Daniel 12:4
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But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam to and fro, and knowledge will increase.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
The Close of the Revelation of God and of the Book As the revelation in Daniel 8 closes with the direction, "Wherefore shut thou up the vision" (Dan 8:26), so this before us closes with the command (Dan 12:4), "But thou Daniel shut up these words;" and as in the former case החזון denotes the vision interpreted to him by the angel, so here הדּברים can only be the announcements of the angel, Daniel 11:2-12:3, along with the preceding appearance, Daniel 10:2-11:1, thus only the revelation designated as דּבר, Dan 10:1. Accordingly, also, סתן is obviously to be interpreted in the meaning illustrated and defended under Dan 8:25, to shut up in the sense of guarding; and thus also חתם, to seal. Thus all the objections against this command are set aside which Hitzig has derived from the sealing, which he understands of the sealing up of the book, so that he may thereby cast doubt on the genuineness of the book. It is disputed whether הספר is only the last revelation, Daniel 10-12 (Hvernick, v. Leng., Maurer, Kran.), or the whole book (Bertholdt, Hitzig, Auberlen, Kliefoth). That ספר might designate a short connected portion, a single prophecy, is placed beyond a doubt by Nah 1:1; Jer 51:63. The parallelism of the members of the passage also appears to favour the opinion that הספר stands in the same meaning as הדּברים. But this appearance amounts to a valid argument only under the supposition that the last revelation stands unconnected with the revelations going before. But since this is not the case, much rather the revelation of these chapters is not only in point of time the last which Daniel received, but also forms the essential conclusion of all earlier revelations, then the expression used of the sealing of this last revelation refers plainly to the sealing of the whole bo…
Open source ↗After the prediction of the troubles of the Jews under Antiochus, prefiguring the troubles of the Christian church under the anti-christian power, we have here, I. Comforts, and very precious ones, prescribed as cordials for the support of God's people in those times of trouble; and they are such as may indifferently serve both for those former times of trouble under Antiochus and those latter which were prefigured by them (Dan 12:1-4). II. A conference between Christ and an angel concerning the time of the continuance of these events, designed for Daniel's satisfaction (Dan 12:5-7). III. Daniel's enquiry for his own satisfaction (Dan 12:8). And the answer he received to that enquiry (Dan 12:9-12).
Open source ↗12:4 Daniel was to keep the prophecy a secret (cp. 7:28; 8:26); it would be unveiled at God’s proper time, the time of the end.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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“Go on your way, Daniel,” he replied, “for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.
The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been spoken is true. Now you must seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future.”
As he came near to where I stood, I was terrified and fell facedown. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”
When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to put it in writing. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”
But as for you, go on your way until the end. You will rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”
Bind up the testimony and seal the law among my disciples.
Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.