Sunday, December 5, 2021

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

John Thomas, the founder of the Christadelphian movement, wrote the following about the relationship between God the Father, the "Ancient of Days" and Jesus:

 

In this vision of the four beasts, the matter is put somewhat differently. It is said the little horn prevailed against the saints, "until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High." Now, who is the Ancient of Days. The Deity: but how is He to "come"? In Jesus of Nazareth, who is Deity manifested in our human nature—justified by spirit. Jesus himself preached this coming in power and great glory. He said, "When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory." that is the time when the Ancient of Days comes; judgment shall then be given—to whom? "Judgment was given to the saints of the Host [sic] High." The little horn made war against the saints until judgment was given to them, they will no longer be trampled under foot. When the time arrives for the Ancient of Days to manifest himself the fortunes of the two parties will be reversed. The saints will have power put into their hands, and they will execute judgment on the powers of the world. (John Thomas, The Book Unsealed: A Lecture on the Prophetic Periods of Daniel and John [5th ed.; Birmingham: C.C. Walker, 1920], 11)

 

To understand Thomas' theology on this point, one must read his 1869 book Phanerosis: An Exposition of the Doctrine of The Old and New Testaments Concerning The Manifestation of the Invisible Eternal God in Human Nature, though it (the concept of agency) is not too dissimilar to 'divine investiture,' a term and concept familiar to Latter-day Saints (I say 'concept' as Christadelphians hold to a 'Socinian' Christology, which is anathema to Latter-day Saints and others).




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