By Thomas Cesar

The Son of God, the second person of the Godhead, was incarnated in human flesh by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary being fully God and fully man. (Matt 1:20-23; John 1:14)

The title “The Son of Man” is another identity of the Lord Jesus often referred to as the incarnation of God in man, his human nature. The Scriptures record additional information regarding the meaning of this title of the Lord Jesus beginning in Psalm 8:4-6.

“⁴ What is man that you are mindful of him, and the Son of Man that you care for him? 5 Yet you have made Him a little lower than the heavenly angels and crowned Him with glory and honor. 6 You have given Him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under His feet, 7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:4-6)

Adam was given the same purpose of having dominion.

Gen 1:26, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have 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.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28. And God blessed them. And God said to them. “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.”  

However, Adam sinned and failed God and this calling of Adam was lost. The Psalm verses above in tell us that the Son of Man, referred to as the last Adam (1Cor, 15:45), will fulfill all that God intended for His dominion upon the earth.

 We also learn in Daniel 7:13-14 the following:

“¹³ I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like the 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 languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom will be one that shall not be destroyed.”

Christ is described in Dan 10:5; I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. And, summarized in verse ¹⁴ and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people (Israel) in the latter days.  

This same description of “the Son of Man” is repeated in Rev 1:13-16. We also find this judgment executed by the Son of Man in the book of Revelation. In 1:10 – 18 is where the Son of Man is described. This description matches Dan 10:5-6 for judgement “in the latter days.” The expression “your people” in Daniel is referring to te Nation Israel, not “the Body of Christ.” And, finally in Rev 14:14 Then I [john] looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.

From these portions, we learn that Christ, as The Son of Man, will have dominion on the earth. This title of Christ is used 84 times in the four gospels during His earthly ministry to Israel. The first occurrence is in Matt 8:20, “And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”  

While instructing the twelve in Matt 20:28 Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you in the regeneration, when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  Is this not the future fulfillment of what the Holy Spirit records in Psalm’s and Daniel? Is this not the future answer to the prayer he gave to the apostles in Matt 6:10, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The kingdom will be centered in Jerusalem with Christ, the Son of man, on His throne having dominion upon the earth.

In John 5 we see further distinction with these two titles of the Son of God and Son of Man. Vs.24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgement, but has passed from death to life. 25. Truly, truly I say to you, an hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26. For as the father has life in Himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in Himself.” 

The next verse begins with the conjunction that continues another thought. 27. And, He has given Him authority to execute judgement, because He is the Son of Man.  28. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice. 29. And come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. In relation to “the Son of God,” the emphasis is LIFE. But, with “the Son of Man” the emphasis is TO EXECUTE JUDGEMENT.

It is of utmost significance that the Paul, “the apostle to the Gentiles” for the mystery of “the body of Christ,” in all his letters to the churches and individuals never once uses the title “Son of Man”. Why? It is because our relationship with the Lord Jesus is not with His identity as “the Son of Man,” but rather with “the Son of God.”

In this age of grace, believers are identified as those who have already died with Christ. Our position in Christ is in His death and resurrection life (Rom. 6:3-4). Judgement has already been executed at the cross and we have thereby been made righteous in Him. As Paul states in Gal 2:20;

²⁰ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

Our relationship is with Christ as “the Son of God,” not as “the Son of Man.”

We are further told by Paul that “we are seated with Christ in heavenly places” in Eph 2:6. We have a ‘heavenly citizenship’ in Phil 3:20. We are to set our minds on things above, not on things that are on earth in Col 3:2. And, are to look for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14).

Paul separates and summarizes the two programs of God, for the Nation Israel, and “the Body of Christ,” in Eph. 1:10.

“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, in Him.”

Unfortunately, like the Pharisees and scribes in Matthew 15:1-9, when teachers mix or combine truth meant for one group of people with truth meant for another group of people, the result makes void the word of God causing confusion.

                                                                                                                                         TEC, 1/23