifold aspects of the Divine existence has not failed to supply this further lack; it furnishes us with a number of vivid scenes from human life, tracing it from its dawn in Paradise to its final and sublime reconstitution in the Great Day of 'the manifestation of the sons of God.' These pictures set forth the ways of man both in his relationship with God and in his domestic, social, and national capacities; and they are perpetually bringing into prominence the extraordinary anomalies which exist in his dispositions, aims, or actions. In consonance with our every-day experience, the Divine Artist, in pourtraying human nature, has depicted a series of incongruities which illustrate at once the greatness and the littleness of man, his nearness to God, and his fellowship with the dust.
The very names of man used by the Hebrew writers indicate the anomalies of his condition, for the principal words which are used represent him in four apparently inconsistent aspects:—as Adam, he is of the earth, earthy; as Ish, he is endued with immaterial and personal existence; as Enosh, he is weak or incurable; and as Gever, he is mighty and noble.
§ 2. Beginning the discussion of these names with the word Adam , it is noticeable the root signifies to be red or ruddy, and is the ordinary word used for that purpose. It designates Esau's red lentil pottage, and gives him his name, Edom (
Gen 25:30). It is used of the rams' skins dyed red in
Ex 25:5,
26:14,
35:7,
23,
36:19, and 39:34. It marks the colour of the red heifer in
Num 19:2, and of the red horses in
Zech 1:8, and 6:2. It is the word used of the sardius stone or ruby in
Ex 28:17,
39:10, and
Ezek 28:13; and of the ruddy tint of the flesh of the human being in
Gen 25:25;
1 Sam 16:12,
17:42, and
Song 5:10. In
2 Kings 3:22, it is applied to the water which was as red as blood; and in
Isa 63:2, to the red garments which He wore who came from Edom. Nor should we omit to notice that the ordinary Hebrew word for blood (Dam) is manifestly connected with the same root, and is perhaps its real origin. Thus the relationship between man and blood is shown even in the very name.
(from Synonyms of the Old Testament. PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2013 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Section 3. Adam used for Human nature or the Human race generallyChapter 3: The Names of ManSection 4. Visions of Glorified Human Nature
The word Adam is used throughout the Hebrew Old Testament to signify human nature or the human race generally, as contrasted with God above, or with the brute creation below. Thus it is used with great fitness in
Ex 33:20, 'There shall no man see me and live,' and in
Mal 3:8, 'Will a man rob God?' It is the word ordinarily used in the expression 'children of men' (e.g. in
Gen 11:5;
Ps 11:4,
12:1,
14:2). It is also found in the title 'son of man,' which occurs 57 times in Ezekiel and once in Daniel (8:17), where it may have been intended to indicate that the heavenly visions vouchsafed to these prophets were set forth through an earthly medium; compare also
Ps 8:4,
Job 25:6,
35:8, and some other passages in the Psalms and Proverbs in which the expression is used. In all such passages special stress is laid upon the fact that the person thus designated is a child of Adam by descent, one of the great family of man, with a body framed of earthy material. In this sense would the expression be understood by all Jews; and doubtless our Lord frequently used it with respect to Himself in order to teach His disciples that though He 'came down from heaven,' and was 'sent from God,' yet He was in very deed and truth a man. Hence it is that He adopts the title just at the very points at which it was needful that this belief should be kept clearly in the mind of His hearers, viz. when speaking of His incarnation, His mission, His death, His resurrection, His ascension, and His second coming.
§ 4. A few passages in which the word Adam is used for man deserve to be specially pointed out. In
Dan 10:16,
18, we read of 'one like the similitude or appearance of a man'—like an Adam, and yet not an Adam, because not vet incarnate. In
Ezek 1:5,
8,
10, and 10:8,14, we meet with a description of living creatures with 'the likeness of a man,' with 'the hands of a man,' and with 'the face of a man;' and 'upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as of the appearance of a in an above upon it;' and this we are told was 'the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD' (
Ezek 1:26,
28; see also chaps. 3:23, and 10:4). It may be inferred that the Being whom Ezekiel thus saw in his vision was represented in human form but clothed with Divine attributes—not yet 'a son of Adam,' but 'One like a son of Adam'—One whose glory might be manifested in human nature if He chose to take up His abode in an earthly tabernacle.
These remarkable passages teach us that human nature is intended to occupy a very high position in the scale of Creation, and that man was so constituted as to be capable of becoming the dwelling-place of the Most High. They also naturally prepare our minds for the truth set forth by the Evangelist St. John, who thus wrote of Christ:—'The Word was made flesh, and dwelt (or tabernacled) among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.' What Ezekiel saw in vision John saw in reality; his eyes looked upon and his hands handled the Word of Life.
(from Synonyms of the Old Testament. PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2013 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Son of man
— (1.)
Denotes mankind generally, with special reference to their weakness and frailty (
Job 25:6; Ps 8:4, 144:3, 146:3; Isa 51:12, etc.).
(2.) It is a title frequently given to the prophet Ezekiel, probably to remind him of
his human weakness.
(3.) In the New Testament it is used forty-three times as a distinctive title of the Saviour. In the Old Testament it is used only in
Ps 80:17 and
Dan 7:13 with this application.
It denotes the true humanity of our Lord. He had a true body (
Heb 2:14; Luke 24:39) and a rational soul. He was perfect man.
(from Easton's Bible Dictionary, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Matt 12:40
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so
the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Matt 13:40-41
"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.
41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
Matt 16:27
For
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 he has done.
Matt 17:9
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until
the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
Matt 24:27-31
For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of
the Son of Man.
28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 "Immediately after the distress of those days
"'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
30 "At that time the sign of
the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see
the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And 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.
Matt 24:44
So you also must be ready, because
the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
Matt 25:31-33
"When
the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Matt 26:64-66
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see
the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.
66 What do you think?"
"He is worthy of death," they answered.
Acts 7:54-60
When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.
55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and
the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,
58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
Rev 14:14
And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud
was one like a
son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand.
There
The dead are waiting for the
The real “next life” is the
Is there another life
So the Bible’s timeline is:
Why this matters for Romans 8
