The Time of the End

"But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Dan. 12:4.

THE field of Daniel's prophecy embraces five universal kingdoms. These are Babylon, Media and Persia, Grecia, Rome, and the eternal kingdom of God. The ground of the four perishable kingdoms, reaching to, and introducing the immortal kingdom, is covered by four distinct lines of prophecy. These are given in chapters two, seven, eight and eleven. The eleventh chapter of Daniel closes with the close of the fourth monarchy, with these words:—

"And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; [mountain of delight of holiness, Heb. Marg.;] yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." The twelfth chapter continues:—

"And at that time shall Michael [Christ] stand up [reign], the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

The student of prophecy is thus borne down the stream of time from Babylon in the height of the glory of that kingdom, past Media and Persia, the kingdom of Grecia, and the Roman Empire which comes to its end at the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the dead, out into the ocean of eternity, when the truly wise "shine as the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

Prophecy is history in advance. The prophetic pencil sketches the future history of nations. The car of Providence rolls down the track of prophecy, bearing the secular historian, who writes a second history of the rise and fall of empires. The student of prophecy compares the two histories, and learns his position on the highway of time.

Prophecy, reaching into the sealed future, could not be understood by the prophets themselves. Time, in its rapid flight, marking the fulfillment of each specification, unseals prophecy. Hence the words of the angel to the prophet: "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end."

The time of the end is not the end itself. It is evidently a period of time just prior to the end. In this time many run to and fro, and knowledge upon the subject before the mind of the prophet increases. The prophecy of the book of Daniel, sealed in the day of the prophet from the nature of the case, as it related to the future history of kingdoms, is not to be sealed to the end, but to the time of the end. In the time of the end it is to be unsealed, and in the light of this open book many are to be engaged in proclaiming the increasing knowledge contained in the book, relative to the end.

Many shall run to and fro. Whether this be fulfilled in turning and searching to and fro in the Scriptures for light upon the subject of the fulfillment of prophecy, or by men called of God to the work, traveling to and fro with the message from God to the people upon this subject, the fulfillment is evident. Both have been done within the last half century as never before.

Duffield on Prophecy, p. 373, says: "The word translated, run to and fro, is metaphorically used to denote investigation, close, diligent, accurate observation—just as the eyes of the Lord are said to run to and fro. The reference is not to missionary exertions in particulars but to the study of the Scriptures, especially the sealed book of prophecy."

Clarke says: "Many shall run to and fro. Many shall endeavor to search out the sense; and knowledge shall be increased by these means. This seems to be the meaning of this verse, though another has been put upon it, viz.: 'Many shall run to and fro preaching the gospel of Christ, and therefore religious knowledge and true wisdom shall be increased.' This is true in itself; but it is not the meaning of the prophet's words."

Matthew Henry says: "They shall read it over and over, shall meditate upon it; they shall discourse of it, talk it over, sift out the meaning of it, and thus knowledge shall be increased."

Gill says: "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased; that is, toward the end of the time appointed, many shall be stirred up to inquire into these things delivered in this book, and will spare no pains nor cost to get a knowledge of them; will read and study the Scriptures, and meditate on them; compare one passage with another, spiritual things with spiritual, in order to obtain the mind of Christ; will carefully peruse the writings of such, who have lived before them, who have attempted anything of this kind; and will go far and near to converse with persons that have any understanding of such things; and by such means, with the blessing of God upon them, the knowledge of this book of prophecy will be increased, and things will appear plainer and clearer, the nearer the accomplishment of them is; and especially when prophecy and facts can be compared."

If the book of Daniel, relating to the future history of kingdoms, was sealed in the day of the prophet, why is Daniel ordered to shut up the words and seal the book? Verses 9 and 10 express the true import of verse 4, as they refer to the same subject, and are a further explanation of it. "And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."

The burden of this portion of the prophecy of Daniel, contained in chapter 12, is the time of the end and the events to occur during this period. Verse 4 declares that "many shall run to and fro," in the time of the end, "and knowledge shall be increased." Verse 10 speaks of the same time and the same work, showing that the increase of knowledge does not refer to the progress in scientific discoveries, but to the subject of the end. "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand." The truly wise, the children of God, understand the subject upon which knowledge increases in the time of the end, while the wicked, however scientific, do not understand. The facts in the case are decidedly against the position that the prophetic statement relative to the increase of knowledge in the time of the end, has reference to the discoveries of the scientists.