Monday, December 13, 2021

John Thomas in "Anatolia" (1854): The "Ancient of Days" being the Father

The following excerpts come from John Thomas’ book, Anatolia; Or, Russia Triumphant and Europe Chained: Being an Exposition of Prophecy, Showing the Inevitable Fall of the French and Ottoman Empires; The Occupation of Egypt and the Holy Land by the British; The Formation of a Russian Latino-Greek Confederacy; Its Invasion and Conquest of Egypt, Palestine, and Jerusalem; Its Destruction on the Mountains of Israel; The Long-Expected Deliverance of the Jews by the Messiah; His Subjugation of the World Through Their Agency, and Consequent Establishment of the Kingdom of Israel (Westchester County, N.Y.: 1854):

 

The coming of the Ancient of Days is a great event in this prophecy. He is said to sit, and one like the Son of Man to be brought to him, after which he is said to come. When the prophecy was delivered the Son of Man had not been born; hence that peculiar representative mode of expressing: but he has since been born, and gone into a far country, where he has appeared in the presence of the Ancient of Days, or the Father, for the purpose of receiving from him "Dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, and nations, and languages, should serve him; and all rulers obey him." (p. 14)

 

The holy ones are styled the saints in the common version; and the High Ones are termed ”the Most High" in the singular. The word saint signifies a holy one; but it has been so misapplied by the Gentiles that I have preferred the latter, as keeping before the mind the saying, that "without holiness no man shall see Jehovah." The phrase "The Most High" in the singular number is in the plural in the Chaldee original. The word there is עַלִיוןין ĕlyōnin. This is not accidental, for it occurs four times in the same chapter, which supplies the reason of the expression, in the introduction of the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man in the vision. These are the High Ones to whom the holy ones belong; as it is written, "Ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. (p. 16)

 

Paul informs us, that at the end the Son of Man shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father, or Ancient of Days, having by that time put down all rule, and all authority; and power: for he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject to the Ancient of Days who puts all things under him, that God may be the all things in all. (p. 19)

 

In these texts, Thomas identifies the “Ancient of Days” with the Father, not the Son. However, elsewhere, in light of his “God-manifestation” or “Phanerosis” doctrine, the Son was also considered to be the “Ancient of Days” in Thomas’ writings. See:


John Thomas (1805-1871): Jesus being the "Ancient of Days" by Means of "God-Manifestation" (Divine Investiture of Authority)

John Thomas (1869): The “Ancient of Days” is a Corporate Entity (the Church) and the “Son of Man” (Jesus) as a “God-Manifestation”