Coming Of The Son Of Man — Fulfilled!

Few phrases in Scripture have stirred more confusion or anticipation than Jesus’ statement about the “coming of the Son of Man.” Generations of believers have been taught to look to the sky, waiting for a divine figure to descend on the clouds in cosmic drama. But what if this coming already happened? What if, instead of pointing to a future global spectacle, Jesus was referencing something much more immediate, relevant, and rooted in Israel’s prophetic tradition?

To understand this phrase, we must begin where Jesus did, in the Old Testament, specifically in the book of Daniel, and then trace how He applied it directly to His generation. When we do, the pieces fall into place with remarkable clarity.

The Old Testament Roots

The phrase “son of man” appears throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. In general usage, such as in Job, Psalms, and Numbers, it simply means a human being, a mortal. It emphasizes frailty, limitation, and the contrast between humanity and God.

In Ezekiel, it’s used as a prophetic title. God calls Ezekiel “son of man” over 90 times, not to exalt him, but to remind him of his humanity in contrast with the heavenly messages he is receiving.

But there’s one place where the phrase “Son of Man” takes on a profoundly exalted, messianic tone: Daniel 7.

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.” — Daniel 7:13–14

This was no ordinary man. This “Son of Man” came on the clouds of heaven, a symbol of divine authority, and was brought before the Ancient of Days (a clear reference to God). He was given an eternal kingdom, unlike the beastly empires that preceded Him in Daniel’s vision.

Notice carefully: this is not a picture of someone coming down to earth, but someone ascending to receive rule and dominion. This is a heavenly enthronement scene. The “coming” in Daniel 7 is a movement toward God’s throne, not towards Earth.

This vision would become the central prophetic backdrop for how Jesus described His identity and mission.

Jesus used the title “Son of Man” more than any other to describe Himself. But He did so with a layered purpose. He was not merely claiming humanity; He was claiming fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy, that He was the one who would receive the kingdom and authority from God and be crowned King.

Let’s look at how Jesus applied this in some of the most powerful, yet misunderstood, passages of the New Testament.

Matthew 24: The Coming Within a Generation

After predicting the destruction of the temple, Jesus’ disciples asked Him:

“When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” — Matthew 24:3

Jesus proceeds to describe signs that would take place before His “coming”: wars, false messiahs, tribulation, the gospel being preached, and then…

“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven… and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” —Matthew 24:30

And then He makes this emphatic statement:

“Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” —Matthew 24:34

This one verse dismantles centuries of futuristic speculation. Jesus wasn’t speaking of events thousands of years in the future. He was anchoring the “coming of the Son of Man” firmly within the lifetime of His first-century audience. He was describing the end of the Old Covenant age, not the end of the world. The “coming” was not a return to earth, but a manifestation of His enthronement, resulting in judgment upon the temple system that had held humanity in bondage accusing Gods people day and night.

Matthew 26: The Son of Man Before the High Priest

When standing trial, Jesus said to the high priest:

“From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” — Matthew 26:64

Again, Jesus directly references Daniel 7. But this time, He says “you will see it.” The high priest himself would witness the coming of the Son of Man, not with physical eyes watching the sky, but through the unfolding of historical events, especially the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, which would serve as undeniable proof that Jesus had been enthroned at the right hand of God. His authority would be made manifest, and the corrupt religious system would crumble in His wake.

Luke 21: Jerusalem’s Fall and the Coming

Luke’s account adds even more clarity:

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near... Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory… Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place.” — Luke 21:20–32

Here, Jesus links the “coming of the Son of Man” directly to the Roman siege of Jerusalem. This is history. It happened. And it happened exactly as Jesus said it would, within that generation.

Clouds, Judgment, and Divine Presence

In the Old Testament, “coming on the clouds” is language reserved for God’s intervention and judgment. Yahweh “came on the clouds” when judging Egypt (Isaiah 19:1) and other nations. This was speaking to presence, authority, and decisive action.

When Jesus said He would come on the clouds, He was saying: “You will see the public demonstration of My authority as the One enthroned at God’s right hand, revealing myself as King. You will see judgment come upon the old system and My kingdom rise in its place.”

The Coming of the Son of Man in His Kingdom

One of the clearest passages that dismantles the modern idea of a physical descent of Christ to the planet is found in Matthew 16:28. Jesus told His disciples, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

Notice carefully what He said: the Son of Man would come in His kingdom. He did not say He would come in the earth. The language matters. Jesus was not forecasting a cosmic invasion, but the unveiling of His reign. His “coming” was about enthronement, governance, and authority being established, not geography.

The disciples were to witness the arrival of His kingdom rule within their own lifetimes. This coming was not delayed, nor was it hidden for some far-off generation. It was a promised reality that some of those standing before Him would see. That promise only makes sense if the coming was about the manifestation of His kingdom reign—His authority made visible in judgment upon the old covenant system and in the establishment of the new creation order.

By emphasizing His coming in His kingdom, Jesus was anchoring the hope of His disciples in the transformation of governance, not in relocation. The focus is not about Him leaving heaven to arrive on the soil of earth, but about Him being seated in the heavenly throne and releasing that authority to govern. It was the moment when the kingdom of God would break through the confines of Israel’s old order and be fully unveiled.

This distinction is crucial. Many today still wait for a kingdom to arrive on earth someday, but Jesus was clear: His coming was into His kingdom, not into the ground beneath our feet. His enthronement was the fulfillment, His reign the reality, and His kingdom the sphere of His appearing.

Misunderstood Questions

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus begins to tell His disciples about His coming death and resurrection. He speaks plainly, telling them He would be delivered up, suffer, and rise again on the third day. Yet the text makes it clear—they could not grasp what He was saying. The meaning was hidden from them, and they were unable to comprehend it.

This raises an important question: if the disciples couldn’t understand when Jesus spoke directly about His death and resurrection, why would they later ask Him in Matthew 24 about the “sign of His coming” if they thought He was referring to a future physical return? The answer is simple—they weren’t asking Him about a second bodily appearance on the earth. They couldn’t even fathom His first departure!

What they were asking about was His kingship. The disciples knew that Jesus had come announcing a kingdom. They had grown up under the shadow of Rome and were familiar with what earthly kingdoms looked like. In their minds, Jesus was going to establish a kingdom in the same fashion—thrones, armies, and visible power. So, when they questioned Him about the “sign of His coming,” what they meant was: “When will You reveal Yourself as the true King? When will we see the power and glory of the kingdom You’ve been talking about?”

They weren’t anticipating Jesus coming back down from the sky. They were longing for the unveiling of His authority, the enthronement that would display Him as King. This is why He consistently redirected their expectations away from earthly power structures toward the reality of the kingdom that was not of this world.

Time Markers: Clear Evidence of Fulfillment

The scriptures are full of timestamps showing how imminent this kingdom shift was for Jesus’ first-century audience:

Matthew 16:28 – “Some standing here will not taste death before you see the coming of the Son of Man in His kingdom…”

James 5:8-9 – “The coming of the Lord is at hand… the Judge is standing at the door!”

Matthew 10:23 – “You will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

Romans 13:11-12 – “The hour has already come… the night is nearly over…”

Hebrews 10:37 “For yet a very little while, and He who is coming will come and will not delay.”

James 5:8 “You too, be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

When we take these verses into consideration, it becomes clear that they stand in direct contradiction to much of what we've been taught in the modern end-times narrative.

These scriptures speak to a specific moment in history, a pivotal season in time and to a generation that was witnessing the end of an old covenant system they had built their lives upon for over 1,500 years.

Both Jesus and the New Testament writers consistently taught that His “coming” and the events surrounding it would take place within the lifetime of that first-century generation.

The “coming of the Son of Man” was not about the end of the physical world, but about the end of the old covenant age—its governance, its temple, and its centerpiece, Jerusalem. And history confirms its fulfillment.

The Accepted Sacrifice and the End of Sacrifice

In the old covenant, Israel tied God’s acceptance to whether or not the fire consumed the sacrifice. If the offering burned, it was believed to be accepted. If not, it was rejected. That was how they understood their standing before God.

But Jesus stepped into that system not because God demanded sacrifice, but to end it. God never needed blood to forgive or to accept humanity—He always loved, always embraced. It was humanity that believed sacrifice was necessary, and it was into our distorted system that Jesus entered. By giving Himself, He exposed the futility of the old order and revealed that God’s kingdom was not built on sacrifice but on life.

That’s why the resurrection is so important. It was not proof that God finally got the sacrifice He demanded—it was proof that death and accusation had no power to hold Him. His rising unveiled a kingdom that is life, not death; grace, not sacrifice.

If we insist that Jesus still has to “come back” to finish something left undone, it is as if we are saying the first unveiling of His kingdom was not enough. That would be like saying the sacrifice wasn’t accepted. And if that were true, we would all still be trapped in uncertainty. But the truth is the opposite: His resurrection revealed that the kingdom had already come, the old system was already finished, and humanity was already embraced.

His “coming” was not to return to earth as though He had failed the first time. His coming was the arrival of His kingdom, the unveiling of His reign, and the end of sacrifice altogether.

Parables That Prophesied a Governance Shift

Jesus continually pointed to this coming moment through His parables. They were prophetic words announcing a transition.

The persistent widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18) weren’t merely about prayer. It was a warning of an inferior covenant being removed.

The parable of the vineyard owner (Luke 20:9–19) ends with the transfer of the vineyard—the kingdom—to others. Jesus was making it clear: the kingdom would be taken from those that brought abuse and given to a people who would bear its fruit. This was the final visitation. As He said over Jerusalem:

“They will not leave one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” — Luke 19:44

This was speaking to the moment of unveiling. And for those with ears to hear, the final call to recognize the King in their midst.

The Revelation of the King

After His resurrection, Jesus took His place at the right hand of the Father, enthroned as King. The apostles boldly declared His reign, but the manifestation of that reign remained veiled until 70 AD, when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. That event was the public unveiling of what had already occurred in the Spirit.

“The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” — Psalm 110:1

Until then, His rule had been spiritual, hidden, declared but not yet demonstrated. The fall of Jerusalem confirmed His authority to all who had doubted. It was the visible sign of the kingdom’s arrival, and it validated the apostolic message.

Jesus never revealed Himself as King in that generation until that moment. The systems of old governance fell, and the church, those filled with His Spirit, stood as the new governing body of the kingdom: sons, ambassadors, priests, kings—a holy nation.

Even early church recognized this moment in history as the public unveiling of Jesus as King. It wasn’t about escape; it was about enthronement. It wasn’t about destruction; it was about dominion.

A Kingdom Without Walls

This moment changed everything. God no longer dwelt in temples made by hands. The sacrifices, tithes, and rituals of the old system came to an end. Worship was no longer tied to a building; it became embodied in the new creation. The Spirit now indwelled human temples. Jesus handed the keys of the kingdom to His people. Heaven’s authority flowed through His body on earth. What they loosed would be loosed. What they bound would be bound. As Paul wrote:

“Do you not know that the saints will govern the world?” — 1 Corinthians 6:2

In this governance shift, a new administration had taken over. The old had been dismantled.

The Time of Visitation Israel had rejected her King.

The temple, once a place of glory, had become a den of thieves. And just as Jesus had cleansed it once with a whip, He would bring it to a final end.

This is what the coming of the Son of Man truly was: Not a delayed return... Not a future escape plan... But the dramatic unveiling of His kingdom, His authority, and His governance through His people.

The old covenant had run its course and God's kingdom had taken it's full place in the saints. The new creation had begun. Heaven had moved in.

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Get The Book: "Rethinking The End Times"

By Serge Da Rosa

https://www.urbanedencmty.com/books

About the Author

Serge Da Rosa is co-founder of Urban Eden Community, a ministry dedicated to helping people discover their God-given identity and walk in the freedom of the new creation. Alongside his wife, Kristy, Serge facilitates weekly gatherings in Tulsa, Oklahoma that center around authentic connection, growth, and kingdom expression outside the walls of traditional religious systems.

Serge’s passion is to see people awakened to their union with God. Through weekly community gatherings, work in addiction recovery, community events, writing, teaching, and the Kings And Priests Podcast, he speaks into themes of identity, grace, purpose, kingdom and governance with clarity, depth, and hope.

Whether through a conversation, a gathering, or a written word, Serge’s message remains the same: You are in perfect union with God, empowered with God's Kingdom. 

To learn more, connect with Serge, or support the mission, visit www.UrbanEdenCmty.com

Email us: urbanedencmty@gmail.com

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