The Meaning of Daniel 12:4 Explained

Daniel 12:4

KJV: 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.

YLT: And thou, O Daniel, hide the things, and seal the book till the time of the end, many do go to and fro, and knowledge is multiplied.'

Darby: And thou, Daniel, close the words, and seal the book, till the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

ASV: 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.

Discover Daniel 12:4

CONTEXT: What is the Context of Daniel 12:4?

MEANING: What does Daniel 12:4 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in Daniel 12:4 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in Daniel 12:4?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Daniel 12:4 Mean?

Study Notes

end
The "time of the end" in Daniel. The expression, or its equivalent, "in the end," occurs, Daniel 8:17-19 ; Daniel 9:26 ; Daniel 11:35 ; Daniel 11:40 ; Daniel 11:45 ; Daniel 12:4 ; Daniel 12:6 ; Daniel 12:9 .
Summary:
(1) The time of the end in Daniel begins with the violation by "the prince that shall come" (i.e. "little horn," "man of sin," "Beast") of his covenant with the Jews for the restoration of the temple and sacrifice Daniel 9:27 and his presentation of himself as God; Daniel 9:27 ; Daniel 11:36-38 ; Matthew 24:15 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:4 ; Revelation 13:4-6 and ends with his destruction by the appearing of the Lord in glory.; 2 Thessalonians 2:8 ; Revelation 19:19 ; Revelation 19:20 .
(2) The duration of the "time of the end" is three and one half years, coinciding with the last half of the seventieth week of Daniel. Daniel 7:25 ; Daniel 12:7 ; Revelation 13:5 .
(3) This "time of the end" is the "time of Jacob's trouble." Jeremiah 30:7 "a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation" Daniel 12:1 "great tribulation such as was not from the beginning of the world.. . nor ever shall be" Matthew 24:21 . The N.T., especially the Book of the Revelation, adds many details.

Verse Meaning

In conclusion, the angel instructed Daniel to close the record of this revelation. In the ancient Near East, people wrote official documents and then, after making a copy for reference, deposited the original in a safe place. The phrase "conceal these words" does not mean that Daniel should keep them to himself, but that he should preserve this revelation because it was important (cf. Daniel 8:26). Also, it was customary for the scribe who recorded important documents, such as contractual promises, to run his cylinder-seal across the bottom to guarantee authenticity. [1] That is what the angel instructed Daniel to do with this contractual promise. By sealing it, Daniel would certify that what stood written was exactly what God had revealed to him and had promised would happen (cf. Revelation 22:18-19).
Daniel was to preserve this revelation until the end of time (or the "time of the end," the last half of the Tribulation, [2] ) because much of what God had revealed to him concerned the far distant future. He confessed that he did not understand much of it ( Daniel 12:8), as we can appreciate, since most of it predicted things still future from his standpoint in history.
The last part of this verse probably refers to the attempts of people in the future to understand this Revelation , in view of the context (cf. Amos 8:12). [3] Attempting to understand these prophecies, people would search around and try to discover what they meant. As time passed and knowledge increased, they would understand these things better than Daniel could.
"Whether or not physical wandering and travel is involved, the implication is that attempts to understand the truth will require considerable effort." [4]
Even though Daniel and his people did not understand this book"s prophecies as well as we do, simply because we have seen many of them fulfilled, these predictions did comfort them. They reassured them that Yahweh would ultimately deliver Israel from the hostile Gentiles, and thus fulfill His covenant promises.

Context Summary

Daniel 12:1-13 - Resurrection And Judgment
Michael was the guardian spirit of the Jewish people. When the time of trouble has reached its climax, whether in national or individual life, help is near.
The hope of resurrection, of the life beyond the darkness of their times, animated the hearts of the Chosen People. In the same way the Apostle Paul refers to it, 1 Corinthians 15:58. The national resurrection of Israel is without doubt included but the resurrection at the last, when that of the just shall precede that of the unjust by the millennium, is clearly the topic of these wonderful words. Daniel's prophecies were to be sealed, because their entire fulfillment was not to take place for many days. Three and a half probably stands for three and a half prophetic years, which, on the year-day system, gives 1260 days or years, and is therefore equivalent to the forty-two months of Revelation 11:2; Revelation 13:5. This is the time of the world-power, half the perfect number seven. The supremacy of the Gentile kingdoms is 2,500 years, of which the latter half has nearly expired, and the Chosen People will not much longer be scattered. It is an interesting fact that, calculated on the lunar measure, these concluding dates have-according to the calculations of the late Dr. Grattan Guinness-just expired. Let us go our way, watch and pray, and at last stand in our lot. [source]

Chapter Summary: Daniel 12

1  Michael shall deliver Israel from their troubles
5  Daniel is informed of the times

What do the individual words in Daniel 12:4 mean?

But you Daniel shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end shall run to and fro many and shall increase knowledge
וְאַתָּ֣ה דָֽנִיֵּ֗אל סְתֹ֧ם הַדְּבָרִ֛ים וַחֲתֹ֥ם הַסֵּ֖פֶר עַד־ עֵ֣ת קֵ֑ץ יְשֹׁטְט֥וּ רַבִּ֖ים וְתִרְבֶּ֥ה הַדָּֽעַת

וְאַתָּ֣ה  But  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
דָֽנִיֵּ֗אל  Daniel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּנִאֵל 
Sense: the 2nd son of David, by Abigail the Carmelitess.
סְתֹ֧ם  shut  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: סָתַם 
Sense: to stop up, shut up, keep close.
הַדְּבָרִ֛ים  the  words 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
וַחֲתֹ֥ם  and  seal 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: חָתַם  
Sense: to seal, seal up, affix a seal.
הַסֵּ֖פֶר  the  book 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
עֵ֣ת  the  time 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
קֵ֑ץ  of  the  end 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֵץ  
Sense: end.
יְשֹׁטְט֥וּ  shall  run  to  and  fro 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שׁוּט  
Sense: to go, go or rove about, go to and fro.
רַבִּ֖ים  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וְתִרְבֶּ֥ה  and  shall  increase 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
הַדָּֽעַת  knowledge 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: דַּעַת 
Sense: knowledge.

What are the major concepts related to Daniel 12:4?

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