Daniel’s life had the makings of a great tragedy. Carried into exile by the people who conquered his nation, he could have succumbed to despair or been subsumed into the pagan culture of Babylon. Instead, he determined to remain faithful to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Because he was faithful, the Lord gave him dramatic visions of the End Times.
Similarly, the Apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos late in the 1st Century under the reign of Domitian. He too could have abandoned hope, but he was a “partaker of the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus” because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Both Daniel and John were quite matter-of-fact about the visions they were given, and both recorded that they did not understand everything they saw. Daniel said so pointedly (Daniel 12:8) and John consistently utilized the word “like” to convey that it was difficult to even describe the wonders he saw. But, whereas God told Daniel that “these words are concealed until the end of time” when “those who have understanding will understand” (12:9-10), John was told, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near” (22:10).
Certainly, there are aspects of God’s eternal plan that are beyond human comprehension. Daniel testified, “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him” (Daniel 2:22) But even the great seer and interpreter of dreams and visions could not understand all that was revealed. John was pointedly told not to record the things which the seven peals of thunder spoke in Heaven (Revelation 10:4). But God has chosen to reveal certain things to those who are His. Moses respected this God-honoring balance. He wrote, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever…” (Deuteronomy 29:29).
We have an advantage Moses and Daniel and even John lacked. We have hindsight.
Living in the 21st Century, we know the identity of the Messiah and can worship Him by Name. In the Church Age, we have the blessing of the Holy Spirit—“the Spirit of truth [Jesus sent] to guide [us] into all the truth… and disclose to [us] what is to come” (John 16:13). And, as the End Times approach, we have the promise given to Daniel that “those who have understanding will understand.”
