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  • From: tmcos AT canada.com
  • To: corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Corpus-Paul] RE: son of man
  • Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2003 19:15:10 -0800 (PST)

Dave Hindley wrote:
>>I don't know if s.o.m. *has* to be a divine figure,
just one who is presented before the Ancient of Days,
who gives him an everlasting kingdom that encompasses
the entire world. This "son of man" could be a human
being. It is the *kingdom* he is given that is
everlasting, but not necessarily is *he* everlasting,
unless some property of this new kingdom changes the
normal cycle of birth and death.<<

The idea of the son of man as a divine figure is
conveyed by the idea that he is described as coming
"with the clouds of heaven" in Dan.7:13. The idea of
coming with the clouds of heaven or riding the clouds
of heaven was a Near Eastern idiom for divinity. Baal
for example is descibed in Canaanite hymns as riding
with the clouds of heaven.
The idea of the son of man as a divine figure I think
is also reinforced by the fact that he is said to be
the object of service or worship.

"He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all
peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped
him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will
not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never
be destroyed." Daniel 7:13 (NIV)

Other translations use the word "serve" instead of
"worship". The Aramaic word, PELAKH, translated
"worship" or "serve" in Dan 7:14 appears 9 times in
Daniel (3:12,3:14,3:17,3:18, 3:28; 6:16; 6:20;
7:17,7:27)and it always is used in the context of
religious service whether to the Babylonian gods or the
God of Israel. I think the usage of this word with the
son of man passage is very significant. The other place
this word appears is in Ezra 7:24 in reference to the
ministers in the Temple who render religious service to
God.
In the GMark 2:10, when Jesus forgives the sins of the
paralytic he declares, "But that you may know that the
Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" In
this context Jesus drew the ire of the religious
establishment in claiming the authority to forgive
sins, a perogative that belongs to God alone. However,
he makes this claim to forgive sins as a right that the
son of man has.

Tony Costa




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