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"At that time shall Michael stand up, 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 that sleep in the dust of the earth shall
awake, these to aionian life, and these to shame and aionian contempt."
The note of time places the fulfillment of this prophecy in the yet future and links it with
Rev. 12: (Michael), 7: (the great tribulation), 13: (the book and deliverance), and
20: (the resurrection). Daniel is then told "to shut up the words, and seal the book unto
the time of the end"; so also in verse 9. We are definitely told that the "thing", which
together with the "vision" occupies chapter 11:, was revealed to Daniel, and that he
understood both the thing and the vision. Moreover, we read that to make Daniel
understand was the object of the words of the man clothed in linen: this being so, we
have no choice but to believe that Daniel did understand. The shutting up of the "words"
and the sealing of the "book" therefore can have no reference to the question of his
understanding.
Daniel has been spoken of as the book sealed, and the Revelation as the book opened.
This, while being true, is misleading when used to teach that what is baffling, mysterious,
and difficult in Daniel is clear and plain in the Revelation. The Apocalypse is not
generally reckoned to be so clear and plain, and those who have studied both books
would be the ones to confess that the Revelation is the more difficult to understand of the
two. The sealing is "to the time of the end". This "time of the end" did present a
problem to Daniel, a problem that was not solved, and for which the Revelation does
supply the solution.
When we consider Revelation 5: and note the call for one who should be worthy
enough to open the seven seals, we shall there find that the idea of interpreting Daniel's
prophecies can hardly fit the occasion. Angels were worthy enough to give the
prophecies and to interpret them before; something more than interpretation is involved
in the scene before us.
Let us get one more preparation before we consider Rev. 5: in detail. This time we
turn to Luke 4: The Lord had been tempted, among other things, with the immediate
possession of "the Kingdoms of the habitable world", but had refused the offer. Then we
read that:--
"Coming to Nazareth He entered the Synagogue, and stood up for to read, and
there was given to Him the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, and when He had
unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it is written,
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because He hath
anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to
heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives,
and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
AND HE CLOSED THE BOOK. . . . and He began to say unto them, This day
is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears."