The Sign of the Son of Mankind

 

:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Mankind in heaven, and then all the tribes of the land shall grieve, and they shall see the Son of Mankind coming on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory. Matt.24

That the Son of Mankind (Ben Adam; Ps.8:4) will appear to Israel and will set His feet on the Mount of Olives (Zech.14:4; Acts 1:11) is known. But what is “the sign of the Son of Mankind”? The context suggests a connection between the sign that is seen and the tribes who will beat their chests (due to sorrow). Jesus refers here to the prophecy of Zechariah.

:10 Yet I pour out on the house of David, and on the dwellers of Jerusalem, a spirit of grace and supplications; and they look to Him (lit. MY = YAHWEH) Whom they stabbed, and they will wail over Him as the wailing over the only son, and they will be embittered over Him as the embittering over the firstborn. Zechariah 12

Jerusalem will behold Yahweh, but to their great consternation they will realize him to be the one whom they have stabbed and as a lamb have slaughtered (Isa.53:6,7). Also John, in ‘Revelation,’ refers to this future occurrence:

:7 Lo! He is coming with clouds, and every eye shall be seeing Him-those, also, who stab Him-and all the tribes of the land shall be grieving over Him. Yea! Amen! Revelation 1

That “the sign” of the Ben Adam indeed brings to memory His dead and resurrection is exactly what already earlier, in Matthew, was written:

:39 Yet He (= Jesus), answering, said to them, “A generation, wicked and an adulteress, for a sign is seeking, and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. :40 For even as Jonah was in the bowel of the sea monster three days and three nights, thus will the Son of Mankind be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. Matthew 12

For Israel only one sign of the Son of Mankind: The sign of Jonah. And Luke adds:

:30 For, according as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, thus the Son of Mankind, also, will be to this generation. Luke 11

Jonah was for the Ninevites a sign. Evidently his (dilapidated?) appearance reminded them of his stay in the fish. In a similar manner will the Ben Adam for Israel be a sign. When He appears, He will be recognized by His former death. It was after a week that Jesus appeared to Thomas and him showed the signs of the nails” (John 20:27). Even so will the Messiah, after the last year-week, appear to the tribes of the land and they will exclaim with amazement: “My Lord and my God!” ——————————— first published (in Dutch): 15 september 2011 translation: Peter Feddema

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