King James Bible
"What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?"
Jesus poses a hypothetical question to his scandalized disciples, challenging them to consider how they would react to an even greater marvel. The rhetorical nature suggests that witnessing such an event would either deepen their offense or prove his divine origin beyond doubt. Using his preferred self-designation from Daniel 7:13-14, Jesus alludes to his future ascension to heaven. This ascent would visibly demonstrate his heavenly authority and validate his difficult teachings about being the bread from heaven. This phrase explicitly claims pre-existence, asserting that Jesus originated in heaven before his earthly ministry. Such a statement directly supports his earlier claims about descending from heaven (John 6:38, 51) and establishes his divine nature.