Will you destroy all the residue of Israel in pouring out of your wrath upon Jerusalem?

 While looking through some older posts in a folder called “Questions that need an answer,” I found this one, dated 04/2019, in which a friend was having a meltdown about the wrath of God. 

Sometime later, in talking with an acquaintance about eschatology, that brother in Christ angrily said, there is no wrath. I quickly understood that his problem was a matter of terminology. Still, it was also evident that this “intelligent” man had never read the Bible (His church background had been Episcopalian, and he had been content to let someone tell him what the Bible said.) 

On the other hand, the person who originated this discussion felt that we all deserved God’s wrath. I had said to him, Is it possible that you have ascribed God’s wrath to Satan based upon Revelation 12:12, where it says, 'Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath?” As I recall, he did not have a reasonable answer and insisted that we must sustain God’s wrath. I can tell you that this is NOT a true statement, and I will substantiate this with the Word of God.

Search for the word wrath, and you will find, depending upon the translation, that there are at least eleven references in Revelation alone. Most point to God as the owner or originator of that wrath, but one of those passages is directly attributable to Satan alone.

“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.” Rev 12:12 KJV

Wrath seems like such a simple word and easy to understand, and that is why few bother to look it up in Greek. The Strong’s concordance tells us that it is the Greek word thumos with a primary meaning of passion (as if breathing hard): - fierceness, indignation. One of the last options is the word wrath.

Webster defines PASSION as the impression or effect of an external agent upon a body; it is also that which is suffered or received. The feeling of the mind, or the sensible effect of impression; excitement, perturbation or agitation of mind; as desire, fear, hope, joy, grief, love, hatred. The eloquence of the orator is employed to move the passions.

As you can see from the definition of passion, Satan was acting under the premise of suffering or receiving a wounding from God, and the agitation and hatred that brings.

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NASB)

To understand this verse, I have to ask, to which point in time is the narrator speaking?

I ask this because Jesus told us, while He walked this earth, that He beheld Satan fall like lightning. It is evident from this statement that this event happened long ago. Since we find Satan in the garden seducing Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, it is safe to say Satan’s fall occurred at or before the garden creation. (This scenario with Satan’s fall has a wide variety of options and may play into the “Gap Theory” that is notable between Gen 1:1 and 1:2.) (Luke 10:18)

So then, this great wrath of Satan, how is it demonstrated?

That wrath is a regular part of the believer’s life. 

Jesus told us that we would have tribulation in this world, and we are certainly part of it. 

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” 
(John 16:33 NASB)

A secondary consideration is that we who are followers of Christ are in Christ and therefore look and act like He did. 

A famous passage that demonstrates the wrath of the dragon (one of Satan's names) appears in Revelation 12.

 “And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. (16) But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. (17) So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” 
(Revelation 12:15-17 NASB)

I firmly believe that the woman is Israel. This identification would be entirely acceptable because of: the time period – a period in which God is pouring out His wrath upon Israel for their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah, their unbelief, and their idolatrous ways.

We should have figured out by now that Satan is on the rampage – dishing out his own version of wrath, but do we know why? 

The answer is yes. Initially, Satan is attacking the Jews, the woman's children. This fight was initiated in the Garden shortly after the fall.

“And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
(Genesis 3:15 NLT)

Hostility between Satan's offspring and the woman's. Who these outstanding citizens are, I will leave it for you to figure out.

However, because God allows those who receive Christ to be grafted into the vine, the drawing effect of the Holy Spirit will continue up to the “great white throne,” as multitudes will sincerely acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. Before the millennial reign, they, too, will become targets of Satan's followers. The statement that spells out the reason for the attack in Revelation 12:16,17.

“But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”
(Revelation 12:16-17 NAS95)

We do not know the methods or how extensive this attack on the tribulation believers will look like; what we do know, according to Revelation 6:8, is that one-quarter of the earth's population will die. Although we do not have the false prophet in his full role due to the timing, the pressure on followers of Christ is most likely increasing. I said we don't know what this organized killing of “Christians” will look like because Revelation 6 indicates that many will deny the god of the beast (Allah). Since the scriptures DO NOT spell out the method of death or the speed at which that must be done, these people may not have time to prepare elaborate statements in which they profess their newfound love of God over Allah.

Perhaps God will understand the heart of the individual at that moment, where the denial of Allah will be taken as the alternative, acceptance of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We have the “thief on the cross” as an example. We assert and assume that this thief just became aware of Jesus, but read the entire story, and you will come to understand that there was much more going on in the man's heart, and Jesus saw that and said, “this day you will be with Me in paradise.”

-----------------------

Let's assume that we have exhausted the wrath of Satan. Now, let's consider God's wrath for a moment. 

If I did not say it earlier, let me mention it now. At about the same time that my friend was trying to convince me that we must endure God's wrath, a brother in Christ who would not read his Bible was content to rely upon what his former Episcopalian priest had told him, and angrily retorted to me, there is no wrath from God!

To say something like this demonstrates that all you heard from your priest was, God is Love, and He is, but if that priest said God, like a parent, will correct His children; and, as Israel has done since leaving Egypt, repeatedly ignoring God's instruction, then God will move His reproofs to the next level and bring the wrath, you did not or could not hear that. In chapter eight of his book, Ezekiel, the prophet, sees a vision while seated with elders at his house. In the vision, Ezekiel is shown the Son of Man/Jesus, but he is also shown the elders committing abominations with idols in their hidden and secret places. Judgment and wrath are coming because of these practices, and don't think for a second that they are not still committing abominations; they are. Wrath will come because of these and other things.

Since God often uses others to carry out His wrath, we see God in the ninth chapter of Ezekiel saying,

"Draw near, O executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand."

One group of executioners was the Assyrians.

"This One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men. They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory."  (Micah 5:5-6 NAS95)

Suppose you jump forward in time to Revelation chapter seven, where we see the seals being opened and God's wrath and punishment playing out. In that case, 144,000 Jewish young men are marked with a protective mark on their foreheads, while others are violently slain - older men, young men, maidens, little children, and women. These same destroyers will defile the temple. 

Ezekiel asks, "Are You destroying the whole remnant of Israel by pouring out Your wrath on Jerusalem?" The Jews, during the time of wrath, will be asking this very question. The answer Ezekiel receives goes like this, 

"And it came to pass, while they were smiting, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord Jehovah! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy wrath upon Jerusalem?"
Ezekiel 9:8 ASV

The thought continues, only I switched translations because the terminology is more appropriate.

"The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great, and the land is filled with blood, and the city is full of perversion; for they say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see!' "But as for Me, My eye will have no pity nor will I spare, but I will bring their conduct upon their heads."  (Ezekiel 9:9-10 NASB)

The identification of the woman as Israel should prompt you to ask, who else is involved in this mire called God's wrath, we call the tribulation?

We see Israel as the woman in Revelation 12:16,17. Like many of you, I assumed that the parable of the ten virgins was indicative of the church. I was convinced of this because, for years, I sat next to many of them. They may have brought one of their many Bibles to church that day - they make a handy seat saver, but they never open the thing. The ten virgins show us that half the virgins (a significant reference) are unprepared.

Does that mean they did not really care?

We are not given a direct answer to that question, and so we assume that fifty percent of the “Church” will miss the moment when the Church is called to the wedding and, therefore, have to endure this time of wrath, along with many of those deceived by the cult religions.

I might be completely wrong in this assumption, and here is why.  

First, since this Bible, we esteem, is a Jewish book, we may need to throw out this assumption because we are Gentiles. If it applies to us, it is because we have been adopted. 

Secondly, Jesus told the disciples and, therefore, us that He and the Father would never let us out of His hand.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29 NAS95)

If you have given yourself to Him, then you are His, and He is NOT letting go of you. This is one of the basics that feed into the idea of eternal salvation (I am becoming more convinced of this daily.) If you insist on scoffing at the possibility of eternal salvation, it is because scoffers see this as grace and those who think they can live promiscuous lives without repercussions. Those repercussions are real and occur while we are on earth. But if you believe that “cheaters” will be burned up at the Bema seat of Christ, you are wrong, for Christ took all the wrath upon His own body so that we don’t have to.

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ...”
(Colossians 3:3-4 NAS95)

In a Biblical world, where there must be at least two witnesses, this is a taste of the immense evidence supporting eternal security. By the way, my security is in Jesus and in His ability to fulfill His promises.

The third group I see included in the time of wrath is the nation of Israel and, by extension, the Jews in general. 

We understand from scripture that the veil that blinds all who are left (those not caught up in the snatching away of the church) will be lifted, and the number of Jews that will take a stand for Jesus will be remarkable. But, unfortunately, if you are left on the playing field, where they bring out the mowers, turn on the sprinklers, and turn out the lights, you will suffer, including being slain because you choose to hold on to Jesus Christ as your Lord.

And lastly, there will be the nations in general. Included in this number are those giving their allegiance to Jesus Christ. Many will be from Muslim countries as they, along with people from every nation and religion, will have the veil lifted from their understanding. I have already read testimonies of people who have seen Jesus in a dream or vision. In one case, Jesus repeatedly returned to a Muslim man until the man finished writing out the Gospel of John. One of these people interacted with me, of all places, at a Halloween parade, and this man told me that Jesus had come to him in Iran, where he had to flee. Eventually, in France, a man begins to share with him, in Aramaic, the exact scriptures Jesus had told him about in his visions. From that point, his life changed. 

Since the subject is the wrath of God, even though some deny that there is any wrath. Let's get back to that.

The word "wrath" appears 183 times in the NASB; 11 of these references are in Revelation.

“Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;” (Revelation 6:15-16 NASB)

Surprisingly, these atheists comprehend that it is the wrath of God.

Revelation 14:9-10 speaks about those who take the mark of the beast, worship the beast, and worship the image of the beast. We are told that these will drink the wine of the wrath of God.

“... "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 14:9-10 NASB)

Let's close this look at wrath with this passage from Deuteronomy.

"Now the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, when they see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it, will say, 'All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and in His wrath.' "All the nations will say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?' "Then men will say, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. 'They went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not allotted to them. 'Therefore, the anger of the LORD burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.'”
(Deuteronomy 29:22-28 NASB)

So, God’s anger is real and documented. Telling me, “it is NOT!” only demonstrates your foolishness. Rejecting Jesus will cause you to be thrown into a time of wrath, where you will be overthrown and killed if you do not follow after Him. But since the time of grace will be over, it appears that being killed because you are a follower of Christ is your only other option.

My suggestion: grow a backbone now.

Seal up what the seven thunders have said! Do not write it down!

 

Imagine sitting and listening to a speaker, very vividly communicate every detail of an event; this was the case when I worked for the phone company, all those years ago. The speaker, an Ohio Highway officer, told us a couple of stories. He had nothing behind him but a chalkboard, where he pointed out which direction each car had been traveling. There was something about his voice and the manner in which he spoke because I still have those verbal images in my head.

Perhaps this is how it was for John because it seems like there was a pause. John finishes his sip of water when he hears this voice, alright, break time is over, now let's get into Revelation chapter ten.

Revelation 10:1 NASB I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;

• “I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, “ NASB

  In Revelation nine, John saw the fifth angel blowing his trumpet. The announcement was the stinging locusts.

  The sixth angel sounded and a voice was heard instructing that angel to release the four angels bound in the Euphrates. The NIRV translation says they were set free to kill a third of the remaining population. Since the judgment from God has begun, there has been an onslaught of death. These four killer angels have help from two million mounted Calvary. Rev. 9:17 begins the descriptions and it ends with verses 18 and 19, as it tells us of their tails, which were like snakes that actually bite.

• “clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;” NIRV

  We were not given a description of the previous two angels that had come to blow their announcing trumpets, but NOW we are. That is curious. Perhaps it would be best to keep in mind that this entire Book is a Revelation of Jesus Christ.

  • “Clothed with a cloud.”

    Revelation 1:7 tells us that He is coming with the clouds; in Revelation 14:14 He (Jesus) is sitting on the clouds; In Exodus 16:10, there, in the desert, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud; and finally, in Psalms 97:2 King David says that clouds and thick darkness surround him.

  • “the rainbow was upon his head”

    From Revelation 4:2,3 John describes looking into heaven. There in front of me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. The One who sat there shone like jewels. Around the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.

    And from Ezekiel 1:28 NirV we learn that “The glow around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. That's what the glory of the LORD looked like.”

  • “ his face was like the sun”

    Revelation 1:16 already told us that His face shone like the sun; Matthew 17:2 informs us that He was transfigured before them and His face shone as the sun.

  • “ and his feet like pillars of fire.”

    Revelation 1:15 And His feet were like burnished brass having been fired in a furnace.

    While I think it is important to use previously accepted evidence, for the Jew, going back to the origins – the OT, might be better.

    Daniel 10:6 His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze,

    The idea behind using Daniel's words are that burnished bronze, may in fact, give the appearance of fire. 

    Ezekiel saw the Lord and described Him using terminology that included both burnished bronze and fire.

    Ezekiel 1:27 Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him.

Why give you all this information?

Because of two things:

1. When I opened The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury I encountered a comment. That commentary said, “This angel is not, and cannot be, our Lord himself. Such a supposition would, it seems to me, entirely break through the consistency of apocalyptic analogy.” When I saw this my attention immediately was drawn to four words, “it seems to me.” This is something I would say, especially if I am not positive about which answer to give you, the reader. At a point like this, I have hashed out why any of several choices could be a reasonable response, and pointed out why I thought at least one would be the strongest contender for your attention; this, of course, is an attempt at leaving the Holy Spirit to guide you as you make an intelligent decision for yourself. Seeing these words “it seems to me,” told me that the commentator was NOT sure.

2. The second component of critical thought, which I immediately applied to the commentary, is to disregard all comments until I cannot ascertain what scripture is trying to tell me after I have looked at the context; considered the origins of the simplest of words making up the sentence and/or paragraph; and, I have analyzed what I see with comparative passages, such as I have done above.

What is my takeaway from all this?

Aside from rarely take anything at face value, I researched the scriptural evidence to prove whether Revelation 10:1 points to Jesus or not, and I have concluded that we are, without a doubt, looking at Jesus Christ.

Wow, so much for verse one. Moving on.

Revelation 10:2 NASB "and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;"

This word for book is unusual, as it is the Greek word bibliaridion and is only found in the Revelation. It means a little scroll. 

As far as I am concerned this is evidence that the entirety of the Bible is Jewish in its driving force and thought. The idea that God would hand a man a scroll is nothing new and therefore familiar to the Jewish readers – John's primary audience.

Ezekiel 2:9 NASB Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it.

Go just a bit further in Ezekiel and you will find him eating a scroll.

Ezekiel 3:1-3 NASB Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." (2) So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. (3) He said to me, "Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you." Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

Momentarily we will see this same action in Revelation 10:8, 9. The actions are almost word for word. We will tear this apart shortly, but not here.

NASB "Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land." (9) So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he *said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth, it will be sweet as honey."

This is Jesus and we defined why just moments ago. At this point, Jesus roars like the Lion that he is.

Revelation 10:3-4 AMP “And he shouted with a loud voice like the roaring of a lion, and when he had shouted, the seven thunders gave voice and uttered their message in distinct words. (4) And when the seven thunders had spoken (sounded), I was going to write [it down], but I heard a voice from heaven saying, Seal up what the seven thunders have said! Do not write it down!

John understood what they said, but he was NOT allowed to share the words. Habakkuk has a similar theme, but Habakkuk was instructed to write it down with the intent of sharing those words.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 NASB Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. (3) "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.

Pay attention to the phrase “that the one who reads it may run.” “May run” is one Hebrew word rûts. It also means to break down, or to divide speedily.

Do you realize this is exactly what we are doing when we read with intent?

Daniel, in speaking about the entirety of time, which includes this amazingly long pause we have been living in that leads up to the seventieth week also speaks of sealing the vision.

Daniel 9:24 NASB "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.

The context of Daniel's vision speaks of:

• finishing the transgression,

• making an end of sin,

• to make atonement for iniquity,

• to bring in everlasting righteousness,

• to seal up the vision,

• and to anoint the most holy place.

Have these things happened?

Without thinking I said an adamant NO. No one heard me voicing my opinion and so I added, and they will not happen until the end of the seven-year period when Jesus comes back as the warring Messiah. Thankfully I slowed down a moment and gave this some thought.

On the cross Jesus said, it is finished. 

What was finished?

Our standard religious response is to say, the law; and that is not entirely wrong, but there was more, specifically, the end of transgression. 

Transgression, according to Webster's dictionary, means The act of passing over (through ignorance) or going beyond the bounds of any law or rule of moral duty.

Look at what Colossians chapter two says.

Colossians 2:13-15 CEV “You were dead because you were sinful and were not God's people. But God let Christ make you alive when he forgave all our sins. God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.

Romans chapter three speaks about how the Law points out sin and how God makes us righteous through faith.

Romans 3:20-22 CEV God doesn't accept people simply because they obey the Law. No, indeed! All the Law does is to point out our sin. Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets tell how we become acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses. God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans 11:27 refers to a time when He will forgive Israel's sins.

NASB "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."

Do you really think this only happens after the time of wrath?

Isaiah 60:21 NLT All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with my own hands in order to bring myself glory.

As you analyze Isaiah 60:21 can you see that the phrase “your people” could mean both Israel and those who have come into the family. Although Israel currently possesses a portion of the land God promised, there is a day coming when this humanly impractical statement will be fulfilled, and that will come at the end of the seven years.

In Romans 5 we are told that righteousness will reign through that One, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:17-19 NASB For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (18) So then as through one transgression there resulted in condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted in the justification of life to all men. (19) For as through the one man's disobedience, the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One, the many will be made righteous.

Daniel 12 indicates that the prophet was to seal the book for a time specific; the time of the end, to which we have arrived.

Daniel 12:4 NASB "But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase."

All I have to do is to look at Daniel 12:1 to answer the next question.

What end is He talking about?

The one associated with Israel becoming a nation. 

Dr. J. Vernon McGee stated, “These prophecies were to be sealed until "the time of the end." This does not mean the end of time but refers to that definite period of time which in the Book of Daniel is the Seventieth Week.”

Assuming you understand that seventy weeks of years were decreed and that only sixty-nine of those weeks have been accounted for, that leaves only the seventieth week of years. Within that time period, the wrath of God is poured out upon the earth; that has not happened yet. But think about it, during this gap between the sixty-ninth and the seventieth year Israel became a nation. Jesus told us that this generation would not pass away before the end comes. The intelligent realize that we, the church, are living on borrowed time.

Daniel 12:1 NASB "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

The phrase “at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued,” is talking about the church. Don't try to get exclusionary here, because this includes those Jews who have come to accept Christ as the Messiah.

A couple of questions.

How do you the reader know if the Holy Spirit is permitting us to read and understand the writings of Daniel?

If I had not mentioned one of the biggest clues – Israel becoming a nation (again,) how would you determine that we were finally at the end of this journey?

The Lord, speaking to Israel, points out that their ways and actions have made the “vision of all” to become like the words of a book that is sealed. These would not be good words to hear.

Isaiah 29:10-14 KJV "For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. (11) And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: (12) And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. (13) Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: (14) Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."

Paul, spoke of a mystery, so are we still wallowing in this lack of knowing?

In Romans 11:25 Paul reminds the reader that there certainly was a mystery. In the letter to the church at  Colossi, he acknowledges that the mystery, which has been hidden for ages, is now made manifest to His saints. By the time he writes the letter to the church in Ephesus, (Ephesians 1:9) he is now telling the church that the Spirit has made known the mystery.

As you noticed Daniel was told to seal up the book, and yet we read it.

Are you aware that the book of Daniel is one that the Jews are NOT allowed to read?

Could you then say that the book is still sealed for many?

One of my pastors told me, “no one can understand the Revelation or the prophetic books, like Daniel.” Is it possible that the book of Daniel is stilled sealed in his mind? Did you pay attention when Daniel 12:4 stated that knowledge will be increased. 

I feel like this has happened to me and I have an insatiable appetite for the prophetic.