In the first 3 verses of this final chapter of Daniel we have discovered much about the end of the age events that are coming to the world. Each verse has respectively revealed subjects within that we have detailed throughout the scripture. We will discover that our journey will continue to share no less with us as we progress. As we open up with verse 4 we begin to come to the closing out of Daniel's messages for our world today.
Rev 22:6-16 KJV
(6) And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
(7) Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
(8) And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
(9) Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
(10) And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
(11) He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
(12) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
(13) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
(14) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
(15) For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
(16) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Dan 12:4 KJV
(4) 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.
Luk 9:1-6 KJV
(1) Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
(2) And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
(3) And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
(4) And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
(5) And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
(6) And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
Luk 9:57-62 KJV
(57) And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
(58) And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
(59) And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
(60) Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
(61) And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
(62) And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Luk 10:1-11 KJV
(1) After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
(2) Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
(3) Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
(4) Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
(5) And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
(6) And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
(7) And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
(8) And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
(9) And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
(10) But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
(11) Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Dan 12:4 KJV
(4)But thou, O Daniel, shut up(H5640)the words, and seal(H2856) the book, even to the
time of the end: many shall run to and fro(H7751),and knowledge shall be increased.
H5640
שׂתם סתם sâtham śâtham
saw-tham', saw-tham'
A primitive root; to stop up; by implication to repair; figuratively to keep secret: - closed up, hidden, secret, shut out (up), stop.
H2856
חתם
châtham khaw-tham'
A primitive root; to close up; especially to seal: - make an end, mark, seal (up), stop.
H7751
שׁוּט shûṭ
shoot
A primitive root; properly to push forth; (but used only figuratively) to lash, that is, (the sea with oars) to row; by implication to travel: - go (about, through, to and fro), mariner, rower, run to and fro.
As we can note through our word study of verse 4 the intention of sealing or shutting up the words of the prophecy is for the matter of secrecy. It is also a forecast of the things to come in regards to the evangelizing of the world. In more precise terms the roles of the disciples are portrayed by the prophecy. As the role of the disciples involves traveling to and fro bringing enlightenment through the words of God.
Mat 24:14-15 KJV
(14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
(15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Is it interesting that the passage involves 2 subjects alluding to the the book of Daniel? We have the role of the evangelical ministry in addition to the end time reference to the abomination spoken of by Daniel
As we can note through our word study of verse 4 the intention of sealing or shutting up the words of the prophecy is for the matter of secrecy. It is also a forecast of the things to come in regards to the evangelizing of the world. In more precise terms the roles of the disciples are portrayed by the prophecy. As the role of the disciples involves traveling to and fro bringing enlightenment through the words of God.
Mat 24:14-15 KJV
(14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
(15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Is it interesting that the passage involves 2 subjects alluding to the the book of Daniel? We have the role of the evangelical ministry in addition to the end time reference to the abomination spoken of by Daniel
Mar 13:31-37 KJV
(31) Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
(32) But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
(33) Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
(34) For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
(35) Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
(36) Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
(37) And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Another aspect of the act of sealing and shutting up words and visions which proves most interesting is where these words appear in scripture. That is to say the locations where we find these words or actions seem to have a connection with prophetic descriptions we associate with the end of the age.
The phrase “shut up” appears 38 times in 38 verses of the OT. The word that appears in 16 of these verses is “saw-gar'”. This word is of the same root word of the one we studied here in verse 4 of Daniel.
H5462
סגר sâgar
saw-gar'
A primitive root; to shut up; figuratively to surrender: - close up, deliver (up), give over (up), inclose, X pure, repair, shut (in, self, out, up, up together), stop, X straitly.
This word is used 6 times in the book of Leviticus in association with plagues. These consist of not only plague concerning individuals but to the household in itself.
Lev 13:4 KJV
(4) If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days:
Lev 14:34-46 KJV
(34) When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;
(35) And he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there is as it were a plague in the house:
(36) Then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house:
(37) And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow strakes, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall;
(38) Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days:
(39) And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house;
(40) Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:
(41) And he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off without the city into an unclean place:
(42) And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other morter, and shall plaister the house.
(43) And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he hath taken away the stones, and after he hath scraped the house, and after it is plaistered;
(44) Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean.
(45) And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the morter of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.
(46) Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even.
So now the question becomes what does this have to do with anything? Well possibly nothing but it should not go overlooked that of the 12 verses which include the word “plagues” in the plural form in the NT there are 10 that are found in the book of Revelation. The verses are found between chapters 9 and 22. It's also an interesting thought to remember there were 10 plagues associated with the Exodus from Egypt. The other 2 verses in the NT are in direct relation to the healing by Jesus.
Mar 3:1-12 KJV
(1) And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
(2) And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
(3) And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
(4) And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
(5) And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
(6) And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
(7) But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
(8) And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
(9) And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
(10) For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
(11) And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
(12) And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
Mar 3:1-12 KJV
(1) And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
(2) And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
(3) And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
(4) And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
(5) And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
(6) And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
(7) But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
(8) And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
(9) And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
(10) For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
(11) And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
(12) And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
Luk 7:19-23 KJV
(19) And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
(20) When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
(21) And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
(22) Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
(23) And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
What is the connection in all this some may ask? Well until we are born again as believers we are all spiritually sick. The plagues mentioned in the OT were a representation of purity. As one reads about the seclusion that the infected individuals or houses encounter we discover that there is an exclusion from the worship functions. The words Daniel are commanded to seal up are to remain in seclusion until a time when the world would be ready to understand them. Jesus by mentioning things like the abomination of desolation and the command given to John in the book of Revelation to not seal up the words of the prophecy open these doorways and secrets for us.
Rev 22:7-10 KJV
(7) Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
(8) And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
(9) Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
(10) And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:16-21 KJV
(16) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
(17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
(18) For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
(19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
(20) He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
(21) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Deu 30:15-17 KJV
(15) See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
(16) In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
(17) But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
Joh 3:16-21 KJV
(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
(17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
(18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
(19) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
(20) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
(21) But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Rev 18:1-4 KJV
(1) And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
(2) And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
(3) For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
(4) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
This is really what all things come down to. The choice of eternal life which is offered in the preceding passages. The choice that will either deliver us or condemn us to the plagues which are going to consume the unbelieving world. The passage from Job below is also of a telling nature which involves subjects connected to this choice and also the end of the age.
Job 11:7-11 KJV
(7) Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
(8) It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
(9) The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
(10) If he cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder him?
(11) For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?
Another passage from Job which includes the phrase “shut up” concerns the serpent monster leviathan which many associate with the beast out of the sea in Revelation 13 with very good reason.
Job 41:1 KJV
(1) Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
Job 41:15 KJV
(15) His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
Rev 13:1 KJV
(1) And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Psa 74:12-17 KJV
(12) For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
(13) Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
(14) Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
(15) Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
(16) The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
(17) Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
Psa 104:24-28 KJV
(24) O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
(25) So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
(26) There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
(27) These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
(28) That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
Isa 26:20-21 KJV
(20) Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
(21) For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
Isa 27:1 KJV
(1) In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
There are 2 verses in Isaiah chapter 24 in which we find our key words. This is a prophecy concerning the Lord's devastation of the earth. This chapter is one we will detail not far off in the future. However we can briefly look into the 2 verses mentioned.
Isa 24:10 KJV
(10) The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
Isa 24:22 KJV
(22) And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
As we will discover when we explore this chapter in full the verses as well as the entire chapter have direct connections to the book of Revelation. What we have managed to discover in this look at Daniel 12:4 are forecasts for the disciples and their duties as well as a reference point to many passages that link both the testaments together prophetically.
Thank You for sharing a word
God Bless