Ancient of Days
“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14)
We have never experienced anything eternal. Think about it. Everything had a beginning. Even the oldest, seemingly ageless components of our world started somewhere. Some trees can live thousands of years. A certain species of ocean clam has been found to live hundreds of years. The oldest living person as of this writing is a Japanese woman who was born in 1903 -- 116 years ago!
Even the inorganic world has its limits. Still-standing monuments erected by men reach back a handful of millennia. And even though the world around us gives off a sense of timelessness, we know this isn't the case. Everything started somewhere. The earth and everything in it had a beginning, as did the sun, moon, stars and galaxies beyond us. As did light and even time itself. Therefore, we have never experienced anything timeless, anything ageless. So don't let those perfume ads, sports commentators or pop songs deceive you. Man knows nothing of the eternal.
But that does not mean that the eternal does not exist. We know from Genesis 1 that "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." From the outset of Scripture we discover that there is One who stands outside of time and matter. He predates dates. He preexists the existential. He stands apart from all that is because He IS (Exodus 3:14, John 8:58).
Trying to wrap our heads around that astounding truth is an important part of what drives the Christian to worship. The prophet Daniel, when given a vision of the "Ancient of Days" could barely hold his faculties together (Daniel 7:15, 28). Encountering the eternal would truly be a terrifying and awe-inspiring experience.
That is why this unique title for God - Ancient of Days - is so important to remember and repeat in our worship. Though God is wholly other than His creation, He is not distant from it. He actively and entirely controls it. Everything that has issued forth from Him belongs to Him and is controlled by Him. This means space, matter, time -- everything! -- is under His authority. He rules all, and all follows His sovereign will.
CityAlight has composed another biblically-rich hymn to aid in the church's worship of the Ancient of Days. Drawing on the themes of God's rule and reign over His creation, these verses point the worshiper to the One who in love has orchestrated a plan to redeem a fallen world and restore His creation. Whom Daniel sees as the Son of Man we recognize as God's only Son, Jesus Christ. By His death and resurrection He has earned the glory and kingdom of His Father and sits enthroned alongside the Ancient of Days until all is finally fulfilled.
It is almost too much to imagine, the day in which all God's redeemed will finally enter the throne room together to stand before the Ancient of Days. What awe! What fullness of joy! What wonder and worship will be ours when we finally touch the eternal and experience Him fully! But in the meantime, He is not far from us. As we join together to sing His praise and to repeat His promise to us, we can begin now what we will continue into eternity.
We have never experienced anything eternal. Think about it. Everything had a beginning. Even the oldest, seemingly ageless components of our world started somewhere. Some trees can live thousands of years. A certain species of ocean clam has been found to live hundreds of years. The oldest living person as of this writing is a Japanese woman who was born in 1903 -- 116 years ago!
Even the inorganic world has its limits. Still-standing monuments erected by men reach back a handful of millennia. And even though the world around us gives off a sense of timelessness, we know this isn't the case. Everything started somewhere. The earth and everything in it had a beginning, as did the sun, moon, stars and galaxies beyond us. As did light and even time itself. Therefore, we have never experienced anything timeless, anything ageless. So don't let those perfume ads, sports commentators or pop songs deceive you. Man knows nothing of the eternal.
But that does not mean that the eternal does not exist. We know from Genesis 1 that "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." From the outset of Scripture we discover that there is One who stands outside of time and matter. He predates dates. He preexists the existential. He stands apart from all that is because He IS (Exodus 3:14, John 8:58).
Trying to wrap our heads around that astounding truth is an important part of what drives the Christian to worship. The prophet Daniel, when given a vision of the "Ancient of Days" could barely hold his faculties together (Daniel 7:15, 28). Encountering the eternal would truly be a terrifying and awe-inspiring experience.
That is why this unique title for God - Ancient of Days - is so important to remember and repeat in our worship. Though God is wholly other than His creation, He is not distant from it. He actively and entirely controls it. Everything that has issued forth from Him belongs to Him and is controlled by Him. This means space, matter, time -- everything! -- is under His authority. He rules all, and all follows His sovereign will.
CityAlight has composed another biblically-rich hymn to aid in the church's worship of the Ancient of Days. Drawing on the themes of God's rule and reign over His creation, these verses point the worshiper to the One who in love has orchestrated a plan to redeem a fallen world and restore His creation. Whom Daniel sees as the Son of Man we recognize as God's only Son, Jesus Christ. By His death and resurrection He has earned the glory and kingdom of His Father and sits enthroned alongside the Ancient of Days until all is finally fulfilled.
It is almost too much to imagine, the day in which all God's redeemed will finally enter the throne room together to stand before the Ancient of Days. What awe! What fullness of joy! What wonder and worship will be ours when we finally touch the eternal and experience Him fully! But in the meantime, He is not far from us. As we join together to sing His praise and to repeat His promise to us, we can begin now what we will continue into eternity.
VERSE 1
Though the nations rage, kingdoms rise and fall (Acts 4:24-26)
There is still one King reigning over all (Psalm 103:19)
So I will not fear, for this truth remains (Isaiah 43:1, John 16:33)
That my God is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9, 7:13, 7:22)
CHORUS
None above Him, none before Him (Deut. 32:39, Isaiah 44:6)
All of time in His hands (Genesis 1:3-5, Psalm 90:4, Ecc. 3)
For His throne it shall remain and ever stand (Psalm 102:12, 2 Sam. 7:16)
All the power, all the glory (Jude 1:25, Rev. 4:11)
I will trust in His name (Psalm 33:21, 91:14-16)
For my God is the Ancient of Days
VERSE 2
Though the dread of night overwhelms my soul (Psalm 91:5, 23:4)
He is here with me, I am not alone (Psalm 145:18, 34:18)
O His love is sure and He knows my name (Lam. 3:22, Isaiah 43:1)
For my God is the Ancient of Days
VERSE 3
Though I may not see what the future brings (Ecc. 8:7)
I will watch and wait for the Savior King (Psalm 130:5-6, Rom. 8:23, Phil 3:20)
Then my joy complete, standing face to face (John 15:11, Psalm 16:11, 1 Cor. 13:12, 1 John 3:2)
In the presence of the Ancient of Days (Rev. 22:3-4)
Jonny Robinson | Rich Thompson | Michael Farren | Jesse Reeves
Copyright 2018 CityAlight Music
Though the nations rage, kingdoms rise and fall (Acts 4:24-26)
There is still one King reigning over all (Psalm 103:19)
So I will not fear, for this truth remains (Isaiah 43:1, John 16:33)
That my God is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9, 7:13, 7:22)
CHORUS
None above Him, none before Him (Deut. 32:39, Isaiah 44:6)
All of time in His hands (Genesis 1:3-5, Psalm 90:4, Ecc. 3)
For His throne it shall remain and ever stand (Psalm 102:12, 2 Sam. 7:16)
All the power, all the glory (Jude 1:25, Rev. 4:11)
I will trust in His name (Psalm 33:21, 91:14-16)
For my God is the Ancient of Days
VERSE 2
Though the dread of night overwhelms my soul (Psalm 91:5, 23:4)
He is here with me, I am not alone (Psalm 145:18, 34:18)
O His love is sure and He knows my name (Lam. 3:22, Isaiah 43:1)
For my God is the Ancient of Days
VERSE 3
Though I may not see what the future brings (Ecc. 8:7)
I will watch and wait for the Savior King (Psalm 130:5-6, Rom. 8:23, Phil 3:20)
Then my joy complete, standing face to face (John 15:11, Psalm 16:11, 1 Cor. 13:12, 1 John 3:2)
In the presence of the Ancient of Days (Rev. 22:3-4)
Jonny Robinson | Rich Thompson | Michael Farren | Jesse Reeves
Copyright 2018 CityAlight Music
Posted in Doxology and Theology
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