The prophet Daniel received a majestic heavenly vision: “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat… his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool.” (Daniel 7:9)
Daniel then sees “one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.” He approaches the ancient of days and is “given authority, glory, and sovereign power” and an everlasting kingdom and is worshiped by all nations and peoples. (Daniel 7:13-14)
This image has captivated generations. Indeed, it was one that Jesus himself frequently hearkened back to when he referred to himself as the “son of man.”
Most notably, while on trial before the Pharisees and asked if claimed to be the Messiah, Jesus declared, “I Am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” This response was what led the high priest to tear his clothing and pronounce Jesus a blasphemer.
It was clear that the “Ancient of Days” is no earthly figure—it is a title of eternal grandeur, revealing God as the one who has no beginning and no end. And it is therefore likewise apparent that the “son of man’ is no mere earthly figure, but a divine figure who is given honor and glory that properly belongs to God.
Throughout the centuries, Christians have therefore uniformly understood the Ancient of Days to be God.
And yet, in one of Joseph Smith’s more startling doctrinal claims, he identified this very title not with God, but with Adam—the first man.
Joseph Smith’s Teaching on Adam:
Joseph Smith repeatedly identified Adam with both Michael the archangel and with the Ancient of Days of Daniel 7. This identification is made most expressly in D&C 27:11 where it refers to “Michael, or Adam, the father of all, the prince of all, the ancient of days.” And the Bible Dictionary entry for Ancient of Days simply reads “see Adam.”
Joseph Smith also appeared to equate a future encounter between Adam and his descendants (including Jesus) with the events described in Daniel 7:9-13. He identified Spring Hill Missouri as Adam-ondi-Ahman or “the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet.”
The Pernicious Consequences of Joseph Smith’s Misinterpretation
Joseph Smith’s teaching that Adam—identified with Michael the Archangel—was the Ancient of Days from Daniel 7 carried many serious and far-reaching consequences:
1) It elevates mankind to the place of the divine.
By assigning to Adam a title reserved for God Himself, Joseph blurred the most fundamental line in Scripture—the distinction between Creator and creature. Adam was formed from the dust; the Ancient of Days is from everlasting to everlasting. To confuse the two is to exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of man (Rom. 1:23).
2) It robs God of honor.
The vision of Daniel 7 is meant to inspire awe at the eternal majesty of the Lord. When that throne is given instead to Adam, the honor rightly due to God alone is diminished and misapplied.
But only God is given authority, glory, and sovereign power. Only God is properly worshiped by all nations and peoples. Only God will reign in an everlasting kingdom.
3) It paved the way for the Adam-God doctrine.
Scholars have traced Brigham Young’s later Adam-God teaching back to Joseph’s identification of Adam as the Ancient of Days. If Adam is the figure before whom the Son of Man comes in Daniel 7, then it is not hard to see why Brigham concluded that Adam was exalted above Christ Himself—“our Father and our God.” This heresy flowed naturally from Joseph’s initial misinterpretation.
4) It obscures one of the Bible’s most beautiful prophecies of Christ.
Most Latter-day Saints are unfamiliar with Daniel 7. It is rarely taught or read in LDS contexts, and when it is, the cosmic glory of the vision is reduced to a gathering of mortals at Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Indeed, the phrase “ancient of days” hasn’t been used in General Conference since 1980 when it was part of a talk refuting the Adam-God doctrine. The phrase “like the Son of Man” similarly hasn’t been used in Conference since 1980. And it’s no wonder. This passage is an uncomfortable fit for Latter-day Saints who want to avoid any suggestion that Adam is worshipped as God.
But in the broader Christian tradition, Daniel 7 is cherished as one of the clearest Old Testament glimpses of Christ’s divine authority. The Son of Man receives from the Ancient of Days a kingdom that will never pass away—an unmistakable prophecy of Jesus’ eternal reign. How tragic that this majestic picture of the Father glorifying the Son has been so obscured!
Here is a short teaching by Sinclair Ferguson about how Jesus used Daniel 7 to refer to his diety:
Christians return to Daniel 7 to exalt the true Ancient of Days. For example, the song ‘Ancient of Days’ by CityAlight beautifully celebrates God’s eternal majesty and the honor due to Him alone.
5) It pushes Latter-day Saints further from biblical truth.
For nearly two millennia, Jews and Christians alike have understood the Ancient of Days as God Himself. By teaching otherwise, Joseph forced his followers to choose between the plain reading of Scripture and loyalty to his prophetic authority. This is one of those places where Joseph’s teaching does not merely add to the Bible but cuts directly against it.
This leads many people to double down on Joseph Smith—and in so doing, turn their eyes away from the true Ancient of Days.
The True Ancient of Days
It still amazes me that I spent fourteen years in Mormonism without ever seeing how Daniel 7 so clearly reveals Jesus as the Son of Man, receiving eternal glory and authority from the Ancient of Days.
I am grateful that I now worship the true Ancient of Days. He is not merely the oldest human being. He is uncreated, timeless, and self-existent. He is the great I am. He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. He is radiant in holiness and glory.
And yet, the Son of Man—Jesus Christ—approaches Him in glory and receives everlasting dominion. The one who died on the cross for me is the one who reigns forever and ever. And that is glorious news!
One day, I will join the chorus of nations and fall before the throne, worshiping the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man who became flesh to save me