Why is the prophecy of the end times given to Daniel instructed to be sealed, while the one given to John is not?

Question

But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” (Daniel 12:4 NIV)

Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. (Revelation 22:10 NIV)

Although the instructions given by the angel to Daniel and John were separated by about 500 years, more than 2000 years have passed since then and the end times have yet to happen. What could be the reason for the change in the instructions regarding the sealing of the prophecies?

Answer 1

Several times in Daniel's record it is stated that he was deeply troubled by the end-time visions, becoming pale, and keeping those things to himself - Dan. 7:28. Then, Gabriel gave him the vision of the ram, the goat, and the small horn, adding that none of those things would happen for a very long time, so he was to keep the vision secret - Dan. 8:26. The next verse adds that Daniel was overcome with sickness for several days, thereafter remaining greatly troubled by that vision, which he could not understand.

Later comes the verse you ask about, which refers to things not seen by Daniel in vision, but of a future resurrection of the dead, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and disgrace. That resurrection hinted at a time beyond the scope of the visions Daniel received. His job was to faithfully record then seal the record, and live out an earthly life in faith, knowing he would rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for him (Dan. 12:13) as Gabriel assured him.

The visions that were to be sealed dealt with events that would not be properly understood by anyone until the last book of the Bible was written, which book was not to be sealed. John's record enables the full meaning of Daniel's record to be grasped. Apparently, despite Daniel being obedient to the command to seal his writings up, after his death others opened it up and it became part of the written scriptures of the people of God. Since then, many have tried to give an interpretation of the visions; mere guesses based on what was known at their time. But when John received later visions (e.g. the one beast arising out of the sea, with similar characteristics of Daniel's 4 beasts in Dan. ch. 7) then it can be seen that Daniel's visions dealt with world powers up to and including the empire of Rome, but John's revelation shows an amalgamation of those and with more features applicable to the end times. The following explanation is taken from a p.d.f. sent to me:

"John is told that there are seven kings, five fallen, one extant and one yet to come. These are the same kings as the four that Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of (then forgot and Daniel reminded him). He, of Babylon, was one of them, then came three more, Persia (including Media), then Greece, then Rome. In the days of Belshazzar, his son, the vision was also of four kings, but they were four in the future - Persia, Greece, Rome, and one more, a diverse kingdom. So this agrees also with John's vision - Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and one to come...

"The last, which is either yet to come, or is extant right at this very moment, is a diverse kingdom. Daniel is advised that there are ten kings of this diversity, as is John. And one of these devours three more out of the ten. We see the same ten-ness in the Drakon; seven heads, ten horns, crowns on the heads. And again with the first beast : seven heads, ten horns, crowns this time on the horns. So the Drakon has diverse intelligence and that is the substance of his rule, a diversity of intelligence. Whereas the beast that arises out of the sea (that is to say, the swirling, turbulent sea of the nations, an entity rising up, formed of the very nations themselves) is crowned on his horns - he is the power of the Drakon who is the intelligence behind the power. So we have agreement again about the ten-ness between Daniel and John. Diversity, intelligence and power." (Nigel Johnstone, p.d.f. dated 9/11/2019)

This is an example of how Daniel's visions could not be understood until seen as integral to the visions given to John. Yet the truth of what Daniel was told remains to this day, about many seeking to understand but failing: "None of the wicked shall understand : but the wise shall understand." (Daniel 12:10) There have been incessant attempts to give the meaning of such end-time prophecies; I have a massive tome published at the start of the 20th century, going on about the Napoleonic wars as proof of the writer's interpretations that 'the end' was imminent. I have another book published by a religious group in 1963, going on about World War I and events thereafter as proof that they were used by God to pour out the 7 last plagues of Revelation via public proclamations they made, with a literal millennium on earth about to start. Both those books have been proven to be ridiculously wrong, yet the authors seemed to feel that they had to give interpretations, to show that they were not "the wicked", but "the wise". Well, they did not understand.

It is God's seal that is upon the visions he gives to his prophets. None can open what he has sealed, until (as Revelation chapter 5 onwards shows) the Lamb in heaven takes the 7-sealed book in God's hand and begins to open the seals. John's vision shows that when the 7 plagues are poured out on a wicked world, the ungodly curse God all the more. They do not understand, for they are wicked.

Jesus, when on earth, spoke in parables to fulfill the saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 13:35). Christ opens up the mysteries of God and reveals them to so whoever he will.

When John was told "the time is near", he knew what Daniel had written, and that Christ had started his reign in heaven after his ascension; from then on, the Revelation prophecies began to unfold and continue to do so until Christ returns in glory to usher in the Day of Resurrection and Judgment. The understanding is not for those rushing around all over the world, with the explosive, vast knowledge of earthly things since world transport became a common-place. The unsealing is under God's control, and happens in the hands of the Christ who is in the midst of heaven's throne.

Answer 2

Seal, and Don't Seal The up-front reason for "sealing" or not "sealing" has to do with the timing of the fulfillment. The fantastic prophecies of Daniel were to be fulfilled approximately 490 years later, at the advent of Christ and His passion. (Daniel 9) With the consequences of the rebellion by the Jews (evidenced by the cruel crucifixion) to be fulfilled in the total Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (Daniel 12) This destruction, when the power of the holy people has been finally broken, was to last for 1,290 days (31/2 years), and finally be over on the 1330 day. All this was fulfilled to the letter when Titus attacked the Temple and not one stone was left upon another (Matthew 24:2, Jesus)

Jesus confirmed this fulfillment when He quoted Daniel 12:1, Matthew 24:21, There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.

So it was natural and fitting that the prophecy be sealed until the first century. The timing declared by the angels was spot on, and gave great apologetic verification to the supernaturalness of the Holy Scriptures!

However, the writing of John was totally different. It was an Apocalypse with "immediate" significance. (Note that Daniel was different; the apocalyptic genre of literature was not invented until 3 or 4 hundred years after Daniel wrote.)

The tumultuous events surrounding the establishment of the Early Church are addressed in John's book. And these were happening right then. The hard-pressed Christians needed encouragement to endure the tremendous persecution by their culture (Jewish, Roman, and Pagan). The Book was not to be sealed because the events were soon to take place (Revelation 1:1,22:6,10).

The religious scholars of Jesus's day divided redemptive history into the Former Days and Latter Days, with the Silent Years separating them (Intertestament era). So, while the Jewish Era came to an end, The "Last Days" are now covering the times the Church exists in. This is why we see the term last days so much in the writings of the Apostles. (According to the rabbis, Elijah was to usher in the Messianic Age, and the time of the Messiah was to be initiated with "birth pangs." Jesus spoke of these birth pangs in Matthew 24:8.)

This will all culminate in the Day of the Lord when Jesus will wrap up the End Time events and hand the Kingdom over to the Father! (1 Corinthians 15:24)

Great confusion comes by people trying to interpret the symbols and jewish phrases both in Daniel 12 and Matthew 24, according to modern connotations. And there is a pernicious tendency to place them all in the end of the world scenarios. But a careful study of the way Jesus and the Apostles used them will produce a correct understanding. (e.g. Jesus spoke of "resurrection" in more than one way: spiritual and later, physical at the end of the world.)

So in conclusion Daniel is sealed because all the events were to be years down the road of history. Revelation was not to be sealed because they described contemporary events, and following on.

Answer 3

The answer to this question is actually contained in Dan 12:4 - prophecy about Christ would be sealed until the time of the end. So, what is the time of the end?

Let us first distinguish between "Last days" (see appendix below) and "Time of the End". The time of the end is associated with "eschatology" =- the study of last things surrounding the second coming of Jesus.

While the last days begin with Jesus’ resurrection, they will also be terminated with Jesus’ return, or Second Advent. This terminus is also called:

• the “end of time” (Dan 11:35)
• “that day” (Matt 24:36, Mark 13:32, Luke 10:12, 2 Tim 1:12)
• “the day of the Lord” (, Acts 2:20, 1 Cor 5:5, 2 Cor 1:14, 1 Thess 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10-13)
• “end of the age” (Matt 24:3, 28:20)
• “last day” (John 6:39, 40, 44, 54, 11:24, 12:48, Heb 6:2), etc.

The short period just before the end of time is called the “time of the end” (Dan 11:40, 12:4, 9).

Thus, Daniel's prophecies are about "the time of the end" while the book of Revelation is about the matters extending from the time of John to the second coming of Jesus as explicitly stated:

• Rev 1:1 - The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
• Rev 22:6 - Then the angel said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must soon take place.”
• Rev 22:10 - Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.

APPENDIX - "Last Days"

It comes as a surprise to some that the New Testament calls the time after Jesus’ resurrection, the “last days”, or “last hour”, or similar. Note the following:

• Acts 2:17 – Peter calls the day of Pentecost the “last day” in fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel. Compare v29-32.
• 2 Tim 3:1 – perilous times in the “last day” which Paul discusses as already at his time.
• Heb 1:2 – “These last days” God is revealed in Jesus.
• James 5:3 – warning against rampant materialism and worship of money in the “last day”, that is, the time of James himself.
• 1 Peter 1:5 – Christians reveal God and are miraculously preserved in the “last time”.
• 1 Peter 1:20 – Jesus revealed in these “last times”.
• 2 Peter 3:3 – Peter writes about his time as the fulfilment of that spoken by the ancient prophets about the “last days”.
• 1 John 2:18 – Twice, John calls his time the “last hour”.
• Jude 18 – Jude describes his time as the fulfilment of ancient prophecies about the “last time”.
• Rev 2:16, 3:11, 22:7, 12, 20 – Jesus says, “I am coming soon/quickly”.
• Even in a passage like John 6:39, 40, 54 where Jesus refers to the resurrection at the “last day” (see below) that time began with His death, Matt 27:50-53.

It should not be surprising that the last days are defined in terms of Jesus – four times in the book of Revelation (1:11, 17, 2:8, 22:13) Jesus is called “the first and the last”. Thus, Bible eschatology, is the study of the time after Jesus inaugurated His Kingdom of Heaven (Matt 3:2, 4:17, 23, 5:3, 10, 19, etc).

Answer 4

Daniel was told to seal up the prophesy because the time of the “end of days” was a long time away… 490 years. The end which Daniel asked about would be when the holy people (Daniel’s people) would be scattered.

”…Till when is the end of these wonders?” (Dan. 12:6, YLT)

The answer is found in the next verse, when the one clothed in linen who was standing upon the floods (waters) told Daniel,

”After a time, times, and a half, and at the completion of the scattering of the power of the holy people, finished are all these.” (Dan. 12:7, YLT)

A time was one year. Times was two years, and a half time was half a year. Therefore the time of the “end” of this prophesy was to be 3-1/2 years before the scattering of the holy people. We have to go back to the beginning of this specific prophesy and stay with the context of the scriptures. The prophesy begins in Dan. 9:24.

”Seventy weeks are determined for thy people and thy holy city…” (YLT)

Daniel’s people were the Jews. Daniel’s holy city was Jerusalem. The Hebrew word translated as “weeks” is “shabua” (1) and means a period of sevens. So, literally “seventy sevens”, and the context is the number of years (Dan. 9:2). The prophesy of the scattering of the power of the Jews was prophesied for the destruction / desolation of Jerusalem after the 490 years.

The seventieth week was divided at the crucifixion of Christ when he would be cut off in the middle of the week, after 3-1/2 years of His ministry (Dan. 9:26). There was a short space (40 years) before the last half of the last “seven” years was fulfilled. The leader that would come to destroy the city spoke of the military commander that would destroy the holy city (vs. 24) of the holy people – Jerusalem. Therefore the “end” of this prophesy from Dan. 9 through Dan. 12 concerns the destruction of Jerusalem after Christ was crucified.

The last half of seventy sevens, the last 3-1/2 years was the battle / war which resulted in the destruction of the holy city, and was the Roman-Jewish war that lasted from approx. Feb/Mar AD 67 to Sep / Oct AD 70. That was when the power of the holy people, the Jews was scattered.

Therefore the end of the prophesy given to Daniel would be the end of the power of the Jews when their city was destroyed in AD 70. That was a long time away from Daniel’s generation. So, he was told to seal up this prophesy because the time was not yet.

The “end of the days” is specific to this prophesy of the destruction of Jerusalem. This is where so many become confused and the teaching of the scriptures becomes twisted because the “church fathers” and the universal traditional teaching assumes the end of days speaks of the end of all time. IT DOES NOT. The “end of the days” was specifically spoken for after the 1290 days after the end of the perpetual sacrifice of Dan. 12:11.

Where was that sacrifice being offered? At the temple in Jerusalem. The end of the 1290 days was the time of the end of that temple in Jerusalem.

But, Jesus told John that the time was soon, and not to seal up the prophesy (book) (Rev. 22:10). Jesus told John from the very beginning of the book that the He was going to show John the things that “must shortly come to pass” (Rev. 1:1, KJV). Jesus told John at the end of the book that He showed John the “things which must shortly be done” (Rev. 22:6). That encompasses the entire prophesy of Revelation from beginning to end. All the things of the book were shortly to come to pass when the prophesy was given.

Jesus repeated the time was short 4 more times in Rev. 22: 7, 10, 12 and 20, saying that He was coming quickly and that the time was at hand. The book cannot be parceled out to have some of the things happen at the destruction of Jerusalem, and some of the things remain until a supposed future end of all time at some unknown future judgment day. All of it, including the judgment of Rev. 20 was going to happen “shortly,” “soon,” and was “at hand” for when that city was destroyed in AD 70.

The problem people have with understanding that “end” being only about the destruction of Jerusalem is that they assume the judgment day has not yet happened. Jesus told His disciples in Matt. 25 that when He returned to destroy that temple (Matt. 24) that He was going to take all those that were waiting in the grave (Hades) out; the righteous to eternal life, the unrighteous to eternal damnation (Matt. 25:31-46).

That is the same time the angel told Daniel that he would stand in his lot.

”But go thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.” (Dan. 12:13. KJV)

Standing in his lot indicated an orderly process of the resurrection from the grave from the first Adam to the last of the dead after the destruction of the city. The end of days of Dan. 12 is the same end of that temple in Jerusalem in AD 70 when Christ told His disciples “this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matt. 34:34). (2) (3)

Once Christ took all those who had been waiting in Hades out of the grave (Rev. 20:13), He threw Hades into the lake of fire. (4) The death that ended was the condition or realm of the dead, not literally the process of dying, but the prison of the grave. Jesus told them He held the keys to that prison (Rev. 1:18). Hades was thrown into the lake of fire after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed (Matt. 25). It is depicted in the parable of the kingdom in Matt. 22:1-14 when those wedding guests were reclining, and the one who was not clothed in the proper wedding garments (Christ’s righteousness) was cast out.

The wedding feast of Rev. 21:2 was that wedding feast after the destruction of the city in Matt. 22 and Matt. 25. Thereafter the judgment became a perpetual, daily one-on-one, individual process. That is the eternal reign of Christ’s throne, as He reigns and judges continually in His everlasting kingdom.

”…Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth…” (Rev. 14:13, KJV)

Henceforth, meaning from now on, from this moment on. If as everyone seems to think that Revelation is about the end of all time, and one final judgment day, then how would anyone else die in the Lord after that final judgment day?

Jesus told John not to seal the book because the time was at hand. The book was written before the destruction of Jerusalem approx. AD 66-68, which is well supported by many throughout the last several centuries. (5) You can put your full faith and trust in Jesus and believe what He said. He came soon to end that temple and that is why He told John not to seal up the prophesy.

Notes:

1. Strong’s Heb. 7620 “shabua” Biblehub

2. Testing the Spirits – Part II: The End ShreddingTheVeil

3. Testing the Spirits – Part III: Daniel’s Lot ShreddingTheVeil

4. Hades Is No More ShreddingTheVeil

5. The Signs of Revelation – Part I: The Time of His Coming ShreddingTheVeil

Answer 5

Your quote from Rev 22 is referring to the third prophecy / scroll in Revelation, not the book as a whole.

Revelation consists of three main sections, delineated by three books, or scrolls:

• The first scroll

Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches... (Rev 1:11)

• The second scroll

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals [the main, important scroll that could only be opened by someone worthy]. (Rev 5:1)

• The third scroll

I took the little [secondary] scroll from the angel’s hand and...was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.” (Rev 10:10a;11)

The theme of this third prophecy / scroll in Revelation is outlined in the "title page," if you will, found in chapter 10:

• Its focus is not the final judgement

“Seal up what the seven thunders have said [i.e., the judgements] and do not write it down.” (Rev 10:4b)

• The message is philanthropocentric (has humans as its focus, not God)

Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.” (Rev 10:11)

The structure of the third section of Revelation contains a non-contiguous lexical chiasm (whew!), i.e., a series of key phrases, occurring somewhat sporadically throughout the prophecy in an A, B, C, D, E, D’, C’, B’, A’ structure, although this is only revealed once certain “extraneous” sections are pruned away, e.g. the chapter 10 “title page.” As tempted as I am to share this structure, I fear it’ll be tangential to the question – so I’ll bite my tongue till another day.

It is this prophecy that is unsealed and that is near, time-wise – not the final judgements of the second scroll, which structurally interject the third scroll prophecy, but are explicitly excluded from its message, and only occur once the number of the martyrs has reached its fullness (see God’s response to the cry of the martyrs in the fifth seal).