Christ’s return or His second coming would mark the end of one age and the start of another. The prophet, Daniel, refers to the end of the age or days in his last words of prophecy (Daniel 12:13). It was used in the context of the siege of Jerusalem, the abomination of desolation, and the time of the end (not the end of time). This last chapter is divided into two sections describing the same event and emitting the same divine response. Taken together, these two sections describe “time of troubles” (verse 1), resurrection (vs. 2-3), both of which are fixed to the last days. Daniel was so concerned about the outcome of these things and shows an interest in knowing more, just like the disciples did in Matthew 24. The response is given in verse 9, which is a repeat of verse 4 of the first section.
Daniel 12:4 (ASV) reads, “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”. Daniel 12:9 (ASV) reads, “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed til the time of the end.”
Compare this with Daniel 8:26, which reads, “And the vision of the evenings and mornings which hath been told is true: but shut thou up the vision; for it belongeth to many days to come.”
The “time of the end” did not pertain to Daniel’s day but was to be preserved and opened after “many days to come.” When that time came, more information would be granted. Jesus appeared at the end of the age or the last days to fulfill that prophetic message, and ultimately ascend from where he had descended to sit on the throne of His glory. There the “worthy one”, opened the seals that had been shut up for 600 years (from 516 to the end of the Jewish age in AD 70) and presented in a vision for John to record. Unlike Daniel and his day, they did pertain to John and his day. They were concerning things that must take place soon (Revelation 1:1) for the time was near (Rev. 1:3).
And he said unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand.
Let’s take this slow. Daniel was told to seal a book that predicted events at the time of the end or the end of the age. It belonged to many days to come and therefore was not to be a concern for Daniel, who would never see it. By contrast, John was told not to seal his book for the time was at hand. This means that the end of the age is upon them, as all the time statements show. The record that contains the New Testament shows the grand momentous events for which the angels and prophets had longed. Jesus is quoted as saying three times in Revelation 22, “I come quickly” (Rev. 22:7, 12, 20).
If He’s talking about a time 2000 years away, it loses its relevance and words can mean anything we want them to mean. Appealing to your judgment, consider the following questions.
(1) If the fulfillment for a two thousand year prediction can be described as being “at hand,” what does “not at hand” mean?
(2) When Daniel was told to seal up the book because it pertained to many days to come, did he think it might come tomorrow or the following week?
According to the logic of some, Daniel could have predicted an event to be “near” or “at hand” and accurately predict an event two thousand years away. It defies all logic to reason that, even though he said that it pertained to many days to come, it must mean that it could come at any time. In such a case, the book is sealed bears no significance. After all, sealed or not sealed, it may or may not pertain to many days to come.
One common argument that is heard in pulpits across the land and read from a majority of commentators is that we should not judge time statements like “at hand” by human measures because one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. In other words, terms like “many days,” “near,” “soon,” makes no difference to them. It is all relative. Again, the logic that makes “at hand” some distant time in the future defies all reason. After the best efforts to make a logical case for this conclusion, such interpretations fail miserably.
Furthermore, Daniel’s instructions do fit the timetable. He was told to seal off the prophecy because it was not to be fulfilled for a long time and six hundred years was the time of its fulfillment. If six hundred years is a long time, how can Jesus and His Apostles speak of something being “at hand,” that describes a distant time of two thousand years and counting? Ironically, those who refer to God’s reckoning of time in 2 Peter 3:8 fail to include this text in God’s definitions of time. While the Lord considers 600 years to be a long time, man considers 2,000 years to be a short time. Why would anyone do this? Failing to understand the nature of His coming, the reference to his coming to be “at hand” has been interpreted as a timeless reference that could apply to any generation. Rather than question our views of Christ’s coming, we would rather accept the ridiculous conclusion that two thousand years can accurately describe the time term, “at hand” and a host of many other statements that refer to an imminent fulfillment.