I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
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Aquinas Study Bible
AD 2017
The Old Greek Septuagint version has an interesting reading that says that the Son of man is the Ancient of Days, "I was watching in the night visions, and behold, as it were the son of man was coming upon the clouds of heaven. And he came as the Ancient of Days, and the attendants were present with him." This agrees with the similarities between the Ancient of Days in verse 7:9 and that of Christ in Revelation 1:13-14, Dan. 7:9 "his garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool: his throne like flames of fire: the wheels of it like a burning fire." and Rev. 1:13-14, "in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden girdle round his breast; his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire." There is also evidence in verse 7:22 that shows the Ancient of Days coming in Person to bring judgment, which resembles what Christ is going to do, not the Father. The reading from ...
Heaven. Christ appeared about sixty years after the subversion of the Syrian monarchy. Yet these expressions literally refer to his second coming, Matthew xxvi. 64. (Calmet)
He had the form of man, as he had the nature. (Menochius)
He is clearly predicted. By his power antichrist is overthrown. (Worthington)
And came to the Ancient of days. By the Ancient of days he means none other than the Lord and God and Ruler of all, and even of Christ Himself, who makes the days old, and yet becomes not old Himself by times and days.
He who was described in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar as a rock cut without hands, which also grew to be a large mountain, and which smashed the earthenware, the iron, the bronze, the silver, and the gold is now introduced as the very person of the Son of man, so as to indicate in the case of the Son of God how He took upon Himself human flesh; according to the statement which we read in the Acts of the Apostles: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up towards heaven? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him going into heaven" (Acts 1:11).
All that is said here concerning His being brought before Almighty God and receiving authority and honor and royal power is to be understood in the light of the Apostle's statement: "Who, although He was in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and was found in His condition to be as a man: He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:6-8). And if the sect of the Arians were willing to give heed to all this Scripture with a reverent mind, they would never direct against the Son of God the calumny that He is not on an equality with God.
