Sunday, December 5, 2021

George M. Myers (1842-1908): the "Ancient of Days" being the Messiah and/or the People of God by Divine Investiture

In the book, The Approaching End of the Great Prophetic Periods (1897), J.B. Dimbleby wrote the following about the identity of the “Ancient of Days” in Dan 7 wherein he argued for the traditional view (i.e., the “Ancient of Days” being God the Father):

 

ORDER IN THE JUDGMENT BY THE ANCIENT OF DAYS.

 

The following is an outline of the Great Assize, to be held by the Ancient of Days:

 

THE ORDER.

 

1 The thrones are set or placed. See Rev. 20:5.

 

2 The Ancient of Days, or Everlasting God, in person, comes. See Rev. 4:2, 3, and Heb. 12:23. Compare with "came" in Dan. 7:22 J.B. Dimbleby, The Approaching End of the Great Prophetic Periods [Belle Plaine, Iowa: The Evangelist Office, 1897], 63)

 

However, in a note to the above, the editor George M. Myers (1842-1908), pastor of the Restitution Church of God, Irving, Iowa., disagrees with the identification of the “Ancient of Days” with the “Everlasting God,” and instead argues for the Ancient of Days being a corporate identity:

 

REMARK 2 We are not satisfied with No. "2" above that the Ancient of Days is the Everlasting God. In Daniel 7:26, 27 about the official work is assigned to the people, the saints of the Most High, that is ascribed to the Ancient of Days in verse 9. It the term "saints" refers to the saints of this dispensation, then they will be resurrected ones. If the saints of the former dispensation, the Saints of Daniel's day and people, then they may be the people of Ancient of Days, as the Greek word "Palaios" of v. 9 is defined, "Old, former, not new or recent, 'ere now." (Ibid., 66)

 

In his 1901 book of biblical-inspired fiction, Over the Border: From the Resurrection to the Millennium, featuring many imagined conversations between biblical figures, Myers’ understanding of the “Ancient of Days” being assigned to the Messiah and/or a corporate body is further explicated:

 

Jeremiah then arose and said: “My companion in trials and tribulation—Daniel—has given us a very interesting description of the term ‘Ancient of Days,’ though used by him in his vision after I had left Palestine for the western isles, yet interesting to me because of his application of the phrase to our ancient people Israel. And his language thus indicating that Israel would be a power up to the very date of Messiah's Kingdom, reminds me of the vision shown me that Israel was to become God’s battle-axe and weapons of war for the breaking of the nations, and the destruction of kingdoms. How much I would like to know more of our people, as L have learned that my sleep in death has been a long one, reaching almost 2500 years.” (G.M. Myers, Over the Border: From the Resurrection to the Millennium [Beatrice, Nebr.: 1901], 189-90)

 

Cleopas here remarked to Mordecai: “How much I have enjoyed your talk, and to learn of this conference and its descisions. I have well understood that the introduction of the kingdom is near. That this is the next event marked on the horoscope, but how this would be brought about I have not comprehended. Now this appears to me plain, except one point I have so often read in the prophecy of Daniel, and that is, that Jesus, the Son of man, is to be invested with pow er by the Ancient of Days.”

 

Mordecai in reply said: “But did you not see in these Elders of the Jews and the Anglo-Saxon consuls a description of Daniel’s Ancient of Days —men aged, venerable, and heads as white as the northern snows? Men having authority. Men whose governments have cast down—placed for occupation thrones, and sit upon these thrones these many, many years, and therefore, have authority to give a kingdom which will grow into an extensive dominion?”

 

“But see this venerable council,” said Silas, “comes forth from the camp of the Jews! What noble characters they appear to be. Mow white their heads and how grand their attire! Surely these are Daniel’s Ancient of days.”

 

“Yes,” said Mordecai, “rather representatives of a people from of old, of ancient days. These are none other than the representatives of ancient Israel. This is the Ancient of Days as seen by Daniel.”

 

“But see,” said Cleopas, “our cloud is drawing nigh to this company! How Daniel’s prophecy is here fulfilled! One like the Son of Man conies in the clouds of heaven, and is invested in power. And see! David goes forth. He is the Lord’s Prince and representative. These incidents are national secrets that are for prudence generally withheld from the masses. But here Jesus is rendered manifest, and David becomes known to them as to who he is, and that he is the Messiah’s representative from the cloud, while the Prince of the Jews here becomes his representative upon the plane of humanity.

 

Nathaniel then remarked, “See, David and the Prince from the Jewish camp join each other. And now they approach these representatives of a people of Ancient Days.”

 

“The transfer of power is here to be made under the canopy of the Cloud, lifted up by the light of Divine presence,” said Mordecai. “What a grandeur presented in this Cloud to this company! If possible a grander scene presented here than Peter, John and James saw upon the top of the mountain when in vision Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. A grander scene than when the Law was given at Sinai, but not so terrible.

 

“And now see, a chief spokesman of these consuls addresses the Jewish Prince and David, and transfers the original protectorate papers, and documents of transfer of power and authority, and the Kingdom, and a promise of a dominion to follow. Yes, they are ready to transfer their entire kingdoms. But David is not authorized to receive more, but in an address he informs them that they are God’s battle axe for the breaking of the nations, and that their alliance and power will be needed and called for.”

 

“Now that the transfer has been made and Jesus is invested with power as the Father has ordered it,” said Cleopas, “the cloud rises from over the scene, David returns to the General Assembly, the Jewish Elders with their Prince return to the Jewish camp, and the Anglo-Saxon consuls, with the retinue of officers, move away to the west to their encampments.”

 

Paul then remarked, “We now have received a kingdom, of its permanency, I saw as one that can not be removed.” (Ibid., 289-91)

 

. . . Peter, John and James prostrate at Messiah's feet while Moses and Elijah sit with him. Here, see, Moses arises and addresses the Messiah and surrenders to him all his rights and claims as to a law giver and takes his seat at his feet as subject to his will. And now Elijah as a chief of the prophets addresses him in the same way as did Moses and sits at his feet. But Hark! hold! what is this voice from the cloud! Hear its words: ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.’

Now that the Ancient of days have invested our Messiah with their power; that Moses has surrendered his claims as a law giver; that Elijah has surrendered as a prophet his claims, and that God has commanded us to hear the Messiah truly he is invested with all power to reign.”

 

Cleopas here said, “But Mordecai, I see now in the hands of the Messiah a book that is sealed. Can it be that there are revelations yet to be made? Or does it contain in it some new law, or may it not be the book of judgments to be yet visited upon the world ? O, could we know! But patiently we will await and hear of this later and learn of its contents.”

 

Mordecai replied: “Yes, this book you see in the Messiah's hand is one I saw delivered to him by the Ancient of Days some weeks ago when the Ancient of Days invested him with power. But see, an angel arises. He appears to be troubled. He is inspecting the book! He is examining the seals of the book. Listen, he cries with a voice that can be heard not only throughout all the Great Palace but all over the entire City, ‘Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals?’ And now the angels converse and finally decide that there is none among all their retinue in heaven, nor of those who have been changed on earth, nor of those of the saints raised from the dead that are worthy.” (Ibid., 304-5)