6. Mark 14.62

Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ Jesus said, ‘I am; and “you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,” and “coming with the clouds of heaven.”’ (Mk 14.61b-62)

The occurrence of Dan. 7.13 in Mk 13.26 was not treated as a part of a composite quotation because it was introduced by the words και τοτε οψονται (‘and then you will see’), suggesting a different source to the words just quoted (Isa. 13.10//34.4). In Mk 14.62, it is similarly introduced (και οψεσθε) but the composite quotation is with the words εκ δεξιων καθημενον της δυναμεως (‘sitting at the right hand of the power’), which interrupts the quotation from Dan. 7.13. The words come from Ps. 110(109).1, where ‘the LORD’ (יהוה) says to a figure referred to as ‘my lord’ (אדני), ‘Sit at my right hand (καθου εκ δεξιων μου), until I make your enemies your footstool’. Interestingly, the version of Dan. 7.13 quoted in Mk 13.26 differs from the quoted in Mk 14.62 (εν ωεφελαις / μετα των νεφελων), probably suggesting that he found the composite quotation in his source. This is further suggested by: (1) the articular τον υιον του ανθρωπου rather than the ως υιος ανθρωπου of the Greek versions, and (2) the popularity of Ps. 110.1 in early Christianity (cf. Acts 2.34; 1 Cor. 15.25; Heb. 1.3, 13).

Table 2.5. Comparison of Mk 14.62, Mk 13.26, and Dan 7.13

Mk 14.62

καὶ ὄψεσθε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ δεξιῶν καθήμενον τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ ἐρχόμενον μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.

Mk 13.26

καὶ τότε ὄψονται τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν νεφέλαις μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς καὶ δόξης.

Dan. 7.13 LXX

και ιδου επι των ωεφελων του ουρανου ως υιος ανθρωπου ηρχετο . . .

Dan. 7.13 Θ

και ιδου μετα των ωεφελων του ουρανου ως υιος ανθρωπου ερχομενος ην

In Mk 13.26, an unknown ‘they’ (i.e., the implied subject of οψανται) will see a figure referred to as ‘the son of man’ coming εκ νεφελαις (‘in clouds’) with much power and glory. In Mk 14.62, a plural ‘you’ (which includes the high priest) will see a similar thing, except he is now coming μετα των νεφελων του ουρανου (‘with the ψlouds of heaven’) and εξ δεξιων καθημενον της δυναμεως (‘sitting at the right hand of the power’). At first sight, it looks as though the phrase from Ps. 110.1 is there to provide the origin of the figure’s journey, namely, from the right hand of God. However, the two participles καθημενον (‘sitting’) and ερχομενον (‘coming’) are both present tense, and so it is difficult to see here a sequence of ‘he sat, got up, he came.’ Interestingly, the words και ερχομενον are absent from Codex Bezae, so that the sentence reads, ‘and you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the power with the clouds of heaven’.

N. T. Wright claims that it would be a ‘serious misjudging of its first-century meaning, to see this as a reference to Jesus flying downwards towards the earth’. That was not the meaning in Daniel and it is not the meaning here. Rather, what they will see are ‘this-worldly events which would indicate beyond any doubt that Israel’s God had exalted Jesus, had vindicated him after his suffering, and had raised him to share his own throne’. Hays agrees, stating that it is to be understood with its ‘original contextual sense, as a portrayal of the ascent of the Son of Man to a heavenly enthronement’. It is only on this interpretation, he says, that the accusation of blasphemy makes any sense. However, it should be noted that the traditional interpretation still has its supporters. Marcus thinks the early Christian belief in Jesus’ return (1 Thess. 4.16; Acts 1.11) makes it highly likely that Mark is thinking of a journey to earth and so, not for the first time, he has changed the meaning of his Old Testament source.

Be that as it may, the composite quotation in Mk 14.62 provides a rhetorically compelling riposte to his accusers that they will come to see Jesus enthroned in glory. In other words, their judgment on him will be shown to be false and the situation will be reversed: they will face judgment from him. This also makes it clear that the initially playful riddle about the identity of David’s κυριος in Mk 12.35-37 is to be understood not only as a claim of messiahship but also of lordship. Whether this amounts to ‘shared identity’, as Hays and others have argued, remains a matter of debate. Their case would be certainly strengthened if Johanssen is correct that this text implies that Jesus and God share the same throne (as in Rev. 22.1) but this is by no means certain.

It is unlikely that Mark was responsible for constructing the composite quotation. Apart from the fact that the narrative suggests that it goes back to Jesus, the popularity of Ps. 110.1 in the early church suggests that its origin lies there rather than with Mark.