Advent Day 6: Ancient of Days

The Ancient of Days, William Blake, 1794.
Frontispiece in Blake’s book entitled Europe a Prophecy. Color relief etching and white-line etching in blue, black, red, and yellow with added hand coloring, 30.8 x 24.8 cm. British Museum, London, England.
Public Domain.

The Trinity Icon (The Hospitality of Abraham) (overall and detail view), Andrei Rublev, 1425–1427. Tempera on wood, 142 x 114 cm. Old Katholikon of the Trinity Lavra, Sergiyev Posad, Russia.
Public Domain.

“Ancient of Days” from the album Hymns in the Round. Performed by Shane & Shane, composed by Jonny Robinson, Richard Thompson, Michael Farren, and Jesse Reeves.

“Immortal, Invisible” from the album Hymns of the Father (Reawaken Hymns). Performed by Nathan Drake, Lyrics by Walter Chalmers Smith; music is St. Denio (Joanna), a Welsh melody.

Poetry:

“BC:AD”
by U. A. Fanthorpe

This was the moment when Before
Turned into After, and the future's
Uninvented timekeepers presented arms.

This was the moment when nothing
Happened. Only dull peace
Sprawled boringly over the earth.

This was the moment when even energetic Romans
Could find nothing better to do
Than counting heads in remote provinces.

And this was the moment
When a few farm workers and three
Members of an obscure Persian sect
Walked haphazard by starlight straight
Into the kingdom of heaven.

Ancient of Days

I retired from full-time work last year. I am now officially “old,” approaching “elderly.” Soon, if my life continues, I will be “ancient.” It’s likely to happen—my mom lived nearly 102 years, and she was ancient!

For us, being “ancient” means: greatly limited, failing, fragile, needing care, nearly dead.

But for God, it means potent majesty and greatness—the momentum of the Ancient of Days carries us all along through life as He rules over time. Only the Ancient of Days knows the end from the beginning—our end from our beginning!

And so, we trust Him, and we entrust ourselves to Him.

The blessed news is that this mighty, eternal, powerful being is also good!

He is outside of time and space, and yet he chose to join our limited existence to save us. Words fail to form in our mouths to tell of the bigness, the immensity of our God and his glorious kingdom. His kingdom encompasses all of our kingdoms. He, who is from the beginning, rules over all. All glory to him.

We find relief from this pressing weight of glory only through worship. He has chosen to reveal himself in the beauty of this creation, and we worship through mirroring his beauty with our (sub)creations, as words fail. Beauty reflects his glory. And so, we sing, we paint, we dance, we craft poetry, and we worship. All of today’s artworks are expressions of worship.

Faced with the heavy glory of the Ancient of Days, we explode in grand hymns: “Oh help us to see, ’tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.”

Artist Rublev’s Trinity icon emphasizes God’s glorious light. Notice the icon itself is the source of light; notice the translucent, glowing robe of God the Father on the left; notice the radiant halos of the Trinity. Notice how the perspective of the icon extends out to us, the viewer: We are invited to the table with the Trinity. There is a place for us.

Blake’s artwork showing the Creator God is entitled “Ancient of Days,” which is one of the names for God from the book of Daniel. Daniel, along with Job, is known as one of the greatest prayer warriors, and it benefits us to pay attention to how he addresses God in prayer. I have pondered this as I’ve prepared this devotional. Addressing God as Ancient of Days helps me pray: “Ancient of Days, You have seen it all! Literally, you have seen it all!”

It puts my concerns and requests in context. I am addressing the One who has seen it all. Nothing is new to him; nothing is outside of His ken nor His reach. And since I am his daughter and so dear to him, I come to my Father, my Abba, the Ancient of Days—and He lovingly attends to me and my petitions.

He means us well. He made us for himself. God made us, Jesus came to save us, the Holy Spirit makes his home in us. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit invite us into perfect union.

The Almighty God, the Creator of time and space, the Ancient of Days, joined us humans here on this planet and provided the way for us to join him. He showed us his very self.

The Ancient of Days had a birthday in order that we may have new birth. He loves us so much.

Fixing my mind and heart on this reality changes my prayer.

He alone is wise. He alone is king above all, having all dominion.

We are messy and ignorant, and we don’t know what we don’t know. But we can take comfort in this: in the end, we all are brought to him, and in our Judge—the High King, the Ancient of Days—we find the face of our Father, the face of our brother Jesus.

And so, we rest, and we trust him.

Prayer:
All glory to you, Lord Christ, Ancient of Days. In our limitation, trapped in time and space, we do not know our end from our beginning. But you are from eternity past; you are the author of time and space; you are the beginning and the end. All things come from you, and you rule over all. Ancient of Days, we bow in awe and worship you—and we also run to you because you have called us to yourself, and we are so thankful to be your own dear ones.
We come to you, our Father, through our Lord Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Betsy A. Barber, Psy.D.
Faculty Emerita, Institute for Spiritual Formation
Talbot School of Theology
Supervisor, Biola Counseling Center
Biola University

For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, please visit our website via the link in our bio.