Ancient of Days

Three times, in the Prophecy of Daniel, and in the same chapter, we find the Lord distinguished by this name, and in no other part of Scripture. (Dan. 7: 9. 13. 22.) Some have thought that the person of God the Father is meant, and it should seem to be so, because it is also said, that One like the Son of man, (a well known character of the Lord Jesus Christ) came to him. See ver. 13. But others, considering the thrones spoken of in this chapter as the thrones of the house of David, and all judgment being committed to the Son, for the Father judgeth no man, (see John v. 22.) they have concluded, that it must be the Lord Jesus Christ which is spoken of under this glorious name. One thing however is certain, that this distinguishing name, and every other which marks the GODHEAD, may be and must be equally applied to each, and to all. The holy sacred Three, who bear record in heaven are One. (1 John v. 7.)

Dan 7:9; Dan 7:13; Dan 7:22. The everlasting Jehovah, as contrasted with the ephemeral transitoriness of the four successive world powers, stable as they seemed for a time.

(Chald. עִתִּיק יוֹמִין, Sept. παλαιὸς ἡμιρῶν, Vulg. antiquus dierum), an expression applied to Jehovah thrice in a vision of Daniel (ch. 7, 9, 13, 22), apparently much in the same sense as Eternal. SEE JEHOVAH. The expression, viewed by itself, is somewhat peculiar; but it is doubtless employed by way of contrast to the successive monarchies which appeared one after another rising before the eye of the prophet. These all proved to be ephemeral existences, partaking of the corruption and evanescence of earth; and so, when the supreme Lord and Governor of all appeared to pronounce their doom, and set up his own everlasting kingdom, He is not unnaturally symbolized as the Ancient of Days — one who was not like those new formations, the offspring of a particular time, but who had all time, in a manner, in his possession — one whose days were past reckoning. SEE DANIEL (BOOK OF).

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; Dan 7:13; Dan 7:22. He is both God and man: cf. Rev 1 and 5.

By: Caspar Levias, Kaufmann Kohler

—Biblical Data:

A poetical epithet for God. It is an incorrect rendering of the Aramaic 'attiḳ yomin (Dan. vii. 9) or 'attiḳ yomaya (ib. vii. 13, 22), which should be translated "an aged one," "the aged one" (compare Dalman, "Die Worte Jesu," i. 194). "Ancient of Days" is used either to emphasize the contrast between the true God and the idols, the new gods (Judges, v. 8; Deut. xxxii. 17), or merely to express the venerable character of the being whose name the author hesitates to mention. From the above-cited passage in Daniel is borrowed the expression "re'esha mawa'el" (head of days) in the Book of Enoch xlvi. 1, and the description of the Son of Man in Rev. i. 14.

—In Rabbinical Literature:

This name of God, used only in Dan. vii. 9, 13, 22, in which He is described as having "the hair of his head [white] like pure wool," denotes the One who is from of old; that is, old compared with all created things, that are of yesterday. As stated by Pseudo-Saadia and other Jewish commentators, God is often depicted by the rabbis as the venerable sage (Zaḳen) invested with judicial authority, whose sternness is tempered by mildness of judgment. To the devotees of mystic lore, within whose circle the Book of Daniel and the entire apocalyptic literature originated, the name naturally suggested itself as an attribute of majesty combined with tenderness, since they regarded the title "Zaḳen" (the aged one) to mean the one invested with the highest dignity. Accordingly "Ancient of Days" remained with these a favorite name of God (Pes.119a, B. B. 91b). It became, moreover, the standing name for God in the oldest portions of the Zohar, the (Book of Mystic Lore), in which the white, wool-like hair of the head became a prominent feature of the anthropomorphism of the Cabala. The following rational explanation of this anthropomorphic description of the Deity is given in Mek., Beshallaḥ Shirah (Ex. xv. 3), and Ḥag. 13a: "When represented as a warrior triumphant in battle, God appears as a fiery young hero; and in an assembly of the wise who seek truth and justice, He is depicted as a venerable sage, ca lm and majestic."

ANCIENT OF DAYS occurs 3 times in Daniel (Dan 7:9; Dan 7:13; Dan 7:22) as a title of God in His capacity as Judge of the world. In the Vision of the Great Assizes He is depicted as a very old and majestic figure, with white hair and white raimeot, seated on a fiery throne, and having the books of the records of man opened before Him. The picture is no doubt suggested by the contrast between the Eternal God (Psa 55:19) and the new-fangled deities which were from time to time introduced (Jdg 5:8, Deu 32:17), rather than, as Hippolytus (quoted by Behrmann, Das Buch Daniel, p. 46) suggests, by the idea of God as making the ages old without turning old Himself. In the troublous times which are represented by the Book of Daniel, it was at once a comfort and a warning to remember that above the fleeting phases of life there sat One who remained eternally the same (Psa 90:1-3; Psa 102:24-27). At the same time it is worth remembering that the phrase in itself has no mystical significance, but, by an idiom common in Hebrew as in other languages, is merely a paraphrase for ‘an old man.’

H. C. O. Lanchester.

Expression applied by the Prophet Daniel to God, contrasting His eternal power with the frail existence of worldly empires.

A name given to God by the Prophet Daniel (7:9, 7:13, 7:22), in which he contrasts His eternal powers with the frail existence of the empires of the world. It is from these descriptions of the Almighty that Christian art derived its general manner of representing the first person of the Holy Trinity. Ancient of Days is expressed in Aramaic by Atiq yomin; in the Greek Septuagint by palaios hemeron; and in the Vulgate by Antiquus dierum.-----------------------------------A.J. MAAS Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume ICopyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York

(עתּיק יומין, ‛attı̄ḳ yōmı̄n, = Aramaic): On עתּיק, ‛attı̄ḳ, see ANCIENT (4). The expression is used in reference to God in Dan (Job 7:9, Job 7:13, 22) and is not intended to suggest the existence of God from eternity. It was the venerable appearance of old age that was uppermost in the writer’s mind. “What Daniel sees is not the eternal God Himself, but an aged man, in whose dignified and impressive form God reveals Himself (compare Eze 1:26)” (Keil).