About Jesus  -  Steve Sweetman

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Unsealed Knowledge

 

Some of you might remember Alvin Toffler's 1970 book entitled "Future Shock".  Toffler outlined the acceleration of knowledge throughout human history.  He noted that in the first seventy years of the 20th century we had accumulated more knowledge than in history past.  Of course, Toffler's book has long since been outdated.  It's now estimated that knowledge doubles every one and half to two years. 

 

I recall my dad quoting Daniel 12:4.  His King James Bible says; "Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased".  My dad understood the word "knowledge" to mean knowledge in general.  Allow me to suggest something different.   

 

An angelic looking being informed Daniel about the end of days.  He said; "At that time, Michael, the great prince that protects your people (Israel) will arise.  There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.  But at that time your people (Israel) - even those names found written in the book  - will be delivered.  Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life and others to shame and everlasting contempt.  Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.  But you, Daniel, close and seal the words of this scroll until the time of the end.  Many will go here and there to increase knowledge". (Daniel 12:1 - 4 NIV)

 

The word "knowledge" is translated from the Hebrew word "da'ath" in Daniel 12:4.  The meaning of "da'ath" clues us in a bit to what kind of knowledge may be spoken of here.  "Da'ath" is not just head knowledge or knowledge that merely informs.  It's also not knowledge that leads to technological advances.  "Da'ath" is the specific knowledge that enables one to make wise discerning judgments.  That's why the text speaks "of those who are wise".  

 

This passage tells us when this increase of knowledge will take place.  The words "at that time" in Daniel 1:1 refers to the time of the end.  Jesus confirmed this when He quoted this passage as part of His end time discourse in Matthew 24:21.  

 

The passage also associates this knowledge with a particular end time event.  The day will come when Michael, the great angelic protector of Israel, will rise.  I suggest this increase of knowledge is related to Michael rising at the end of this age in support and defense of Israel. 

 

I propose that the knowledge spoken of in Daniel 12:4 is knowledge that enables one to wisely discern the events leading to the end of this age.  It's knowledge associated with Michael in support and defense of Israel.  It's knowledge that makes one wise as he leads many to righteousness in the most horrific era in human history.

 
Daniel was told to seal up this prophetic scroll until the time of the end.  What Daniel was told to seal up the Apostle John was told to unseal. (Revelation 22:10)  Brothers and sisters in Jesus, I suggest that we are privileged to live in a time when this prophetic scroll is being unsealed.  With the unsealing of this scroll comes the opportunity for us to possess the increased prophetic knowledge that will enable us to wisely discern the signs of the times.  Here are some examples of such increased knowledge. 

 

The Dead Sea Scrolls began to be discovered just a few months before Israel became a nation in 1948 in fulfillment of prophecy.  These scrolls produced a wealth of new knowledge.  For example, a 29 foot long scroll of the oldest complete book of Isaiah was unearthed.  This scroll differs little from the book of Isaiah we hold in our hands today.  It's no coincidence that this scroll of Isaiah that predicted Israelis future, including their return to nationhood, was discovered when Israel became a nation.  I suspect that Michael, the angelic protector of Israel , rose from his seat and had a part to play in this prophetically timed discovery.    

Throughout the centuries liberal scholars have thought the New Testament was written in some kind of weird Greek because it differed from Classical Greek.  Well, the Dead Sea Scrolls contained documents like sales receipts and business contracts that were written in the same weird Greek the New Testament was written in.  We now know that the New Testament was written in the common street level language of the day.  There's nothing weird about New Testament Greek, and archeology has proven that to be true.    

 

Liberal scholars have attempted to debunk the New Testament because of a lack of historical evidence of Pilate.  Well, in 1961 historical evidence of Pilate's existence was unearthed in the town of Caesarea where he spent 10 years governing Judea.  Among other things, archeologists found his name inscribed on a block of limestone that formed part of the foundation of a theatre.  Many liberal scholars doubted the existence of Caiaphas, the high priest who handed Jesus over to Pilate.  In 1990 an ossuary containing his body was unearthed in Jerusalem.  Be assured, the Bible is an accurate portrayal of history.   

 

Archeological finds aren't the only source of increased knowledge.  As western Christians we may consider ourselves the cream of the Christian crop concerning Biblical issues, but that's debatable.  Culturally and linguistically speaking, we are so far removed from the Bible that it puts us at a distinct disadvantage in understanding Biblical issues. When we attempt to understand the Bible from our 21st century western cultural and linguistic mindset, I'm sorry to say, we fail miserably.  Don't be disheartened, because the internet has placed pertinent historical and linguistic knowledge at our finger tips.   

 

Liberal scholars discredit the four New Testament gospel accounts because of apparent discrepancies concerning the chronology of events.  These scholars view chronology from a western mindset.  Time consists of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years.  Events take place in the sequence of these designations of time.  The Middle Eastern mindset in which the gospel writers wrote viewed time thematically as well as chronologically.  That is to say, the order of events was often recorded based on themes, not on the calendar, thus the reason for the chronological differences.  This is seen in the fact that New Testament Greek has two different words when it comes to matters of time.  The Greek word "chronos" is time as it relates to the calendar.  The Greek word "kairos" is time as it relates to themes.  That's why events in John differ from those in Mark.  John's theme is clearly different from Mark's.  When we fail to understand this, we fail to understand the Bible as it relates to time, but with our present day increased knowledge, we can overcome our failure.      

 

In Mark 13:33 Jesus "commanded", not "suggested", us to watch and pray for the signs leading to the end.  Jesus would not have told us to watch in ignorance.  As a matter of fact, Hosea 4:6 states that lack of knowledge destroys God's people.  For this reason Jesus clued us in on many end time events, but beyond that, the increased knowledge of Daniel 12:4 is more obtainable for us today than any time in history.  We have the opportunity to be the most knowledgeable, wise, and discerning, Christians in history, especially when it comes to Biblical prophecy.  Let's avail ourselves to the wealth of Daniel 12:4 increase of knowledge.  As the Hebrew word "da'ath:" implies, "we'll be the wiser for it". 

 


 

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