Revelation of John 22:10 · Bible study
Revelation 22:10 Commentary: Why Not Seal? The Time Is Near
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why this verse reverses Daniel's command to seal, and what 'the time is at hand' means for the church, both then and now.
Research Summary
- Meaning: John is told not to conceal the prophecy because its events are about to begin, contrary to Daniel, whose sealed book pointed to a distant future.
- Key words: Seal (σφραγίζω, to hide or keep secret) and time (καιρός, a decisive moment, not a clock).
- Main debate: Whether ‘the time is at hand’ expects an immediate end in the first century, or refers to the beginning of events that culminate in the final end.
- Theological theme: The open Bible, God’s revelation is not for a select few but for the whole church, especially in times of suffering.
- Best use: Teaching on the nature of biblical prophecy, the imminence of Christ, and the pastoral purpose of apocalyptic literature.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.
KJV King James Version 1769
And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And he saith unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And he saith to me, `Thou mayest not seal the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is nigh;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And he says to me, Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book. The time is near.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he saith to me: Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book. For the time is at hand.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y me dijo: No selles las palabras de la profecía de este libro; porque el tiempo está cerca.
E ele me disse: Não seles as palavras da profecia deste livro, porque perto está o tempo.
Et il me dit: Ne scelle point les paroles de la prophétie de ce livre. Car le temps est proche.
Und er spricht zu mir: Versiegle nicht die Worte der Weissagung in diesem Buch; denn die Zeit ist nahe!
En hij zeide tot mij: Verzegel de woorden der profetie dezes boeks niet; want de tijd is nabij.
Poi mi disse: Non suggellare le parole della profezia di questo libro, perché il tempo è vicino.
Potem mi rzekł: Nie pieczętuj słów proroctwa księgi tej; albowiem czas blisko jest.
И сказал мне: не запечатывай слов пророчества книги сей; ибо время близко.
他又 對我 說：「不可 封了 這 書 上的預言，因為 日期 近了。
And he said to me, Let not the words of this prophet's book be kept secret, because the time is near.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Revelation of John 22:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the command not to seal the prophecy directly contrasts with Daniel’s instructions in Daniel 8:26 and 12:4,9. Daniel was told to seal his book because its fulfillment was distant, centuries away. But John is told to leave the book open because its events are about to begin. As Barnes notes, the prophecies of Revelation, though reaching to the end of the age, were immediately useful for a persecuted church. The Cambridge Bible explains that Daniel’s age passed away long before the end, but John’s age, the New Testament era, is the time of the end. Gill and Matthew Henry add that the book is to be published and read by all, not locked away. On ‘the time is at hand,’ most commentators (Barnes, Clarke, Wesley) say it does not mean the world would end immediately, but that the events foretold were soon to commence. The urgency is pastoral: suffering saints needed hope now, not in a distant future.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Immediate historical fulfillment: Revelation predicted events within the first century, such as the fall of Jerusalem or the persecution under Nero (Barnes, Clarke).
- Inaugurated eschatology: The end has begun with Christ’s resurrection; the ‘time is at hand’ means the last days are underway, though not completed (Cambridge, JFB citing Auberlen).
- Spiritual readiness: The phrase calls believers to constant watchfulness, not calendar prediction (Wesley, Matthew Henry).
What is clear: The prophecy is not to be sealed or hidden; it is to be read, proclaimed, and trusted as a present word for the people of God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Sealing vs. not sealing | The command directly contrasts Daniel 8:26 and 12:4, marking a shift in salvation history. | Some commentators (Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) attribute the command to Christ; others (Barnes, Cambridge) say it is the angel. The point of difference does not affect the meaning. |
| The meaning of 'the time is at hand' | It does not mean the world would end within a few years of John’s writing. | Some (Barnes, Poole) say it means the events will begin soon; others (Cambridge, Auberlen via JFB) hold that the entire New Testament age is the ‘time of the end,’ with partial fulfillments already underway. |
| Purpose of the book | Revelation is meant for the immediate comfort and warning of the churches. | Preterist interpreters (following Grotius, per Poole) see most prophecies fulfilled in the Roman-Jewish wars; historicists and futurists see a longer timeline. Both agree the first readers needed hope. |
| Who is speaking in verse 10? | The speaker is the same figure who has been speaking since verse 6, either the angel or Christ. | Gill argues it is Christ; Cambridge Bible says the angel, but then speaks in Christ’s person. The identification does not change the charge. |
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient world, sealing a document meant making it secure and private. A scroll sealed with wax and a signet ring could not be read without breaking the seal. That is exactly what Daniel was told to do: ‘shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end’ (Daniel 12:4). The implication is that his prophecies were for a later generation that would not see immediate fulfillment.
Revelation was written in a time of intense persecution, likely under Emperor Domitian (c. AD 95). Christians in seven churches of Asia Minor were facing social pressure, slander, exile, and sometimes death. They needed encouragement that God was in control and that evil would not have the last word. In that setting, sealing the prophecy would have been unhelpful. It needed to be read publicly in congregations, as John was told in Revelation 1:11 to send the book to the seven churches. The contrast with Daniel is striking: Daniel’s prophecy was meant to be preserved for centuries; John’s was meant to circulate immediately. The phrase ‘time is at hand’ echoes Old Testament prophets like Isaiah 13:6 and Ezekiel 12:23, where the day of the Lord is declared imminent. For John’s readers, the arrest of John himself and the persecution under Nero (which some had already lived through) showed that the ‘birth pangs’ had begun. The book’s purpose was not to satisfy curiosity about the end of the world but to strengthen faith in the midst of trial.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant variant among Greek manuscripts for Revelation 22:10. The phrase is stable. Gill observes that the opening clause is omitted in the Ethiopic version, but this does not affect the Greek textual tradition. The main verb σφραγίσῃς (second aorist subjunctive) is consistently attested.
Reception History
In the early church, this verse was used to support the public reading of Revelation in worship, as the book was considered to be open prophecy. During the Reformation, commentators like Matthew Henry and Gill cited verse 10 to argue that Scripture should not be locked away from the laity, a direct rebuttal to medieval practices of restricting Bible access. In modern scholarship, the contrast with Daniel has become a key argument for understanding the New Testament as the age of fulfillment, not mere preparation. The verse has also been a touchstone for debates about imminence: while some movements have used it to predict an early end, the majority tradition has held that ‘the time is at hand’ refers to the inaugurated but not-yet-consummated kingdom.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- An Open Book for an Urgent Hour, Revelation is not hidden wisdom for a distant generation; it is a present word for a suffering church. The command not to seal means the message is meant to be heard, read, and trusted now.
- Contrast with Daniel, Daniel sealed his prophecy because the time was not yet (Daniel 8:26). Revelation reverses that: the New Testament era is the time of fulfillment. The church no longer waits for the preparation; it lives in the last days (Hebrews 1:2).
- The Nearness of Christ’s Coming, ‘The time is at hand’ does not mean a date on a calendar but a posture of readiness. The events of Revelation began in John’s own day and continue through history, pressing upon every generation. Christ says, ‘I am coming soon’ (Revelation 22:12, 20).
Five-point outline
- The Speaker: Christ or the Angel, Some see the angel speaking, others Christ himself. Either way, the authority is divine. The message is from the Lord of the prophets.
- The Command: Do Not Seal, Sealing implies concealment or delay. Revelation is to be open, accessible, and proclaimed. Adam Clarke says it concerns the present times.
- The Content: The Words of Prophecy, This whole book, with its visions, judgments, and promises, is for the church’s comfort and warning.
- The Reason: The Time is Near, Not that all will end in a few years, but that the decisive events have begun. Barnes says ‘they are soon to commence.’ It is the beginning of the end, not a full chronology.
- The Application: Read, Keep, and Hope, The blessings of Revelation 1:3 and 22:7 attach to those who read and keep the words. The open book invites faith and patient endurance.
Illustration hooks
- An emergency alert system: When a tornado warning is issued, you do not seal the notice away. You broadcast it immediately. Revelation is God’s urgent alert to the church.
- A will that is opened only after death vs. a living trust: Daniel’s sealed book was like a will for a later generation; Revelation is a living trust, active now for the beneficiaries who are already suffering.
- The contrast between a museum artifact and a street sign: Daniel’s prophecy was like a sealed scroll in a museum, preserved for the future. Revelation is a street sign pointing the way through present trials.
Questions your congregation is asking
- ‘If the time was near 2000 years ago, why hasn’t Jesus returned yet?’
- ‘How can we know if an end-times prophecy is being fulfilled today?’
- ‘Does this verse mean I should drop everything and just wait for Jesus to come back?’
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the hinge of Revelation: the vision is over, and now the command to share it comes. In your group, read the verse aloud and consider how it would have felt for John to hear ‘do not seal’ after years of loneliness on Patmos. The book is meant to be open, and so is our conversation about it.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think Daniel was told to seal his book, and John was told not to? What does this difference tell us about the two time periods?
- Read Daniel 8:26 and 12:4. How do those verses shape your understanding of Revelation’s urgency?
- The phrase ‘the time is at hand’ appears in Revelation 1:3, 22:10, and elsewhere. What do you think it meant to a first-century Christian facing persecution?
- Some people today argue that ‘at hand’ means Jesus must return within their lifetime. How does the rest of the New Testament (e.g., 2 Peter 3:8-9) help balance that expectation?
- If Revelation is an open book, what responsibility does the church have to teach it and not ignore it? Why do you think many Christians avoid studying it?
- How does knowing that the prophecies were meant for immediate comfort change the way you read the book today?
- What is one practical step you can take this week to ‘keep the words of the prophecy of this book’ (Revelation 22:7) in your own life?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 8:16 | Wrap up the covenant. Seal the law among my disciples. |
| Isaiah 13:6 | Wail, for Yahweh’s day is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. |
| Ezekiel 12:23 | Tell them therefore, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “I will make this proverb to cease, and they will no more use it as a proverb in Israel;”’ but tell them, ‘“The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision. |
| Daniel 8:26 | “The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision, for it belongs to many days to come.” |
| Daniel 12:4 | But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many will run back and forth, and knowledge will be increased.” |
| Daniel 12:9 | He said, “Go your way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. |
| Matthew 10:27 | What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. |
| Romans 13:12 | The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the deeds of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke insists the prophecy was not to be sealed away for later generations but addressed the present audience. The events it described were imminent, with the time clearly at hand. He identifies these as specifically concerning the Jewish people of that era, not some distant future.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes contrasts the command given to John with the sealing commands given to Isaiah and Daniel. Unlike those prophets, whose prophecies were sealed for distant fulfillment, John is told not to seal his book because its events are about to begin and will provide immediate comfort to the persecuted church.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that John is told not to seal his prophecy, in pointed contrast to Daniel, who was told to seal his. The difference is not about chronology alone — both ages are long from the end — but about dispensation. Daniel's Jewish age passed away, while the Christian age in which John wrote lasts until the end.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And I am Iohn, which sawe and heard these thinges: and when I had heard and seene, I fell downe to worship before the feete of the Angell which shewed me these things.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that Christ commands the prophecy be left open and public, not hidden, so believers can know the coming persecutions, heresies, and the man of sin. This knowledge prepares them to endure patiently, avoid deception, and find comfort in the certainty of antichrist's fall and the church's glory. He concludes that Scripture, especially Revelation, must not be locked away from common readers.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB contrasts Daniel, who was told to seal his prophecy because its fulfillment was distant, with John, who is told not to seal because the time is near. The New Testament era is the time of fulfillment, and the church must live in constant readiness for Christ's return, even as Revelation also unfolds a sequence of events before that coming.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the Greek word for seal, which carries four distinct meanings in the New Testament: confirming or attesting something, closing something shut for security, hiding or keeping something secret, or marking a person or thing. He notes the word appears far more often in Revelation than anywhere else.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws attention to the command not to seal the book, which he interprets as a call to openly proclaim its contents rather than conceal them. He stresses that the time for their fulfillment is near, meaning these prophecies will soon begin to take place.