“‘And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt…But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.'”…”Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.'” Daniel 12:1b-2, 4, 8-9
Close to the end of his earthly life, Daniel is granted a vision of deliverance even greater than the return from Babylon – God’s final judgment at the end of time itself. There apparently exists a special resurrection reserved for those involved in Jesus’ trial and execution (Matthew 26:63-64, Revelation 1:7) as well as the Tribulation saints who will see Jesus’ return at the Second Coming. It will be a humiliation for those who condemned Him during his First Coming (only to see Him revealed as all He said He was) and a reward for His followers who will give their lives in service to their Lord and Savior.
As I reach the end of Daniel’s book, I look back and reflect on the many things God has revealed to Daniel. To him was shown the rise and fall of empires, God’s power moving in the lives of pagan kings and godly servants, and even the finishing chapter of God’s plan for Israel. It’s surprising, then, to see that God held back from revealing this mystery when He explained so many others to the prophet in exile. Daniel was given several glimpses into the future, reaching even to the End Times, yet his view was cut short and the interpretation withheld.
It then occurred to me that, while Daniel may not have understood this prophecy, he didn’t need to; God provided him with no explanation because the prophecy was for us, the generation who lives in the end times. That is why the prophecy is sealed here; its time has not yet arrived, and until it does the true meaning shall remain hidden. Besides, it would seem that God’s purpose for Daniel has been fulfilled; he has lived a long life full of challenges and victories, testified of his faith in God through his words and actions before kings, and God has granted him a word that will be passed on to future generations of believers. He has been God’s messenger, to the generation of his day and the generations to come – he has been a faithful servant, and he will rest until the final prophecies are ready to be fulfilled. May we pay heed to what God has spoken, and may we live without fear of human judgment, with God as our Judge as Daniel did.