Receive, O manger; Him whom Moses the Law-giver foresaw in the bush on Horeb, now born of the Virgin through the divine Spirit. (Vespers of the Forefeast, December 20, Theotokion of the Lity)
It is this astonishing paradox that the Orthodox Church repeatedly con1pels us to contemplate, a paradox that was beautifully expressed by St. John Chrysostom:
What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, now lies subject to the hands of men. l
Chrysostom is referring to Daniel 7:9: “I continued to watch until the thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days enthroned Himself His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, and its wheels a burning fire.”
The Ancient of Days is often regarded as a vision of God the Father, but according to some hymns and patristic commentaries, it is a vision of the Preincarnate Christ, while the Son of Man described in Daniel 7:13-14 is a vision of the Incarnate Christ: “One like the Son of Man was coming with the clouds of heaven, until He came to the Ancient of Days and approached Him. Then dominion, honor, and the kingdom were given to Him, and all peoples, tribes, and languages served Him. His authority is an everlasting authority which shall not pass away, and His kingdom shall not be destroyed.”
In this connection, one should compare the vision of the Ancient of Days to the appearance of the risen Christ to St. John the Evangelist on Patmos:
Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me…. One like the Son of Man … His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire…. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid
His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” (Rev. 1:12-18)
THE LORD OF HOSTS, “the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord powerful in battle” Ps. 23/24:8), now becomes a humble, defenseless, and vulnerable baby! And our response to this strange wonder is to fall down before this little Child in humility and awe, to worship Him as King and God:
God is with us. Understand, all you nations, and submit. For God is with us. (Service of Great Compline, Great Horologion)
~Vassilios Papavassiliou, Meditations for Advent: Preparing for Christ’s Birth
1 Second homily on the Nativity, “Christmas Morning,” Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers: A Manual of Preaching, Spiritual Reading and Meditation, Vol. I, trans. and ed. M.F. Toal (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2000), p. 112.
