And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near (Revelation 22:10).”
Everyone wants to be in on a secret. No one likes to be left in the dark. And yet there are a wide number of cases where we decide that certain things should be kept from the knowledge of others. In the text above, we hear the instructions given to John not to “seal up the words of the prophecy of this book.” Those familiar with the book of Daniel might think of the instruction given to Daniel which is the opposite of what is given to John. There Daniel was told to “shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end (Daniel 12:4).”
The reason why John is instructed to do the opposite of Daniel is because “the time is near.” From a scriptural framework the last days began with the ascension of Jesus into heaven (see Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:2; 9:26; 1 Peter 1:20). Now is the time when we are able to see and understand more of God’s grand plan through history and know more of how history will be brought to a close. We are blessed indeed, for our forbearers only knew in shadows what we know now much more clearly.
Yet here is something for us to consider: how much do we passively seal up these same truths through our silence? We know that the lamb who was slain (Jesus) is worthy of praise, for with his blood he purchased people from every tribe and language and nation (Revelation 5:9-10). We know that salvation belongs alone “to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb (Revelation 7:10)”. We know one day God himself will be with His people and He will wipe every tear from their eyes and take away death, crying, and pain forever (Revelation 21:3-4). And we know that He is coming soon. These are truths too good to be sealed up with our silence, truths too great to be hidden by our compromised lives. Let us not seal up the truths we have come to know, for the time is near!