But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words
Of the book, in which he had wrote the visions and prophecies
delivered to him: this he is bid to "shut up", to keep it from
the common and profane people, who would only burlesque it; and
to keep it to himself, as a peculiar treasure committed to his
care; and though it was not kept from the saints and people of
God, from their reading it, yet he was not to interpret and
explain it to them; it was to remain a secret until the time of
its accomplishment was come, or, however, near at hand; so that
this denotes the obscurity of the prophecy, and the great
difficulty of understanding it; it being like a book that is shut
and sealed, as follows, see ( Revelation
5:1-5 ) : and seal the book, even to the time of the
end;
till the time comes appointed for the fulfilment of it, which
shows that it reached to times at a great distance; that till
these times were come, or near, it would be as a sealed book, and
yet the accomplishment of it would be sure and certain, as what
is sealed is: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge
shall be increased;
that is, towards the end of the time appointed, many persons will
be stirred up to inquire into these things delivered in this
book, and will spare no pains or cost to get knowledge of them;
will read and study the Scriptures, and meditate on them; compare
one passage with another; spiritual things with spiritual, in
order to obtain the mind of Christ; will peruse carefully the
writings of such who have gone before them, who have attempted
anything of this kind; and will go far and near to converse with
persons that have any understanding of such things: and by such
means, with the blessing of God upon them, the knowledge of this
book of prophecy will be increased; and things will appear
plainer the nearer the accomplishment of them is; and especially
when accomplished, when prophecy and facts can be compared
together: and not only this kind of knowledge, but knowledge of
all spiritual things, of all evangelic truths and doctrines, will
be abundantly enlarged at this time; and the earth will be filled
and covered with it, as the sea with its waters; see ( Isaiah 11:9 ) (
Habakkuk
2:14 ) .