The Increase of Knowledge (Dan. 12:4)
Many Christians believe that the Bible prophesies about the high-tech time period we are currently living in: “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” (Dan. 12:4).
Running to and fro. The Increase of knowledge. Many Christians believe this prophecy is being fulfilled with modern technological advances such as cars, space travel, and the internet. It is just one more sign that we are living in the end times, many believe.
Response: Contrary to pop-church culture, the meaning of “running to and fro” and “the increase of knowledge” does not refer to modern technology. Rather, it refers to God’s people searching the Scriptures and increasing their knowledge of Daniel’s prophecy—and biblical prophecy in general—as the time of the end drew near.
Amos helps us understand what Daniel had in mind. “They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it” (Amos 8:11-12). Just like in Daniel’s prophecy, Amos talks about people “running to and fro.” But Amos is clearly referring to seeking and understanding the word of the Lord.
Concerning the meaning of “running to and fro” in Daniel 12, John Walvoord said: “Whether or not physical wandering and travel is involved, the implication is that attempts to understand the truth will require considerable effort.” Joel Richardson likewise said, “The running to and fro involves searching the book through and through, scrutinizing it over and over until at last, at the end of the age, the book is finally unsealed and fully understood by the believing community.”[1]
Even Daniel did not understand his prophecy at the time of writing! After the angel told him what would happen, Daniel said, “Although I heard, I did not understand” (Dan. 12:8). Then the angel said: “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (v. 9).
Daniel’s prophecy would not be understood until the “time of the end.”
And when would the “time of the end” be? Contrary to popular belief, the “time of the end” does not refer to the end of time. In fact, there’s not a single passage anywhere in the Bible that mentions the end of time. The “time of the end” refers to the time of the end of the Old Covenant age. This is when the Old Covenant age would vanish away…and the New Covenant age would be established. And this happened in the first century:
AD 60: “In that He [God] says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first [covenant] obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (Heb. 8:13).
So the “time of the end” refers to the time of the end of the Old Covenant age. And as this time period drew near, knowledge about Daniel’s prophecy—and Scripture in general—would increase:
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jer. 31:31-34).
Jesus referred to this “increase of knowledge” in the Olivet Discourse: “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matt. 24:15). This was the unsealing of Daniel’s prophecy. It was finally being understood.
And when did Jesus say these events would happen? “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place” (Matt. 24:34). Note: A generation refers to around forty years (Heb. 3:8-10, Num. 14:30-34, Neh. 9:21). Therefore, since Jesus gave the discourse in around AD 30, then it must have been fulfilled by around AD 70.
Paul referred to the increase of knowledge too:
“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:4-8).
The book of Revelation, too, refers to the unsealing of Daniel’s prophecy. Back in Daniel’s day, the angel had told Daniel to “seal up the prophecy until the time of the end” (Dan. 12:9). But by the time Revelation was written in around AD 65, the angel—presumably the same angel as in Daniel—now said, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time [of the end] is at hand” (Rev. 22:10).
What Daniel had prophesied would happen at the “time of the end” was finally about to happen when Revelation was written in AD 65. And sure enough, within a few years, the temple—which symbolized the Old Covenant age (Heb. 9:8-9)—was finally destroyed. This was the official end of the Old Covenant age…and the official beginning of the New Covenant age.
For more information about the fulfillment of Daniel 12, see my article “Daniel 12 Fulfilled!”
Or, for a detailed discussion about the topics discussed in this article, please see my book The End Is Here: How the New Testament’s Prophecies Were Fulfilled, available NOW on Amazon!
[1] Matt McClellan, “Misunderstood Prophecy? The Increase of Travel and Knowledge (Daniel 12),” January 8, 2014.
