Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Irenaeus' use of Daniel 7 and the "Ancient of Days" in Against Heresies

The following comes from the ANF translation of Against Heresies by Irenaeus of Lyons (130-202). The Latin comes from volume 7 of Migne, Patrologia Latina.

Against Heresies 4.20.11

 

At another time [He is represented as] “a stone cut out of the mountain without hands,” and as smiting all temporal kingdoms, and as blowing them away (ventilans ea), and as Himself filling all the earth. Then, too, is this same individual beheld as the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, and drawing near to the Ancient of Days, and receiving from Him all power and glory, and a kingdom. “His dominion,” it is said, “is, an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom shall not perish.” (Rursum hic idem videtur quasi Filius hominis in nubibus coeli veniens, et appropinquans ad Veterem dierum, et sumems ab eo universam potestatem, et gloriam, et regnum. Et potestas, inquit, ejus potestas aeterns, et regnum ejus non interibit. [PL 7:1040) John also, the Lord’s disciple, when beholding the sacerdotal and glorious advent of His kingdom, says in the Apocalypse: “I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And, being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the candlesticks One like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle; and His head and His hairs were white, as white as wool, and as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if He burned in a furnace. And His voice [was] as the voice of waters; and He had in His right hand seven stars; and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and His countenance was as the sun shining in his strength.” For in these words He sets forth something of the glory [which He has received] from His Father, as [where He makes mention of] the head; something in reference to the priestly office also, as in the case of the long garment reaching to the feet. And this was the reason why Moses vested the high priest after this fashion (Et vox ejus quasi vox aquarum, et habet stellas septem in manu dextera sua, et de ore ejus romphaea ex utraque parte acuta exibat, et facies ejus quemadmodum sol fulgens in virture sua. In his enim aliquid a Patre clarum ejus significat, ut caput: aliquid vero sacerdotale, ut podere (et propter hoc Moyses secundum hune typum vestivit pontificem [PL:1040]—note the use of sacerdotal language by Irenaeus).

 

Against Heresies 5.25.3

 

3. Daniel too, looking forward to the end of the last kingdom, i.e. the ten last kings, amongst whom the kingdom of those men shall be partitioned, and upon whom the son of perdition shall come, declares that ten horns shall spring from the beast, and that another little horn shall arise in the midst of them, and that three of the former shall be rooted up before his face. He says: “And, behold, eyes were in this horn as the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things, and his look was more stout than his fellows. I was looking, and this horn made war against the saints, and prevailed against them, until the Ancient of days came and gave judgment to the saints of the most high God, and the time came, and the saints obtained the kingdom.” (quoadusque venit Vetustus dierum, et judicium dedit sanctis altissimi Dei, et tempus pervenit, et regnum obtinnerunt sancti [PL 7:1190])