I’m not a very formal person and yet I love pageantry and watching grand ceremonies with pomp and circumstance on TV or at the movies. I’m a sucker for documentaries on castles or royal weddings. As a child, fairy tales were favorite reading picks. They always ended with “…and they lived happily ever after.” I love a good ending.

Perhaps that explains my attraction to one of my favorite names of God – the Ancient of Days. I love the majesty and power this particular name conveys. I love the authority. But what I especially love is how the Ancient of Days will end out everything in history. It will be a good ending. He wins and we win too. Finally…happily ever after.

The Ancient of Days is mentioned only three times in the Bible, all three times in the book of Daniel. Written more than 2500 years ago, the book prophesies many things we have not yet seen. Daniel was often called by God to be a man of the future, an End Time prophet. If we are near that time, Daniel is now a “current events” prophet for our own day.

Daniel’s Visions

It was in a night vision on his bed that Daniel first met up with the Ancient of Days. The vision starts out with disturbing pictures of fantastic and horrible beasts. They represent kingdoms that would arise after Daniel was dead and buried—and a kingdom that is yet to arise, the kingdom of the anti-Christ. In the midst of the fabulously frightening scene Daniel records: “As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat.” (Daniel 7:9)

In ancient times, kings usually had elaborate and elevated thrones to show their power and authority and their victory over enemies. They were often inlaid with precious metals like gold and silver and sculpted in jewels with power symbols like lions and eagles. Sometimes scenes of victorious battles were carved around the bottom of the throne to show that the king had made his enemy his footstool.

God’s throne is in a whole different league. His throne is living and moving as described here: “His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him.” (Daniel 7:9-10) This is not a throne made with human hands subject to decay. Here then is the kind of God who sits on this throne: “He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.” (Psalm 18:9-10) That is the Ancient of Days.

The second reference to his great name reveals his sovereign authority over all of creation. Daniel saw “one like a son of man” (a picture of the pre-incarnate Christ) approaching the throne into the presence of the Ancient of Days. “He (Jesus) was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:14)

When Jesus came the first time he came as a suffering servant because his job was to redeem the world from sin and repair the broken relationship between mankind and God the Father. His authority was established but not fully manifest to the world.

His Second Coming will establish his authority with power openly. It will be the time when “there will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, (the river of God) and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:4 NIV) That will be the time when Daniel 7:14 plays out before our eyes. I can hardly wait!

Ruling in Favor of the Saints

These two references to the Ancient of Days are wonderful and marvelous but it is the third reference that is my very favorite. It is that third one I often use as a prayer. “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:21)

Right now God’s permission allows demonic forces to exercise limited power on the earth. We fight many spiritual battles in our lifetime and sometimes we lose those battles—the one we prayed for fervently died anyhow, the church splits, the marriage held to in faith ends, evil seems to triumph over good. Oh yes, but not forever. The time comes when the Ancient of Days puts an end to all that and rules in favor of the saints.

I love to appeal to God as the Ancient of Days. “Oh Ancient of Days, rule in my favor!” “Lord God, you are the Supreme Court Justice of the whole universe, approve my petition according to your power and authority.” “Come NOW Ancient of Days and rule in favor of your saints!”

If you need justice in your case, call out to the Ancient of Days. When you do so you are accessing the highest throne room with the greatest authority. It is God’s saints who will ultimately take possession of the kingdom. I say the sooner the better. Like I said, I love a good ending.

Now learn about Prince of Peace OR pick any of the NAMES OF GOD of your choice to study next.