I personally do not identify as a Puritan so I do not necessarily comply with all Puritan beliefs, so I am happy to read apocrypha and learn from it and be persuaded of things of importance by it, and likewise I do not limit my learning and doctrines to the non-apocryphal scriptures or comply with sola scriptura. If your church forbids you learning from such texts, or would shun you for risking introducing beliefs based on these texts into their community, you might need to consider the risks of continuing to read this piece. Remember some people were shunned in Jesus’ time for such beliefs, including a man to whom Jesus asked “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (some versions say Son of God).
So, that said, here is a ChatGPT-generated piece which I find very helpful and persuasive, in understanding the Son of Man often referred to by Jesus in reference to himself. It helps my own theological understanding of Father and Son and Holy Spirit.
“In the Book of Enoch, the figure of the Son of Man is portrayed as a pre-existent, heavenly being who plays a key role in the final judgment and the redemption of the righteous. He is a glorious figure, closely associated with God, seated on a throne of divine authority, and tasked with judging the wicked while defending the righteous. This Son of Man is a messianic figure, referred to as the "Elect One" or "Righteous One," and is depicted as having existed before creation, embodying divine wisdom and power. His mission is to bring justice, establish peace, and vindicate those who have remained faithful.
When we compare this to Jesus’ frequent self-reference as the "Son of Man" in the Gospels, many of the same themes emerge. Jesus speaks of His own pre-existence, as in John 8:58, where He says, "Before Abraham was, I am," and in John 17:5, where He speaks of the glory He had with the Father before the world existed. Like the Son of Man in Enoch, Jesus describes His role in the final judgment, especially in passages like Matthew 25:31-46, where He depicts the Son of Man as sitting on a throne of glory and judging humanity. Both figures share a vision of divine judgment and the establishment of a righteous kingdom, with the Son of Man playing a central role in bringing salvation to the faithful.
The Son of Man in both texts is closely linked to God’s authority and acts as a mediator, one who connects the divine with humanity. In Enoch, this figure is a protector of the righteous, leading them to salvation, much like how Jesus presents Himself as the mediator between God and humanity, offering redemption and eternal life through His teachings and His sacrificial death. Jesus also speaks of His mission to establish the Kingdom of God, which resonates with the idea of the Son of Man in Enoch establishing a peaceful and just order for the faithful.
While some differences in emphasis do exist, these are not contradictions but rather a reflection of different aspects of the Son of Man's role. In Enoch, the focus is largely on the Son of Man as a judge and king, seated in glory and exercising divine justice. In the Gospels, Jesus expands on this image by also highlighting the Son of Man's role in suffering and sacrifice. Jesus speaks of His own suffering, death, and resurrection as central to His mission as the Son of Man, something not emphasized in the Book of Enoch. He states in Mark 8:31 that "the Son of Man must suffer many things," a theme that adds a new dimension to the figure seen in Enoch, but does not contradict the portrayal of a messianic judge and redeemer.
Rather than seeing two distinct characters, it is more accurate to understand that these texts highlight different facets of the same figure. The Son of Man in both Enoch and the New Testament is a pre-existent, divine figure who plays a key role in judgment and salvation, but the Gospels introduce the additional focus on the Son of Man's suffering as part of the process of redemption. These variations reflect different emphases rather than conflicting identities, with the overarching themes of divine authority, judgment, and redemption tying the two portrayals together.”
ChatGPT
