VERSE 9 I behold 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. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth form 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.

A Judgment Scene.—A sublimer description of the more awe-inspiring scene is not to be found in the word of God. not the grand and lofty imagery alone could arrest our attention; the nature of the scene itself demands most serious consideration. The judgment is here brought to view. Whenever the judgment is mentioned, it ought to take an irresistible hold upon every mind, for all have a deep concern in its eternal issues.

By an unfortunate translation in verse 9, a wrong idea is almost sure to be conveyed. The phrase “cast down” is from a Chaldee word רִמִיו, remi, which may properly be rendered “hurled by violence,” as is plainly the case where it is used to describe the casting of the three Hebrews into the fiery furnace, and of casting Daniel into the den of lions. But another equally correct translation is “to set or place in order,” as in the placing of the judgment seats mentioned here, as also like a setting or placing in Revelation 4:2, in which the Greek bears out the same meaning. The Revised Version in Daniel 7:9 readers properly, “thrones were placed,” as Gesenius defines the root remah, which reference to Daniel 7:9 as an example.

The ”Ancient of days,” God the Father, presides at the judgment. Mark the description of His persons. Those who believe in the impersonality of God are obliged to admit that He is here described as a personal being, but they console themselves by saying that it is the only description of the kind in the Bible. We do not admit this latter assertion; but granting that it were true, it is not one description of this kind as fatal to their theory as though it were repeated a score of times? The thousand thousands who minister unto Him, and the ten thousand times ten thousand who stand before Him, are not sinners arraigned before the judgment seat,, but heavenly intelligences who wait before Him, attendant on His will. John saw the same heavenly attendants before the throne of God, and he describes the majestic scene in these words: “I behold, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.” Revelation 5:11. A fuller understanding of these verses involves an understanding of the sanctuary services.

The closing up of the ministration of Christ, our great High Priest, in the heavenly sanctuary, is the work of judgment here introduced. It is an investigative judgment. The books was opened, and the cases of all come up for examination before that great tribunal, that it may be decided beforehand who are to receive eternal life when the Lord shall come to confer it upon His people. It will appear from the testimony of Daniel 8;14 that this solemn work is even now going on in the sanctuary above.