What an intriguing name of God! Daniel was certainly intrigued by it, as he records a vision he saw in Daniel 7:9-10 (NKJV), "I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated and the books were opened.
We sing about the Ancient of Days in an old hymn of the church, Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise. The last two lines of the first verse read: Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise. Just saying the phrase “Ancient of Days,” sounds so powerful and awesome—it’s in a class of its own.
The Aramaic meaning of “ancient” here is “advanced, old, taken away”. The Ancient of Days—our Heavenly Father—has always existed. There was never a time when He did not exist. His great love for us has always existed; in fact, He doesn’t know how to not love us! The Ancient of Days personifies love and wisdom. The fact that Daniel saw the Ancient of Days seated implies that He was about to judge situations. His wisdom is unparalleled, and Romans 16:27 refers to Him as “the only wise God”.
Proverbs 16:31 (NKJV) says the silver-haired head is a crown of glory if it is found in the way of righteousness. That refers to us if we are “found in the ways of righteousness”. The Ancient of Days has hair like pure wool, and His hoary, or silver-haired head is symbolic of His wisdom. We are created in His image, hoary hair and all. As we become more and more like Christ, we should be growing in God’s wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
Isaiah 46:4 (NLT) says I will be your God throughout your lifetime—until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. The Ancient of Days not only has white hair, but He notices it in the people He loves and cares for.
The Ancient of Days cares so deeply about you. Matthew Henry, in his Commentary, writes this regarding Isaiah 46:4, God has graciously engaged to support and comfort his faithful servants, even in their old age: "Even to your old age, when you grow unfit for business, when you are compassed with infirmities, and perhaps your relations begin to grow weary of you, yet I am He—He that I am, He that I have been—the very same by whom you have been borne from the belly and carried from the womb. You change, but I am the same. I am He that I have promised to be, He that you have found me, and He that you would have me to be. I will carry you, I will bear, will bear you up and bear you out, and will carry you on in your way and carry you home at last."
You are loved by the Ancient of Days, the only wise God, the One who has a thousand thousands angels ministering to Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand angels standing before Him. How astounding it is that because of Jesus Christ we have a direct line to the Ancient of Days! No man comes to the Father except through Me (the words of Jesus in John 14:6).
© 2021, Chris Werre