But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "many shall run to and fro" doesn't refer to modern rapid travel, but to a fervent, almost anxious, search and scrutiny of this prophecy. It describes a future time when people will deeply pore over these words, seeking understanding and comfort as the events draw nearer to their fulfillment.
But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Daniel is being instructed to seal up this profound prophecy, as its full meaning and fulfillment lie far in the future, specifically at "the time of the end." While it's to be kept hidden for now, the text also anticipates a future where many will intensely search and study these words, leading to a significant increase in understanding.
Why would God give Daniel a vision only to tell him to seal it away? It seems counterintuitive. Yet, this instruction reveals something profound about divine timing and the nature of prophecy.
Daniel is told to 'shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end.' This isn't about hiding truth forever, but about revealing it according to God's perfect schedule.
Divine Timing
Protection and Purpose
The verse speaks of people 'running to and fro.' What does this frantic activity signify? It points to a profound spiritual hunger and intellectual engagement with God's Word as the end approaches.
The phrase 'many shall run to and fro' is not about modern speed or travel, but about intense searching and seeking.
Anxious Seeking
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Growing Insight
Understand the original words
qets · Hebrew Noun
A term used to signify the final consummation of God's redemptive plan in history, often marking the transition between the current age and the kingdom of God.
da'ath · Hebrew Noun
The accumulation of divine revelation or spiritual understanding, often specifically referencing the unfolding of prophetic truth throughout history.
The command to 'shut up the words and seal the book' highlights that Daniel's prophecies were meant for a future generation facing intense trials, not necessarily for immediate understanding. The verse speaks to a time when people would desperately search for answers, and 'knowledge would increase,' implying that the very act of seeking and the unfolding events would bring clarity, especially as the time of fulfillment drew near.
c. 167 BC— this verse
Antiochus IV Epiphanes Persecutes Jews
The Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, seeking to Hellenize the region, desecrated the Jerusalem Temple and brutally persecuted Jews who resisted assimilation, creating immense suffering and crisis.
c. 165 BC
Maccabean Revolt Begins
Led by the Hasmonean family, Jewish rebels fought back against Antiochus's forces, leading to a period of conflict and eventual rededication of the Temple.
c. 164 BC
Temple Rededicated
The Maccabees successfully reclaimed Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple, a significant victory that brought a temporary end to the most intense phase of persecution.
c. 160 BC
Maccabean Kingdom Established
Following their victories, the Maccabees established an independent Jewish kingdom, ushering in a new era of self-rule and religious freedom.
c. 2nd - 1st century BC
Book of Daniel Circulates
The Book of Daniel, containing prophecies that addressed the current crisis and looked towards future events, circulated among Jewish communities.
c. AD 1st - 2nd century
Prophecies Studied and Debated
During the Second Temple period and beyond, scholars and devout individuals intensely studied prophetic texts like Daniel, seeking to understand God's plan and timing.
This passage directly contrasts with Daniel's command to seal the book, highlighting that John's visions were not to be sealed, suggesting a difference in their immediacy or intended understanding.
Habakkuk 2:2This verse echoes Daniel's theme of writing down a vision and waiting for its fulfillment, emphasizing that those who run to read it can anticipate its coming.
Isaiah 29:11-12These verses describe a vision that becomes like a sealed book to those who cannot read it, paralleling Daniel's sealed prophecy and the difficulty of understanding until the appointed time.
1 Corinthians 13:12This passage speaks about seeing God's purposes dimly in this life ('through a glass, darkly') but anticipates a future time of clear understanding, which resonates with Daniel's prophecy being sealed until the end times.
2 Timothy 3:1-5This passage describes difficult times in the last days characterized by people having a form of godliness but denying its power, which can be seen as a spiritual increase in knowledge alongside a moral decay, a complex parallel to the 'knowledge shall increase' in Daniel.
ellicottDaniel 12:4: "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."
(4) Shut up the words.— The revelation, which commenced in Daniel 10:20 , now draws towards a close, and the prophet receives a further revelation respecting the time of the end. The revelation continues to be called by the same name, “the words,” as in Daniel 10:1 ; and now the prophet is told that the book in which this revelation i…
jfbDaniel 12:4: "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."
- shut up … seal the book—John, on the contrary, is told (Re 22:10) not to seal his visions. Daniel's prophecy refers to a distant time, and is therefore obscure for the immediate future, whereas John's was to be speedily fulfilled (Re 1:1, 3; 22:6). Israel, to whom Daniel prophesied after the captivity, with premature zeal sought af…
The phrase "many shall run to and fro" doesn't refer to modern rapid travel, but to a fervent, almost anxious, search and scrutiny of this prophecy. It describes a future time when people will deeply pore over these words, seeking understanding and comfort as the events draw nearer to their fulfillment.
Daniel is being instructed to seal up this profound prophecy, as its full meaning and fulfillment lie far in the future, specifically at "the time of the end." While it's to be kept hidden for now, the text also anticipates a future where many will intensely search and study these words, leading to a significant increase in understanding.
Daniel is being instructed to seal up this profound prophecy, as its full meaning and fulfillment lie far in the future, specifically at "the time of the end." While it's to be kept hidden for now, the text also anticipates a future where many will intensely search and study these words, leading to a significant increase in understanding.
"But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”" — The phrase "many shall run to and fro" doesn't refer to modern rapid travel, but to a fervent, almost anxious, search and scrutiny of this prophecy. It describes a future time when people will deeply…
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Last reviewed October 2026