The WORD

"Son of man" is the translation of the Greek huios tou anthrõpou which, in turn, renders the Hebrew ben adam or ben enosh. Rarely used in the Old Testament, it is a term for man or a human being. When God calls the prophet Ezekiel, "Son of man, stand up! I wish to speak with you" (Ez 2:1), he must mean "O man." Of great importance is the Aramaic form bar anash in the vision of Daniel: "I saw One like a son of man coming in the clouds of heaven. When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, he received dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and peoples of every nation serve him" (Dn 7:1314). This figure stands for Israel, the people of God taken collectively. God would surely rescue and glorify His people who at the time were undergoing persecution under Antiochus IV Epiphanes.

"Son of Man" is the title which Jesus applies to Himself in the gospels. He uses it in different contexts: When He speaks of His human condition, as when He has no place to lay His head (Mt 8:20); when He refers to superhuman powers He possesses, like the power to forgive sins (Mk 2:10); when He describes His messianic mission, like seeking and saving the lost (Lk 19:10); when He speaks of His passion and death (Mk 9:31); and when He speaks of His apocalyptic – eschatological coming at the end of time (Mk 13:24-32).

Here, when Jesus speaks of Himself as the Son of Man He refers both to His human condition and His future glorious one. There are two types of assemblies involved here: The earthly (before others, before rulers and authorities) and heavenly (before the angels of God). Whoever acknowledges or honors Jesus here on earth will be honored and given the fullness of life in heaven; whoever denies or puts Him to shame will be shamed in the heavenly court and will suffer eternal death.