Illuminated manuscript depicting Daniel's vision (AD 1109)
Ancient of Days[a] is an epithet of God given in chapter 7 of the Book of Daniel. In this chapter, Daniel dreams of the Ancient of Days seated on his fiery throne with snow-white clothes and hair like pure wool, and the Ancient of Days brings forth judgment upon four great beasts which had risen from the sea. After this, one like a son of man[b] comes forth with the clouds before the Ancient of Days and is given dominion and authority over all nations for all eternity.
In Judaism, Daniel's vision is interpreted by commentators such as Solomon ben Isaac (Rashi) as a prophecy of God giving authority to the future Messiah, with the beasts representing different empires (the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans), and this interpretation is also mentioned in the Talmud. Along with the interpretation as the Messiah, the son of man is also representative of the people of Israel as a collective (based on Daniel 7:18). Furthermore, the Ancient of Days is a subject discussed in Kabbalistic texts such as the Zohar, where the name is associated with Keter of the sephirot.
Western Christianity typically interprets the Ancient of Days as the Father and the son of man as the Son. On the other hand, due to the phrasing used in the Septuagint (Old Greek) text of Daniel ("one like a son of man as the Ancient of Days"), the Ancient of Days may be interpreted as either the Father or the Son in Eastern Christianity.[1][2] This is evident in icons: some icons depict Jesus Christ as the Ancient of Days, while other icons portray the Father as the Ancient of Days with Jesus depicted separately.[3] Revelation's description of John's vision of Jesus appears to have been influenced by the Old Greek text of Daniel: Jesus is described as being one like a son of man and also as having hair white like wool, evoking the imagery of the Ancient of Days.[4]
Design
Ancient of Days was designed by guest artist Tamotsu Shinohara for Shin Megami Tensei IV. They are a large, white mechanical being with a blue eye for a mouth, and a body comprised of metal with intricate wing-like features. His shoulders carry an ornate golden arch featuring two angels blowing horns. His lower body is a glass orb containing a spinning golden mechanism shaped like wings, and is encompassed by a ring that holds four white extensions. Each of these extensions possesses a wheel, which are affixed to armless Cherubim with horns protruding from their mouths. The Cherubim's backsides are filled with curved golden pipes attached to openings on the main body's shoulders.
Ancient of Days. An eternal name for God used in the Book of Daniel.
It is said that his garment is white as snow, his hair like pure wool, and his throne and wheels are on fire. According to Daniel's vision, four giant beasts appeared from the sea. The Ancient of Days killed the fourth and most terrifying beast, throwing its corpse into a burning pyre.
Ancient of Days appears as part of the downloadable Challenge Quest "Ancient One of the Sun".
Upon accepting the quest, Flynn is beckoned by the White and sent to the Blasted Tokyo in the future. He is quickly met by Akira and his companions, wondering why Flynn returned to their world after defeating Pluto. Bringing Flynn to Pluto's Castle, where several refugees are hiding, Akira tells him that after Pluto was vanquished, God sent an avatar of Himself called the Ancient of Days to decimate Tokyo. Akira asks Flynn to defeat the Ancient of Days too, when suddenly, the refugees announce that the very entity is approaching Pluto's Castle.
Flynn rushes outside and encounters the Ancient of Days' energy, though Burroughs is unable to scan Him, presuming He is made of otherworldly material. Just then, the being materializes before Flynn, proclaiming He is God's essence as well as His messenger. He announces His mission is to rid the world of humans so that a new humanity can take their place, and promptly engages in battle. During the fight, Kiyoharu shows up to sing praises of the Ancient of Days, speaking to Him in a way that Flynn cannot comprehend. However, as Kiyoharu asks if mankind will ascend with God, he realizes that the Ancient of Days was actually sent to eradicate humans, whom He deemed unnecessary. Kiyoharu falls into despair, to which Akira arrives and takes him back to Pluto's Castle.
Fortunately, Flynn is able to take down the Ancient of Days and is praised by the refugees. Akira also thanks him, but God abruptly calls from the heavens, exclaiming he will continue to exist despite losing one of his forms. Numerous arks carrying the new humanity then appear in the sky, and Akira hopes that they, the survivors and new humanity, can work together in order to create a thriving Eastern Kingdom of Mikado. Afterwards, the White return Flynn to his original world.
↑"Son of man" is an Aramaic idiom for a human being.
References
General
"The Son of Man and Ancient of Days: Re-Envisioning Daniel 7", Scripture Re-envisioned: Christophanic Exegesis and the Making of a Christian Bible (2018), Bogdan Gabriel Bucur. Published by Brill. pp. 208-246. ISBN-13: 978-90-04-38611-2. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004386112_010
↑"The Eastern Christian Exegetical Tradition of Daniel's Vision of the Ancient of Days", Gretchen Kreahling McKay. Journal of Early Christian Studies, 7(1), pp. 139-161. Published Spring 1999 by Johns Hopkins University Press. https://doi.org/10.1353/earl.1999.0019
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