What does it mean that God is the Ancient of Days?

A title of God used by Daniel, alluding to His eternity. It cannot be separated from Christ; for in Dan. 7: the Lord is called both the Ancient of Days and the Son of man, yet the Son of man came to the Ancient of Days to receive dominion, glory, and a kingdom. Dan. 7:9, 13, 22. He is both God and man: cf. Rev. 1 and 5.

Daniel thus continues the account of what he saw in his night visions: "I beheld till the thrones were cast down,* and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened" (vv. 9, 10). That the Ancient of days is the Eternal God is undoubted; and it is as evident both from verse 22 and from Rev. 1 that the Son of man is the Ancient of days, the Eternal God. All judgment has been committed to Him because He is the Son of man; and this is plainly declared in the scene before us to be a session of judgment — not the session of judgment of the Great White Throne in Rev. 20, but a session for the judgment of the living (for He will judge the quick, the living, as well as the dead) preparatory to the establishment of His kingdom (v. 14). The throne was like the fiery flame, its wheels as burning fire, and a fiery stream came forth from before Him; for fire is ever a symbol in Scripture of the holiness of God as applied in judgment. The myriads of angels also, who serve and wait before Him, point to the same conclusion, even as we read in Matthew, in connection with the judgment of the nations, "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory," etc. (Matt. 25:31). The thrones — not the throne at the end of verse 9, which is that of the Ancient of days, but the thrones at the beginning of the verse — are those found in Rev. 20, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them" (v. 4). These are the thrones occupied by the saints, the armies in heaven that will follow Christ when He comes forth for the judgment of our chapter (Rev. 19:11-21). The apostle could thus write to the Corinthians, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" They will be thus associated with Christ in the judgment of the living, and on this account Daniel beheld thrones in addition to the one like the fiery flame on which the judge Himself sat.†

Daniel thus continues the account of what he saw in his night visions: "I beheld till the thrones were cast down,* and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened" (vv. 9, 10). That the Ancient of days is the Eternal God is undoubted; and it is as evident both from verse 22 and from Rev. 1 that the Son of man is the Ancient of days, the Eternal God. All judgment has been committed to Him because He is the Son of man; and this is plainly declared in the scene before us to be a session of judgment — not the session of judgment of the Great White Throne in Rev. 20, but a session for the judgment of the living (for He will judge the quick, the living, as well as the dead) preparatory to the establishment of His kingdom (v. 14). The throne was like the fiery flame, its wheels as burning fire, and a fiery stream came forth from before Him; for fire is ever a symbol in Scripture of the holiness of God as applied in judgment. The myriads of angels also, who serve and wait before Him, point to the same conclusion, even as we read in Matthew, in connection with the judgment of the nations, "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory," etc. (Matt. 25:31). The thrones — not the throne at the end of verse 9, which is that of the Ancient of days, but the thrones at the beginning of the verse — are those found in Rev. 20, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them" (v. 4). These are the thrones occupied by the saints, the armies in heaven that will follow Christ when He comes forth for the judgment of our chapter (Rev. 19:11-21). The apostle could thus write to the Corinthians, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" They will be thus associated with Christ in the judgment of the living, and on this account Daniel beheld thrones in addition to the one like the fiery flame on which the judge Himself sat.†

(Vv. 9, 10). The second vision that describes the fourth beast also foretells the judgment of the beast. Daniel sees a vision of the eternal God, the Ancient of Days, seated upon the throne of judgment. We know that Christ is also the Ancient of Days — a divine Person, as well as the Son of Man. In the first chapter of Revelation He is presented as the Judge with all the characteristics that mark the Ancient of Days in the Book of Daniel. Moreover, Daniel not only sees the throne of the Ancient of Days, but he sees other thrones which were "set up" (not "cast down" as in our version). These thrones evidently refer to the thrones of the saints that will be associated with Christ in this judgment of the living nations. They are again referred to in the Revelation, when the Apostle John says, "I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them" (Rev. 20:4; 1 Cor. 6:2).

Surrounding the throne are thousands of angelic beings. The execution of judgment is one of the functions of the angels. The passage describing the judgment of the living nations in Matthew 25 opens by presenting the Son of Man coming to His throne of glory, "and all the holy angels with him" (Matt. 25:31).

A new vision follows (verses 13, 14,) in contrast with the powers that were represented by ravening beasts. The new and prominent object is "one like the Son of man." Just as in the second chapter it was an insignificant stone that struck the great image, and all crumbled to pieces from head to foot. Here the Son of man "came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him." The Ancient of days represents God as such, "the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity."

In the Revelation the two glories are both united in the Person of Christ. Rev. 1 shows us one like the Son of man: but when we find the description of Him, some of the features are exactly the same as are attributed here to the Ancient of days, whose garment is said to be as white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool, etc. The Jewish prophet sees Christ simply as man. The Christian prophet sees Him as man, but as God withal.

"And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." There will be no such thing as its being taken from Him, or as another power succeeding Him. It will be everlasting in the sense of as long as the world shall endure. But, strictly, this is not an eternal scene. The Jewish prophets show you the millennium; but they do not unfold, as the New Testament does, that when all things are subdued to God, even the Father, God shall be all in all. This was reserved for another day; and the Revelation follows it up in the most blessed manner, in Rev. 21:1-8.

We have then His qualities or attributes. First, He is the Ancient of days. In Daniel the same truth comes out. The Son of man is brought to the Ancient of days; but, farther on in the chapter, it is the Ancient of days who comes. The Son of man is Jehovah. This characterises all the testimony. The King of kings and Lord of lords shows Him: but, when He comes, we find that He is King of kings and Lord of lords. But in this glory He has the attributes of judgment — eyes of fire — that which pierces into everything, and fire is ever the sign of judgment. This was its piercing, searching character: His feet, the firmness with which sin was met; for brass is righteousness, viewed, not as intrinsically in God to be approached, but as dealing with man, in his responsibility as man. The mercy-seat was gold, the altar and laver brass; but there it was as an altar, that is, dealing with sin for man, a sacrifice, though fire was there, but here the burning furnace of judgment. The voice was the sign of power and majesty.

The description of the Ancient of Days is in measure like that of the Lord Jesus walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. The Son of Man is brought near to Him, and given an everlasting dominion. As Ancient of Days, judgment is committed to His hands; as Son of Man He receives His kingdom. It appears to us that these are both presentations of the same Person—the Lord Jesus Christ—looked at in different connections.

Now note His appearance to John on the Lord's Day. Head and hairs white like wool remind us of the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:9, to whom the Son of Man comes with the clouds of Heaven, and is invested with all the rights and dignities of the Kingdom. But verse 22 of the same chapter lets us know that the Son of Man is Himself the Ancient of Days! In verse 7 the Son of Man comes, and in verse 22 it is the Ancient of Days who comes! Thus the Son of Man and the Ancient of Days are one!

Hence we have to remark that Christ is seen, not as Head, nor as Priest, nor Advocate, but in a judicial point of view. He is spoken of as Son of Man; and, as we know, this is the aspect in which it is given Him to execute every kind of judgment, as is expressly so taught in John's own Gospel. He is judging the lamps set to shed light in a world of darkness, and this at the very time the light grew dim and precarious, if not at first expiring. Yet with this another feature betrays John, suiting him as the writer strikingly. He that is seen as Son of Man is described with those marks which belong distinctively to the "Ancient of days." Daniel sees the "Ancient of days" in one way, and the Son of Man in another, though even there the Ancient of days came, indicating their oneness (7). John sees the Son of Man with the qualities of the Ancient of days. He is man; but the man seen then and thus is a divine person, the eternal God Himself. Let me ask, Whose style does this identification of nature fall in with but the writer's that we are now reading? Does it not convince more than ever, not so much similarity of phrase which might be imitated? Morally speaking Jesus must execute judgment; but John does not lose sight of His divine glory, even where the subject is not grace but judgment, with the kingdom to follow everywhere anticipated.

Here we have to remark that Christ is seen in a judicial point of view. He is spoken of as Son of man; and, as we know, this is the quality in which it is given Him to execute every kind of judgment. It is expressly so taught in John's own gospel. (John 5) Yet with all this another feature betrays John, and suits him as the writer most strikingly. He that is seen as Son of man is really described with those marks which belong distinctively to the "Ancient of days." Daniel sees the "Ancient of days" in one way, and the Son of man in quite another. John sees the Son of man with the qualities of the Ancient of days. He is man; but the man seen then and thus is a divine person, the eternal God Himself. Now I ask any fair mind, whose style does this identification of nature suit but the writer that we are now reading? No doubt, morally speaking, He must needs execute judgment; but John could not lose sight of His divine glory, even where the subject is judgment, and the kingdom everywhere prominent.