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The Inevitable Unveiling of Bible Mysteries

Phil Maxwell 1/28/2006

"And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, for many days.

“…As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, ‘My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?’  And he said, 'Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.  Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.’” (Daniel 11:33, 12:8-10)

Many think that attempting to correlate events in the world to details in the apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel and Revelation is a foolish waste of time.  They are quick to point out that Yahshua told His disciples that not even He or the angels knew when His kingdom would be manifested in the world, as though the knowledge was forever sealed up and out of any earthbound human being’s grasp.  Yet, nothing could be further from the truth:  Daniel specifically foretold of latter day saints who would understand the mysterious prophecies and timelines he outlined, and Yahshua said nothing even remotely implying otherwise.  The details of Daniel’s predictions were to remain mysterious until the end times, which were not on the near horizon in Yahshua and the apostles’ generation, but they were just as certain to be understood in time.  Both prophets’ transcriptions were messages sent through time to those who would face the things they saw from afar.  Yahshua’s efforts to focus His disciples on their own commission was merely affirming that the end times were not their direct concern; theirs was to spread the gospel throughout the world.

It is apparent throughout both prophecies that the keys to understanding them are to be found in the manifestation of the things described in them.  The saints are strongly admonished throughout to be spiritually alert and are promised special blessings up to and including beheading for so doing.  Those who are complacent and unprepared may save their heads for a time, but only at the expense of their souls.  In contrast, there are no biblical warnings pertaining to being overly concerned about the horrors Daniel, John, and other prophets predicted in advance.

That doesn’t prevent many modern Christian’s scorn and ridicule against the very exercise of investigating things like prophetic time periods and the number of the beast, regardless of conclusions drawn regarding the same.  It is strange that so many believe that time is very short for the world as we know it, but scoff at any effort to make sense of the specific prophecies about the relative timing of significant end time events.  Such attitudes are tantamount to unbelief, social acceptance notwithstanding.  It is exactly what Yahshua addressed when He said, “what I say to you, I say to all,‘Be on the alert!’”   Noah’s saving faith was rooted in his knowledge and belief of the word of God, and so will it be those who heed Yahshua’s words with one eye on the Bible and the other on world events.  Their task will be to bear Yahshua’s own testimony in the world, the spirit of prophecy, which the book of Revelation itself signifies.  True understanding of it and related prophecies in
the word of God will be what marks them as both servants of God and enemies of the government “beast” to rise up in those days.

Therefore, while latter day scoffers are to be expected, faithful believers will watch for possible fulfillments of end time prophecies all the more.  According to scripture, it is just as certain that these things would come into view as the day nears as that they would remain mysterious until then.  Yahweh’s seal on certain knowledge pertaining to His plans was always intended to be removed at the appointed time.  Most will not recognize the signs of the time, choosing to expect peace and safety in spite of what some will see us manifestations of the ancient prophets’ predictions of impending doom.

Summary Points

• Daniel, Revelation, and other end time prophecies were written with the full intention of being understood by those living just before and during those times.  The fact that even the details of them will be understood by one or more is manifest.
   
• There are numerous reasons to suspect that the time is very near.  Even if that isn’t the case, it is a healthy exercise to investigate possible fulfillments of those prophecies; if so, it is an essential exercise.
   
• The fact that shysters have long and often mocked the study of biblical prophecy through frivolous claims does not in any way negate the validity of considering such things; it only emphasizes the need to search the scriptures ourselves and dulls the senses of many.

References and Notes

Mark

13:28 "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 "Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door.  30 "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 32 "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 33 "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is.

34 "It is like a man, away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35 "Therefore, be on the alert —  for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, at cockcrowing, or in the morning —  36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 "And what I say to you I say to all, 'Be on the alert!'"  (also Mt 24:32ff)

• No one, not even Yahshua, knew the time of His return at that time; does not speak to future saints in the world.
   
• Being consistently faithful is expected of all disciples.
   
• Signs of the times would cue faithful that time is very near at that time.
   
• Being alert to the signs of the times is commendable; no warnings about being overly alert are implied.

Luke

12:45 "But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master will be a long time in coming,' and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

• Unfaithful servants will not recognize the signs nor be prepared in last days.

Acts

1:6 And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;

• It wasn’t for them to know at that time; doesn’t pertain to end time believers at all.

1 Thessalonians

5:1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

• Being spiritually alert and sober is both a choice and a determining factor between the faithful and unfaithful; the faithful will stay alert regardless of signs or lack thereof.
   
• Most will be unprepared when sudden destruction comes to them, stumbling their faith; the faithful will not be stumbled because they will be expecting it.

Daniel

8:14: And he said to me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored." 15 And it came about when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man.
…26 "And the vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future." 27 Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up again and carried on the king's business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was none to explain it.

10:14 "Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future."

11:33 "And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, for many days.

12:4 "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase." 5 Then I, Daniel, looked and behold, two others were standing, one on this bank of the river, and the other on that bank of the river. 6 And one said to the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be until the end of these wonders?" 7 And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, as he raised his right hand and his left toward heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time; and as soon as they finish shattering the power of the holy people, all these events will be completed.

8 As for me, I heard but could not understand; so I said, "My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?" 9 And he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time. 10 "Many will be purged, purified and refined; but the wicked will act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand. 11 "And from the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 "How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! 13 "But as for you, go your way to the end; then you
will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age."

• The prophet did not understand much about his visions of the end times beyond what he was supposed to write.
   
• Understanding of it not available to anyone until far into the future.
   
• Under persecution, the faithful in the world in the
  latter days would understand and pronounce the events of the world in the light of prophecies.

Revelation

1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

22:6 And he said to me,
"These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place. 7 "And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." 

22:10 And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 "Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and let the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and let the one who is holy, still keep himself holy." 12 "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.

…20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

• The prophecy becomes understandable by some shortly before the events foretold in it start occurring.
   
• It is written to and for the benefit of those qualifying as “bond-servants” of Christ (like the apostles) in the last days.
   
• Daniel was told that there was a divine seal on the interpretation of his prophecies until the end times. John was told not to, himself, conceal the words; understanding by the readers is not the subject as it was in Daniel.
   
• The “testimony of Jesus Christ” is what those who understand this and related prophecies and will proclaim the true word of God will bear in the world:

1:9  I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in
Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus

19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of
yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

• It is an account of how Yahshua will be revealed to the world in the last days, according to the word of God.
   
• His revealing will be in large measure by the testimony of others expounding upon the words of this prophecy.
   
• It is the “spirit of prophecy”.
   
• It is held by those persecuted by the beast, the reason many are beheaded.
   
• It is the reason that they are persecuted, the reason they refuse the mark.
   
• It is associated (as “offspring”) with the group allegorized as a “woman” that first manifest the true spirit of the Messiah in the world. (Rev 12)
   
• It is also held by the angels serving God.

2:5 'Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place —  unless you repent.  

…10 the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have
tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

…16 'Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them
with the sword of My mouth.

3:10 'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. 11 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown.

• At the time the ultimate addressees understand these messages, the Lord’s return and the “hour of testing” would be very near.

13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

• Obviously, someone was intended to have such understanding at some point in time.

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