How does Daniel 12:4 connect with Revelation's prophecies about the end times? Daniel 12:4—The Key Verse “ ‘But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam about, and knowledge will increase.’ ” (Daniel 12:4) A Sealed Prophecy Waiting for Its Moment • Daniel is told to “shut up” and “seal” the words—an explicit pause button on full understanding. • The seal stays in place “until the time of the end,” implying a future generation will grasp what Daniel’s peers could not. • Two markers identify that generation: unprecedented travel (“many will roam about”) and a surge in knowledge (“knowledge will increase”). Revelation Opens What Daniel Was Told to Seal • Revelation 5:1–5 presents “a scroll written inside and out, sealed with seven seals.” Heaven searches for One worthy to open it—then Jesus, the Lion-Lamb, breaks the seals. • By Revelation 6, each seal releases end-time events Daniel foresaw but could not detail publicly. • Revelation 10:2, 4 portrays a “small scroll…opened in His hand,” yet certain words are again sealed (“Seal up what the seven thunders have said”). God still controls the timing of disclosure. • Revelation 22:10 reverses Daniel’s command: “ ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.’ ” The final generation receives what Daniel’s did not. Travel and Knowledge—Daniel’s Two Signposts in John’s Vision • Global movement: Revelation pictures people from “every nation, tribe, language, and people” (Revelation 7:9; 14:6). Such seamless worldwide interaction was impossible in Daniel’s day. • Knowledge explosion: John’s prophecies presuppose technologies that facilitate a global economy (Revelation 13:16-17), instant communication (11:9-10), and mass surveillance (“image of the beast,” 13:15). These details align naturally with the age Daniel foresaw—one overflowing with information. The Unbroken Chain of End-Time Events 1. Daniel receives but seals the visions (Daniel 12:4). 2. Jesus, the Lamb, breaks the seals (Revelation 5–6). 3. Trumpets, bowls, and final judgments unfold (Revelation 8–16). 4. The unsealed message culminates with Christ’s visible return, the defeat of evil, and the establishment of His kingdom (Revelation 19–20). 5. Revelation ends with the assurance that nothing more is hidden (Revelation 22:10). Practical Takeaways for Today • Expect clarity: God intends His people to understand prophetic Scripture more fully as the end approaches. • Read Daniel and Revelation together—each fills gaps in the other. • Watch the travel and knowledge indicators; they suggest we live in the very days Daniel described. • Trust the Lamb: Only Jesus can unlock history’s final chapter, and He remains central from Daniel’s sealed scroll to Revelation’s open book. |
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