Ancient

 

    The word ancient has many meanings depending on the context.  It is generalized as "beforetime, "yore", and the general remote past.  Ancient belongs to the very distant past for things that no longer exist including languages and cultures.  Hebrew has many words for ancient, but atik (עַתִיק) may be the most common.  The Greek word is Archaíos (Αρχαίος).  In Latin it is antiqua.  The Latin word led to the German word (used by Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) in which English adopted into ancient.  It became part of the modern English vocabulary in 1500s.

    Eliphaz's response to Job was to compare him to the evil people of ancient times.  He did not understand that sometime people suffer who have not sinned.  He was warning Job to repent or God would take his life.  God is the only one that can bring back all that Job had lost.  He wanted Job to rid himself of what he perceived as evil thinking.  The righteous will be happy and the wicked will be destroyed and consumed by fire.  

    David asked the ancient gates to open to allow the King of Glory to enter.  The King of Glory is God.  God is strong, mighty, and an invincible warrior.  The ancient gates needed to open for God to enter with His heavenly army to bring glory to His name in times of human troubles.

    Do not make Christianity difficult for people or they may turn away from God.  Instead, teach them how to redirect their thinking, attitudes, and actions.  The Laws of Moses are ancient laws, but they only benefit people.  They need to still be taught, but in a way that connects with people.  It needs to be taught in the manner that Jesus taught it.

    An angel descended holding the key to the bottomless pit in one hand and a heavy chain in the other.  He seized the Satan and locked him away where he could no longer deceive nations for 1,000 year.  After 1,000 years he will be released.  Satan is ancient, but he has no power compared to God.  If you choose to follow the ancient evil, then you will pay the consequences.  If you choose to follow God, the eternal power, then you will only benefit.  It just may not be immediate.

Job 22:15-20, Psalm 24:7-10, Acts 15:19-21, & Revelations 20:1-3