Disciples Digital Library

The second half of the seventh chapter interprets the vision that concluded in a judgment and with a declaration. The one “ like a Son of Man ” received the kingship from the “ Ancient of Days ” so now “ all peoples, races, and tongues should render homage to him; his dominion was an everlasting dominion, which should not pass away ” - (Daniel 7:9-14).

Portions of Daniel’s vision of the four beasts from the sea and the Little Horn are applied to Jesus and his saints in the New Testament . Key phrases from Daniel’s vision of the “ four beasts ascending from the sea ” occur in the New Testament, most often in contexts concerning the future arrival of Jesus, but also in passages about the kingdom of God and Christ’s sovereignty.

He is the Son of Man foreseen by Daniel who has absolute authority from Yahweh over the earth .  After defeating Satan in the wilderness, Jesus began to proclaim the “ good news ” of the kingdom – “ The season is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel .” The term “ Kingdom of God ” is a summary statement that means different things to different people, but he identified his mission with the “ Son of Man ” in the book of  Daniel .

A theme threaded through the gospel of  Mark  is the inability of men to recognize Jesus as the Son of God until  AFTER  his crucifixion, and even then, and most paradoxically, he is called the “ Son of God ” by the unlikeliest of persons, the Roman centurion on duty at his execution. His self-identification as the suffering “ Son of Man ” made him unrecognizable to unregenerate men. He was and is the kind of Messiah no one expected, and his identity and mission cannot be comprehended apart from his sacrificial death.

In the four gospels, the “ Son of Man ” is the self-designation found most often on the lips of Jesus. It is derived from Daniel’s vision of the one “ like a Son of Man ” who receives the “ dominion and kingdom ” from the “ Ancient of Days .” And according to Jesus, “ all the tribes of the earth ” will mourn when “ they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven .”

Two different harvests occur at the end of the age – The reaping of the grain and the ingathering of the fruit of the vine .  Revelation  contrasts two distinct groups: Those who follow the “ Lamb ,” and the men who render homage to the “ Beast ,” the “ inhabitants of the earth .” Two different fates await each group presented here as two harvests: the “ grain ” harvest, and the “ fruit of the vine .” Both occur at the final judgment.

Next, Jesus takes us beyond the destruction of the Temple to the return of the “ Son of Man .” How much time will pass between the Temple’s demise and his arrival is not provided. But during the interim, the church must beware of deceivers who disseminate false information about his coming.

The vision of the fourth beast, its little horn, and the war it wages on the saints is interpreted for Daniel by an angel .  Daniel’s vision of the four beasts “ from the sea ” concludes with a judgment scene. In it, the figure “ like a Son of Man ” approaches the “ Ancient of Days ” and receives everlasting “ dominion .” His vision leaves Daniel confused and troubled, but an angel provides him with the interpretation.

The first vision centers on Jesus in his role as the high priest who oversees the churches. When introducing himself, John did not hold up his apostolic credentials. Instead, he identified himself with the plight of the seven churches. He was a “ fellow participant ” with them in the “ tribulation and the kingdom and the endurance .” Likewise, the “ Son of Man ” is intimately involved with the care of his people.

The  Parable of the Sower  provides the key to understanding the other parables of Jesus. Its point is that the kingdom of God began to invade the present age with the proclamation of the kingdom of God by the “ Son of Man .” He inaugurated the process, and ever since, the kingdom has been advancing throughout the earth though largely unnoticed by humanity.

Jesus explains that he is on the way to Jerusalem where he will be arrested, tried, and executed per the plan of God  – Mark 10:32-34.  In  Mark , Jesus is “ on the way ” to Jerusalem and his inevitable death. This same theme occurs several times, beginning with John the Baptist who “ prepared the way before the Lord .” The Son of God is the  suffering servant of Yahweh  who is on the road from Judea to Golgotha where he meets his death outside the city.

The Transfiguration confirms his status as the Messiah and the necessity for Jesus to suffer before receiving glory  - Mark 9:2-13.  In  Mark , the Transfiguration begins with the clause “ after six days ,” a link to the  preceding story  where Peter acknowledges Jesus is the Messiah. In response, Christ explains the true meaning of discipleship. To follow him, a man must “ deny himself and take up his cross ” just as the “ Son of Man ” did.

Jesus healed a paralytic, demonstrating the authority of the Son of Man to discharge sins  – Mark 2:1-12.  The present literary unit consists of five stories that highlight Christ’s authority and the conflicts between him and the religious authorities, primarily over issues of ritual purity and Sabbath regulations. There are parallels between the present story and the preceding one about the cleansing of the leper.