1 Enoch: the Son of Man

1 Enoch: the Son of Man

The First book of Enoch was written 200 years before the birth of Jesus

… a composition attributed to a personage from the Hebrew Bible, but not included in either the Jewish or the Christian Bible.

It contains a description of the Son of Man as pre-existent. (Before Creation)

Bar Enosh ( in Aramaic) = Son of Man

[46.1-4] And there I saw the One (YHVH) to Whom belongs the time before time, and His head was white like wool.

With Him was another being, whose countenance had the appearance of a man, and his face was full of graciousness, like one of the holy angels.

I asked the angel who went with me [...] concerning that Son … and who he was, and whence he was, and why he went with the One to Whom belongs the time before time.

He answered and said to me: 'This is the Son of Man ( Bar Enosh) who has righteousness, with whom dwells righteousness, and who reveals all the treasures of that which is hidden, because the Lord of the spirits has chosen Him, and whose lot has the pre-eminence before the Lord of the spirits in uprightness for ever.

This Son of Man whom you have seen shall raise up the kings and the mighty from their seats and the strong from their thrones, and shall loosen the reins of the strong and break the teeth of the sinners.'

[48.2-10] And at that hour that Son of Man was named in the presence of the Lord of the spirits, and his name before the the One to Whom belongs the time before time.

Yes, before the sun and the signs were created, before the stars of the heaven were made, his name was named before the Lord of the spirits.

He shall be a staff to the righteous whereon to stay themselves and not fall, and he shall be the light of the gentiles and the hope of those who are troubled of heart.

All who dwell on earth shall fall down and worship before him, and will praise and bless and celebrate with song the Lord of the spirits.

For this reason has he been chosen and hidden before Him, before the creation of the world and for ever more.

The wisdom of the Lord (YHVH) of the spirits has revealed him to the holy and righteous; for he has preserved the lot of the righteous, because they have hated and despised this world of unrighteousness, and have hated all its works and ways in the name of the Lord of the spirits: for in his name they are saved (Yshuah) , and according to his good pleasure has it been in regard to their life.

… And on the day of their affliction there shall be rest on the earth, and before them they shall fall and not rise again.

There shall be no one to take them with his hands and raise them, for they have denied the Lord of the spirits and His Messiah. The name of the Lord of the spirits be blessed.

Source: https://www.livius.org/sources/content/1-enoch-the-son-of-man/#:~:text=It%20contains%20a%20description%20of,one%20of%20the%20holy%20angels.

Day 25. The Everlasting Kingdom of the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14)

Painting : Gian Domenico Caresana, detail 'Holy Trinity' (1616), ceiling fresco, Church Chiesa di Sant'Orsola, Como, Italy.

Daniel has a vision of heaven that has a lot to do with Jesus' ministry on earth as well as his future in the Last Days.

One Like a Son of Man (Daniel 7:13a)

"In my vision at night I looked,
and there before me was one like a son of man...." (Daniel 7:13a)

As we study the first three Gospels especially we see Jesus using "Son of Man" as a title. The title was ambiguous in his day -- not nearly as clear, politically volatile, and polarizing to the Jews of his day as the title "Messiah."

As we study Daniel's prophecy we begin to see that it is actually a title full of divinity and glory and power. By taking the title "Son of Man," Jesus is saying, "I am the Son of Man spoken of in Daniel's prophecy!" And he confirms this in his trial before the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:64).

Coming with the Clouds of Heaven (Daniel 7:13b)

"In my vision at night I looked,
and there before me was one like a Son of Man,
coming with the clouds of heaven." (Daniel 7:13b)

The Son of Man "comes with the clouds of heaven." A number of Old Testament passages see God as "riding on the clouds." No one else in the Bible but Yahweh himself "comes with the clouds."

This is an earmark of divinity! Later, Jesus mentions "coming on the clouds" as a sign of his own Second Coming, nearly always using the title "Son of Man."

Ancient of Days Grants Authority, Glory, and Sovereign Power (Daniel 7:13c-14a)

"He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power." (Daniel 7:13c-14a)

"Ancient of Days,"of course, is a title for Yahweh, King of the Universe, seated in his throne room, surrounded by myriad attendants, books open, ready to render judgment -- the Eternal God (Daniel 7:9; cf. Isaiah 6:1-3).

Now the Most High God, Yahweh himself, the holder of all authority, glory, and sovereign power, gives these very prerogatives of divinity to "one like a son of man." Jesus, the Son of Man, is himself the recipient -- the glorious King of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus claims this:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...." (Matthew 28:18b-19a)

All Peoples Worshiped Him (Daniel 7:14b)

Not only does Yahweh acknowledge him as divine king, so do the peoples of the world according to this vision.

"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 7:14b)

This looks forward to the day that Paul foresees, when:

"... Every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10b-11)

When you read the Book of Daniel, you see great world powers rise and fall; their end is destruction. However, the dominion206 or kingdom207 given to "one like a son of man" is different. It is:

Everlasting.

Will not pass away.

Will never be destroyed.

Other kingdoms, even great empires, meet destruction before the next great empire. But this kingdom, the final kingdom, is the great rock that destroys them all and will never itself be destroyed. It is the kingdom prophesied in Daniel:

"In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever." (Daniel 2:44)

Beginnings

This Kingdom is alluded to in Bethlehem where the angel proclaims:

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11)

But the Kingdom didn't begin in Bethlehem. It began in the mind of the Father before the beginning of time. As he forms the children of Israel in the wilderness, he reveals himself as King of Israel. It progresses as Saul and then David are proclaimed King of God's people. In Jesus is found the promised Messiah, the Anointed One, descended from David, who will deliver his people, the Son of Man of Daniel's vision. And finally, Christ will reign over this unshakable Kingdom forever and ever. All this wonderful plan of God is fulfilled in the Child lying in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem. As the songwriter put it:

"The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight."211

Prayer

Jesus, King, heavenly Son of Man we exalt and praise you. We bow before you and acknowledge you as having all authority, dominion, and power. You are King of kings, and Lord of all so-called lords. You reign! Hallelujah! Let us serve you as behooves the service of a king. In your mighty name, we pray. Amen!

References and Abbreviations

[199] Psalm 68:4; 104:3b; Isaiah 19:1a. As Longman puts it, "he is riding the cloud chariot, which is the prerogative of God alone" (Tremper Longman III, The NIV Application Commentary: Daniel (Zondervan, 1999), in loc.) He notes that in literature from Ugarit. Baal, the chief deity and primary divine warrior of that culture, is often called the "Rider on the Clouds."
[200] Matthew 24:30b; Mark 13:26; cf. Luke 21:27; Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Revelation 1:7a; 14:14a.
[201] "Authority" (NIV), "dominion" (NRSV, ESV, KJV) is sholṭān, "dominion, sovereignty," usually of God. From shelēṭ, "have power, rule" (BDB), "dominion, lordship" (Holladay, p. 423).
[202] "Glory" is yeqār, "honor," from the root "to be precious" (BDB).
[203] "Sovereign power" (NIV), "kingship" (NRSV), "kingdom" (ESV, KJV) is malkû, "royalty, kingship, kingly authority" (BDB), "royalty, reign, kingdom" (TWOT #2929c), "kingship, sovereignty," similar to "kingdom, realm" (Holladay, p. 411).
[204] "Ancient" is the adjective ʿattîq, "advanced, aged" (BDB). Derivatives of the Hebrew root include the ideas of value and eminence, "old, aged" (Holladay, p. 417). "Days" is yôm, "day" (TWOT #2762).
[205] Pelaḥ, BDB. "Worshiped" (NIV), "should serve" (NRSV, ESV, KJV) is pelaḥ, "pay reverence to, serve" (BDB).
[206] "Dominion" is sholṭān, which we saw in 7:13, "dominion, sovereignty," usually of God. From shelēṭ, "have power, rule" (BDB), "dominion, lordship" (Holladay, p. 423).
[207] "Kingdom" is malkû, which we saw in verse 13 and 14a: "royalty, reign, kingdom" (BDB), "kingship, sovereignty," similar to "kingdom, realm" (Holladay, p. 411).
[208] "Everlasting" is ʿālam, "perpetuity, antiquity" (BDB), "remote time, eternity" (Holladay, p. 416).
[209] "Pass away" is ʿădâʾ, "pass away" (BDB), "go away, vanish" (Holladay, p. 415).
[210] "Destroyed" is the Hithpael stem of ḥabal, "be destroyed," see also 2:44 and 6:26 (BDB), "be destroyed, perish" (Holladay, p. 405).
[211] "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (1867), words: Phillips Brooks.

Source: https://www.jesuswalk.com/advent/25-son-of-man.htm