Monday, April 13, 2015

The Son Of Man Coming


The word picture of the Son of Man coming is cited from Daniel 7:13 several times in the New Testament. Daniel 7:13 is the only mention of this phraseology in the Old Testament. In that chapter He is not coming down, but is going up with the clouds to the Ancient of Days. Jesus calls it “coming in the glory of his Father.” The disciples witnessed this event when they saw Him ascend in the clouds. From thence He will come to the Ancient of Days to judge the living and the dead.

Mt 16:28Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
Mt 24:30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 11:3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
Mat 21:5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
Mat. 25:31  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
John 12:31 “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.

Jesus told the Father just before He was crucified, “…now I am coming to you…” (John 17:13).

         Daniel seven is the key to understanding every New Testament mention of this event. In that chapter Daniel sees the court scene in heaven. Myriads are there on thrones in the court session. The Ancient of Days is seated and one like the Son of Man comes to Him, the books are opened, and judgment is made. Jesus told exactly when that judgment was made just before He went to the cross. “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out” (John 12:31). Daniel said, “the court was seated and the books were opened” (Dan 7:10). “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” (Revelation 12:10-12 ESV)
         Christ died, descended, arose, ascended, and sat down to judge the world. He is still seated in the court session judging and making war until His enemies are put under His feet. In that sense, every eye will see Him coming in the clouds to the Ancient of Days when they die. John described the same scene Daniel saw. “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it… And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened… And the dead were judged…” (Revelation 20:11-12 ESV).
         Martha said to Jesus, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world” (John 11:27). His coming to the Ancient of Days results in His coming into the world. Revelation 19 pictures Him coming on a white horse (conquest) judging and making war. He did this in A.D. 70 and has been doing it ever since then. Daniel 7 depicts His coming to the Ancient of Days resulting in a judgment in favor of the saints that brought about the destruction of the little horn. The disciples said, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age” (Mt. 24:3). He answered, “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34 ESV). The sign of His coming was the destruction of Jerusalem. That event was the end of the age… the Old Testament age.
         The following statement by Jesus shows that when He comes to the Father He judges both those who have died and also the living who are able to witness His judgments on nations before they die. His “coming” to the Ancient of Days evidently has to do with coming into the world in some sort of visible judgment.
         “For the Son of Man is going to come [to the Ancient of Days] with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom”  (Matthew 16:27-28 ESV).
         The sign of His coming was the destruction of Jerusalem. The Great Tribulation took place when Rome invaded. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, Jesus said, “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the [land] will mourn, and [through that sign] they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30 ESV). Those disciples who were still alive saw Him coming to the Ancient of Days through the sign. The sign of His coming was the destruction of Jerusalem.
         “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Mat 25:31-32). When did He come in His glory and sit on the throne of His glory? It was when He ascended to the Ancient of Days. This event is not only when He returns to earth but is now throughout history. How can nations that no longer exist be judged later? Only individuals can be judged that way. He is now seated and judging nations based on how they treat His brothers “from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool” (Heb 10:13). The Father promised His son, “For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, And those nations shall be utterly ruined” (Isaiah 60:12). In A.D. 70 He came and destroyed Jerusalem. By 600 A.D. He destroyed Rome and has destroyed many other nations throughout history.
         How about the high priest that died in A.D. 40? Jesus told him, “hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Mt. 26:64). When did the high priest see this? Was it not when he died? At death every eye will see Him coming with the clouds to the judgment seat (Rev 1:7).
         Vision language and apocalyptic expressions are spoken in spiritually metaphorical terms with hieroglyphic word pictures. “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (Joh 6:63). “One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds” to the Ancient of Days is when He comes to judge the living AND the dead. He is already judging, ruling with an iron rod, and making war.
         “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation” (Isaiah 10:5). God uses evil nations like Assyria as His rod. “If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men” (2 Sam 7:14).
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