Sabbath School for Adults: Lesson 13: From Dust to Stars

Wednesday March 25

The Sealed Book

Read Daniel 12:4 and John 14:29. Why is the book of Daniel to be sealed until the time of the end?

"At the conclusion of the last major section of the book (Dan. 10:1-12:4), the prophet receives the command to seal the scroll until the time of the end. In the same breath, the angel predicts that “  ‘many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase’  ” (Dan. 12:4, NKJV). Although some students of Daniel have taken these words as a prediction of scientific progress, which also could be included in the meaning, the context seems to indicate that running “to and fro” refers to searching the book of Daniel itself. Indeed, as we look back into history, we note that Daniel remained an obscure piece of literature for centuries. It may have been known and studied in some places, but some of its key teachings and prophecies remained mysterious. For example, the prophetic messages related to the purification of the heavenly sanctuary, the judgment, the identity and work of the little horn, along with the time frame related to these prophecies, were far from clear.

But from the Protestant Reformation onward, more and more people began to study the book of Daniel. However, it was only at the time of the end that the book was finally opened and its contents more fully unveiled. As Ellen G. White notes, “Since 1798 the book of Daniel has been unsealed, knowledge of the prophecies has increased, and many have proclaimed the solemn message of the judgment near.”—The Great Controversy, p. 356. “At the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century a new interest in the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation was awakened in widely separated places of earth. The study of these prophecies led to a widespread belief that the second advent of Christ was near. Numerous expositors in England, Joseph Wolff in the Middle East, Manuel Lacunza in South America, and William Miller in the United States, together with a host of other students of the prophecies, declared, on the basis of their study of the prophecies of Daniel, that the second advent was at hand. Today, this conviction has become the driving force of a worldwide movement.”—The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 879.

Think about the great advantage that we have today to be able to look back on history and see how these historical prophecies of Daniel have been fulfilled. How should this help us trust in all of God’s promises?