No, the prophets did not understand everything they wrote — they wrote by inspiration, but the full meaning of their prophecy was sealed until the time of the end.
Daniel himself asked the Lord what his prophecies meant and was told to shut up the book because it was not for him to know. The Old Testament prophets wrote as the Spirit of Christ moved them, but understanding of end-time prophecy was withheld until later. Les Feldick points out that end-time prophecy remained essentially untaught until the mid-1800s and only began to open up as the end neared.
Daniel 12:8-9 — Daniel admits he heard but did not understand, and the angel tells him the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
1 Peter 1:11 — It describes the Old Testament prophets searching to understand what the Spirit of Christ in them was signifying — showing their understanding was limited.
In Daniel 12, after the angel gives the prophetic vision, Daniel responds, "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?" (Daniel 12:8). The angel answers, "Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" (Daniel 12:9). This shows the prophet could write words whose meaning was not yet opened. The New Testament confirms that the Old Testament prophets were moved by the Spirit but did not fully understand what they recorded. Peter says the prophets "searched what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow" (1 Peter 1:11). They were writing more than they could completely comprehend.
Les Feldick emphasizes that Daniel's reaction at the end of his book is the clearest proof that the prophets did not understand everything they wrote. When Daniel asked, "Lord, what's the meaning of all this?" the Lord's answer was, "Shut up the book Daniel, it's not for you to know" (Clip 1). Les applies this to all the Old Testament prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the rest wrote by inspiration, but their end-time prophecies remained a closed book. Les says God told Daniel that the words were "closed up and sealed till the time of the end," meaning no one was to understand until we got close to the end time (Clip 2). He notes that almost nothing was preached or taught on end-time events until the middle 1800s, and by about 1900 the Holy Spirit was opening the Scriptures so that men could begin to put the end-time prophecies together (Clip 7). Les sees this being fulfilled today as the book of Daniel is opened up in our generation (Clip 4).
When Daniel heard the prophecy but did not understand, he asked, "What shall be the end of these things?" The angel replied, "Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end" (Daniel 12:8-9). Les Feldick points out that the Lord's answer was, in effect, "Shut up the book Daniel, it's not for you to know" — the full understanding was not for Daniel's day.
Les Feldick says there was absolutely nothing preached or taught concerning end-time events until about the middle 1800s. As the Holy Spirit began to open the Scriptures, men began to talk about a returning Israel and about coming nations like Russia. By the time you get to 1900, there was "a whole raft of men" putting end-time prophecies in a pretty good perspective.
Les stresses that the prophetic books are so supernaturally put together that mortal men could never have thought of them. The Old Testament prophets wrote by inspiration — the Spirit of Christ was in them as they wrote — yet they searched to understand what manner of time the Spirit was signifying. They could write beyond their own understanding because the words were not their own.
When Will Old Testament Saints Rise? Daniel 12 Explained:
those that survive at the end. So now the resurrection of the tribulation saints has to be included in the gleanings and the corners, because they certainly are not in the body of Christ. And yet Daniel now is speaking of the resurrection of the Old Testament saints at a point shortly after the end of the tribulation, or after the second coming of Christ, and into the kingdom.
Daniel Told to Shut Up the Book
Les points to Daniel's question at the end of his book and the Lord's answer — "Shut up the book Daniel, it's not for you to know" — as evidence that the prophet did not understand what he wrote.
No End-Time Preaching Until the Mid-1800s
Les explains that Daniel's prophecies were closed until the end time, and that virtually nothing was taught about end-time events until the middle 1800s.
Supernatural Construction of Daniel
Les shows that the book of Daniel could not have been invented by mortal men, supporting the idea that the prophets wrote more than they could know.
Daniel Was a Closed Book to Scholars
Les says Daniel was largely incomprehensible ('gobbledygook') to scholars throughout history because of its end-time content, and was only opened at the time of the end.
Daniel's Dream, the Antichrist & the Mark of the Beast
That's as far as you have to go. He has put His stamp of approval on the book of Daniel as being a book of prophecy. And so we don't have to conjecture, well, you know, is this something that's not for real? Of course it is. And as I've pointed out ever since we started back in Genesis, just like these three books written uniquely out of the land, all of these just show us and tell us that this bo…
God Would Not Reveal Until the End
Les reads Daniel 12:9 again and explains that God purposely did not reveal these prophetic truths until the end time, when He would ready men to put it all together.
Holy Spirit Opened Prophecy After 1800
Les describes how the Holy Spirit began opening end-time Scriptures in the late 1800s, and by 1900 many men had a good perspective on prophecy.
Daniel 12:8: And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
Daniel directly admits he did not understand the prophecy he had just written.
Daniel 12:9: And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
This is God's answer explaining that the full understanding of the prophecy was reserved for the end time.
1 Peter 1:11: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
Peter reveals that the Old Testament prophets themselves searched to understand what the Spirit was revealing through them.
No. Daniel said, "I heard, but I understood not," and he asked what the end of these things would be (Daniel 12:8). The angel told him the words were closed up and sealed until the time of the end (Daniel 12:9).
Les Feldick explains that virtually nothing was preached on end-time events until the middle 1800s. By around 1900, as the Holy Spirit opened the Scriptures, many men were beginning to put end-time prophecies in perspective.
They wrote by inspiration, with the Spirit of Christ in them, but they searched to understand what manner of time was being signified (1 Peter 1:11). Their understanding was limited; God sealed the full meaning until the end time.
Watch the Teaching: When Will Old Testament Saints Rise? Daniel 12 Explained: