The "Son of Man" and the "Ancient of Days"

The Book of Daniel in what modern Christians now refer to as the "Old Testament" is a fascinating book that combines famous stories with apocalyptic visions and prophecies. The meaning of Daniel has been hotly debated by scholars over centuries, especially in the last 100 years. 

But as it turns out, understanding Daniel is vital also for understanding Jesus of Nazareth, who would come hundreds of years afterwards. For as we will show here, Jesus was by no means just a prophet that came along to start a new "religion" (as if in contrast with other religions, like "Judaism"). Rather, he saw himself as acting through - even culminating - the Jewish/Torah faith that had come before him, and from which he had emerged. More than anyone else in his day, Jesus of Nazareth understood "the glory of the story" of his faith inheritance. Although of course he was aware of the rules and customs that Israel was always meant to abide by, he knew the "adversity and triumph" that came before him. No doubt he would have agreed with the famous philosopher, Nietzsche, when he would write almost 2 millennia later: 

"All honor to the Old Testament! In it I find great human beings, a heroic landscape, and something of the very rarest on earth, the incomparable naivety of the strong heart; even more, I find a people."

Jesus, when talking to the woman at the well, spoke similarly of the greatness of what had come before: . 

"You Samaritans worship what you do not know ... salvation comes from the Jews." 

And so whenever he taught, it was always through this awareness of the greatness and spirit of the story of the Torah that had come before him - an awareness that compelled him to live out its spirit authentically. Thus, he called himself: "Son of Man". 

Approaching the Ancient of Days 

**more coming soon**