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Hidden Until the Right Time: A Story from India

Daniel 12:4, 9; Revelation 22:10

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

In the ancient city of Varanasi (one of India’s oldest cities, known for its spiritual heritage and sacred riverbanks), 17-year-old Anjali found herself deeply troubled. She had always loved books, especially history, but her grandmother’s old Bible—kept in a locked wooden chest for years—had remained a mystery.

One summer afternoon, while organizing the attic, Anjali found the key to that wooden chest. Inside, she discovered a faded Bible wrapped in a colorful silk cloth. Curious, she flipped through its pages and came across the book of Daniel.

“These visions… beasts, horns, time prophecies—what does it all mean?” she wondered aloud.

That evening, she brought the Bible to Pastor Ravi, who led a small Adventist fellowship in the outskirts of town. The group met in a one-room church shaded by neem trees. “Why are some parts of Daniel so hard to understand?” Anjali asked.

Pastor Ravi smiled. “Because some messages were meant to be understood only at the time of the end. God told Daniel to seal certain truths until knowledge would increase.”

He showed her how parts of Daniel’s prophecies connect to Revelation. “When John wrote Revelation, the angel said, ‘Do not seal the words of this prophecy, for the time is near.’ We are now living in that time.”

Over the next few weeks, Anjali joined Bible study groups, learning how history and prophecy lined up—Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome—just as Daniel had written centuries before. Her eyes lit up when she realized these weren’t just confusing visions—they were roadmaps showing God’s control over history.

One Sabbath, Anjali shared her testimony: “The Bible felt locked, just like my grandmother’s chest. But now I see—God isn’t hiding truth from us. He’s revealing it when the time is right, to those who are willing to search.”

Just as Daniel was told to seal up the words until the end, the disciples also misunderstood many of Jesus’ teachings until after His resurrection. In John 16:12–13, Jesus said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.” God reveals truth in stages, according to what we’re ready to understand.

🔥 Personal Reflection:

• Have there been moments when parts of the Bible felt too mysterious or sealed to you?
• How might the increase in knowledge and global access to Scripture today be part of the prophecy being fulfilled?
• Are there truths God may be waiting to reveal to you—if you slow down to study and listen?

🙏 Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for revealing Your truth in Your perfect time. Help us not to give up when we don’t understand everything. Give us patient hearts, open minds, and a hunger for Your Word. May the Holy Spirit guide us into all truth, just as You promised. In Jesus’ name, Amen.