In Revelation 1:7-17 we we see the Son of Man as the Glorified Christ. His purpose in talking with John it to reassure the churches that because of his death and resurrection he has control over all that threatens them. He tells his that they will endure hardship but if they remain faithful to him they will share in his eternal victory.
Revelation 1:7-18
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.
14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
So who is the Son of Man? The Son of Man is the term Jesus used to describe himself time and again throughout his time on earth. Why did he call himself this? As always, the answer is in the scriptural roots throughout the Bible.
Man Was Created to Rule Over Creation
- Humans, both men and women, were made in God’s image and after God’s likeness. (Genesis 1:26-27)
- God wanted man to be under his authority but to project His image and authority over the beasts of the field and the earth itself.
- They were given dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)
- They were blessed by God (Genesis 1:28)
- They were supposed to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)
The Beast Rules ManInstead
Adam and Eve Subdued By the Beast
- Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. (Genesis 3:1)
- The serpent tempted and deceived Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 3:13)
- Cain was also ruled by the beast. God warned Cain about his level of anger towards his brother Cain and said that sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
- Instead Cain allowed his beastly nature to overcome him and he murdered his brother Abel (Genesis 4)
This same story played out for centuries. No mortal man could live up to ruling the way God intended. Instead the ultimate beast, Satan, ruled over man time and again.
There are countless stories of men acting much more like a beast than as someone made in the image of God. It seemed that there would never be man that the beast couldn’t dominate and rule over.
The only way to overcome Satan would be if God himself became a man who could rule the way God intended. As it turns out, God becoming a man who would rule on God’s behalf was God’s plan all along. We learned that from the prophet Isaiah 800 years before he birth of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14) We learned a lot more from Daniel 200 years later.
Daniel’s Vision (Daniel 7)
Daniel’s Vision of the Four Beasts
- Four beasts came out of the sea
- They represented powerful empires that would have dominion and rule over the earth marked by violence.
- While each beast was scary and powerful the fourth beast was greater than the others. It was described as being terrifying, dreadful, and exceedingly strong.
- Directly following the description of the beasts is the Ancient of Days. We infer from that that the beastly kingdoms of the world may seems like they are in control but they are not. God has dominion and authority over all creation.
The Ancient of Days Reigns
9 “As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
10
A stream of fire issued
and came out from before him;
a thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened.
11 “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
13 “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.
14
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,that all peoples, nations, and languagesshould serve him;his dominion is an everlasting dominion,which shall not pass away,and his kingdom onethat shall not be destroyed.
Compare this with Matthew 28:18-19
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
The Son of Man is 100% man and 100% God
Jesus the Man
- Born in a manger
- He came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. In ancient times a ransom was a price paid to free a slave or liberate a captive. (Mark 10:45, Matthew 20:28)
- He got tired as he traveled (John 4:6)
- He got thirsty (John 4:7, John 19:28)
- He did not have a place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20)
- He felt stress so intense that it manifested physically (Luke 22:44)
- He was betrayed and abandoned by his closest friends
- He was mocked, beaten, tortured, humiliated, and crucified
- He died and was buried in a tomb
- Power over Sin personally: He was tempted but never sinned (Hebrews 4:15)
- He can sympathize with our human weakness (Hebrews 4:15)
- He is our high priest (Hebrews 4:15)
Jesus as God
- The eternal, uncreated, God the Son who had been present at the creation of the world descended from heaven to earth and became flesh in the form of a baby. Although he was now in human form, all the fullness of God dwelled in his body. (John 1:1-14, 3:13-21, Colossians 2:9)
- Power over the physical world: Calmed storms & Walked on water
- Power over the spiritual world: Cast out demons
- Power to heal: Healed the sick & the paralyzed (Matthew 9:2-8, Luke 5:24)
- Power over Sin for others: authority to forgive sins (Luke 5:24)
- Power to save: He came to earth to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10)
- Power over death: Raised the dead & rose from the dead (Luke 9:22)
- Ascended into Heaven (John 3:13-21)
How Jesus Talked About Himself as the Son of Man
- God the Father has placed his seal of approval on the Son of Man (John 6:27-29)
High Priest
- He can sympathize with our human weakness (Hebrews 4:15)
- He performed a sacrifice. He himself was the sacrifice. The Son of Man must suffer, be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again (Mark 8:31, Matthew 12:40, Luke 24:6-7)
- The Son of Man will draw all people to himself, and the Father, through the Cross (John 12:31-36)
- He was given the authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:2-8)
- The Son of Man desires mercy and love above sacrifices and keeping all the rules. He is above the law of Moses and is Lord of the Sabbath (Hosea 6:4-6, Matthew 5-7, Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:28)
- Whoever does not believe in him will not have eternal life and the wrath of God remains on them (John 3:36)
- There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)
Judge
- Judgement is not the role of the Father but of the Son. The Father has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.(John 5:17-27)
- “Do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. (John 5:45)
- It comes down to our relationship with Jesus. Will he confess our name before the Father and his angels or will he say “depart from me I never knew you”? (Revelation 3:5, Matthew 7:21-23)
- Things would not end well for Judas: “For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (Mark 14:21)
- The sign of the Son of Man would appear in heaven and he will return quickly and unexpectedly (Matthew 24:26-27)
- All tribes of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30, 25:31, 26:64)
- Judging the world. Revelation 14:6-20 had a total of 7 heavenly beings. The number 7 symbolized completeness. What they were doing is judging the world so this means the level of judgment is complete. Six of the heavenly beings were angels but there was also someone seated on a white cloud like a son of man who will harvest only the saved from the Earth. An angel then reaps the rest of the world for judgement.
- The Harvest of the Earth
14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.
17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.
King of Kings & Lord of Lords
- Jesus told the high priest that hewas the Christ, the Son of God. They would see him as the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven. (Mark 14:60-64, Luke 21:27, Acts 7:5-6)
- He will come back with all the angels with him (Matthew 25:31)
- Revelation Chapter 19 shows a rider called Faithful and True and The Word of God
- in righteousness he judges and makes war
- His eyes are like a flame of fire
- on his head are many diadems
- he has a name that no one knows but himself
- He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood
- the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses
- From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations
- he will rule them with a rod of iron
- He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
- On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
- the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.
- the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
- the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.
- EVERY knee will bow before the Son of Man and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:5-8)
- the apostles who followed him will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28)
- As King, he will provide for his subjects. The Son of Man will provide food for eternal life for his followers (John 6:27-29)
Adam and Christ Contrasted (Romans 5 NLT)
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.
20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What Does the Son of Man Want Us to Do?
If the Son of Man is our judge, it is really important to know what He expects from us. He says that if we love him we will keep his commandments (John 14:15). What are they?
- Love God and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). Are we loving, merciful, and forgiving of others? (Hosea 6:4-6, Matthew 5-7, Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:28)
- Be a public witness for Jesus. “whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:38)
- Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:17-19)
Roots
Genesis 2:26-28
Genesis 3-4
Isaiah 7:14
Daniel 7:9-11
Hosea 6:4-6
- Matthew 7:21-23
- Matthew 8:20
Matthew 9:2-8
Matthew 12:1-8
Matthew 12:40
Matthew 16:13-18
Matthew 17:22
Matthew 19:28
Matthew 20:18-28
Matthew 24:26-44
Matthew 25:31
Matthew 26:64
Matthew 28:18-19
Mark 2:28
Mark 8:31
Mark 8:38
- Mark 12:30-31
- Mark 14:21
Mark 14:60-64
John 1:1-3
John 1:14
John 3:13-21
John 3:36
John 4:6-7
- John 5:17-27
- John 5:45
- John 6:27-29
- John 12:31-36
- John 14:15
- John 19:28
- Luke 5:24
- Luke 9:22
Luke 19:10
- Luke 21:27
- Luke 22:44
Luke 24:6-7
- Acts 7:5-6
- Philippians 2:5-8
- Colossians 2:9
Hebrews 4:15
Revelation 1:7-18
Revelation 3:5
Revelation 14:14-20
Revelation 19
