
[4] But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
God advises us through Daniel that a particular
circumstance will occur “at the time of the end,” specifically that “many shall
run to and fro,” and, as a result, man’s “knowledge shall be increased.” Man, in his running to and fro, both across
the earth and in space, did, in the twentieth century, accrue more knowledge
about the earth than he grasped in the thousands of years from Adam’s creation
until the beginning of that century.
The data from hundreds of satellite eyes in space, used in
spectrographic color analysis of the earth’s crust, has been allied with
seismological data by a worldwide linkage of computer technology to allow man to
discover an endless array of facts about the external and internal structure of
the earth. Within the last thirty years
man has more than doubled his factual knowledge of the exterior and interior of
the earth, yet he has barely scratched the thin outer veneer of the unlimited
knowledge of God, as prophesied by Daniel.
This “time of the end” knowledge has begun to unseal many of the
prophecies, and to open the “shut up” words of latter day events.
Today, when you look at the tectonic plate
structure, found in countless numbers of books today, you see thousands of
miles of lines between tectonic plates, which represent cracks in the earth
that weave their way erratically down through the earth, eventually making
contact with great underground lakes of red-hot melted rock called magma. These geological faults are not the figment
of scientific imagination. They are no
longer based on theory or hypothesis.
They have, within the past hundred years, advanced from hypothesis to
theory to fact. They are tremendous
cracks in the crust of the earth that have the full potential to fulfill many
of the terrifying events in the book of Revelation. Because these deep geological faults interconnect, they have
separated the outer surface of the earth into vast chunks of crust called
tectonic plates. These plates are
usually named for the geographical area that lies atop them, and they are
responsible for the earthquake and volcanic activity in these areas. Just as a ship floats on water, so do these
vast pieces of the earth’s crust float on deep oceans of hot liquid rock. They float in slightly different to opposite
directions at differing speeds.
Movement is perhaps only a few centimeters every year in some zones, but
can be several per year in some places, and, at times, can suddenly move
several feet in a local area. They move
to produce over ninety-five percent of the world’s earthquake activity, as well
as more than ninety percent of the world’s volcanic activity. Seismic topography, along with horizontal
surface and vertical satellite laser beam measurements, has now proven without
question that the plates exist and move to produce most of the world’s
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. As
the plates of the earth press against one another horizontal and vertical
tectonic pressures often freeze vast zones together. As the plates strain against one another in titanic combat
something finally snaps, and they break free in a local area. This abrupt loosing produces the massive
vibrations we identify as an earthquake.
The Lord indicated “and great earthquakes shall be
in divers places” in the last days.
Man, in his running “to and fro,” has now gained the increase in
knowledge to understand how earthquakes and volcanoes are produced by God’s
creation. The same Christ, who uttered
“and great earthquakes shall be in divers places,” already knew what man was to
discover more than 1900 years later.
The prophecy, “and knowledge shall be increased,” was fulfilled in the
last century. The Holy Spirit, who
inspired these words of Daniel and all the other prophets, will use his prior
creation, the earth, to fulfill these prophecies of earthquake, fire, and
brimstone, and he will do it by his own power.
The horrifying scenes of destruction and chaos presented by John in the
book of Revelation, and by the Old Testament writers are largely descriptive of
a tremendous geological upheaval of the crust of the earth by the power of its
Creator.