The Ascension of Christ and the Glorification of the "One like a Son of Man"

As I’ve been studying the ascension of Christ lately and what that means (I’m preparing to write a paper on it), I came to a conclusion last night while holding down the fort at the Willow (I was in the guard shack working the security post while Al Steel went on his nightly rounds). I promptly decided to email Dr. Moore with my thoughts to see if my thinking was along Biblical lines. Perhaps I am slow and most people actually already understand this, but it really struck me with power. The next time I preach Revelation 5, I’ll have far more passion and understanding of what is occurring.

Daniel 7:13-14, Revelation 5, and the Ascension of Jesus Christ

In Daniel 7:13-14, the prophet witnesses a heavenly vision:

I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.

Daniel’s vision is a pre-historic event revelation (in other words, before the event takes place in the heavenly realm, Daniel has a vision of it—a futuristic prophecy).

Revelation 5, on the other hand, is a post-historic event revelation. John sees the slain/standing Lamb, who is the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, i.e. the Messiah, take the scroll from upon the hand of the One who sits upon throne.
“The opening of the scroll would be not only an act of revelatory disclosure but also an act of executive authority, carrying its edicts into action. The things written in the scroll “must take place” because they constitute God’s plan for history, culminating in the vindication of his servants and the unchallenged establishment of his dominion on earth, as it is in heaven. The strong angel’s question is not merely who is worthy to open the scroll and reveal God’s plan, but who is worthy to carry it out? “Who deserves to receive from the Father’s hand all authority in heaven and earth, to make the kingdoms of this world into the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (11:15)?”

The Lamb has purchased a people with His own blood—this is post-resurrection (the resurrection and the ascension are quite closely connected and, as Dr. Moore informed me, conflated into one event in the Scriptures), clearly speaking of the receiving of glory, dominion, and an everlasting Kingdom by Christ. The best understanding of when this event takes/took place is at the ascension, as the Lamb comes before the throne.

In Daniel 7, notice two things:
1) The Son of Man comes upon the clouds
· Jesus, at His ascension, was taken up “and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9)
· Jesus had told the religious leaders at His trial when they questioned Him “You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God,” “You have said it yourself [“I am” in Mark 14:62]; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” (Matthew 26:63-64) Jesus is claiming that He will be receiving authority as “the Son of Man.”
2) The Son of Man is “One like a Son of Man”
· The Word became Jesus of Nazareth, that is, a man/flesh, at His incarnation (John 1:14). Before this He was not a human being.
· Thus, when He appears in the heavenly courts as “One like a Son of Man,” He is fulfilling His promise to Mary, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.” (John 20:17) He is returning in His glorified, human body to the right hand of the Father, to sit at His right hand until the covenantal promises of Daniel 7:14 are fulfilled, that is, until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet, that is, until the scroll of Revelation 5 is completely fulfilled.

Daniel’s vision is the fulfillment of Philippians 2:9-11. At the completion of His earthly work, “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”