Son of Man

“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.”  Revelation 14:14

This is the last of some 87 New Testament references (84 in the four Gospels, one in Acts, none in the Epistles, two in Revelation) to Christ as the Son of Man. Here we see the Son of Man coming on a white cloud from heaven (just as He had ascended into heaven after His resurrection) as the conquering King of all the earth.

What a contrast this is to the first New Testament reference to the Son of Man. “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matt. 8:20). From humility and poverty on Earth to power and riches in heaven, and for all eternity - this was His journey when Christ left His heavenly glory to join the human family.

In between the poverty and the power lay the whole human experience, for He “has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Finally, as Son of Man, He must die for man’s sin, for “the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men” (Luke 24:7). Even in heaven, he is still the Son of man, for Stephen saw Him thus: “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56).

There is, indeed, a great man in the glory! Christ called Himself “The Son of Man” much more often than “The Son of God,” though He will eternally be both, the God/man. He delights to identify with those whom He has redeemed, for “He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Heb. 2:11). “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” asked Jesus (Matt. 16:13).

Then we say, with Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).