THE END TIMES | WHY WAS PROPHECY SEALED?

Since ancient times, humanity has spoken of the final days of the world (Job 19:25). This subject was brought to light, in part, by the memory of the Flood in the days of Noah—an event that wiped out his entire generation, leaving only Noah’s family to survive (Genesis 6:13). From the very dawn of creation, God has spoken to His people through prophecies concerning the end of humanity (Isaiah 2:2, 46:10; Ezekiel 38:8, 16; Daniel 8:17). For this reason, during His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ also taught about the end times (John 6:39–40)—prompting His disciples to ask questions specifically regarding that period (Matthew 24:3). This underscores the certainty of the end, a reality that has left a profound impression upon the hearts of many.

Since the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into heaven, the Bible has consistently reminded God’s people that we are steadily approaching the final days for both humanity and this Earth (1 Peter 4:7; 2 Peter 3:7). From the time the early church was established during the apostolic era, discussions and predictions regarding the end times and the day of the Lord’s return have frequently arisen (2 Timothy 2:18). Throughout history, many have attempted to determine when Jesus Christ would return; yet, all such speculations have proven incorrect—not a single one has been right. In this article, we have no intention of joining those who engage in such guesswork. Jesus explicitly stated that no one can know the exact day or hour of His return; only God the Father knows (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32). Therefore, rather than attempting to predict a specific date or time, our goal is to share what the Bible reveals about the period surrounding the return of Jesus—encouraging Christians to remain vigilant and to wait for the Lord in a state of readiness for that glorious day.

One primary reason why, for centuries, few have fully understood biblical prophecies is that these prophecies were sealed and kept hidden until the end times (Daniel 12:4, 9). This instruction, given by God to Daniel, has remained the principle the Lord has applied throughout the subsequent ages, right up to the present day. According to the Lord’s word, the term “sealed”—as used in the two cited scriptural passages—carries a dual meaning: it signifies both the act of rendering something secure and unalterable (Daniel 6:17) and the act of closing something off so that its contents—specifically the prophecies concerning the end times—remain beyond human understanding (Isaiah 29:11). The Lord further indicates that this seal remains in effect only until the end times. This implies that once the end times begin, the seal is removed (Revelation 22:10), allowing God’s people to begin grasping the content of the prophecies He caused to be recorded in the Bible, enabling them to prepare for the day of Christ’s return.

As Christians, we must remember that once the seal has been broken, the day of the Lord’s return is very near—it is no longer far off. According to the Word of God, the “last days” began with the birth of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:2), and tangible evidence shows that the seal upon the prophecies has been broken. We will present this evidence in the following order:

First Evidence: EVERY EYE SHALL SEE THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST

REVELATION 1:7 – “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so. Amen!”

The first piece of evidence presented here is the advancement of science and technology in the 21st century. The prophecy in Revelation 1:7—that the entire world would witness the return of Jesus Christ with their own eyes—could not have been fulfilled in previous decades, as the technology of those times lacked the capability for a live, global broadcast accessible to everyone. Only in this era can such a prophecy be fulfilled. In the past, when people believed the Earth was flat, those living in distant parts of the world could not have witnessed an event in Jerusalem. When science discovered that the Earth is round, it has become even more difficult for people on the other side of the globe—such as those in the United States, the Americas, or Australia and New Zealand, all located in the Southern Hemisphere—to witness the day of the Lord’s return. Today, however, almost everyone has a phone—even young children, to whom their parents often give phones or tablets. Every household has a television and access to other forms of broadcast media. With today’s global internet infrastructure and the ability to capture and transmit footage via satellites, it has become remarkably easy to watch a live broadcast of the most significant event in the entire universe: the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. One simply needs to open a phone or tablet to witness the event as if they were there. We will not delve into the specific details of Revelation 1:7 here, as we intend to present further evidence; we shall return to this verse on a future occasion.

Second Evidence: DATA STORAGE CAPACITY

REVELATION 20:12 – And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.

The Word of God, in Revelation 20:12 and other passages (Exodus 32:32; Psalm 69:28; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 21:27), reveals that on the day of judgment, God will open His books and judge people based on their words, deeds, and inner thoughts.

In the past, it would have been unimaginable for a book to hold the life stories and biographies of the tens of billions of people who have ever lived on Earth. Yet, today, such a feat has become commonplace. We now have microchips—no larger than half a thumbnail—capable of storing thousands of images or hundreds of conversations between individuals. Furthermore, information regarding billions of people can be stored in the “cloud” with virtually no technical failure. If humanity can store such vast amounts of data in the cloud, then surely, for the Creator of this immense universe, recording the thoughts, emotions, actions, and words of every single individual is a simple matter. Thus, we can understand that the “seal” of God—which kept prophecies hidden until the present day—has served a purpose: to allow scientific and technological advancement to demonstrate the Bible’s truth. Moreover, other scientific and technological developments have ensured that God’s seal breaks at the right moment in the era we live in. We will explore this further in the sections to follow.

(to be continued)