The appearance not only of another book about the Son of man, but of one by an author already responsible for an earlier work on the subject, may perhaps require some explanation. In the last chapter of my earlier book, Jesus and the Son of Man (1964), the thesis was outlined that Jesus confidently expected vindication of his mission after his death by being given, in the presence of God, a status of exaltation that involved the judgmental functions traditionally associated with the apocalyptic Son of man. The present work seeks to develop this thesis, and to that extent it is a logical sequel to JSM. It was suggested as a worthwhile undertaking by study of subsequent contributions to the unending debate, some of which have been used in support of the thesis presented here, while others, setting out theories which appear to me to be unconvincing, have served only to strengthen my adherence to it. The contribution of the present study, therefore, is not the presentation of a fresh or novel theory, but the defence, promotion, and development, against the background of recent significant work, and by detailed investigation of the relevant texts, of the theme stated above.

The first two chapters, constituting Part One, are intended mainly as necessary prolegomena to the study of texts in Part Two. Although not an actual part of the argument, these chapters are far from being a mere catalogue of the principal views and theories put forward since 1964.