“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: …and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4 (KJV)
“…and knowledge shall be increased.” The amount of information available at our fingertips has exploded in the last few years. Scientists tell us until the early 1900s, knowledge was doubling every hundred years. At the end of 1945, that rate had increased to every twenty-five years. In today’s world, thanks to the Internet, the doubling of knowledge happens in as little as twelve hours.
Examples of the exponential increase in technology are endless. The Chinese robot, Sophia, is the most advanced robot ever created. We ask Seri and Alexa questions as if they were human and smarter than we are.
No more do we need wires running through our house to connect us to the other side of the world. We have wireless. We can call anywhere for free—or send an email or enjoy videos and jpegs on social networking sites from Antarctica to Timbuktu.
This expansion of knowledge is linked to the Worldwide Web. Scientists predict every place on earth will be connected by the super-information highway in the next few years.
The three “W’s” in Worldwide Web are represented by the letter Vav in Hebrew, and it is the sixth letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Is there any coincidence that WWW, the symbol for the Worldwide Web, becomes 666 when switched to a numerical value in Hebrew? Because the number one source of information today is shared on a platform symbolized in Hebrew by 666, interesting questions arise. To quote Sir Francis Bacon, “information is power.”
Most Christians know the number 666 is associated with the most powerful ruler that will walk the earth. He will control the information highway, including all buying and all selling. Those who want to survive will be forced to receive his mark on their right hand or forehead. Satan’s deception will come through this lawless one as well as others because they will not know the knowledge of the Holy One. The minds of unbelievers will be blinded, and because of hardened hearts, God will send a strong delusion that, if it were possible, could deceive even the elect.
Too many will believe what is false. Too many will reject the truth because they prefer pleasure in unrighteousness. We are already seeing that today, and things will only get worse. Some will be enticed away from God because of their own lusts. Others will not be willing to endure sound teaching. We live in a “me-my-mine” world, where people believe they are entitled, are easily offended, and self-indulgent, where truth is relative and moral values reversed. Evil is called good and good is called evil.
Despite the chaos that is coming, God’s definition of knowledge in Daniel 12:8 is a different kind of knowledge that will increase, a knowledge that will fill the minds of Christ followers with understanding that far surpasses the knowledge of the heathen, knowledge far more significant and compelling than what can be found on the Worldwide Web.
When the Bible refers to “knowledge” in Daniel 12:5, the context does not refer to man’s knowledge bolstered by artificial intelligence or a beast system that’s coming. God’s promises include discernment that will help us to know the difference between real news and fake news, what’s right and what’s wrong, absolute truth and relative truth, and the difference between good and evil.
God created good and evil. He put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden. Just as Adam and Eve were tested, a time of testing is coming upon us, to separate the wheat from the tares—those who love the truth from those who love the darkness.
Where evil abounds, God abounds more. All manner of wisdom in the form of art and craftsmanship will be magnified. God only requires our complete obedience. By faithfully following our Lord and Savior, we can understand all knowledge and all mysteries.
No matter how dire the circumstances, the Word of the Lord is forever. God’s wisdom is sweet, like manna from heaven. Knowledge of the Lord will be as the waters cover the sea, and everything hidden will be revealed. We can take heart that those who love Jesus and are called according to his purpose will be full of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, from now until eternity.
