THE PROPHECIES OF DANIEL AND THE REVELATION CAN BE UNDERSTOOD.
By J. L. Shuler
Many people maintain that the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation can not be understood. They assume that, being unlearned, they can not understand the prophecies. On the other hand, many of the learned, some of them professedly engaged in the Gospel ministry, say that the prophecies are sealed, and can not be understood. The Lord has foretold this very thing in these words: “The vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I can not; for it is sealed; and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” Isa. 29:11-14. Had the people to whom the prophet refers followed the sure word of prophecy, they need not have drifted away from God, and substituted for His commandments the traditions and precepts of men. That the Lord purposed that the prophecies of Daniel should be understood is apparent from the words of Christ, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand),” etc. Matt. 24:15. Here is a positive injunction to understand the book of Daniel. “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.” Dan. 12:4. The book of Daniel was to be sealed till the time of the end. When is the time of the end? It can not be the real end of the world, for then the prophecies of Daniel would be of no use to us. In the intense darkness just before the end, the prophecies are to be as a light unto our path; wherefore this expression, “the time of the end,” must refer to a period of time just before the end. Then let us note what is meant where the same term is used elsewhere in the same book. In the eleventh chapter of Daniel a persecuting power is brought to view which was to hold its dominion until the time of the end. “And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end; because it is yet for a time appointed.” This persecuting power was the Papacy, which held unparalleled supremacy, the appointed time—“time, times, and an half”—the 1260 years from A.D. 538 to 1798. Its power was taken away at the end of the “time appointed,” which was 1798. So, at that time, the persecutions ceased. This marks 1798 as the period of time in prophecy called the time of the end. According to the prophecy, knowledge was to be increased after the close of this period. So there has been a great increase in knowledge, both scientific and scriptural, since 1798. A flood of light upon God’s Word has been pouring in, enabling men to understand the prophecies. The book of Daniel is now understood, and is unsealed. There is now no excuse for not understanding the prophecies of Daniel; for it is our lot to live this side of the time to which Gabriel told Daniel to shut up the words and seal the book. That limitation has now expired. The prophecies of Daniel are now to be studied. “And none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Dan. 12:10. We hear an almost universal cry that Revelation is a sealed book. But this is not a fact, for in the Revelation John was told explicitly to “seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Rev. 22:10. “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” Rev. 1:3. On no other portion of God’s Word is so direct a blessing pronounced as upon the book of Revelation. This is certainly a good encouragement for the study of this book. Shall we say that it can not be understood? It would be useless for God to promise us a blessing for the study of the Revelation, and for the keeping of the things written therein, unless we could understand and be benefited thereby. The book of Revelation3is therefore to be studied, and we will be blessed in so doing, if we heed its teachings. “The time is at hand.” Here is another reason why we should study Revelation. The importance of studying Revelation multiplies as we draw near to the end. Its object is “to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.” The Lord says that it was given to show something; but, according to the views of many people, it does not show anything, because no man can understand it! No; it will accomplish the object the Lord had in giving it, and it will “show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.” The very name of the book, “Revelation,” is suggestive of something revealed, something made clear or manifest; it is just the opposite of something that is hidden, dark, or obscure. The title of the book, then, is sufficient evidence that it is to be understood. “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.” Deut. 29:29.