Daniel 12:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But you, Daniel, close the words, maintain silence, and seal the scrolls until the end times arrive. The angel instructs Daniel to refrain from speaking and to ensure that no one looks upon the contents of the scroll. He instructs that the scroll remain sealed and protected, so that when the prophecy comes to pass, the Jews cannot claim that God was unaware of the trials that the people would endure. Many will cry out to God, and the vision will be abundant following this period of tribulation, much like the aftermath of Babylon's oppression.

But you, Daniel, conceal the words and seal the scroll until a designated time. Many will pass through it, and the insights will be greatly increased. He who disclosed various truths to Daniel, and to emphasize that what he had communicated was also concealed, commanded that the words remain hidden and the scroll sealed, so that many could read it, seeking the true interpretation of the accounts, and, due to the profound darkness, arrive at diverse speculations. The phrase “shall pass through,” indicating that many will traverse it, signifies its reading by many. For we often say, I have gone through the book, I have gone through the tale.

He states to seal the book with veils of mystery, withholding its fullness from everyone, ‘until knowledge increases, and,’ as foretold, ‘the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea’ (Isaiah 11:9). The grace of God's Spirit, at the arrival of the Savior, has shattered these seals, illuminating the hidden truths for the faithful.