Ancient of Days
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ancient of Days. This name for God is in Aramaic (Atik Yomin); in the Greek Septuagint: (Palaios Hemeron); and in the Vulgate: (Antiquus Dierum).
Contents |
[edit] In Judaism
This term appears three times in the Bible in the book of Daniel (7:9, 13, 22), and is used in the sense of God being eternal. In contrast with all earthly kings, God's days are past reckoning.
See also The names of God in Judaism
[edit] In Christianity
In Eastern Orthodox Christian hymns and icons, the Ancient of Days is sometimes identified with God the Father, and sometimes with God the Son, or Jesus Christ. As such, an icon will sometimes portray Jesus Christ as an old man, the Ancient of Days, to show symbolically that he existed from all eternity, and sometimes as a young man to portray him as he was incarnate.
In the hymn "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.
"The Ancient of Days" is also the name of a painting by William Blake.
[edit] In Mormonism
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the title Ancient of Days belongs to Adam, the oldest man, who is also identified with the archangel Michael. It is not normally used as a name of God, except by those who subscribe to the Adam-God theory.
[edit] In Hinduism
The Sanskrit name, Karttikeya or Skanda, means "always a youth"1 and is revered as one of the four (or seven) sons of Brahma.
[edit] Esoteric
In Esoteric tradition, the Ancient of Days is also known as Sanat Kumara.
[edit] References
1 Dowson, John (1820-1881). A classical dictionary of Hindu mythology and religion, geography, history, and literature. London: Trübner, 1879 [Reprint, London: Routledge, 1979]. ISBN 0-415-24521-4 [1]
