Michael, the "Ancient of Days", and You

We do not need to know the exact identity of the Ancient of Days and Michael in order to understand the simple message of the scriptures. But it is interesting...

The Ancient of Days

"The Ancient of Days" cannot be Jesus

In the last days, the Son of Man descends in clouds (a familiar description of Christ at his Second Coming) and meets the Ancient of Days, receiving the kingdoms of this world. So the "Ancient of Days" cannot be Jesus.

"The Ancient of Days" cannot be God the Father

Most commentaries assume that the "Ancient of Days" (Daniel 7:9-10 and 13-14) refers to God the Father. However, the "Ancient of Days" is unlikely to represent God the Father for the following reasons:

• Ever since the Arian controversy died down, the major creeds have said that God the Father and Jesus Christ are the same person. So if the Ancient of Days is the Father, then the major creeds are wrong. Thus they have only a shallow understanding of the nature of the Father and the son, and thus their interpretation of unusual passages like this is so flawed as to be worthless.
• There is no reason to describe the Father in terms of great earthly age - he is eternal.
• The fact that he sits on a throne is not the give-away it seems. The language is similar to that describing the throne in heaven in Revelation 4-5. But although God sits on such a throne, so does Christ and so do the redeemed (Revelation 3:21). Similarly, the fact that millions minister or attend to him does not mean that they worship him in the way that millions worship God in in Revelation 5:11. In fact, the NIV text note refers the reader to the reference to the tens of thousands credited to David in 1 Samuel 18:7. The presence of 100 million people does not prove the presence of God - after all, there as twice that number at the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 9:16). Perhaps significant is the fact that the throne in Daniel has wheels - usually associated with angels (Ezekiel 1:15-21), not with God.
• There is no other reference to our Father residing on earth when Jesus returns, which would have to be such an important event that it would surely be mentioned in other prophecies.

"The Ancient of Days" could be an important angel

What do we already know about who is present at the last days? We know that Michael is present as a great leader, as well as numerous other angels in heaven and elsewhere. An "angel" (in the original languages) is simply a messenger from God, so this could include a wide number of beings. The reference to "wheels" on the throne already suggests an angel, as noted above.

Who are the angels? Revelation 4, 5 and 7 tell us most about what goes on in heaven. Various angels are mentioned, without saying where they come from. But we are told that heaven in filled with righteous saints (Revelation 7:9, 13-155). Since an angel is just a messenger, and heaven is full of righteous saints, the simplest explanation is that an angel is just a righteous saint who is used as a messenger.

There is additional support for angels being saints who have passed on, when we look at one of the most famous angelic visits - on the mount of transfiguration. In Matthew 17 (and Mark 9 and Luke 9), Jesus spoke with Moses and Elias. Clearly they had some message (or why come?), so can be rightly be described as angels. Angels can easily be mistaken for ordinary people (see Hebrews 13:2) or are simply described as men in bright clothing (as in Daniel).

So the Ancient of Days is probably some kind of angel, and angels could simply be saints who have passed on.

So who is "The Ancient of Days"?

Whoever this person is, he is identified by his great age. Who is the most ancient person we know of? Could it be Abraham, described as the father of many nations, so the idea of millions attending him would be appropriate? No, there is one person more ancient than Abraham (or any mortal), and more significant to the human family.

One person was there at the very beginning and would be very appropriate at the very end. One person in all scripture is compared directly with Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). Only one being (besides God) would have a natural right to hand over the kingdoms of this world - the literal father of them all. The simplest identity to give the Ancient of Days is our father Adam.

Adam was a great man and a great prophet

One point needs to be cleared up here. The Medieval church began the story that Adam, in taking the fruit of the tree, did a very bad thing (and therefore could not now be an angel in heaven). However, this medieval idea is a great slur on Adam's good name, and is not Biblical.

The importance of Adam

The idea that God chose a loser for the most important role in creation (second only to the atonement) silly. The idea (promoted by many "Christian" churches) that Adam spoiled God's original plan (for one man and one woman to live in Eden forever) is crazy. Did God really intend this whole planet for just two people? No, God's plan demanded that Adam eat that fruit. That is why he prepared a savior "before the foundation of the world" (1 Peter 1:20). Adam did what God intended, and will be blessed for it.

Adam's transgression

When Adam transgressed, and ate the fruit of the tree, he did just that - he transgressed. He did not sin. He could not sin at that point. Why? Because sinning implies that you know the difference between good and evil (see James 4:17). But the whole point of eating the fruit was that before eating, Adam did not have knowledge of good and evil. Adam's transgression was certainly against what God said, but Adam did not appreciate the significance of that at the time, so cannot be condemned for it.

We are really going off on a tangent here, but it is worth finishing. If the "fall" of Adam is so important, why did God say "don't eat the fruit"? That's easy. If you are a parent, you will know the answer already. Someone who loves their children will always try to stop them getting hurt. But you also know that the child must get hurt in order to learn. God loved Adam, so told him not to get hurt. But like any father, he knew that an inquisitive child who doesn't know any better will do it anyway, and that is as it should be. Adam had to learn for himself.

Conclusion

So in conclusion: Adam was presumably a righteous man. So Adam is now in heaven. So Adam sits on a throne (Revelation 3:21). Adam is the most ancient of all mankind. Adam deserves respect from all mankind (as any parent deserves respect from his children). So Adam is probably "The Ancient of Days".

The ancient of Days was at the beginning of human history and at the end. No wonder that Jesus, his God and his creator, was described as a "second Adam" (1 Corinthians 15:45-47)

Michael

Michael is a great leader who helps the saints in the great troubles at the end of the world.

What does the Bible say?

Is he a man, an angel, or what? That is easy. In chapter 10, the man who gives the information to Daniel has all the aspects of an angel from heaven (10:5,6,12). He refers to Michael as helping him (10:13), so Michael must be an angel too. Michael also features in Jude and Revelation in the New Testament. Incidentally, this use of the word "prince" for a heavenly being tends to reinforce the idea that the "prince of the covenant" in 11:22 is not referring to a priest at the temple, or any other ordinary mortal.

Who is Michael? Daniel introduces two people who play a crucial leading part at the very end of the last days - the Ancient of Days and Michael. Both are spoken of in terms of the books of judgement (Daniel 7:10 and 12:1-3). But when the book of Revelation comes to add more detail, the name "Ancient of Days" is not mentioned, just Michael. Could they be the same person?

Your part in all of this

All this business with Michael/The Ancient of Days takes place in the last days. As shown by the fulfillment of the other prophecies, that means now. And you could have an important part in this. If Adam is the Ancient of Days, and his descendants minister to him at some point (Daniel 7:10), this could include you. That is, if you live your life in such a way as to be part of the kingdom of God as described by Daniel. You could be one of the "people of the saints of the most high" (7:28)if you recognise that group from Daniel's description, and choose to join.

Put bluntly, when world conditions are worse than they have ever been (Daniel 12:1-3), you could be one of those who are redeemed. And it gets better: According to Daniel 12:3, if you turn many to righteousness - in other words, if you are a missionary for this great cause - you will shine as a star forever. This is something worth doing, don't you think?

the bottom line

Adam is your flesh and blood. You are descended from an angel. Think about it!