The Great Second Advent Movement: Its Rise and Progress

The Words Sealed until 1798

In response to Daniel’s inquiry, “O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?” ²³ he is told, “The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” ²⁴ What so exercised the mind of Daniel was the “when?” the “how long?” and “what shall be the end?” These were the points that perplexed and troubled the prophet, and these things only were to be closed up and sealed till the “time of the end,” and not the whole book of Daniel, as some have thought. Previous to this period of 1798, students of prophecy had light concerning the seventy weeks, and understood that they commenced B.C. 457, Christ’s public ministry, his death, etc., occurring in exact harmony with the reckoning of the sixty-nine and seventy weeks from that date. This exact fulfillment of the Saviour’s mission in harmony with this reckoning had given them a mighty proof that he was indeed the true Messiah, and that the date of the commencement of the seventy weeks was thus unalterably fixed. Their failing to discover that the seventy weeks was the first part of the twenty-three hundred days, left the matter sealed up until after 1798, as predicted. GSAM 84.2