7:9–12 Ancient of Days

THE ANCIENT OF DAYS. JOHN CALVIN: Daniel now relates how he saw another figure, namely, God sitting on his throne to exercise judgment. We shall see it afterwards concerning Christ, but Daniel now teaches only the appearance of God in his character of a judge. This was the reason why many persons extend this prophecy to the second advent of Christ—an interpretation by no means correct, as I shall show more copiously in the proper place. But first it is worthwhile to consider here why he says the Ancient of Days, meaning the eternal Deity himself, ascended the throne of judgment. This scene seems unnecessary, because it is the peculiar office of God to govern the world; and as we know this cannot be done without upright judgment, it follows that God has been a perpetual judge from the creation of the world. Now, even a moderate acquaintance with the Scriptures shows how well this passage suits us by appealing to our senses, for unless God’s power is made conspicuous, we think it either abolished or interrupted. Hence those forms of expression that occur elsewhere, as, “How long are you silent, O Lord, and how long will you cease from us?” (Ps 13:1; Ps 9:7, and elsewhere), and God ascends his throne—for we should not acknowledge him as a judge unless he really and experimentally proved himself such. This then is the reason why Daniel says God himself was seated in judgment. COMMENTARIES ON DANIEL.

CHRIST, THE ANCIENT OF DAYS. JOHANNES OECOLAMPADIUS: Christ is introduced as the Ancient of Days, who is called the lamb that was slain from the beginning of the world, and who in the beginning was with God, so that you would become acquainted with the prophets who acknowledge Christ as God and man. COMMENTARY ON DANIEL.

WHO IS THE ANCIENT OF DAYS? ANDREW WILLET: Some understand here the person of the Father because mention is made (Dan 7:13) of the Son of Man, which approached the Ancient of Days (Polanus). So also the Glossa Ordinaria takes it. But Christ is there called the Son of Man in respect of human nature. As he is God, he is the Ancient of Days from all eternity, as God the Father is, as he is called the everlasting father (Is 9:6).

Some by the Ancient of Days understand Christ the mediator; Christ is brought in as the Ancient of Days, who is the lamb that was slain from the beginning of the world (Oecolampadius). But Christ as the mediator, God and man, is described afterward (Dan 7:13) where he is called the Son of Man and approaches the Ancient of Days. The Son of Man, then, and the Ancient of Days are not all one.

Wherefore by the Ancient of Days, the everlasting God is signified (Junius), the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who were from all eternity. For concerning the person of the Father, our Savior says, My Father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the Son (Jn 5:22). So, the everlasting God shall judge (Hugo), not God the Father only by his Son (as Osiander). But although the person of the Son only shall appear, yet there shall not be wanting both the Father and the Holy Ghost (Vatablus). SIXFOLD COMMENTARY UPON DANIEL.

THE ANCIENT OF DAYS AND THE SON OF MAN. HEINRICH BULLINGER: The judge who is seated on his throne is the Ancient of Days, God the Father. Without doubt the future divine and most just judgment of Christ is shown under this person. For the Father does not judge in any other way, but he gives all authority to judge also to the Son of Man: he who judged with the most just judgment judges as he receives from the Father. And the Lord Jesus in the Gospel of John says, “The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him” (Jn 5:22–23). And next he says, “As the Father has life in himself, so he has granted that the Son has life in himself and has given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of Man” (Jn 5:26–27). And this is without doubt about whom Daniel speaks.

Therefore the persons of the Father and the Son are most excellently distinguished one from the other and are not confounded. The one is the Father and the other truly the Son, both having equal authority because they are coequal, coessential and coeternal. Indeed, elsewhere the Lord says, “I and the Father are one” (Jn 10:30). We just heard that the Son is to be honored as the Father; that the Son has life in himself as the Father. Therefore, although we heard that the Son received something and the Father gave something to the Son, it is not to be held that they are unequal and that the Son has not this authority from eternity, which he receives in time from the Father. What is more clear than what the Lord himself says: “And now glorify me, Father, with your own self with the glory that I had with you before the world was” (Jn 17:5). Therefore, we assign to the divine economy what we hear the Son receives and the Father gives, as they are no less coequal and coeternal and possessing the same authority. Therefore, when we hear the most just judgment of the Father represented here, we understand by true faith that this is the judgment of Christ. DANIEL THE MOST WISE PROPHET OF GOD.