“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase…Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.” (Daniel 12:4,9)
The book of Daniel is sealed until the time of the end. Isaiah had previously referred to the general mystery of sealed writings when he wrote to his people, “The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying ‘Please read this,’ he will say, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’”[1] Biblical scholars have identified ancient events from Daniel’s timeline, enabling us to interpret one week (or seven) as representing seven years. The prophecy was to be a mystery until those who study the Bible used their eyes to run back and forth over the book of Daniel. As this intensifies, knowledge about the End Times is increasing.
We can see that Daniel had severe and prolonged physical reactions to the visions he received. We read of him fainting and being ill, his thoughts troubling him and his face growing pale, having no strength, trembling, and being weak and over-whelmed with anguish.[2] Much later, John also reacted to a vision in an extreme manner, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.”[3] These godly men felt overawed, devastated and horrified by what they saw and heard. As intercessors for Israel, we too will find our hearts deeply moved by the troubling matters concerning the Time of Jacob’s Trouble....
[1] Isaiah 29:11
[2] Daniel 8:27; 7:28; 10:8; 10:11,16
[3] Revelation 1:17
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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation. www.lockman.org