The Son of Man on Trial: Daniel’s Courtroom Vision and Jesus’ Messianic Claim in Matthew

Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14) is a pivotal text in Jewish apocalyptic literature, which has been interpreted in Christian theology as prophetic of Jesus Christ. This vision is particularly referenced during Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin in Matthew 26:63-64, where Jesus identifies Himself as the Son of Man seen coming on the clouds of heaven, a statement that leads to His conviction for blasphemy. This paper will explore this Son of Man vision as it relates to the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin, especially in the context of Daniel’s language in 7:10 of the court seating. It will be argued that Jesus is drawing upon the heavenly courtroom language in Daniel as a proto-ironic defense of the charge of blasphemy.