4 But you, Daniel, shut up these words and seal the book until the time of the end. Many will roam to and fro, and knowledge will increase.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked and saw two others standing there, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long until the fulfillment of these wonders?”

7 And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, and times, and half a time. When the power of the holy people has finally been shattered, all these things will be completed.”

8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these things?”

9 “Go on your way, Daniel,” he replied, “for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless, and refined, but the wicked will continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but the wise will understand.

11 And from the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.

13 But as for you, go on your way until the end. You will rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

One of my favourite scenes in the movie The Incredibles is when the family is flying over the ocean in a van suspended under a rocket, but the kids start whinging and asking, “Are we nearly there yet?” And a frazzled Mr Incredibles says, “We’ll get there when we get there!” It’s the kind of answer that’s not really an answer at all – it’s just a way of saying, “Stop asking questions!”

The angel’s answers in today’s passage seem a bit like that. For example, in verses 8-9 Daniel wants everything explained, but the angel says, “Go on your way, Daniel” – that is, “Don’t you worry about it, Daniel, just get on with your life and keep trusting God.” It’s helpful to remember that sometimes we need to be content with not knowing.

And yet, when you sift through the details, the angel really says quite a lot. There will be a time of intense suffering, when the power of God’s people will be shattered (v 7). But it won’t last forever – it will be cut short (that’s partly what “for a time, and times, and half a time” means). Then will come the glorious moment of Jesus’ return.

But the main takeaway for Daniel is: These events are sealed up. They still lie in the future. They won’t happen until the time of the end.

That’s why the gospel is such huge news: The time of the end has arrived! It arrived with the sufferings and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. That’s why, in John’s vision of the sealed scroll in Revelation 5, the risen Lord Jesus begins to open the seals. Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb who has triumphed (Rev. 5:5), and he is carrying out the final events of God’s plan for the world.

We still need to persevere through the final sufferings of the time of the end. But we can “go on our way” with even greater assurance that we will be raised to receive the inheritance of eternal life (Dan. 12:13) – because Jesus has already purchased it and is reserving it for us (1 Pet. 1:3-5).

We’ll get there when we get there!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our Senior Minister.