Daniel 7:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

In my night visions, I witnessed, behold, the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. Who is unaware of this? Who could possibly overlook it? Is it not the same as what Peter or Paul proclaims? They reached back to the ancient times and were elevated to Him. Thus, it is clear that they share equal reverence. They were elevated to Him. So that you, upon seeing the kingdom bestowed upon Him, might grasp the meaning of the term: bestowed in a human sense, as the prophet states: with the clouds of heaven. By clouds, Scripture typically denotes heaven.

What does this indicate in relation to the Old Testament? Is not the location mentioned here? To believe so would reflect a misunderstanding, as the Divine Nature is not confined to a specific place but encompasses all creation. Thus, what is implied by "to the Old Denmi shall He reach"? Clearly, the Son has been exalted to the glory of the Father. To illustrate this further, He also declared, "To Him is given both honor and kingdom." For He heard the Father proclaiming, "Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool" (Psalms 109:1).

During the Babylonian exile, two prominent prophets, Daniel and Ezekiel, first delivered their messages. Among them, Daniel calculated the specific time when Christ would arrive and endure suffering, a task that has been elaborated upon by many scholars before us. The prophet proclaimed the authority and splendor of the Messiah, stating: ‘I saw in the night visions, behold, the Son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven, and He reached the Ancient of Days and was brought to Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed’ (Dan. 7:13-14).

Observe and take note, in the heavens, there appeared a Son of Man. This signifies the destiny of the Jews, who triumphed over the Greeks and the kings in their vicinity. However, this prophecy finds its ultimate fulfillment in our Lord. To Him was bestowed authority over all nations, peoples, and tongues, as He proclaimed, ‘All authority has been given to Me by My Father in heaven and on earth’ (Matthew 28:18).

And behold, the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven. In Nebuchadnezzar's dream, He is symbolized as a stone that was cut out without human hands, which grew into a mighty mountain and crushed iron, brass, clay, silver, and gold. This manifestation of the Son of Man illustrates the Son of God's incarnation, aligning with the account in the Acts of the Apostles: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will likewise come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven." He approached the Ancient of Days, and to Him were given dominion, glory, and a kingdom.

Indeed, let another convey to the Jews what the prophet once communicated: ‘thou hast had the face of a ... harlot, ... hast not been ashamed in all things’ (Jeremiah 3:3). What could be more evident than these words? The prophet's message is delivered with greater evangelistic and apostolic fervor than simply prophetic or divine authority. Regarding this, the Lord stated in the Gospel, ‘Behold the Son of man ... coming in the clouds of heaven with His angels’ (Matt. 26:64). The blessed Paul affirms, ‘The Lord at the proclamation, at the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, shall come down from heaven, and the dead ... shall rise incorruptible, and we ...