Photo by David Monje
As is my custom, I wanted to end the year with a positive review of something I enjoy. One user requested a review of Ron Kenoly’s Ancient of Days, one of my favorite songs that was part of my upbringing.
Ron Kenoly started his career in 1968 with The Mellow Fellows, leaving due to family issues. His breakout album was Lift Him Up, released in 1992. He holds a Doctorate of Ministry in Sacred music from Friends International Christian University and released a whopping 19 albums throughout his career.
Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.
1. What message does the song communicate?
God, who is called the Ancient of Days, is incomparably valuable and worthy of our praise. He possesses favor, privilege, renown, and might. All that He made will prostrate themselves before Him. His Kingdom will last forever and exist on the earth.
As I will show in section 2, the Scriptural context points to Jesus as the One who receives our praise. Since He is God, it’s appropriate to assign the title “Ancient of Days” to the Son of God.
Score: 10/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
The whole song derives from Scripture and faithfully represents it.
Lyrics posted with permission.*
[Verse]
Blessing and honor, glory and power, be unto the Ancient of Days!
Combines creation’s exclamation in Revelation 5:13 with the title “Ancient of Days”, recorded in Daniel 7:9, Daniel 7:13, and Daniel 7:22. It is one of many titles that belong to God.
From every nation, all of creation, bow before the Ancient of Days!
Daniel 7:13-14 offers a prophecy fulfilled by Jesus. The nations serve Christ, who is God (Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 43:10-11, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26, John 1:1-3, John 1:14, John 5:17-18, John 8:23-25, John 8:28, John 10:30-33, John 14:9, John 20:28-29, Philippians 2:5-6, Colossians 1:16-19, Colossians 2:8-9, Titus 2:13, 1 Timothy 6:14-16, Hebrews 1:10-12, Revelation 1:8, and Revelation 22:13). Also, Philippians 2:10-11 and Romans 14:11 declare that all creation will bow the knee and confess Christ as Lord.
[Chorus]
Every tongue in Heaven and earth shall declare Your glory!
Every knee will bow at Your throne in worship!
You will be exalted, O God!
See Verse 1, line 2.
And Your Kingdom shall not pass away, O Ancient of Days!
That is, God’s Kingdom is eternal (Psalm 45:6, Psalm 145:13, Daniel 4:3, Daniel 7:14, and Daniel 7:27).
[Bridge]
Your kingdom shall reign over all the earth, Sing unto the Ancient of Days!
Revelation 5:10 confirms that God will establish His Kingdom on the earth. It also invites us to sing to God.
For none can compare to Your matchless worth, Sing unto the Ancient of Days!
That is, God is the most valuable being that exists. Everything else is considered rubbish compared to knowing Him (Philippians 3:8-10). There is none other like Him (Exodus 8:10, Exodus 9:14, Deuteronomy 3:24, Deuteronomy 33:26, Jeremiah 10:6, 1 Samuel 2:2, 2 Samuel 7:22, 1 Kings 8:23, 1 Chronicles 17:20, Psalm 86:8, Psalm 89:6, Psalm 113:5-6, Jeremiah 10:7, Isaiah 40:18, and Isaiah 46:9).
Score: 10/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
The typical unbeliever will conclude that the “Ancient of Days” is a religious term attributed to God. If they were paying attention, Chorus explicitly connects the two. It’s not a title that is well-known in other faiths. The only other outstanding mainstream use is within Mormonism, which attributes the title to Adam, who is an exalted god from another planet.
Doctrinal differences notwithstanding, and despite this song’s heavy reliance on Christianese, those outside Christianity will likely arrive at similar conclusions as I, except for the Scriptural context that directs our worship to Jesus. Not that it matters much, since both the Father and Son are God.
Score: 10/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies the Ancient of Days as the One worthy to receive our adoration, allegiance, and worship.
Score: 10/10
Closing Comments
Jamie Harvill & Gary Sadler’s Ancient of Days is a worthy song. Its simplicity does not dilute its quality, refusing to mince words as it declares the Ancient of Days as our eternal Ruler of an everlasting Kingdom. His creation will bow before Him whose worth is immeasurable. Its faithful adaptation of Daniel 7 glorifies Him. Unbelievers will have little to no issue interpreting similarly.
I highly recommend it for corporate worship.
Final Score: 10/10
Artist Info
Track: Ancient of Days (listen to the song)
Artist: Ron Kenoly
Album: Lift Him Up
Genre: Gospel
Release Year: 1992
Duration: 7:09
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright © 1992 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music (ASCAP) Integrity’s Praise! Music (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.
Comments
Court Heath III
Both Gary Sadler and Jamie Harvill came from my home church – Evangel Fellowship Church (Spindale NC) which was a branch of Evangel Cathedral Spartanburg SC. BOTH are fine men who love Jesus. I remember coming home for Christmas from the USSR where I lead worship for CBN Television and Hillsong and they were working on the “tag” “… His kingdom shall reign over all the earth”…. I said what’s the name of this song and they said “Ancient of Days”… and I thought that is an odd name. I went back to the USSR and was told later to translate it into Russian. I laughed when they told me the name of the song. How anointed and basically pure scripture. You never go wrong with God’s Word as the lyrics for your music. Thank you for the great review. I agree with it.
Jens Smith
Thank for unpacking this amazing worship song! We’ve sung it so often in the past and, as so often happens in worship, we sing the words without understanding the context.
God bless.
Vince Wright
Jens,
My pleasure! It’s one of my favorites growing up, so I was thrilled to cover it.
-Vince Wright
nascarccmgrlfan
My church sang it, too, when I first attended there as a kid.