"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and [Atik Yomin] 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."
Daniel 7:9
"...God is ageless and timeless. He is perfectly wise. [He rightfully owns] the power and authority.... [this verse helps us] picture holiness.... Only this One existed before time began. He alone is Creator and Ruler and Judge of the universe. No one is older, more powerful, or more pure" (Hudson, 12).
"We as humans are bound by time, but [Atik Yomin] stands outside time. He is the sovereign King of everything" (Hudson, 13).
The preface above is necessary to Who is about to be discussed. I take these truths from the Bible, yes, but also from Dr. Jim Berg's book God Is More Than Enough.
Let us begin...
Has someone ever confronted you about a person you knew extremely well? Maybe it was a close friend, a family member, or a significant other. Perhaps, they allegedly said that this person had broken the law of the land. Let us imagine someone approaching you, and the conversation going something like the following:
"Hello, do you know so-and-so? I hear you know them very well. We just want to ask you a couple questions."
"Sure, no problem officer, is everything okay?"
"We have noticed so-and-so has been involved in some conspiracy to sabotage your life, and we are here to offer our services as long as you permit us to."
You are suddenly taken aback, because the person you know so well has just become a prime suspect. Perhaps, the conversation continues. They present minimal amounts of evidence, but they claim to know enough about the person you know so well, that you begin to doubt. Soon, you have given in to this conspiracy. You allow them to offer their services.
One day, you notice that person you claim to have known so well try to approach your residency. They are immediately stopped by these who claim to provide ideal services. Day after day, they guard your home and do not allow you to leave for fear of your safety.
You notice this happening time and time again, but with no seemingly rash consequences. Eventually, the person accused enters through the back of your home. Instinctively, you display a defensiveness that is unexpectedly encountered with a bag of groceries.
"Here," they say as they place the bag on the counter, "I've been trying to reach you for some time now. Thank you for allowing me inside."
You immediately drop your guard, and ask about the elephant in the room.
"So, why did you do it?" They look puzzled.
"I never did any of that. Remember what I told you in the past? I wrote it down in these letters to remind you. I've been trying to give them to you, but the guards out there wouldn't let any mail from me come inside. So, I tried to bring it myself many times. I see you have received all the junk mail and wanted posters, but I wish you would understand something. I have never changed. I was good then, and I am still good now. Here, you need to eat."
By now, you may see where I went with this. Obviously, it is not a perfect illustration, but you get the point. Those guards were not only keeping out the individual you knew well, but they were depriving you of any sustenance. Those guards were the lies of Satan.
That person who you were so near to? That was God.
Those letters? God's Word.
The groceries? God's provision and meditation on His truth.
With so much happening in this world today, we as Christians are susceptible to the lies of Satan. From the evidence we see around us, it appears as if the God Who says He is good and great is none of these. We become the person trapped in the lies of Satan as long as we forget what God has said in His letter to us.
Atik Yomin just becomes a fantasy in our minds, and not a reality in our lives. Although, He is very much a reality regardless of what we believe.
Don't allow yourself to be deprived of God's peace and joy as spoken in His letters. Take time to read some of these truths as referenced in the Bible (cf. God Is More Than Enough).
God (Atik Yomin) is ALWAYS good:
He will always meet my genuine needs-- always (Mt. 6:31-33; Phil. 4:13, 19).
He will always forgive my sin-- always (Ps. 51; Isai. 66:2b; 1 Jn. 1:9).
He is always up to something good in my life-- always (Jer. 29:11; Rom. 8:26-34).
He will always love me personally-- always (Jer. 31:3; Jn. 17:3; Rom. 8:35-39).
He will always give me the grace I need-- always (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 9:8, 12:9-10).
God (Atik Yomin) is ALWAYS great:
He is always in control of all things-- always (Ps. 103:19; Isai. 14:27, 46:9-10).
He is always present with me-- always (Ps. 139:7-12; Isai. 41:10; Jer. 23:24).
He is always the same-- always (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 1:10-12).
He is always trustworthy-- always (Num. 23:19; Deut. 7:9, 31:8; Ps. 36:5; 2 Tim. 2:13).
He is always wise in what He does-- always (Rom. 11:33; Col. 2:3).
As Dr. Berg said in God Is More Than Enough,
"A world where God does not love us does not exist..."
"A world where God is not in control of all things for our good and His glory does not exist..."
"A world where God is not with me or where He does not hear my cry does not exist..."
"A world where God is heavy-handed and mean-spirited...waiting for us to mess up...does not exist..."
Please, stop allowing the lies of Satan to dictate Who God really is...
God is Atik Yomin, the Ancient of Days...He is good and He is great.
Before I conclude, I do wish to address something. One may still ask something like,
"If God is so good and great, why doesn't He destroy the evil in this world?"
First, we must address that evil came about because of the Fall in the Garden of Eden, not because of God.
Second, we know that pain and suffering is a result of that evil choice in the beginning, and evil choices still do continue today because humans choose to do evil.
Last, God's sovereignty still remains. Then, how does God's sovereignty relate to His name Atik Yomin, and the evil in this world?
Therefore, that is an amazing question. One with which I have pondered so long.
Recently, the humbling answer to that question was brought to my attention through a radio broadcast on HisRadio Talk.
Evil deeds and words can only be done by evil people...fallen souls...
If God were to have granted the request to obliterate all evil long before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior...
When God would have heard a fallen sinner or heartbroken Christian cry out to Him to just "get rid of all the unpleasant stuff"...and if He would have accomplished that desire...
If He would have not been all-wise and all-loving by answering that request in a fallen mankind's timing...
If He had not been good and great...
God would have destroyed me in my sin...
He would have demolished the lives of my unsaved friends and my unsaved family members...
He would have annihilated the whole universe and all the evil people living on earth right then and there, if only I had the power to have that request answered in my timing...
Yet, there is hope! Friend, there is so much hope, love, mercy, grace, wisdom, righteous judgment, sovereignty, and much more in Atik Yomin... so. much.
One day, God will get rid of and punish all the evil deeds that have been committed against us and by us. The book of Revelation in the Bible (as well as the entire Bible) testifies and promises to that.
If we are in Christ, we will not have to be concerned about God's wrath on our evil choices, but His disapproval and disappointment in our wrong decisions (1 and 2 Thessalonians).
Despite the turmoil that goes on in this world, we as Christians know that a good and great God will stand against the heartbroken and evilest of cries that ask Him to get rid of evil and suffering "right now!", because...
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).
Yes, there is immense suffering on earth related to the curse from the Fall on this earth and our bodies, and because evil deeds and words are committed by imperfect, sinful people. We all know that. Yet, God does not want the people He created and loves to suffer forever in the lake of fire (an eternity apart from Christ), so Atik Yomin rules with a sovereignty that is wrapped in His love, wisdom, and holiness.
God will destroy and judge all evil, but only in His timing. He gives every soul everywhere the ability and choice to repent before it is too late...
Until then, we as Christians can take extraordinary hope in the truths and provisions of our GOOD and GREAT God; and we must share that Truth with others who are lost in their sins and bound to an eternity apart from the Lord. It is our duty (Luke 16:19-31; Matthew 16:18-20).
I hope it was a pleasure meeting Atik Yomin, the Ancient of Days!
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