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For several chapters now, we have been expounding how the Bible prophesies the rise of the Stone Kingdom. Most recently, we are providing an alternative understanding of just who or what is meant by the term “ancient of days,” found three times in the book of Daniel, and nowhere else.
We have previously shown how that term cannot refer to Jesus Christ or to God the Father. We contend that it prophesies of the great nation in the latter days where all the tribes of Israel would be regathered—the USA.
And while Christianized-Israel in America is under judgment of God, being in bondage to Mystery Babylon, it is simultaneously the world’s sole superpower and as such, the USA is being used by Mystery Babylon to judge the world. “Do ye not know that the saints [i.e., Israel] shall judge the world?” 1 Corinthians 6:2
The Mystery Babylonians think they are gathering all the world under their control but the Almighty Father has other plans! All this occurs just before the collapse of Mystery Babylon itself. Now back to Daniel 7, verse 9, as we continue.
Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
These descriptive phrases are almost universally said to describe Jesus at His second coming, but may I show you an alternative explanation? Then, you decide if it has any merit, and if it fits our interpretation of the ancient of days as the kingdom of the saints, the kingdom restored to Israel.
9 …, whose garment was white as snow
Let’s look elsewhere in the Bible and see how this figure of speech is used. Look at Psalm 51. You might be familiar with this one, the psalm which King David wrote after his affair with Bathsheba and his causing the murder of her husband.
Psalm 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
This concept of cleansing from sin being likened to the whiteness of snow is a common biblical simile. In our local Stone Kingdom Fellowships, during our prayer time, we often make mention of ourselves as approaching the throne of grace boldly because we understand that we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ—that is, our garments are white as snow. In Isaiah 1:18 we find a similar verse. It says:
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD [Yahweh]: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
That leads us right back to Daniel 7, verse 9 again, where it described the “ancient of days” as having the hair of his head like the pure wool. This is not dirty, filthy wool; this is wool that is pure and clean. And what animal produces wool? Sheep, of course. And throughout the Bible, we know that sheep always symbolizes Israel.
In other words, the Christianized-Israel saints are the saved sheep who are clothed in the snow-white garments of the righteousness of Christ. Speaking of Snow White, did you know that many of the fairy tales collected by the brothers Grimm were actually secret allegories of lost Israel?
We carry the book called Stories of Lost Israel in Folklore. So for those who are interested in learning the truth behind: Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, and other fairy tales, you can order the book from us for $10 plus $6 shipping & handling.
Now, before going any further in this verse, I know that some of you must be thinking of the verse 14 in Revelation 1, where John describes Jesus in language apparently borrowed directly from Daniel.
Revelation 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
We agree. This is a picture of Christ. But even as I have suggested an alternative, I am not denying that it also applies to Christ Himself. Furthermore, we must keep in mind that as believers we are members of the corporate body of Christ.
And even though we still labor in mortal bodies, we are imputed His righteousness, His pure wooliness, His snow-whiteness—if you will. The same principle applies as we now continue on in Daniel 7, verse 9…
…his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
There are basically two elements in this clause: a throne and fire. The wheels are attached to the throne giving it transportability. It refers to the fact that in the ancient days, some kings took their throne with them as they moved about their kingdom. It was a symbol of the power and presence of the monarch.
If we translate this to the 21st century, we could say that in a similar manner, when Air Force One touches down anywhere in the world, and its wheels roll across the tarmac and come to a halt, everyone in the world knows who is about to emerge from that aircraft.
That “White House on wheels,” as it were, is a symbol of the presidency of the United States, and of the power associated with that office.
Come to think of it, this passage could almost be interpreted literally if we notice the roaring jet engines of this aircraft so that Air Force One was like the fiery flame as it takes off and rises into the clouds of heaven.
(USAF F-16 takes off with fiery afterburner)
Now I am not saying that this is the interpretation; because I believe Daniel is giving us a figurative and symbolic picture. And so, once again, let’s look elsewhere in the Bible to see what the fire and the flame represent. And this could easily be a study of several hours, but we will confine ourselves to the key points.
Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
So our God is a consuming fire. That, by the way is a quotation from the law, specifically, from Deuteronomy 4:24. No doubt about it: God is a consuming fire. But as we have seen countless times in the Scriptures, God works His plan through men and women individually and as “people groups,” i.e., nations. And thus we find this in Hebrews 1:7, which is a quotation from Psalm 104:4.
Hebrews 1:7…And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Of course, in America today, when we hear the word “ministers” we usually think almost exclusively of ecclesiastical ministers (preachers, pastors, teachers, bishops and so forth), but the Greek word has an equally applicable meaning to a civil minister, a servants of the state—as they are called in Great Britain—from the Prime Minister, to the Defense Minister, to the Finance Minister and so forth.
So whether civil rulers and civil servants are called kings, or presidents, or secretary of state, or governor, or mayor, they are all ministers in the biblical sense. When they carry out the will of God, they are a flame of fire. The essence of carrying out the will of God is to administer His law. Therefore, it is a key biblical truth that God’s law is symbolized by fire. God’s law is a flaming fire.
This is seen in many verses. Isaiah 5, for example. There are a number of verses which plainly show the law as fire, but here we find a verse that obliquely makes the same connection.
Isaiah 5:24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
In other words, when Israel will not have God’s law, it is the curse of the law in its natural operation that will be as a fire and a flame. Another example is in the next book, Jeremiah, chapter 5.
Jeremiah 5: 14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
And now, if you continue up past the book of Daniel and beyond Hosea, Joel, and Amos, you will come to the one page, one chapter book of Obadiah. And here we find another key verse dealing with the fire and the flame.
Obadiah 1:18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.
You will notice first of all that it mentions both the house of Jacob and the house of Joseph. Since Joseph was only one of the 12 sons of Jacob-Israel, we know immediately that this is probably not a literary parallelism.
(To be continued.)
