| That Which Will Happen Before the End |
In Daniel 12: 4, Daniel is instructed to close and seal abook. This book is not to be opened until the time of the end of the world.Then, he is told something in regard to what will be happening in those finalyears. As one reads the various versions, a number of translations (orinterpretations) can be seen. The complete verse for twenty-four versions isquoted. It is this last part of the verse that is being considered here. Acommentary follows the quotations.
| Versions Compared |
| AAT | An American Translation (Beck) | NAB | New American Bible |
| AB | Amplified Bible | NBV | New Berkeley Version |
| DHB | Darby Holy Bible | NCV | New Century Version |
| EVD | English Version for the Deaf | NEB | New English Bible |
| GW | God's Word | NIV | New International Version |
| HBME | The Holy Bible in Modern English | NJB | New Jerusalem Bible |
| KJV | King James Version | NRS | New Revised Standard Version |
| KTC | Knox Translation | NWT | New World Translation |
| LB | Living Bible | REB | Revised English Bible |
| LBP | Lamsa Bible | SGAT | An American Translation (Smith-Goodspeed) |
| LXX | The Septuagint | SISR | The Scriptures (ISR) |
| MNT | Moffatt New Translation | TEV | Today's English Version |
| Daniel12: 4 |
| AAT | "But you, Daniel, keep these words and seal the book tillthe last time. Many will seek it thoroughly, and knowledge will grow." |
| AB | But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of theend. [Then] many shall run to and fro and search anxiously [through the Book],and knowledge [of God's purposes as revealed by His prophets] shall be increasedand become great. [Cf. Amos 8:12.] |
| DHB | And thou, Daniel, close the words, and seal the book, till the time of theend. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Footnote: [shall run to and fro] -- Or "shall diligentlyinvestigate." See Job 1:7; 2:2. |
| EVD | "But you, Daniel, keep this message a secret until the time of the end.Many people will go here and there looking for true knowledge. And the trueknowledge will increase." |
| GW | "But you, Daniel, keep these words secret, and seal the book until theend times. Many will travel everywhere, and knowledge will grow." |
| HBME | "So you, Daniel, conceal the events, and seal the record, until the fixedperiod, when many will travel and knowledge will be increased." |
| KJV | But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time ofthe end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. |
| KTC | For thyself, Daniel, keep this revelation locked away; sealed up in the recordof it must be until the hour appointed. Leave others to hasten to and fro, in searchof knowledge. Footnote: The last part of this verse cannot be rendered with any certainty. |
| LB | "But Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal it up so that it will not beunderstood until the end times, when travel and education shall be vastly increased." |
| LBP | But you, O Daniel, seal these words and be silent, and seal this book even to thetime of the end; many shall want to know the end, and knowledge shall be increased. |
| LXX | And thou, Daniel, close the words, and seal the book to the time of the end; untilmany are taught, and knowledge is increased. |
| MNT | And now, O Daniel, keep all this a close secret, till the crisis at the end; erethen many shall give way and trouble shall be multiplied on earth. |
| NAB | "As for you, Daniel, keep secret the message and seal the book until the endtime; many shall fall away and evil shall increase." |
| NBV | "But you, Daniel, keep the message a secret; seal the Book until the finalperiod; many shall investigate and information shall advance." Footnote: [shall investigate] -- Literally, shall run back and forth. |
| NCV | "But you, Daniel, close up the book and seal it. These things will happen atthe time of the end. Many people will go here and there to find true knowledge." |
| NEB | But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and seal the book till the time of the end.Many will be at their wits' end, and punishment will be heavy. |
| NIV | But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the timeof the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge. |
| NJB | "But you, Daniel, must keep these words secret and keep the book sealed untilthe time of the End. Many will roam about, this way and that, and wickedness willcontinue to increase." |
| NRS | "But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and the book sealed until the time ofthe end. Many shall be running back and forth, and evil shall increase." |
| NWT | "As for you, O Daniel, make secret the words and seal up the book, until the timeof [the] end. Many will rove about; and the [true] knowledge will become abundant." |
| REB | "But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and seal the book until the time of theend. Many will rush to and fro, trying to gain such knowledge." |
| SGAT | "And now , O Daniel, bind up the words, and seal the book till the time of theend; for many shall prove disloyal, and troubles shall be many." |
| SISR | "But you, Dani'el, hide the words, and seal the book until the time of the end.Many shall diligently search and knowledge shall increase." |
| TEV | He said to me, "Andnow, Daniel, close the book and put a seal on it until the end of the world. Meanwhile,many people will waste their efforts trying to understand what is happening." |
| Commentary |
There appears to be some truth in the footnote in one version."The last part of this verse cannot be rendered with any certainty."If a person uses only one version of the Scriptures, he/she may see nothingunordinary in the verse, and will accept it as is. He/She may or may not be ableto explain what it meant. If a person has about half a dozen versions to check,there may be confusion, depending on the combination. With as many versions asare listed here, it will be seen that there is a variance in translation, but also,the real meaning may be pieced together. It is my intent to try to piece togetherwhat this sign of the time of the end is as stated in this verse.
Two points seem to be clear. There will be movement of peoplein some form and for some purpose and there will be an increase of knowledge orwickedness. These two points must have some relationship with each other. Thatthere will be wickedness in the time of the end is apparent, but is that whatis meant here? There seems to be but little connection to the moving about ofpeople. In our times, there is much moving about, but how does it apply here?
There has been a great increase in knowledge in our time. Canthis fact have a connection with people going to and fro? A few versions referto true knowledge. This could mean that much knowledge that we have today isfraudulent. Many people will agree that this is true with what is being taughtin schools and universities today. A few versions suggest that there is amovement in search of knowledge. This could mean research for new truths.Students are traveling within their own countries and around the world to study.They are finding much on the Internet, which is worldwide. Some people aresatisfied with what they have, while others are constantly seeking for somethingmore advanced or what has been hidden for years, or even centuries. The increasein knowledge over the last forty years has been considered to be greater than theaccumulated knowledge for centuries prior.
I am suggesting, after piecing the translations from all theseversions together, that the prophet is telling us that in the last days, scholarsin many fields will be doing extensive research, resulting in a great flow ofknowledge. This will include the correction of false data of the past, suppressedtruths, and information that is built on known information. The time is short. Wemust continue to seek the truths that Yahweh has for us.